Langkawi
The reason we ended up in Malaysia in the first place is because we ended up booking, completely off course to the original plan, an exciting jungle trek in Sumatra kicking off in early February. With a couple of weeks before it starts, we chose Kuala Lumpur, as you've already read, as our first stop. While deciding where we should head next, Langkawi caught our eye on a friend's Instagram post. Delving deeper, we discovered that Langkawi is a stunning geopark, made up of 99 islands in a UNESCO-designated area, including a mountain range recognised as the oldest in all of Southeast Asia. Coupled with pictures of breathtaking beaches, we were sold!
We arrived at the most perfect Airbnb setup — all six of us cosily together in one room (yes, Phoebe did burst into tears when we first arrived!), complete with a communal kitchen, dining area, and swimming pool. This arrangement is just ideal for us, something we haven't experienced since Costa Rica. We get to chat with fellow travellers, discover their adventures, pick up tips, and hear fascinating life stories from people all over the world. We have met people from Malaysia, Singapore, Argentina, Denmark, Australia, England, Wales, and Germany, all from the comfort of one place. We had booked to stay for three nights, which we quickly extended to a week, and then just before departure day, we added an extra two nights.
We have totally relished taking some downtime. We spent the first few days not moving from the Airbnb, with minimal stimulation and distractions, allowing us to catch up on essential travel planning. We've been looking into our next destinations after Sumatra, sifting through a load of different options, considering costs, locations, and activities. I've found I'm not so great at “going with the flow”, needing to have a certain level of “loose plan” ahead of us. And forget ticking off a quick checklist, everything has to be a thoughtful choice, especially with Phoebe's 15th birthday just around the corner after our jungle adventure. (Maybe we'll be able to surprise her with a room away from her us and younger siblings as a special birthday treat!) We've definitely tuned out the kids over the last few days, but I think we have a good plan ahead. At least up until mid February now.
The kids have also had the time and mental space to jump back into a good routine with some of their more structured learning. We don't usually enforce anything too strictly, as we're always learning and absorbing so much everywhere we go, gaining so much more than they ever could from a textbook sat in a classroom. But on the flip side, it's been reassuring to know they haven't forgotten what possessive pronouns are, or their times tables! The learning support teacher from Fin's new school has shared some learning apps they use, and we've started trying to engage him with them. And, in true Phoebe style, after picking a new book from an English bookshop in Bali, she sat down in the hammock and hyper-focused her way through it, finishing it in just two days!
Poppy and Fin quickly became travel BFFs with a 9-year-old boy from Argentina, inspiring all four of them to dive into learning Spanish with Duolingo. Phoebe had dabbled in Spanish back in Costa Rica, but now, with everyone learning together, competing for streaks, and cheering each other on when they hit a language roadblock, it's really made a difference. It would be nice to come home after all this travelling with a new language under our belt, but we'll have to see if the enthusiasm continues after we part ways with Tommi!
As mentioned, this is an absolutely incredible island with so much to explore, so the intense downtime couldn't last for long! We took a stroll to the local beach, just a ten-minute walk from the Airbnb, and discovered an amazing array of watersports activities down there. The girls were itching to get on a jet ski, and Poppy was desperate to have a go at parasailing. We chatted to one of the friendly locals, and Dan scored an amazing deal for all six of us to enjoy both activities. Sometimes having so many of us works out well to be the ultimate bargaining chip!
First up was parasailing, and what an adventure it was! The previous evening, we had been down on the beach, watching all the para-sailers and saying to each other, wouldn't be it incredible being up there at this time, as the sun is starting to dip down in the sky? Fast forward to the next day and there we were, on the boat out at sea at the same time, ready to make that dream a reality! Pops was bursting with excitement to go first, paired with Dan, and off they went, a bundle of nerves and exhilaration. When they returned, they got dunked with Poppy up to her neck in the water! She was absolutely ecstatic dripping back on board, declaring its the best thing ever! Next up, it was the girls' turn, and off they went with Floss's usual boisterous and noisy flair! I'm sure her excited shouts echoed across all the neighbouring 99 islands! As they were reeled back in, they got a surprise dunk in the water, not once but twice! Now it was Fin and my turn, with Fin fervently pleading not to be dunked, and me suddenly questioning the life choices that led me to trust a cable with my life! Up there, I was unexpectedly uneasy, imagining the cable snapping and us soaring off into a jungle or one of the nearby uninhabited islands. I was relieved to be reeled back into the boat, still attached and sans dunking, luckily for Fin! Everybody absolutely loved it - a hilariously unforgettable way to wrap up our evening together.
The next day kicked off with more existential pondering as we embarked on a jet ski tour. This wasn't just a quick half hour joyride around the bay, oh no. It was a full four-hour, island hopping adventure, exploring eight different islands. Once again, it was Dan and Poppy partnered up, me with Fin, and the notorious duo, Phoebe and Floss. As we sped off with our group, I found myself questioning why we were doing this, with Fin clinging onto my back as we crashed over the waves attempting to keep up with the eight other jet skis in the group. Having not been on one since I was a carefree eighteen year old on holiday in Crete, I was definitely not setting any speed records, leading to the entire group having to pause for me, and Dan wondering if we were still in one piece!
Way behind me and Fin were the girls, and what an adventure they were having, doing their best to keep up! After a previous quick fifteen minute spin on jet skis in Sanur, they weren't quite prepared for the turbo-charged marathon this trip turned out to be. Even Floss the fearless caught up with the group exclaiming, "it's really hard!" Picture them being wildly erratic, like jetski yo-yos, slowing down then absolutely flooring it to catch up with the group. As always, it was a whirlwind of chaos and excitement! Our first stop was alongside some majestic sea eagles. They were impressive, but we were just glad to take a breather and regroup! We realised that trying to steer or control the jet skis was pointless - just zoom over the waves at full throttle! We fed the eagles, then zoomed off to our next stop at a desert island, a great place to stop for a refreshing swim, some drinks and snacks, and a relax at the beach.
Our next mission across the water takes us to Pulau Dayang Bunting, or as it translates, the 'Isle of the Pregnant Maiden'. This island gets its name because, from afar, the hills resemble the silhouette of a pregnant lady. It's Langkawi's second-largest uninhabited island, formed when the roof of a limestone cave dramatically collapsed thousands of years ago, creating a sinkhole that filled with rainwater. The limestone walls of the cave prevented seawater from entering, so the lake's water is fresh and alkaline and it is recognised as Malaysia’s largest freshwater lake. The spot is surrounded by lush rainforest and striking rocky landscapes, teeming with biodiversity. We had an hour's stop here, allowing us to jump and swim in the lake and enjoy a fresh fruit smoothie from one of the cafes by the entrance - trying not to share with any monkeys that live on the island!
We cruised around a bit longer, exploring more islands, a limestone hanging island, through The Fjords, making a stop at Echo Island, which was really cool, hearing our voices reverberating throughout the island. By the end of the tour, we were all completely relaxed on the jets skis, absolutely loving life as we zoomed around together on the water. It was an amazing way to explore the islands of Langkawi.
Cue a few more days of relaxation and fun at the Airbnb. Everyone is sticking to their daily rituals of English and maths, Duolingo, and reading, and surprisingly, nobody's complaining! It's all balanced out perfectly with walks around the local area and playing in the pool with their new friends. Dan and I are managing to scribble down and post our (very late) blogs, and are enjoying having great conversations with the people around us. Honestly, we're all really embracing a slower, quieter pace.
We've discovered that Tommi's parents are both doctors from Argentina, and they've been making the most of Tommi and his younger sisters' long summer school holidays by doing volunteer work in Nepal. They've been working in orphanages and villages, offering their medical expertise for free to people who, astonishingly, have never seen a doctor in their entire lives, even at the ages of 60 or 70! Once again, we're meeting amazing and inspiring individuals on this trip who motivate us - and the kids - to want to make a difference with our time. Oh, and Tommi's English! It's fantastic at just 9 years old and his parents say it's thanks to the fact that in Nepal, children spoke either Nepali or English, making English their common language to communicate. He’s been really cute, sitting with Poppy and Fin while they’re doing their Duolingo and laughing with them as they try and work everything out. It's yet another brilliant example of how real-life experiences can teach us so much, it doesn't all have to be sitting in a classroom staring at textbooks!
We take another trip out, this time to the breathtaking Tanjung Rhu beach on the northeast of the island. This stunning, secluded beach boasts the vibrant blue waters of the Andaman Sea and pristine ivory-white sands. From here, we discover you can hop on a boat tour from the beach jetty to Kilim Geoforest Park. We all jump onboard, and the river cruise whisks us away to explore this unique area for two hours. We glide along the mangroves, cheerfully greet the resident monkeys, and then quickly retreat when our boat edges a little too close to one of them! We stop to feed more eagles, witnessing tons of them circling and diving down to snatch their lunch. We are taken through one of the caves known as 'crocodile cave' (can you guess what it slightly resembles?), and another cave where we have to leap out of the boat to walk through, surrounded by resident bats.
Picture us, all huddled together, crouching our way through, when Floss pipes up to Fin who's wielding the torch, "wait, shine it above us!" So he does, and we're all staring at a humongous bat colony just chilling a couple of feet above our heads. Cue the collective shriek and swift exit!! Next stop is a floating fish farm, more of a showpiece for tourists than a commercial operation. While we weren't too thrilled, and the girls were definitely not fans of the eau de fish aroma, Poppy's day was made again when our guide coaxed a spotted moray eel out from its hiding place and brought it up to the surface for her to touch. Unsurprisingly, she was the only one eager to do so!
On our way back we zip into Kuah to see the iconic eagle landmark statue at Eagle Square. Langkawi's name comes from the Malay words "helang" (eagle) and "kawi (reddish-brown), which basically means "island of the reddish-brown eagle." It's mad how quiet it is here, considering Kuah is the capital of Langkawi. It's Saturday afternoon and the port area is completely quiet - we compare it to the bustling chaos of Gunwharf Quays on a Saturday, its a stark contrast. The whole island is pretty quiet, we wonder if they are still struggling post covid. While there are a few larger-scale resorts scattered around, there appears to be lots of abandoned resorts, and the area on the whole isn't overly developed. Personally, we think its preserved its natural charm and laid-back vibe and its nice being in a more quiet atmosphere overall, especially when compared to Bali or other tourist hotspots.
We've absolutely loved living in a different culture once again, this time in a predominantly Muslim area, and it has wonderfully dispelled some misconceptions we had about Islam. Before arriving in Malaysia, we read that, despite being a multicultural country, there are many areas predominantly inhabited by Malay Muslims - Langkawi being one of them, who are often seen as holding fairly conservative views on social conduct. We prepared in advance by getting cover-ups and long, loose trousers, ready to dress respectfully when out and about. We found the atmosphere far more open-minded than we anticipated, with both locals and tourists showing mutual respect for each other's traditions - how it should be everywhere, all the time, right? Discovering more about the hijab on one of our study sessions has been really interesting - it's an act of honour, dignity, and empowerment, ensuring a woman is valued for her inner spiritual beauty rather than her outer superficial appearance. It did make us scratch our heads - why is a nun covered from head to toe respected for her devotion to God, but a Muslim woman doing the same thing is seen as oppressed. It's been a fantastic experience to live among this community, seeing everyone as normal, like-minded individuals enjoying and loving this little slice of paradise together.
We venture out to a little local night market, eager to explore, see how the locals shop, and hopefully snag ourselves some dinner. Dan is over the moon as we score three samosas for the rupiah equivalent of just 18p! We dive into an array of noodle flavours to sample, while the kids stick to their safe zone, ordering buttery sweetcorn and, of course, they expertly track down the market's lone crepe stall! It's a sensory extravaganza once again, with the vibrant sounds, sights, and smells all around us. We soak it all in for about an hour before we’re all ready to head home and the younger kids jump into their favourite nighttime adventure of frog hunting with their little amigo!
The last stop to explore was the Langkawi Sky Bridge. We started our adventure at the foothill of Mount Machincang, the oldest mountain in all of South East Asia, as I mentioned in the beginning. We hopped into the SkyCab, a cable car that hoisted us 700 metres above sea level. On one side, we had the majestic view of the mountain, lush green forests, and waterfalls, and on the other, the sparkling blue waters of the Andaman Sea. It was all so stunning, and despite the scorching heat in the non-airconditioned cab, we were all loving it. Sweating buckets, but loving it! Despite the kids grumbles about the short but incredibly steep ten minute walk after stepping off the SkyCab, I'd say the Sky Bridge was definitely worth it. Reaching the top at an elevation of over 2100 feet was simply incredible. The gentle sway of the suspension bridge took some getting used to, but once we did, the views were nothing short of spectacular. Hats off to the engineers and construction workers who pulled this off!
Our final day has arrived, and there's one more place I’m eager to explore: the Seven Wells Waterfall. This spot is known as one of Langkawi’s most breathtaking natural wonders and features seven natural pools connected by the rushing river. But alas, the allure of relaxation calls louder, so we’re spending our last day doing what we’ve perfected here — chilling by the pool! If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? We're soaking up every moment of downtime before jetting off to our next Malaysian adventure, Penang, tomorrow. We're excited for a burst of energy as we dive into the Chinese New Year celebrations there. For now, it's pooltime!
