Langkawi: Malaysian Thailand

 

All of our trips so far have been to Malaysia, and I have to say, they're making me love Malaysia! So beautiful (and everything is cheap in Malaysia)! Despite it being rainy season in Langkawi, we had some great weather and were able to enjoy some nature and do lots of relaxing!

We stayed at Tanjung Rhu Resort on the northern side of the island, and one of the prettiest beaches on the island. Although the resort is half under construction (and apparently has been for years), the staff was excellent, the pools stunning, and the food delicious. The views out from the beach were filled with islands and mountain, very much what I imagine Thailand looks like, as Thailand was just a few miles away. The resort was very quiet, which made it great for enjoying the pool and sunsets!

 

Most of our trip was spent relaxing on the beach or by the pool. One day, the winds switched directions and blew in tons of trash from the ocean. The hotel staff worked hard to clean up the flip flops, styrofoam, bottles, etc., but it took days! So sad to see all of the trash that is in our oceans! :(

 
 

 

Emmeline was entertained with the daily fish feeding, which meant she got to feed the entire bowl of fish food to the fish since no one else was around! She was also treated to some balloon animals one day, and of course, what is a vacation without ice cream!?

 

The two "touristy" things we did were the cable car and sky bridge and a mangrove boat tour. Emmeline loved the cable car, and it was quite a steep incline up to the top, but the views were pretty great! The Sky Bridge was super windy, and neither kid was a big fan. Needless to say the photos are not the best as we were all just ready to get off the bridge. The best pictures are from above the bridge, anyway, ha! It was a cool way to see the island, though, and that water color is just awesome!

 

I wasn't sure what to expect with the mangrove tour, as I'd heard it could be quite touristy, but we got an awesome rate for a private boat ($40 US!!), and the scenery was beautiful! Green cliffs made for stunning backdrops to the mangroves. Much to Emmeline's delight we saw eagles and monkeys along the river. After a quick trip through a small cave, we stopped at a fish farm before returning back to our resort. We watched lots of fish being fed, and Emmeline got to touch a sting ray (but not a huge fan of that!)

  

Since Grandma and Grandpa were along, Nick and I got to enjoy several happy hours (which lasted until 11pm with 50% off drinks, haha) and a nice dinner on the beach. The food was excellent, and it felt like we had the place to ourselves.

 






Although we stayed on a resort, we definitely got the feel of "local" Malaysia. Starting with our cab ride from the airport to the resort. I had read that cab prices were fixed, and so we decided we would just take one of those cabs when we got in since it was only $12 US for a 30 minute ride. After we'd already paid, we are led out the back of the airport to a pretty old van with no seatbelts. So much for lugging those car seats through the airports! Luckily, no one drives fast and the roads are single lane. One night, Mom and Dad and I also checked out the local night market. Very different from any market I've been to before, it was primarily food and drinks. So, so, cheap, if only I trusted the food and drink to actually try some. It was definitely very popular amongst the locals and fun to walk around. We did buy some rambutan fruit, though, as it was in season in Malaysia at the time.

 

 

 

 


All in all, a great little trip! Langkawi was a lovely getaway with a beautiful beach. The cliffs were definitely my favorite part of this island! Until next time, Malaysia!