Under the Malaysian Sun

Welcome to Malaysia – the land of avid Milo drinkers and spiced chicken satay sticks. Where it seems to be endlessly sunny and humid, with greenery and coconut ice cream around every corner. Myself and mini- me (my 22 year old sister) spent the better part of a week lazing on Malaysia's prized island- Langkawi, off the western coast of Penang.

Out on the open water, Langkawi - Malaysia.

It was a fantastic week of drinking Tiger beer on the beach and getting bikini strap tans while having no where in particular to be. The best part? I didn't have to be at school by 8.40 am and nobody told me I could only go home at 5pm. However, lets get down to the important stuff, Where did we stay? What did we eat? And what did we do?
 

My sister and I (and my thumb) on the beach, Langkawi - Malaysia.

Where did we stay?

We decided to stay in an area called Pantai Cenang, which is on the Southern side of Langkawi in a backpackers called 'Rainbow Lodge'. We had read many good things about it on Trip Adviser and decided to book a room (we splashed out and booked a room with air conditioning although there are bunks available). The staff were incredibly friendly in helping us to book tours and find taxis. We even emailed the owner to tell him our plane was delayed and he waited for us to check in after midnight. He also knocked on our door to check we were alive/not too hungover after he had seen us on a night out, making sure we'd be awake in time for our tour. 

Our accommodation for the week: Rainbow Lodge in Pantai Cenang.

Christine on the hammock.

I would recommend this backpackers to anyone looking for clean and friendly accommodation as well as a free wake up call service in the mornings – via the on site rooster that lives in the parking lot.  For booking visit: http://rainbowlangkawi.yolasite.com

 
What did we eat?

We really didn't stop eating from the second our feet touched the ground at the airport. Every aspect of our day was moulded around where we would be eating - Thai, Indian, Malay or even at a questionable Mexican Italian fusion restaurant. Every evening ended with a Pinacoladas or beer on beach tables with Shisha (hub). Let me tell you, its a happy and easy way to put on holiday weight. One of our best food experiences was the weekly Thursday night market. We managed to buy chicken curry and basmati rice, spring rolls, potato samosas, fried noodles, fresh fruit juice and traditional pineapple pancakes for about 7 or 8 dollars in total.

Chicken satay at the Thursday night market.

Coconut drink on the beach Pantai Cenang - Malaysia.

Stir-fried noodles at the Thursday night market in Pantai Cenang.

 
What did we do?

Sit on the beach. Tan. Turn over. Repeat.

For the most part we decided to take a few package tours. One of our first being island hopping. At 35 rm (aprox $12) it was a pretty sweet deal. The tour group collected us from our backpackers, took us around on a speed boat for half the day and returned us, a little sun-burnt and in awe of all the beaches. We also got to visit a Geoforest Island and natural lake. There was a package where you could do it all on a personalized jet-ski but our backpacker budgets couldn't quite stretch for it. We had to use the money for cocktails instead – it didn't seem like much of a sacrifice at the time.

Island hopping off Langkawi, Malaysia.

Island hopping, Langkawi- Malaysia.

On our 4th day we took a taxi to the Seven Wells. It is a natural waterfall located fairly close to Langkawi's Sky Cab. We gave the sky cab a miss owing to hazy weather and instead spent the afternoon bathing in the seven natural pools cascading down the mountain. A warning to all potential visitors: be prepared to walk steeply uphill for about 600 stairs. For those who are less athletic (don't feel bad if you do - I normally class myself in this category), there is a pretty substantial pool at the bottom. However, if you have it in you to hike up the 600 odd stairs, the view and pools from the top are pretty amazing.

The top of the Seven Wells (after 600 stairs), Langkawi - Malaysia.

The bottom pool at the Seven Wells, Langkawi- Malaysia

The main waterfall at the Seven Wells, Langkawi - Malaysia.

The final package we took was a Mangroves tour. If you do nothing else the whole week – take this tour. It was beyond beautiful and our tour guide knew so much about the wildlife in the area. Basically, the mangroves are water canals and trees that form inland when sea water and fresh water become mixed. We were taught so much about how these trees adapt to salt water climates and even how the local monkey's fight for territory. We were even taken to a massive bat cave and got to stroke a few sting rays. The mangroves tour guides seemed to genuinely care for the conservation of the area – our particular tour guide wanted one of the older monkeys to become alpha male again and was actively trying to 'fatten' him up with fruit. He said the new alpha was a bit 'bitchy' for his liking.

I would recommend 'Island Adventure tours' in Langkawi to anybody looking for a pretty thorough and interesting tour.

My sister petting a stingray at the mangroves fish farm, Langkawi - Malaysia.

Our boat for the mangroves tour, Langkawi- Malaysia.

The fish farm, Langkawi - Malaysia.

Mangroves tour, Langkawi- Malaysia.

Mangroves tour, Langkawi- Malaysia.

Most of all, I had a pretty amazing week with my sister laughing, drinking out of coconuts and swimming in the warm Malaysian water. I would recommend this beautiful island to any tourists on varying budgets.