Week 13: Langkawi

Per the suggestion of my coworkers, I spent the weekend on the tropical island of Langkawi, soaking in the sun and remembering how to relax for a change. Like most islands near the equator, this one was absolutely beautiful, but its special claim to fame is that it is duty free. This meant lots of cheap chocolate and drinks on the beach for me! Upon arrival Friday night, my hospitable hostel owner convinced me that I should stick to a manual bicycle for transport, as the island was too far for walking and taking a taxi would be expensive by Malaysia standards. I took his advice, and spent the day Saturday biking to a gondola that is famed to be one of the steepest in the world. This took me up a mountain and gave gorgeous views of the surrounding islands and beaches. Unfortunately, the top was shrouded in clouds so I did not get a clear view at the top, but it made walking along the most curved bridge in the world less nerve wracking!

After descending, I went a little ways to a nearby waterfall, which was also accompanied by great views and a cool breeze that was much needed at the time. I enjoyed my lunch on the outskirts of the jungle in a restaurant that looked more like someone’s extended porch. The flora and fauna gave a nice change of scenery from the city setting of KL, and the monkeys are always entertaining. Once I had seen it all, I made my way back to my hostel and the beach, to enjoy a glass of wine during sunset.

Sunday I ignored the advice of my hostel keeper and decided to try my hand at driving a scooter. (My backside was the key decision maker here, as bicycles have never been my chosen mode of transport.) After a hair-raising start, I got the hang of driving and had a lot of fun driving around the island and checking out otherwise unreachable sites. These included the famed tomb of Mahsuri, a woman who was a beauty among the people of Langkawi and was murdered following vicious rumors of her infidelity. While I have trouble believing that she bled milky white, it was interesting to read about the legends of the island.

In the afternoon I kept up my adrenaline rush by going parasailing, an exhilarating experience. While the time in the air is dismally short, it’s an amazing feeling to be flying through the air and see the island and surrounding sea spread out before you. Definitely worth the time and money, that marked the end of my adventurous time on Langkawi. The rest was spent enjoying the beach and warm water and trying to remember how to act when you are relaxing, before heading back to Kuala Lumpur for the normal Monday workday.