Escape to Langkawi

Only an hour by minivan to Thammalung Pier then an hour fifteen on a ferry, Palau Langkawi is the closest island to Hat Yai. It's beaches are noticeably Malaysian, with quite the variety of sun bathers, compared to the influx of Swedes on Thai islands. That isn't to say they aren't there though, we thought we made friendly with a few down the hall until they constructed a goodbye gesture of stacked furniture (every single piece from the veranda) in front of our door the morning we were trying to leave. This resulted in us sprinting down the ramp to the ferry that was scheduled to depart fifteen minutes earlier. We wish we could thank the Swedes for the stress and panic they ensued, but they're lucky they didn't do worse. But back tracking to the afternoon I arrived, the first stop is always the beach. Cooling off from the persistent sun in the crystal clear Andaman Sea, once again, is one of my favourite pastimes. 

A beach walk and an early start with the one dollar Carlsbergs brought the real vacation feeling. We came upon a deck of cards, which consumed each evening we spent on the veranda of our hotel. The sunsets never let us down, nor did the cheap Indian food. We rented motorbikes the next afternoon when we finally got our acts together, and cruised until the sun was setting. A 2.5 hour loop around the island turned into four as a result of our pitstops, the first being gas at Harbour Park. Langkawi definitely has the cheapest fuel we've seen in our travels thus far, making long trips ridiculously inexpensive. 

We went to the small Oriental Village, then stopped to see the skywalk on Gunung Raya Mountain. A bit of a splurge for backpackers, we didn't go up but looked at photos of the 700 metre high, 360 degree platform with breathtaking views. Then, we hiked up to the first Well of Telaga Tujuh, the Seven Wells Waterfall. Alex, with his crippled knee, was the only reason we didn't make it up further. It was meant to be though, with not much water flowing as it isn't rainy season. It was definitely a great cool off in the potholes at the base though. Cute monkey sightings as well.

Next, we drove the long stretch to the most secluded beaches on the island, Pantai Tengkorak and Pantai Pebble. And then Langkawi's most beautiful beach, the claim of which we didn't agree. Tanjung Rhu was very long and wide but not scenic. Our favourite beach of the day  was the fourth and final, Pantai Pasir Hitam. Literally meaning Black Sand Beach in Malay, it's actually a mix of both. Unlike other black sand beaches, this sand isn't volcanic in nature - iron oxide is believed to be the cause of this phenomenon. Some people also believe that it may have been caused by the burnt soil from the rice fields that were burnt during the Siamese War. Apparently the burnt soil flowed to the sea and got washed up onto the sand. The ancient fishing jetty at the end of the beach is also an interesting attraction.

After cruising through the National Park, we made it back to the port we'd all arrived at. A gigantic eagle statue mars the tropical-ness of the harbour, however it is quite impressive. There were a few sites we'd missed after making it back that day, but we managed to check them out the next morning/afternoon before having to return the motorbikes. Ulu Melaka, the tallest peak on Langkawi, stands at almost 900 metres. We also made it to a local hangout deep in the jungle, flaunting smooth basins of brisk water perfect for lounging. A walk around Pantai Cenang town later in the day left us seeing the remaining few sights worth checking out, one in particular being The Colourful Motel.

This tropical weekend turned out in a bit of a panic, as previously explained, but everything added to the excitement. Also a touch bittersweet, not knowing when I'll see my brother again, but we're hopeful. He plans on spending the next month in Indonesia, which is where Wes and I plan on touching base in before February escapes from us like January did!