Pulau Langkawi Favorites

Favorite thing: The main attraction of Pulau Langkawi is a huge eagle located near Kuha Jetty. I just managed to get a quick snap as we came off the ferry from Pulau Payer.

The name Langkawi comes from the eagle "helang" and "kawi" which means reddish brown. Langkawi is home of a numerous amount of these magnificant reddish brown eagles amongst various other wildlife like monkeys, crocodiles, bats etc.

Favorite thing: Just read these fun facts about Malaysia from Emily Young from the internet, posted April 2010

http://emilyyoung.theworldrace.org/?filename=11-fun-facts-about-malaysia

1.They drive on the Left side of the road.
2.Islam is the official religion of the country.
3.Shoes must always be removed when entering a Malaysian home. Sometimes even in shops you had to take your shoes off upon entering.
4.Never use your finger to point at things. You must point with your thumb.
5.It is considered rude to not try something when offered.
6.The official language is Malay (Bahasa Melayu).
7.The average temperature is between 70F to 90F; however, in the jungle the temperature was 105-115F.
8.Most of the coffees and teas are sweetened with TONS of sugar.
9.Times Square Mall is the largest mall in Malaysia with 15 floors, a rollercoaster, bowling alley, 3 Starbucks, a Wendy's, and a hotel.
10.Singapore is just a 5 hour bus ride away from Kuala Lumpur (capital city).
11.Tons and tons of rice is consumed everyday in Malaysia.

Favorite thing: Well, if you choose to come to Langkawi, November is the perfect time of the year and Foxhill is a charming Malay village resort with 3 kampong houses and a tree house and Langkawi has 3 UNESCO Geoparks/mangroves/rainforests/unspoilt beaches. And you can propose at sunset on Burau Bay beach or the Skybridge on Matchinchang Hill! Maria told me of a newly wedded couple posing for pics there :-)

Favorite thing: > I want lush jungle and adventure, she wants spa, white beaches and relaxation.

If you are not still averse to the long flight, Langkawi will give each of you what you want and Nov is a good time of year for it! Let me know if you decide to come and I can even recommend where to stay (Malay houses with four poster beds) and which beaches to go to for the sunset (to see the whole 'ball' of the sun 'disappear' 'into the sea' horizon etc etc!

I was in Langkawi two weekends ago and must find time to post the glorious sunset/beach for just the two of you for most parts of it, hmm.. must post the pic of that young couple in the water with no one else nearby (except me and my viewfinder catching them as they slipped into the water!).

Favorite thing: i note the advice against using banks, however, it is my experience that in lgk the maybank gives a rate as good, if not better, than monychangers. in particular, the maybank branch in the airport does not load its rates when compared to off-airport branches. so you can change money as soon as you arrive to pay your cab or hire car. in addition, the best deals for car hire in the island are at the airport, and for cash.

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Favorite thing: A good way to see the wildlife we found, was to do a boat trip on on the river. Here we saw the wild Eagles, [heaps of them],Bats, Lace Moniters in the water and on river side branches, and plenty of Monkeys.

Fondest memory: Lying lazily on the deck chair, sipping a chilly imported beer, munching some mixed nuts, caressing by the night breeze, counting the stars. Wow, it's really an unforgettable experience with my hubby !

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Favorite thing: One of the memorable images of Langkawi is the natural beauty and landscapes.The best way to enjoy and see this is by cycling around the backroads with a knowlegable guide.You can't do this in a car or motorbike.Langkawi has got one of the most ideal cycling trails in the whole of Malaysia.The backroads is free from normal traffic unlike that of the Pantai Cenang and Tengah roads.You can rent a bike and go through these backroads by yourself but the downside is you don't know where you are heading.You loose a great deal of information on the local lifestyle,culture,flora n fauna and also the history of the people of.A guided tour with a knowlegable guide is the best thing you can do.He will take you to trails that has got landscapes that will amaze you that it existed on this island.You can't do these things if you are one of those on a guided driven Toyota Unser packages or renting a scooter.Communication with villages on these backroads can be a problem because a majority of them do not understand basic English what more if you speak French,German or Dutch.So a guided tour is the logical thing to do.You'll never get lost or run dry of your mineral water if you need some.

Fondest memory: What I normally miss when I'm away from Langkawi is the wide open spaces of clear blue skies and hills surrounding Mount Raya and the cable car area.There is a total absence of skyscapers or horrible giant billboards when you look up on the horizon.During the rainy season you can actually see the rain coming from the hills or the Andaman sea and sometimes it just misses the spot where you are standing.The skies will be a masterpiece of God's artwork with different shades of grey .black and white.The natural artwork continues into the rainy nights where streaks of lightning flashes down in every direction across the hills and mountains.What a sight!