Langkawi, The Red Brown Eagle

When i Zeroed in on Malaysia, Gentings was a place every travel agency suggested. After many interactions with travel consultants, I realized I am better off myself! I wanted a place unheard, unique and untouched. And then I found Langkawi.

Langkawi means red brown eagle. Though it’s a favourite place amongst tourists, it’s not promoted much in travel packages in India. But it’s quite a regular spot for Indian movie song shoots.

Boarding on a budget airline, my husband and I landed at Kuala Lumpur.  Yippee!! We took a premium cab from the airport and checked in at a hotel called Corus Hotel right next to the twin tower. The hotel is beautiful and comes under budget. As it was just for a night stay, it didn’t matter what facilities they had. The breakfast was good.  From the swimming pool, I could see the magnificent Petronas (Twin) tower. Amazing! We went to see the twin towers and OOPS! one thing we missed out was the fact that the sky bridge was closed on Mondays. I should have got my research done properly but no problem, we clicked a few pictures from outside and strolled in the KLCC shopping centre.

Our flight to langkawi was in the evening. We thought of taking the local train to the airport, and from there our adventures started. KL had two separate airports and we took the train to the international airport. Reaching there we realized that the domestic flights were from the other airport which was half an hour away and we were supposed to take a bus.  Hurried to the bus stop and waited for the bus, biting my nails. Bus arrived and then it was pray time. God we shouldn’t miss the flight!!! Phew, reached 5 minutes before the closing time for security check in and once I got inside the plane I started breathing again. Life!!!

Within half an hour I could see the island. Lovely!!! The airport was an ordinary place and you could just walk in and enter the duty free world of Langkawi. Incredible, Wonderful and OUCH!!!! My husband rolled the trolley bag on my toes. Oh no, another crisis! I could see blood. I could see half of my nail sticking out of my toe. With tears in my eyes, I could see “Rent-a-car” stall on the right. And with limping leg and road map, we got into our Myvi white car. Why is the petrol indicator at “E”? Where is the fuel station? Will we make it? I don’t want to push a car in an unknown place for don’t know how long. But God was with us.... there it was bleaming bright... ....  our life saver.. the petrol station!!! What made it even better was petrol cost only Rs. 15. FIFTEEN RUPEES!!!

Off to Hotel Bayview in Kuah – our home for 3 days. By the time we checked in, it was raining and had become dark. Oh wow… from the room I could see the islands and the sea and the red brown eagle statue.  I love this place. I was jumping around. With all those hungama, we could finally relax. But that made it even more memorable. It was no regular hassle-free trip. When I opened my eyes the next day morning, I saw the most astonishing scenery. Blue sea, green islands, birds, boats… A world I had never seen before. Peaceful! After breakfast, we came to know that the Hanging Sky Bridge was shut due to weather conditions. But we took our chance and went to Oriental Village. Luck was on our side and the bridge access was open. We walked here and there in the park finding the right spots to get the perfect happy pictures and then stood in the long queue for the cable car that would take us to the sky bridge. It was a reserve forest called Langkawi Geological Park and from the highest point you could see the borders of South Thailand. But we missed seeing Thailand free of cost because of the fog. Well, now we have to go to Thailand to make up for that. Breathtaking view 360 degrees. The bridge shakes a little bit when you walk and the fog gives you a thrilling experience. The walk to the bridge tests your heart's strength but it’s worth the huff and puff. Returning in the cable car was even better. Our camera had no break time.

Stuffing food from KFC, we drove to the ecological attraction that was famous for the mangroves and the bat cave. We got into a speedboat and took a trip around the island. The mangrove forest was simply superb. The boat stopped at a cave and we went inside. Silence and Darkness. I hate both. And what’s that yucky smell? Let’s go, I told my husband. And then someone clicked a picture and in that flash I saw hundreds of bats hanging from the cave walls. Let’s go quickly. The next stop was a fish cultivation place and then the boat journey was over. Driving through the island was fun and my husband was experimenting with the automatic gear. We stopped at a fuel station and when we were about to go, I saw the yachts. Stop for the photos! Stop! My obedient husband hit the brakes thinking it was clutch. Reflex action, can’t blame him. But blame me for not wearing the seat belt. I hit the front glass. First a broken toe nail and now a bump on the head. What next! I remembered the dialogue from 'Jab we met' movie. Hey bhagavan meri life boring banatho! 

Next stop was the beach. Pentai Cenang beach was quite an active place unlike other beaches there. With good variety of activities like jet ski, para sailing, etc, we could even find restaurants of different cuisines. We found an Indian restaurant which was costly but felt like having Indian spicy chicken curry. Then we headed towards Eagle square. This is where the big red eagle’s statue was placed. Majestic was the first word that came to my mind. We turned to the shopping malls nearby. Langkawi fair mall has the amazing chocolate collections and yes DUTY FREE… My baggage weight would have increased only because of the chocolates I bought. I was content. I love my husband who smilingly swiped his credit card :)

The next day morning, we quickly went to Dataran Lang (Eagle Square) again which was quite close to our hotel. After spending some quiet moments watching other tourists capture their memories, we went back to the hotel and checked out. Then we drove to airport where we returned the car first and completed the formalities there. 

As we boarded the plane, I wished I had spent more time at Langkawi. We did not have time for the Daya Bunting Island , hot springs and a few others.  When the flight took off and as the island became visibly smaller and looked like a heart, I knew one day I will be back here because I could see my heart still there.

Points to remember

• Malaysia is a muslim dominated country so choose less revealing clothes
• Carry a photocopy of your driving licence if you are renting car  and car rentals are available right at the airport
• Bargain! Bargain! Bargain! You get good cars at good prices based on the number of days you rent it
• Hotel bookings can be done online and you get wonderful offers
• The whole island is duty-free so carry an extra bag to fill in chocolates and goodies
• Check if the cable car is closed for maintenance and plan your trip accordingly
• You will need a minimum of 3 relaxed days at Langkawi