Malaysia, Langkawi - Day 1

Its been 5 years since partner and i officially tied the knot and needless to say both of us felt it was a 'BIG' achievement! So to celebrate the achievement we packed our bags and set of to Langkawi in Malaysia for some quality time together.

The Malaysian airlines flight from Mumbai supposed to take off at 11.50 PM was 40 mins late. It landed in KL at 8.00 AM and we made a mad rush to take the connecting flight to Langkawi which was to leave in less than half an hour.We managed to take the shuttle train to the domestic terminal clear immigration and customs and board the flight in the nick of time.On reaching Langkawi (1 hr flight)the first thing that hit us was the laid back touristy atmosphere at the airport.This was in stark contrast to the busy KL airport.

A Malaysian airlines flight at the airport

Shops in Langkawi airport
We were met by the cabbie(came with the package) who doubled up as our tour guide. He told us that Langkawi derives its name from the Malay word 'Helang' meaning 'eagle' and 'kawi' ' meaning 'reddish brown'. Pulau Langkawi (‘Pulau’ meaning ‘island’ in Malay)is the largest among 104 islands in the Kedah region .The only other inhibited island apart from Langkawi is Pulau Tuba among 104 island. In June 2007 Langkawi obtained international recognition when it was awarded a World Geo park status by UNESCO.

Map of Langkawi island, Malaysia

We headed to our hotel, the Berjaya Langkawi Resort which is nestled within Burau Bay on the northern part of the island. The resort is a 15-minute’s drive from the airport. The cabbie left us at the lobby after informing us that he would pick us up for the 'island hopping tour' (came with our package again)the next morning at 8.00 AM.

The Berjaya lobby

The Berjaya resort sprawls across 70 acres of forest and comprises of more than 502 rooms set like chalets.The entire resort is built in traditional Malay architecture set amidst lush greenery. Each chalet has a balcony and one can choose from the basic superior chalet to the deluxe and premier chalet on land/water. The best rooms are the however the premier chalets on water. While the superior rooms have a forest view and are not at all bad, the deluxe and premier chalet on land are sea facing with nice a view of the sea. We had booked two days in a superior chalet and two days on a premier chalet.

We freshened up and went to the 24 hr coffee shop Dayang Cafe for a brunch. While Langkawi is a haven for sea food lovers and non vegetarians, vegetarian food is not easy to find. If you are a vegetarian then its safer to eat the food limited choice of food in your hotel. You can find Indian hotels in the Pantai Chenang (‘Pantai’ meaning ‘beach’ in Malay) area which serve vegetarian food. We managed with the scrupulous breakfast spread, and stocked up on biscuits, buns and fruits.

After taking a stroll around the resort (to check out the whole resort would take you more than a couple of hrs I think as the place is huge!) we took the shuttle service to the room. After chilling out in the room we decided to take the cable car service (walking distance from the resort but shuttle service is available) in the afternoon.

Oriental Village and the Cable car
The cable car is situated inside the Oriental Village which is in the northwest of Langkawi Island, near Pantai Kok. The Oriental Village itself is not a village but a nice garden(oriental style) set around a pond with fishes and a fountain with souvenir shops bordering the pond. We browsed through the shops which have jewelry, beach ware and handicrafts made of shells. If you are a non vegetarian there is a food court where you can sample some Malaysian street food.

The entrance to the cable car is inside the village. The ride takes you all the way up to Mount Mat Cincang, Langkawi’s second highest peak.

As the cable-car ascends, you get a magnificent view of the rain forest below. You can also see the Telaga Tujuh waterfalls from the car.

View from Cable car


View of forest and skyline


View of sea and landscape

At around 600 meters there is a station to disembark and look around. You can take another car from here to a higher station .The best view of the Langkawi bays from all direction can be seen from the second station.

View of the first station on the way to the second station


View from the cable car

The sunset viewed from here is said to be breathtaking (i.e. if it’s not misty!).We went in the afternoon and while we ascend there was a thick mist so I guess we were lucky!

There is a set of steps which leads to an suspension bridge which works like an observation deck .The bridge is built across two cliffs. The steps are steep and bring your lack of exercise to the forefront but the view of the forest, skyline the island landscape and the seas beyond are a sight you must not miss!


The Suspension Bridge from the cable car


A scary view down below!

We came back to the base station loving the ride and imagining situations where we were stuck in the car at such high altitude and had to get out dangling from the cable with all sorts of wild animals in the forest and the sheer height frightening you from below( I know, see what bollywood does to you!)

From here, it was back to the room at Berjaya. We had our dinner at the beach café which thankfully had some vegetarian dishes to offer. The setting was itself beautiful with candlelit table and old English songs sung by a live band.


The beach cafe

If you do stay at Berjaya I suggest you have your complimentary breakfast here at the beach cafe, rather than in the crowded Dyang café. After walking around to digest the heavy meal, we retired to our rooms to get some rest before island hopping the next day.

Superior challet @ berjaya