Loungin' in Langkawi

Without a single rupiah to my name, and very little baht, Sarah and I continued on to the last leg of our adventure. Could we do Malaysia on a budget, too? Well, we really didn't have a choice since we went a little rupiah-wild in Bali, but we still had a ourselves a grand time.


Our destination was Langkawi, a small island bordering Thailand, but we had to stopover in Kuala Lumpur first. We had a long layover, so we had just enough time to see the sights, take the necessary jumping pictures, explore Central Market and eat the local food (Roti Canai= deliciousness). It was a hot one, so we were more than happy to return to the air-conditioned airport to get our flight to Langkawi. 

Petronas Towers

Langkawi was very different than what I had expected. For starters, it was much bigger than I had thought. I thought it was a walkable island, but it was far from that. We had to take cabs to get to most spots. What struck me the most, however, was how 'lost' Langkawi was. It was still trying to figure out what kind of island it wanted to be. Was it a party place? A place to relax? Resort central? It was a little bit of everything. And for now, that works, because it wasn't overly crowded or expensive, so you can have your choice of lifestyle. We went with the most budget friendly- cheap hostel, plop down on the beach, eat local food and go to the most popular tourist locations. But, I bet in 10 or so years, this place will be the ultimate paradise. I mean, it's gorgeous...it just needs a little tourism boost.


 It rained a lot, but in odd time increments, so we had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves. Langkawi was a great way to finish up our SE Asian adventure and rejuvenate ourselves for a brand spankin' new semester. 


TOP 5 Langkawi:


5. Cable Cars: The biggest tourist attraction on the island. You climb into a 4 person cable car and slowly and shakily make your way up, up, up, up and up a mountain to the peak, providing stunning views and a mild panic attack. Of course, once we made it to the top, the clouds rolled in and it started pouring while we were walking across a hanging bridge. So yea, I had about 4 panic attacks at the top, but hey, I survived and I saw a lot of pretty things. 

Nervous!

4. Breakfast: Okay- I lied a little bit. We didn't eat only local food. We splurged and ate a delicious breakfast almost every morning. We had fresh chocolate croissants, incredible iced coffee and a GIANT piece of toast with PB and banana. It's sad, but these are the types of things that get me really excited. But look at it- it's heavenly!

Booyah!

3. Babylon: We spent most of our nights admiring the sunsets, hanging out on the beach and then walking a long distance back to our hostel. We were on a budget- it had to happen. But on our last night we decided to check out a recommended local bar. It was a reggae bar, called Babylon, right on the beach and it was quite popular. It happened to be one of the employees birthdays, and his name was Pony, so OBVIOUSLY we had to celebrate with him. Duh. And celebrate we did...I regretted it a little bit the next morning for my flight, but it is always a better vacation when you hang out with the locals. And as a Bonus Jonas, we met a group of travelers from Boston (!!!!) Even better- one was living in Southie and another was a BC grad! I died of excitement. 


2. Private Beaches: The Tanjung Rhu Resort is the most famous resort on Langkawi because of its location and its private beach which places you directly in front of Thailand. It is an unbelievably beautiful sight.....buuuut it wasn't meant to be seen by us. It is meant to be seen by newlyweds having their romantic honeymoon and who are paying a good penny (or ringit) to spend time there. Backpackers on a budget aren't supposed to be there, but somehow, by pure accident from a mixed-up cab driver and a flustered doorman, we made it through the barrier and spent one of our afternoons lounging on the most gorgeous beach on the island. Pure awesomeness. We may have repeated the offense at a different resort, but let's not get into it. 


              

Hello Thailand

1. Sunsets: No matter if it was cloudy, rainy or sunny during the day, Langkawi provided us with amazing sunsets EVERY night. We spent hours walking up and down the beach, taking gazillions of jumping shots and enjoying the view. It was the perfect way to end each day. And i have about 500 pictures to prove it. 

Just a little sunset yoga

I love jumping!

Honorable Mentions:  


Zackry's Guesthouse: For a hostel that claims to offer the least possible assistance, it was great! Free wifi, cheap beds, big rooms, books, beach mats and.....only the greatest perk of all....STARWORLD. Sarah and I live for hostels with Starworld. It's just a TV channel with some of our favorites from America. But, really, it's so much more. 

What a beauty

PB M&Ms: Seriously, I don't think life would be the same without PB M&Ms. They don't exist here. I've sent way too many PB M&M package requests to my parents (and THANKS for the amount of times you've sent them) but they are inaccessible here...and it hurts. But then there was the Kuala Lumpur duty free. The airport was able to make my dreams come true. Right there in front of us, our beloved M&Ms. Of course I bought some but I refuse to admit the embarrassing price I paid for them. Worth it!

Aroi Maak Maak