Lankawi makes a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of KL. We drove op the Malaysian Hi-way to Georgetown and then flew here with Firefly Airways, a small local carrier based in Malaysia.
Lankawi is smaller than Penang and seems more relaxed and a slower pace. This was to be our home for the next week. Staying at the Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa a five star luxury resort isn’t normally what we do when travelling but since this would be our last trip as a family we decided to splash out.
Our son was now a young adult, however there were still moment of stupidity that show us that he hasn’t fully grown up yet. We knew that he really didn’t share travel with the same passion that we do. So we all decided that this would be the last trip and that he now can spend his money as he pleases, which means modifying his car.
For a small island there is a lot to do here. Deciding that the quickest way around wound be to hire a car from the airport and drive around the Island to get a feel for the place.
Probably the most iconic landmark here is the Langkawi Cable Car, with it’s claim as the longest single span cable in the world and rising to a height of 705m it’s not for the faint hearted of those who have a fear of heights.
The day we decided to take the ride the clouds rolled in and once reaching the first station we were a little reluctant to go to the next point. All we could see was the cars disappearing into the thick cloud with no idea what was beyond. After a quick pitstop to the bathroom it was decided to press on as we had already come this far, there would just be feelings of guilt and shame if we didn’t complete the journey.
Climbing back into the car we headed into the mist with no idea how far the next junction was. Elena is a person who despite the fact that she likes to be in control, felt nervous and it showed, but as the mist gave way to the the nest and final stop she settled into the fact that she had made it to the top. In self denial she stepped out and not letting herself think about the journey back down the cliff.
One thing that puzzled me here was the small hamburger Kiosk, the guy had no concept of fast food. You line up and place your order then he cooks it for you. I mean from beginning to end. I got an idea. why not cook several orders at once. With only one type of burger I’m sure the guy behind me is gonna order the same all he had to do was ask how many!
With burgers in hand and traces of the mist now lifting we noticed that the crowds were also thinning out, most had left because of the weather and now we were here and able to see the true majesty of the whole place as the mist lifted and the landscape spread out before us. This is one truly magnificent place and one not to be missed should you decide to travel to Langkawi.
Staying so close to town gave us an advantage of being able to search out different food and still feel like we were exploring the place. One thing I don’t like about resorts is the exorbitant prices that are put on meals just because they have a captive market and suspect that you will not leave and try somewhere else. We discovered this on our trip to Fiji.
