Langkawi, here we come
Day 1 - 22/1/2016
Upon arriving at Langkawi airport, you will be greeted by tour or car rental agents. Well you can decide to just ignore their calling. I, on the other hand do not want to waste time looking for one when I’m in the midst of spending my getaway. If you miss the chances of engaging any tour from the airport, no worries. You can still get it in the island. I saw there are plenty of tour agencies along Pantai Cenang. I booked day 1 tour package from a Malay guy called Sayuthi which recommend by my brother last visit to Langkawi. I decided to choose Mangrove Tour which cost RM100/person. Duration of tour was approximately 5 hours. He bring a taxi to pick us up from Langkawi Airport and headed to jetty.
A summary of the places covered by the Mangrove Tour :
a.Mangrove River Ride in Boat
Arrived the jetty together with other tourists.
We are going by these boats
Boating River Ride
b.Eagle Feeding and Bird Watching
Our boat will cruise to a very beautiful and special spot where you will have a chance to see a flock of eagles swooped in from nowhere.There are various types of eagles here; the Brahminy kites (46cm) arrive from all directions. These raptors are generally chestnut brown in color, and white on the head and breast. The White-bellied Sea Eagle (71cm) is the largest of the species present
c.Bat Cave
This cave is located along the Kilim River. Accessible only by boat, you can then walk along a wooden platform through a mangrove swamp, leading directly to the cave. The stalactites and stalagmites are of gigantic proportions, forming weird figures reminiscent of other worldly creatures.
Towards Gua Kelawar Entrance
Look….there are thousands of bats hanging up there. Its the sleeping time. Bats sleep in the day. Do not place your hands over the railing…because there might be bat’s poo poo. Ohh…the cave is kinda stinks.
The cave is at a mangrove forest
Selfie time with lovely wife
Myself with head lamp
Beautiful scenery. Surrounded by high vertical limestone.
d.Crocodile Cave
This cave is unique because the Kilim River actually flows right through it, and is navigable by a small boat at low tide. Inside the cave there is an ascending chamber flanked by walls of white limestone with minimal stalactites and stalagmites. Small colonies of bats roost on the lower ceiling. Luckily it was low tide.We had a chance to make our way into the cave.
Pass through Crocodile Cave
e.Fish Feeding Farm
We are approaching the Fish Feeding Farm
This fish farm lies within the vicinity of the verdant mangrove forests and the striking limestone structures formations along the Kilim River. Interestingly, the Hole in the Wall Fish farm got its name from a little opening in a long line of limestone hills at the outskirts of the Andaman Sea.
f.Lunch at Fish Farm
Yummy food, look good and tasty
After the lunch, we were on our way to an island. Yes…we were off to sea. Luckily my lunch wasn’t heavy and my wife did not vomited. LOL!! Bumpy ride when it hits the sea waves.
Icon Kilim Geoforest Park – End Point.
Return to jetty at about 2+pm. And we was sent back to our hotel.Other than snorkeling in Langkawi, Mangrove Tour is a recommended tour. Its a unique experience for city people. Moreover its fun and educational. Dress as light as possible, because the weather is hot. If possible bring along a towel just in case if you gets wet.
At the evening, resting at hotel and enjoying the sea view...
Walking along the beach, siap posing wo
Sempat mandi swimming pool
The day before go, I already book for island hoping tour again, this time I going for Lake of the Pregnant Maiden (Tasik Dayang Bunting) and other new island.The price for an island hopping tour costs about RM 35 to RM 60 per person.As usual we was waiting for the tour van from 9.00am.. mmm he only came around 10.00am, bad time punctuality.At the jetty we were the last person and the boat guy was waiting for us for too long...not our fault ya...
From the terminal (which is located at Pantai Tengah), it takes about 20 minutes to reach Pulau Dayang Bunting by boat. There will be a small jetty for drop-off purpose and merely a 2-minute walking distance from the jetty, you will be able to see the entrance to the Tasik Dayang Bunting (Lake of the Pregnanat Maiden) Marble Geoforest Park. While walking, take your time to enjoy the wonderful scenery as the sea in turquoise is surrounded by thick and lush forest.
The legend says that a man named Mat Teja met and fell in love with the princess Mambang Sari at the lake. They eventually married and the princess gave birth to a son. However their son did not live long and soon died. Having reconciled with their misfortune, they decided to lay their son in the water of the lake and allow him to rest in peace. The gracious princess also blessed all women having difficulty in conceiving a child. They would become fertile once they take a dip into the water of the lake.
Notice the hills forming shape of a pregnant woman
From the entrance, you will have to walk for another 15 minutes to reach the lake. Concrete walking path has been built all along the way thus making walking in the forest easier. The main things that you have to beware off are the monkeys around. They might be swaying from trees to trees or merely staring at you. Basically, they will not attack you but it is advisable to take good care of your own belongings, especially bags.
The main entrance
After about 10 minutes of climb along steps on the hill, there are some 100 steps that leads down to the beautiful lake on the other side of the hill. The lake has deep blue waters.
The lake and the surrounding area is part of the Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park. This is one of the three geoparks of Langkawi with great limestone formations, marbles and unique geological features. The park has several caves. In fact the lake itself has resulted from a large underwater cave, the surface of which collapsed and later got filled with water.
The lake is great for swimming. There are designated areas (pontoons) for swimming though. However watch out the depth. Average depth is about 10 meters and there is no shallow area. It's not meant for novices. There are no changing rooms. So if you plan to swim, come wearing a swimming suit inside and carry towels.
If you are not confident, take a life jacket from the stall next to the lake and float around. The stall also sells other souvenir and gift items. The water at the lake is unaffected by seawater and therefor good for swimming. However it may not be very clear.
Take a solar operated paddle boat or a kayak available on rent and boat around the scenic lake. Mangrove swamps surround the perimeter of the island and the lake. We love the solar operated paddle boats as you hardly tire as you boat around. The view of the hills surrounding the lake is awesome.
There is a boardwalk that goes around the lake (for about half way). Take a walk along this pathway and enjoy the magnificent views of the lake from various points. The boardwalk goes through the mangrove forest. There are over 90 species of birds here including hornbill, kingfisher, woodpecker, kite, drongo and etc. The animal life includes monkeys, large number of insects and monitor lizards. You will find many colorful butterflies as well
At the end of the board walk, you will reach a point called the "Miracle Border". Here you are close to the border between the lake and the sea. In fact you can see both the lake and the sea on two sides separated by a thin ridge of rocks. Although the lake is only some 30 meters away from the sea, the water of the lake is not salty at all (like in the sea). That is the miracle this point signifies.I did not manage to reach the Miracle Border, since the broad walk too far...
After Dayang Bunting the boat guy bring us to The Island of Wet Rice (Pulau Beras Basah) which is located at the west end of Langkawi. Pulau Beras Basah is famous for its beautiful white sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters and the rich mystifying forest with magnificent mountains in the background. It an ideal place for you to get away for a while and indulge yourself in the beauty of nature.
Do not expect to have exciting water sports here. Basically there is nothing much you can do on this island, apart from swimming, sunbathing and simply enjoying the stunning view. Surrounded by lush forest, this island is the best place to unwind and relax in a naturally serene ambiance.If you are lucky you might be able to see a group of around 40-50 playful dolphins as they show up only occasionally.
Pulau Beras Basah is an uninhabited and not well-developed Island which has enabled it to maintain its beauty and peace. There are a few basic facilities available like stalls of soft drinks and washrooms. This island is also a home to monkeys and you must be careful with your food and other stuff as they have a tendency to sneak and grab your things!
We were here
Day 3 - 24/1/2016
I must say, if you are planning to go Langkawi, this Langkawi Cable Car ride is really worth visiting! Because, over here you can enjoy spectacular views of Langkawi island. The price per entry is at RM37 per person. I rented a scooter from T Shoppe which has branches in Pantai Cenang. Rental with full coverage insurance came out to RM25 per day + Insurance Cover RM10 + Oil RM5.In general, traffic on the island is relaxed, but drive safely. You can’t get lost because there are only a couple of roads.
Moto GP Rider..On your marks,get set, go!
The entrance to the SkyCab is located within the Oriental Village complex, a strip mall of souvenir shops, galleries, spas, and restaurants situated at the foothills of Mt. Machincang. Most of the shops here are similar to the ones located along Pantai Cenang, very touristy and cookie-cutter and not really worth too much of your time.
Lake at the center of the complex
Remember, always choose the combo package and I choose (skycab + skydome+F1 Simulator)
Playing F1 Simulator
And away we go!
Langkawi cable car is located on the southwest coast of Langkawi island. There are 3 stations along the cable car line, i.e. Base, Middle and Top Station. The cable car ride will bring you all the way up to about 708 meters above sea level. This journey covers a total distance of 2.2 km linking the Base Station at the foothill of Machinchang mountain to Top Station at the mountain summit.
During the cable car ride, you can really enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding lush green rainforests, the Telaga Tujuh waterfall, the ocean and some of the pristine islands that make up the Langkawi Island cluster. As you approach the Middle Station, look out for the unique rock formations which dated back to about 450 million years old.
From the Top Station, which stands at 708m above sea level – holds two viewing platforms that allows for an amazing view that goes right up to southern Thailand. If you want to get a birds eye view of the whole island and enjoy the very best scenery that Langkawi island could offer then the cable car is the place that you must visit
The entire ride each way, not counting queue times, takes around 15 minutes.
Surrounding scenery
Scenery from Cable Car
This shot taken from mid platform
The opposite view of Curve Hanging Bridge
The sky bridge is quite safe. It has two solid steel railings on two sides as well as steel wire mesh below. So you can not fall off.There was fact for Bollywood and Kollywood movie enthusiasts: the last scene of the Hindi blockbuster ‘Don: The Chase Begins Again - Shah Rukh Khan’ and Tamil blockbuster 'Billa: 1 - Talle Ajith Kumar 'was filmed here.
To get across to the Curve Hanging Bridge, you will have to climb some steps.(for about 10 minutes). Warn you, these steps are quite steep and the risers of each steps are quite high too.Its automatically burn some of our carbo,good exercise indeed.
Steps to Curving Hanging Bridge
Tired of walking these steps, really penat wo
Scenery from Curving Hanging Bridge
The 125m-long bridge, which stands at an altitude of about 700m above sea level, supported by a single pylon in the middle, would have stainless steel main structures, a scary10m-long glass walkway and manage take a shot...
Selfie time...
Here are some picture our treehouse which we stay on the 3rd day.From the balcony of the treehouse, you are able to see the sea. It's so peaceful and relaxing listening to the waves. A lot of privacy..if you are sitting at ur balcony. Choose Meranti treehouse, you will get a better view. Clean rooms and friendly staff.
Overall, We are pretty enjoy trip at Langkawi, not bad for a budget trip. Hopefully can come again in future
