Langkawi Trip December '06

I've been wanting to blog about my family trip to Langkawi last Christmas... but just couldn't find the time nor energy to do so. But it was just so memorable and nice, so I'm going to try remember as much as I can and write it down here.

Mommy and I in our family car

On the day before Christmas Eve last year dad drove us up to Kuala Kedah where we parked our car and took a ferry-ride across. Upon reaching the island, we rented a manual Iswara and went straight to check-in to our lodging, Aseania Resort, situated between Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah.

At Langkawi Jetty: Can you see Eagle Square behind?

Since we checked in late, around 3.30p.m. that day, we didn't do much except swim at the pool and walk across to the streets left and right of the resort to hunt for dinner. I remember a few years back it was still easy to get conned at the restaurants but the situation has changed for the better now. Just make sure to look at the price menus displayed on the outside of the restaurants and always head for restaurants which are full of people. Don't opt for the first restaurant you see, but take a further walk down... where you'll usually get better bargains. There's a variety of good food at Langkawi: Thai, Chinese and Malay. As usual, my family chose to order Chinese food for dinner. Dad also bought many cans of beer at the duty-free shop earlier on, so we drank and drank to our heart's content! After that, we took a stroll amongst the many shops peddling fake Roxy and Quiksilver beachwear, funky necklaces and shoes, and carved souvenirs.

Bin and I at the makan place

More Corona, please!

Next stop that night, we took the car and drove to Awana Porto Malai at Pantai Tengah. I don't know why, but each time I go to Langkawi, this is a must-stop for me. Maybe it's the boardwalks... the tapping of my sandals on the wooden planks just remind me of that nostalgic old song "Under the boardwalk down by the sea, on a blanket with my baby..." The serene night with those white sailboats parked at the bay, with the cool sea breeze blowing in your face... just calms me down and takes all my worries away.

Yachts at Night

Yachts in the Morning

This one is nice

The next morning, we went sightseeing. Since we'd already covered most of the tourist attractions (Eagle Square, Underwater Aquarium, Tun M's museum, Field of Burnt Rice, Mahsuri's Mausoleum, etc...) in our previous visits to the island, we went to see the relatively new Oriental Village at Burau Bay. Originally, we wanted to take the Cable Car Ride but were frightened by the horns and sight of the cable cars swaying gustily in the strong wind. So we took a walk around the Village and took some nice photos. The next time I go, I wanna take the cable car ride!!!

Cablecar Station on Top

*...Cute...*

At the Oriental Village

Rocks and Greenery

For brunch, we wanted to taste for ourselves the bread sold by none other than our ex-premier, Tun M, at The Loaf. The Loaf is located among the restaurants and the seafront of Pantai Kok. The Loaf is a joint-venture with a Japanese company and sells high-quality (expensive) bread and pastries and fine-dining at night. It's said to target foreign tourists, but I saw all of the clientèle that day were Chinese. On his less busier days, Tun M purportedly comes to sit in the office upstairs and random customers are allowed to go up and have a chat scold Badawi together with him.

Mahathir's Loaves

Mom sipping their famous iced latte. Later she found out its secret recipe: just freeze the coffee into ice-cubes and add lotsa milk!

Dad and I at The Loaf. Look at the Tun Baker M logo on the doorpane.

In the afternoon, Mom and Dad decided to take a hike up Seven Wells again. The last time I climbed up, I was 9 years old and it seemed like helluva distance for me then. So, I wasn't really keen on hiking at that moment so the 3 of them went, and I sat around sipping coconut juice waiting for them.

Since it was Christmas Eve, later that night we decided to visit the more classy hotels to get a feel of a beachy Christmas. Most hotels had already decked their halls with boughs of holly, and of course, not forgetting the most important Christmas Tree at the lobby. Our resort was having an open-air Christmas buffet night with waiters and waitresses donning Santa hats and merrily singing while serving food to the guests.

Centerpiece

We took a short walk to another nearby resort called The Frangipani Langkawi. The Frangipani has a spacious dining pavillion with Balinese themed whitewashed walls and dark wood that opens up to a beautiful view of the resort's private beach. There was also a dinner going on at the pavillion, but nobody really cared as we went in to visit and join in the lively Christmas cheer. On the stage in front of the swimming pool was a guy singing Christmas carols along to a live band. We climbed up onto the big, decorative boat festooned with colorful Bali lanterns and sat there listening to the beautiful melodies along with other families grouped at their respective dining tables. It was a wonderful night, that joyful Christmas... and the thousands of stars above seemed to be blinking along in unison, all giving praise to the baby Jesus Christ.

The next morning, on Christmas Day, nothing seemed better than to be able to take a peaceful, long walk on the sandy white beaches of Langkawi. Mom and Dad already went hand-in-hand in front, while I trailed along their footsteps far behind, picking up big, live starfish and shellfish that got washed up on the beach and throwing them back into the sea. How I wish I'd brought along my camera to capture all those memories... but I know in my heart that there are still many more beautiful memories to come... :)