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With unbeatable low fares and their remarkable flight+hotel package, AirAsia has brought upon convenience of flying to everyone! The ones that I think benefit the most, are students like us. Instead of catching many hours of land ride plus the hassle of ferry transfer to the island from the mainland, the reasonable fare(pay what you need) had made us decide..."Why don’t we catch a flight?"
3Days 2Nights(19th-21st August ‘09) stay at Hotel Helang along with to and fro flight tickets(KUL-LGK-KUL) got us paying nothing more than RM 200 per person when the booking made through AirAsiaGO.
Our flight was scheduled to depart at 7.15am on 19th Sep’09. I still remember bargaining the rates with the taxi driver on the phone the night before. There are 5 of us, and all of the taxi drivers were reluctant to take more than 4, due to the possibilities of a road block. But surprisingly one guy said OK, and he obviously came with his own rate. I’d say its fine since it was at wee hours, 9 out 10 taxi drivers are going to charge you RM50 from INTI College to LCCT. Plus, this guy agreed with 5 passengers with an extra RM20. He’s a reliable one. I asked him to come at 5.20am in the
morning. Guess what…he even gave me a wake-up call at 4! And he arrived at our block at 5.10am. Not bad huh? Just in case it might come in handy, here's his number 012-9254674(Kumar).
The short journey to Langkawi shouldn’t take you anything more than an hour from Kuala Lumpur. If you’re flying in the morning, get a window seat on the left if you facing the cockpit. You’ll have a good view of the Pregnant Maiden Lake and the Langkawi Cable Car at the top of he hill in good weather.
Places of attraction on the island
L-R: Basil, Josh, ME & Vivek. Jaison(photographer)
L-R: Basil, Josh, Jaison & Vivek
The best way to get around is to rent a car. And don’t forget to grab a free map at the car rental booths next to baggage collection at the airport. The free maps are better than the ones sold at petrol stations. Catching a cab is a serious waste of money if one of you is a licensed driver. Upon arrival at the luggage collection, there will be agents ready to give you a wide range of cars to select for rent. It’s pretty reasonable, somewhere between RM50-80 for a whole day. You can negotiate with them. But don’t expect the same rates if you’re going on school holidays. They tend to hike up the price due to the increasing demand during peak time. All you have to do is pay a small amount of deposit e.g. RM 40. And make sure you keep the receipt they issue to you because with only that you can claim you deposit when you return the car.
Attention to all Probation(P) License holders, if possible just buy a pair of P stickers from the place you coming from. If you don’t, try your best to look around for a mechanic hut or a small mini market. And most of them only open at 10am. The best is…just buy one before you come! Traffic police and JPJ officers randomly road blocks in places you wouldn’t imagine. You might even end up in trouble on the way to buy a sticker. So pray hard or be ready with RM50 [for you know what].
In Search of Langkawi Cable Car
Our first destination was the Langkawi Cable Car. We didn’t have a clue they close every Wednesday till we got there.
Close by there is this place called Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls, in literal translation from Bahasa Malaysia would mean Seven Wells Waterfall. We’re not quite sure why do they call it such but we do know that there is a scenic waterfall.
Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls
Cascading Water of the Falls
To excite our taste buds, we decided to check out the Buffalo Park which most people miss out on the map. The road to this place is pretty narrow and bumpy, and of course watch out for the buffalos. Since all of us have not tried fresh buffalo milk, it’s sort of an incredible experience. The milk taste the same as cow’s milk, just creamier.
Fresh Buffalo Milk
Milk is a dairy product that is common in every household. Many of us drink it everyday in the morning with cereal or just like that. And so is cheese. But how many of us have tasted cheddar cheese made from buffalo’s milk.
Buffalo Cheese Garnished With Tomato, Lettuce & Black Pepper
Although the package seems to be cheap, the hotel had more to offer that what we paid for. At first we were assuming that there would be only one double bed in a room. So I booked two rooms straight for the whole duration. But instead, we found two double beds in each room. We practically slept like Kings for two nights before returning back to our hostel beds. I’ll say its definitely more than a worthy buy for us. Check out the bathroom which usually gives an overall idea on how the room looks like.
Bathtub
Shower
Early in the morning the next day, we had our hotel to arrange for us an island tour. As early as 8am, we arrived at the jetty to board the boat. Along the way, there will a guy with a camera trying to get the best face shot out of you. Make sure you look at the camera, poses come second. That will be your souvenir picture pasted on a souvenir decorative plate. Sold at RM 10 each. It might not be the worthiest looking at cost of production, but just buy it for the sake of the experience and memory.
Storm at a Distant
Hired Yacht
Pregnant Maiden: Head(L) to Toe(R)
The journey to the Pregnant Maiden Island is nothing more than 20 minutes ride. The waters get a bit bumpy when the winds picks up, but it’s ain’t going to be anything like White Water Rafting. So just lay back and enjoy the scenery.
Cave Formation Underneath Islands
Pregnant Maiden Lake
Once off the boat at the destination, Dayang Bunting Marine Geoforest Park. Tourist are given an hour to discover the island and the best part of it is hidden within the forest. A short hike through man-made walkway will lead you to the lake.
Fresh Water Lake
Surprisingly the lake water is not salty, although the place is surrounded by the ocean. This phenomenon is due to the rock barrier that exist at far right end of the lake. You could rent a paddling or solar-powered boat to check it out. Since I have mentioned it is a fresh water lake. It is home to lots of fishes.
L-R: ME & Vivek
Lots of catfish! They live in a pack of big numbers over here. Why bother paying for the Fish Spa in malls for tiny finger-sized fishes, when you can have catfish as big as your arms gently nibbling on your feet. It feels good, and also ticklish. Just be careful not to kick or frighten them. Poisonous spine located at their dorsal fins can cause considerable damage but not life threatening.
L-R: Vivek, Basil, Josh, Jaison & ME
Next stop is going to be the White Sand Beach where you are allowed to take a plunge into the clear waters. After that, the last location would be the eagle feeding site.
Eagle Feeding Site
Unfortunately, moments after we arrived it started raining. Although it was a raging downpour, we did manage to see the boatman feeding the eagle with chicken innards by throwing it on the the water. Wasting no time, the eagles immediately glide down to grab the food. If you are a nature photographer who is passionate about birds, don’t forget to bring your DSLR camera to capture sights of these majestic eagles. And people say you are lucky if you spot a white one.
Tanjung Rhu is famous for its sunset beach. About half an hour drive from Kuah town assuming you don’t get lost on the way. Be there by 5.30, latest 6pm if you’re planning to have some fun on the low-tide beach.
You could probably cross over to a small island which is close to the beach by foot on a path that ‘magical’ appears due to the low tide. Keep in mind, water starts to rise by 7pm which is also the best time to get a view of the sunset. We left by 7.30pm because we weren’t pretty sure of the roads in the dark, plus that area don’t have properly lamp post along the roads.
People Picking Clams & Mussels
Starfish
Sea Urchin
On our last night at Langkawi, dinner was pretty much set in our minds for seafood. The secret to finding the best tasting one is by looking at the crowd. More people at the stall, better the food. We had our at Kuah town.
L-R: Jaison & Josh
Seafood in general can be expensive. What more a top chart tourist attraction place like Langkawi. If you’re dining somewhere between 4-5 people, RM 100 budget would be enough to have a good meal. Estimated RM 20-25 per person. If you’re planning to call a lobster, it is going to cost you probably an additional RM 100-150 just for the lobster.
L-R: Josh & Basil
Another thing in Langkawi that you have to look out for is their night markets. It’s there daily but at different location. I was informed that the latest island map comes with the daily location drawn on it.
L-R: Josh, Vivek & Jaison
L-R: ME, Josh, Vivek & Basil
The fact about Langkawi that everyone loves is that it’s duty free. You’ll be surprised when you see canned beer are cheaper than Coke. Ranging from RM 1.50-1.80 per can. From variety of Carlsberg, Tiger, Tuborg and many more. Absolute Vodka 1L would not be any higher than RM 48. On top of that, imported wines are dirt cheap. And its the good stuff.
Wine on Rack
Our stay at Langkawi was short but definitely a good and unforgettable one. From knocking the aeroplane door to getting stopped by JPJ officers. And whatever falls in between. If you college kids are looking for a place to take your minds off, Langkawi is the spot!
L-R: Vivek, Jaison, Josh, ME & Basil ( Eagle Statue of Langkawi)
Note: Information provided are accurate at time of travel
