The ‘New’ Langkawi

Pulau Langkawi has seen much progress since my last visit 5 or 6 years ago. My recent trip to the duty-free paradise with Kim, Jill and Ming Luen had been among the most enjoyable yet.

Nice looking restaurants, bars and bistros have sprung up all along the stretch of road leading to Awana Porto Malai (where we stayed), while the popular Pantai Cenang area is now filled to the brim with shops, motels, spas, eateries and bars. My only regret is that our 3D2N (3 Days 2 Nights) visit wasn’t enough to sample all the island had to offer.

Day 1 we didn’t do much as we were all quite tired from the journey (via the Kuala Kedah ferry service). A reminder for future visits — just fly there! We had our ‘upgraded’ complimentary BBQ dinner at the hotel that night. The food was awful and the entertainment… utterly horrible! We left as soon as we could, and went to grab some drinks at the beachside bars along Pantai Cenang. From where we sat, the beach was vast and endless with the sea shimmering under the glow of a low half-moon.

Day 2 started with a splashing good time at the beach. It was also shopping day. We had rented a car, so we drove around a few places as well as into Kuah town to do our duty-free shopping (which consisted mostly of bottles of liquor and lots of chocolates). At night, all 4 of us treated ourselves to a nice relaxing traditional Malay body massage at Furusato Spa before proceeding to dinner and drinks at a very posh bistro called Sunday. I began noticing a trend here though… food in Langkawi is generally quite dissapointing. There was 1 exception: El Toro Espanol. Kim and I had popped into this chic-looking tapas bar for a snack. We had some beef and chicken meatballs in red wine sauce and deep-fried camembert cheese with lemon and honey. Both dishes were absolutely yummy and the sangria was really good too!

Day 3 we just lazed about the hotel and did some last minute shopping. Then it was another long journey home to Penang. Overall, it was a really fun trip, especially for Kim as it was her first time there. We intend to return some day. More pics here.