Christmas + Cuti Cuti Malaysia

Christmas huh? A time where you spend time with family and friends, regardless of who you are. I guess it doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas or not, but what is important is that the spirit of Christmas is celebrated.

Hence why I am 400kms away from anyone, in a town that doesn’t really celebrate Christmas is beyond me. So I went off, celebrating one of my favourite festivals alone. And it turned out to be alright!

Pre-christmas was spent with my girlfriend and my parents. On Saturday I went to Pavilion and bought Christmas gifts. Ferragamo for her, Kiehl’s for me. And nothing for anyone else. Haha. Sunday I flew out to Perlis onboard a semi-empty flight. I guess Alor Setar on a Sunday night is not really top on anyone's list.

On Monday the thought occurred to me that its not going to be fun staying in the hotel room, racking up room service charges and staying in and stay fat. There really isn’t much things to do here in the first place! So off I went to Kuala Perlis and bought a ferry ticket to the paradise island which ive never been to before – Langkawi.

Syed provided me with a number for car rental. At first I thought id rent a convertible, but my rational and logical thinking outlined the fact that Malaysia has hot balmy weather, with stinging sun rays, a condition not really suited for convertibles. So I rented a 4X4 in the end. I could’ve rented a cheaper and smaller car, but I wasn’t sure on the road conditions in Langkawi. Best be prepared, and after requesting for an X-Trail, I get a RAV4 instead.

I took the 7.30am ferry from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi. Usual Malaysian timing meant that the ferry didn’t leave at 7.30, but started boarding at 7.30. Eventually we left in the ferry which was so much more different than the rust-bucket type of ferry I took in Labuan. Glad to see that they really take care of people here.

The ferry ride took slightly over an hour and when I arrived I met the car rental guy who handed me keys to a 2 year old RAV4. Not bad at all, except that the petrol gauge was flashing and he didn’t tell me where the nearest petrol pump is. After 15minutes of nail biting “Is-It-Going-To-Run-Out” tension, I found a Petronas station and filled up. Then I made my way to The Westin for the start of my bar hopping adventures.

10 in the morning and I’m seated on the couch at The Westin’s Breeze Bar, and I was just enthralled by the view. I could see about 10 islands, a few boats from where I was perched and I must say that Langkawi must be the most beautiful place Ive ever been in Malaysia.

After breakfast I made my way around the Island. First stop was Pantai Batu Hitam, which wasn’t really nice. The typical Malaysian stalls were there as usual, selling batik, keychains and the usual touristy stuff. I found out a peculiar rule that states one individual is only allowed to bring back 5 pieces of Batik. Okay, I know you’re going to ask why is one guy going to bring back 5 pieces of Batik, but the main question is why just 5? It turns out that because its tax free, people would hoard this Batik and sell it on the Mainland. The makcik there told me that I could bring back 10, 5 from me, the other 5 from my partner. I told them Im here alone and they looked at me as if I was a creature from outer space.

"Usually people come to Langkawi with families, or their girlfriends/wives" she said.

Long story makcik, another story for another day.

I made my way to Teluk Datai, home of the Datai and Andaman resorts. I went to the Datai, had a mojito and admired the view. Its in the middle of the rainforest, and the beach is a bit secluded. Not bad, but I reckon the place is abit too quiet for my liking. I like quiet, but the Datai is so quiet it feels as if its empty. Well, I’m not surprised if it is, as im sure at RM1800++ per night for the cheapest room, it’ll be fairly exclusive.

Went to the Andaman and decided it was not to my liking. Don’t get me wrong, it is 5 stars and maybe a bit higher than the usual 5 star affair, but after you’ve been to a place like the Datai, its just a different level. The Andaman may be on a hill, but the Datai is on a different stratosphere.

I decided to go to the Four Seasons, but by chance I encountered a sign that showed where the Loaf is. If you probably know by now, the Loaf is Tun Dr.M’s Japanese bakery which serves great food. Unfortunately it is a bit small there and all the tables are always full, so I picked up some pastries and was about to go off when I saw signs showing the cable car attraction. Talk about not having a plan and going as you please!

The cable car up Gunung Mat Chincang is very famous and so I thought I’d better have a looksy. Tickets cost RM15 if you’re Malaysian but I can tell you, its worth it. Most probably the best tourist attraction in Malaysia (are there any others? Museum Kuala Perlis? Or even our Museum Negara? Labuan Underwater World? Nah). The cable car ride up was fantastic, the view just amazing. Going on the bridge, you can feel the vibrations when you step on it. The bridge is huge, solid piece of architecture, but because you’re perched so high up, I guess vibrations must be part of the deal. I wonder how they achieved that feat of engineering, without roads and lorries. They helicoptered up everything?? The trek to the bridge was quite something, and it showed me how bad my fitness has become. Still, managed to get myself some water and took the cable car down, which, in my opinion, can be quite scary at times.

I came down, in awe and inspired by the view. It really is something. Then I headed off for Tanjung Rhu.

On the way to Tanjung Rhu, I saw a small stall selling coconuts and air kelapa by the road. I stopped (thank god for 4WD traction- it was on the beach!) and enjoyed nice air kelapa with a view to die for. Can life be any better than this I thought, and soon I found out.

I continued on and stopped by the Four Seasons. And I guess I have found the most beautiful resort in Malaysia. By my standards, this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. It beats the forests of the Black Forest (a place, not the chocolate cake you idiots). It beats watching the sun set off the coast of Labuan, and it definitely is much nicer than watching the calm seas off the coast of Kota Kinabalu.

Imagine this, Im sat at the bar, mojito (again) in hand, cool wind blowing, the white sands in front of me and the deep blue ocean intersecting with the sky as far as the eye can see. Those classy white square umbrellas lined up infront on the beach, with the matching darkwood sunloungers. I sat there for hours, longer than any other hotel bars which I visited. I probably notched up a bigger bill than than the other bars ive visited but it was worth it. My dad was surprised with my barhopping antics, and I told him I’m a backpacker- with a platinum card. He wasn’t amused, and neither will my bank account as I seek to pay the bills back!

All in all, I would say that Langkawi is the most beautiful, most awe-inspiring and easiest place to move around in. I am in awe, and will definitely head back there again soon. But next time The Westin, Four Seasons and Datai is probably out of the question. Maybe I would stick it out as normal people do, but hey, no harm in dreaming eh?

Back to reality, I find myself alone in my hotel room, one with an airconditioning control which has just two presets - "Freezer" and "Off". Wi-Fi works, but shuts down when you need it the most (i.e when sending work emails) and room service is suspicously efficient. Maybe theyre cooking in the next room, who knows!

Merry Christmas all, hope everyone is happy. Im alone for another few days, lets hope I keep my sanity. Cant wait for Singapore! Woohoo! Right everyone, its time for me to crawl to bed in my freezing cold room watching Discovery Channel (again! and because the movie channel aint too good here).


Love all.