Chillin' in Langkawi, island of legends - Part 1

The mosque next to Kuala Perlis jetty.

Pristine beaches, world class accomodations, a laid back atmosphere, the genuine friendliness of the locals -  reasons to set foot on the blessed island of Langkawi are multiple. It is also number 4 on Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards for top 10 islands in Asia (not bad at all). And oh yes, the number one reason for most Malaysians to visit Langkawi - the duty-free goods!

For you guys with deeper pockets, you can get there by air. For the rest of us, the island is also accessible by ferry. There are 3 jetties to choose from: Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, or Penang Island. We boarded a ferry from Kuala Perlis as according to my brother, the ferry ride is the shortest i.e. 45 minutes using the newer vessels. The jetty area itself is pretty well-developed with a modern ticketing complex and ample car parking spaces (the ferries are not built for carrying vehicles). Nearby, you can find an air-conditioned mosque, a couple of decent-looking hotels, and many seafood eateries (which typically open from 5 p.m. onwards).

Hotel for first night, De Baron Resort in Kuah.

After a tiring 5-hour northbound drive from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis and the ferry ride, we finally managed to check-in at our hotel for the night, De Baron Resort in the main town, Kuah just after sunset. The 3-star resort is a short RM 6 taxi-ride from Kuah Jetty. From the resort, you can walk to a large duty-free shop called Ramps and the positively-rated Saji Restaurant (and other food hangouts) within 5 minutes. Very convenient indeed! The rooms are spacious and clean, and the breakfast exceeded my modest expectations in terms of selection and quality. Definitely worth your money ;)

Big room, big beds, and big breakfast selection for the relatively low price ;)

Nice panoramic view from the deck.

Unless you're on a holiday package of some sort, it's quite difficult to move around the island without hailing for a cab or renting a car. There are quite a number of companies offering car rental on Langkawi Island if you're thinking of it. My advice: rent a car online. We didn't and ended up renting something less than agreeable (sad but true). You may have to pay a bit more, but at least it's worry-free.

Langkawi, here we go!

Dataran Lang is the main square on the island. Lang (as in the first part of the name Langkawi) is essentially the Malay word helang, which means eagle - hence the giant statue of the bird. It's pretty much a compulsory spot for a photo once you set foot on the island :) Afterwards, we headed for some stalls selling trinkets, drinks and titbits, bought some ice-cream to ward off the heat before hitting the duty-free shops in Kuah town. Yey! 

Sorry no pictures of the shops - too busy shopping for chocolates, hehe. I think the more popular shops include the ones labeled Haji Ismail Group. Unfortunately, my chocolates have an unavoidable tendency to melt once they leave the shop, huhu. Just so you know, there are other things on sale as well, of course.

After a quick lunch, we hopped into our car and sped off to experience the other popular attraction on the island, the cable car ride up Machinchang Mountain. You've not officially been to Langkawi if you've not been here! You pay RM 15 per person and have a ride to the top to witness breathtaking panorama of the whole island from 708 metres above sea level, or better still, lay your eyes on a gorgeous sunset around 6.30 p.m. 'on a fine day' (as claimed by a signboard at the top station). Just be reminded that the cable car ride is closed at 7 p.m. and brace yourselves for the 45-minute long queue (on a weekend) even before stepping into one of the cable cars, huhu. And if all that queuing up and cable car ride gets you hungry, there's a small cafe at the peak to satisfy your needs ;)

A birds-eye view of the yacht-filled Burau Bay down below.

Your 45-minute long queue for the cable car is rewarded with a sumptuous 360-degree view of the island.

The Sky Bridge is currently closed to the public (sigh).

I left Machinchang Mountain feeling refreshed by its crisp cool air (also by another bout of ice-cream courtesy of my brother) and off we went to check-in at our second accomodation for this trip. Needless to say, it's bigger, better, and of course a tad more luxurious :) See you in the next entry!