Malaysia: Langkawi

Can any honeymoon trip to Malaysia be complete without a beach vacation? Especially if the beaches in question are the long, sandy beaches of Langkawi? No, right? So like typical honeymooning couples, we took the ferry from Penang jetty point for a 3hour boat ride to arrive at this paradise island on a sunny afternoon of pre-Christmas December. You could take a 45 min plane ride also from Penang, or a 1 hour ride from Kuala Lumpur, but since we wanted to experience the waterways, we opted for the the ferry ride. (RM 65/person one way). Mind you, while its not any luxury cruise, the three hours were well spent gazing out at some awesome scenery, that were sometimes blotted out by the big ships. 

We docked at Langkawi, right on time, and got down at the busy port milling with the other tourists. There is prepaid taxi booth there, and if you share your cab with other tourists, (as we did, since there was a paucity at that time) the cabbie himself knocked down RM8 from our RM 20 bill. We had booked ourselves a sea facing room at the 'Awana Porto Malai' and I was so thrilled with our choice of the hotel. Not to turn this into another 'Trip Advisor' review, but this exotic hotel just took our breath away. Sprawling grounds, amazing views and a Mediterranean style boardwalk ensured that we spent the maximum time at the hotel itself.

Our sea facing room with the boardwalk right beneath it.

Langkawi is pretty pleasing to the eyes, what with the long sandy beaches, fringed with coconut trees.  The most popular beach is the Pentai Cenang beach. Dotted with hotels, B&Bs, the entire beach stretch is very busy and full of sights and sounds. If you are craving for some privacy and tranquility, book the hotels near Pentai Tenagh- seeped in tranquility and yet easily accessible. 

The Pentai Cenang beach is a long winding one, dotted with beach chairs, and with an array of adventure sports. The sand is soft, and the waters warm, and you could spend hours sitting at the beach, watching the sunset and letting the Indian Ocean caress you.

We spent Christmas Eve at the beach, and if you are even in Langkawi, you can't afford to miss spending an evening at the Babylon Mat Shack. Bohemian to the core, this lovely shack has low tables, and mats spread out on the beach, with eclectic music, live performances and fire dances. I could think of no better way to spend Christmas. 

Food is never a problem at Langkawi. From street food and hawker stalls to high end restaurants, with long queues, Langkawi has something to offer to people with different food preferences and monetary spends.

Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands, and the best way to view some of these is through the Island Hopping Tours that are available aplenty. Ask around, and shop for the best deals. Luckily our hotel is starting point of these tours, so we took our hotel's package. At 350 RM per person, it sounded pretty reasonable. The first stop was the Beras Basah island. Soft sand under our feet, we chilled out at the beach with a couple of drinks, and did crazy photo shoots of each other for an hour, before moving on a turtle farm in the middle of the ocean. The turtle viewing was an extra charge at RM 5, bu the boat operators asked all 6 of us in the boat whether we wanted to go, and pay for it, before taking us- so I didn't feel it was another tourist hussle. (Sadly we lost all pictures of it). 

The last pit stop of the tour was the Geoforest Park. Enroute we could see the silhouette of the 'pregnant maiden,' a set of hillock that resembles a pregnant woman. Legend has it that the waters around here are magical, and aid fertility- the guide was insisting all the women to taste some of it, though I passed ;).

The isle of the Pregnant Maiden

If you are visiting the Geoforest Park, make sure you have sturdy shoes on, as the park is huge, with a lot of descent/ascent... phewww! If you like lots of greenery mixed with a dash of adventure, go for it. We spent around 45 mins inside the park, a good 20 mins just dipping our feet in the water reserves. 

Langkawi has a lot of other tourist attractions such as the Cable car, the Aquarium, but we passed that for the simple pleasure of spending our nights & days by the beach, soaking the sun. Even as we flew back to India, the memories of this tropical romance will be etched in our minds forever.
                                                         
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Malaysia: Penang

Ah, Penang. What do I say about this city that straddles itself so beautifully amidst the old and the new. Whether you want to soak in the old colonial charm of Georgetown, or drown yourself in the cacophony of the party scene at the Batu Ferringhi beach, Penang has something to offer.

First things first. The best way to reach Penang is by flight. We flew Air Asia from KL and it took us a mere 45 mins. There is a overnight train also that operates within the two cities- take it if you can spare the time.

Now where to stay? Since we were heading off to Langkawi from Penang, the beach part of the trip was taken care of. So instead, we chose to stay in Georgetown and soak in the sounds and sight of this quaint little UNESCO heritage city.

Georgetown is about a 45 min drive from the airport. But this time we were wise, and inquired about bus services- and what could have been potentially another 100RM ride turned out to be only RM 25 in total. Our hotel, The Royal Penang, was set in the heart of Georgetown, and is very close to the Esplanade & Gurney Drive (which translates into sea & food). Can you really ask for anything more? Can you? :D

Day 1 in Penang, we started with Fort Cornwallis. It is an old star shaped fort which overlooks the sea and is usually the starting point of the Georgetown heritage walks. It's a small fort, unlike the luxuriant, expansive forts of Agra & Rajasthan, though I would recommend going in, & climbing up to the Seri Rambon Canon (at the very top of the fort) for the expansive views of the city.

After the fort, we ambled around the Esplanade, watching the ships go by, and the other aesthetic buildings in the vicinity.

   

                                                      

Oh, and before I forget, the jetty point for Langkawi is quite nearby to the fort, so we went got ourselves tickets for the paradise island. Afterwards, we hired a trishaw and just went about the town, soaking in the sounds & sights of Georgetown.

In the night, we decided to head out to the Night market of Penang, which happens to be next to the Batu Ferringhi beach. Though not much different from the night markets of Thailand, it was a pretty sight, with lights and food stalls all around. Feel free to bargain around, as the shopkeepers do seem to enjoy the bargaining process as much as the sale itself. We got some lovely string lights and other knick knacks from there and needless to say, pigged out at the local hawker food stalls. Afterwards we walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe, which is at the end of the beach, and ended the night before Christmas with a couple of drinks...

No post about Penang can be complete without a mention of its delectable street fare. Gurney Drive, a seafront esplanade is the most famous one, and the entire street is lined up with restaurants galore to suit all kinds of tastes and pockets. People buzzing all around, a heady cocktail of aromatic smell all around, you need to spend an entire evening in Gurney Drive to really enjoy it to the fullest.  Needless to say, we left Penang with some extra weight :)

                         

Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur

We were in KL for just a day (as a part of our onwards journey to Penang), so this post is definitely not going to be about what to do/ what to see in KL, since you really can't get much done in a day; (hey we didn't even visit the Petrona Twin Towers) but I can sure give you some great tips to save on money!

The KL airport is very far away from the main city. It took us a good one hour to reach our hotel situated at Jalan Pudu Lama (at 5 in the morning), and the cab ride set us back by RM 105. But the return journey cost us only RM 24. Surprised? 

The KL Sentral run bus service to & from the international airport at just RM 8 one way. The buses are plush, and have regular service. It was our hotel guy who gave us this tip (Our hotel was just 5 mins away from KL Sentral) 

The China Town was walking distance from our hotel and we set out to explore it in the afternoon. In China Town, most of the restaurants shut shop for a few hours after lunch, and quite a few refused admittance saying Lunch Hours are over. Finally we settled for street side food and it was yum! Be brave and try out the Duck Egg Tea you will find vendors selling on the streets. Go to China Town with some time on your hands and you might land yourself with some great shopping deals. 

China Town

While we were roaming around China Town, it started to drizzle, so we took a cab to the Bukit Bintang Mall, which was just 15 mins away. It was around Xmas when we visited KL, so the malls had been decorated very prettily.  

Christmas Time in KL

When in KL, try out the tea tasting options that available at a plethora of Tea Houses available all over. Though truth be told, we preferred our Chai Latte than the tea- but it was worth a shot! You never know when you develop new tastes, do you? 

Tea House

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