Our trip to Langkawi, “the Jewel of Kedah” and an island off the west coast of Malaysia along the Thai border, happened in large part because Andrew eyed our fall travel calendar (temples, temples, and more temples) and asked hopefully if we could fit in a beach weekend. It was the first time we actually did what people imagine we do every weekend: plug dates into a flight tracker and buy cheap, last-minute flights to a white sand beach.
It all sounds pretty glamorous until I tell you that these cheap flights involved very late layovers in the Kuala Lumpur airport (pre-North Korean oligarch assassination) and that it poured rain the whole weekend. Also, I got stung by a jellyfish. Even so, we went into this trip with no real expectations and were wowed by this small, lush island full of Wholesome Malaysian Family Fun that felt miles away from the touristy chaos of Thailand or Bali.
Had it been a sunny weekend, we probably wouldn’t have ventured too far beyond our cute guesthouse on Tanjung Rhu beach, on the northern shore of Langkawi. Our simple, whitewashed room opened directly onto one of the most scenic beaches I’ve ever seen (or at least it looked like it through the rain). While Labu Labi Resort is a bit off the beaten track for tourism, it does have a café next door improbably named Scarborough Fish N’ Chips. The food wasn’t particularly great but, thrillingly for Malaysia, they both served beer and had an adorable resident dog. (One thing I never knew before moving here is that dogs are sometimes considered haram, not that you want to be cuddling street dogs anyway.)
But given that the weather Friday through Sunday morning ranged from downpours to persistent drizzle, we spent most of our time away from the beach exploring the island by motorbike. Langkawi is a UNESCO World Heritage Geopark, and the beaches and highways are refreshingly trash-free. It remains to be the only place in Southeast Asia other than Singapore where I’ve seen signs telling people not to litter. A good thing too, since you can spot interesting wildlife right off the road, like the spooky-looking and disconcertingly large Dusky Leaf Monkeys.
Our first stop after the rain mostly subsided on Friday was the worrisomely named Durian Falls. Happily, there was no stinky fruit, just groups of locals and local tourists enjoying the falls, BBQ, splashing around fully clothed, and other kinds of Wholesome Malaysian Family Fun (WMFF). I think Malaysia gets an undeservedly bad rap from Western tourists. While it’s true that you won’t be downing flaming shots at a Full Moon Party, the food, culture, and nature are on par with anything else you’ll find in Southeast Asia, and probably without the crowds. Plus, I find WMFF really endearing. There’s a lot of picnicking, group selfies, and sober karaoke.
That night, we motored over to the weekly night market in the nearest town, which was an interesting and delicious blend of Malay and Thai influences. We munched on seafood noodles in paper cones, fried chicken, samosas, and shredded papaya salad while strolling around stalls piled high with everything from durian to Frozen merchandise. (Yes, Frozen and the minions etc. have made it to this part of the world, often as cheap knock-offs, to hilarious effect.)
When the next morning, Saturday, dawned gray and wet, we said goodbye to any hope of a beach day and decided hire a boat at the nearby port to take us on a mangrove tour of the Geoforest Park. The tour was more interesting than we anticipated, with stops to observe monkeys, Malaysian brown eagles, caves full of bats, and a local fish farm.
After a quick lunch of fried rice on the beach near the port, we decided to go on another long motorbike ride up to the peak of Mt. Raya, which is nearly 900 meters or 2,900 feet. We zipped by monkeys and waterfalls, making stops along the way to take in the view, read the amusingly translated plaques, and add layers as the temperature dropped. The top was almost completely socked in with thick fog, obscuring the highest vistas. Five stars rating for my driver.
But by the time we reached the bottom of the mountain, the rain had finally stopped. We celebrated with a beach walk to a nearby hotel for a cocktail, followed by… you guessed it… dinner at Scarborough Fish N’ Chips. I believe we clocked in about six meals there, which would be the drawback of a remote guesthouse. Again, we were REALLY glad they served beer. And had a dog friend for us.
Of course, Sunday brought the sunny beach day we’d been hoping for… and we were determined to make the most of it before heading to the airport. By now we were thoroughly sick of everything in Tanjung Rhu (ahem Fish N’ Chips ahem), so we stuffed towels into our backpack, jumped on the motorbike, and headed to the west coast of the island and Cenang Beach. While lovely, this area was far more built up and we were glad we decided to stay on the quiet north side of the island.
Just a few minutes after finally diving into the beautiful clear waters, a bee stung me on my leg. But my leg was underwater. In that split second, it didn’t make sense. Then the bee stung me again, and I finally understood what was going on. “JELLYFISH!!” I screamed to two uncomprehending locals wearing head-to-toe clothing nearby. (Wait, maybe they were onto something there besides religious modesty.) I swam/sprinted towards shore and examined the damage: about 6 tendrils of hives had already formed on my leg.
After the initial pain subsided and I applied some vinegar, the sting was more itchy and annoying than anything, and faded in a few days. UNTIL THE HIVES CAME BACK EVEN WORSE A MONTH LATER. Seriously, how creepy is that?! That’s how the jellyfish toxins work. They’re basically aliens living in our seas. Andrew has hypothesized that they were drawn to my white leg, which they mistook for prey.
I’m telling you, you learn all kinds of things living out here.
Despite the downpours, the fog, the soggy chips, and my delightful jellyfish souvenir, we would both jump at the chance to go back to Langkawi. Even in the rain, it was beautiful. It reminded us both of Hawaii, which we all know is high praise. So the next time there’s sun in the forecast and a cheap fare on Skyscanner, maybe we’ll see you on those white sand beaches again. Just remember to BYOB and V (vinegar).
one degree north 