Langkawi - sailing the Andaman sea

As part of our recent holidays we visited Langkawi, the Pearl of Kedah. We fancied a bit of beach time in between city and culture (Singapore and Georgetown). And there aren't many places as famous for its beaches as this island.
We stayed off the trodden tourist track in Berjaya rainforest resort. With its 500 chalets it would normally be too big for our taste but whether we were lucky, or it actually can cater for all those tourists, we didn't feel it was too busy; we didn't need to queue at breakfast, fight over sunbeds nor look for somewhere to sit for a drink. The resort is actually quite sympathetically fitted in its surroundings; when you take in the scenery from the beach, you cannot see the rainforest chalets at all. They are all nestled under the jungle canopy. We stayed in one of these family chalets, giving us plenty of living space and two balconies that we unfortunately shared with some nosy macaques. My parents stayed in the water chalets that offer an unhindered view of the Andaman sea (being built on stilts), even from the bath. Those rooms are very spacious, and the balcony is definitely worth the extra to enjoy the sunsets.

I would recommend the hotel. The food prices are ok - whilst eating at the resort is of course more expensive than in Malaysia in general, the standard is good even at the evening buffet, and there is a variety that kept us going. Since, unusually for us, we only stayed at the resort apart from couple of day trips. The beach was clean and the pool area had a nice view both to the rainforest and the beach. And the tax free prices of course make the swim in pool bar tempting.

Fancying itself a nature resort, Berjaya offers free nature walks few times a week in the mornings and evenings. Despite of having done a fair amount and traipsed around Gunung Mulu National Park, we still saw some new species to us; the tree monkeys and the lemurs. And I truly enjoyed the daily flypast of the hornbills at dusk.

We met up with friends who took us on the tour on the Andaman sea on their catamaran. There wasn't a breath of wind, though, so sailing was just nominal - we were motoring along with a walking pace. But that gave us time to take in the natural beauty of the island. The sea is a beautiful colour of blue and the limestone islands towering from the sea give it great contrast. We cooled off in the bath warm sea but sadly no fish was anywhere to be seen. A dolphin came to give us a wave, though. I do believe there is good diving around Langkawi, especially at the marine park close by.

A part from diving, snorkelling and sailing, there are other day trips Langkawi has to offer, such as kayaking in the mangroves and climbing the highest point. As the cable car to the top of the island, Mat Cinchang, was only couple of minutes away from our hotel, we caught it one morning. The views from the top truly show why the island is called the pearl of Kedah. The jungle spreads like a green carpet all the way to the turquoise waters that carry on forever.

Many people have asked since if I would recommend Langkawi as people are in search of beautiful beaches. As we didn't actually go to any of the public beaches I am not sure in what condition and how busy they are. Somehow, knowing Malaysia and Malaysians a little, I am a bit suspicious as to how long the Unesco's Geopark status will last on the island... Especially when its most famous claim to fame is the tax free status. But I hope they prove me wrong and the island and its beaches are still worth visiting in 20 years.