It has been a very relaxing start to the new year. Having arrived in Langkawi we decided to slow down, take in the surroundings and just enjoy being on the boat. We anchored off Kuah for a couple of weeks and attended to a few jobs on the boat while we waited for Ben & Kate to arrive for their holidays.
The first few days B&K had booked into the Bella Vista Hotel and took time to relax by the pool and also take in a few tourist spots.
Hiring a car in Langkawi is “cheap & cheerful” it’s a big decision on what price you want to pay MYR40/50/60 per day converts to AUD$14/17/20. No contract, no insurance, no questions asked!Driving is easy and the locals are all very polite and forgiving on the road.
B&K then joined us on the boat and we sailed across to the nearest Thai island of Koh Lipe, into clear blue water which was a refreshing change from the murky waters in Malaysia.
All was well onboard at first and Kate took the helm
But it wasn’t long before the wind & waves picked up and Kate got a little seasick and retired below to try and sleep it off.
But for us old salties we just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
We arrived at Koh Lipe and the anchorage was a little choppy so we decided it best if they check into a hotel ashore for their 4 days here. There are many ‘bum boats’ taking tourists out for day trips and they whizz past the yachts on anchor at full speed with no thought to the wash and wake they create. That with the strong wind that was blowing made it quite a choppy anchorage and not best for anyone who hasn’t had the experience of living on a boat before.
Koh Lipe is no longer the quiet undiscovered island it was 12 years ago. It is now almost overloaded with tourists pouring in from the mainland everyday on day trips or for an extended stay at one of the many hotels that have been built.
But we still managed to have a very relaxing 4 days here, swimming, snorkelling and generally just lazing around on the beach. So much so that we really didn’t want to leave.
Back to Langkawi and this time we checked into Telaga Marina and B&K checked into a nice hotel just along the beach from us.
Once they got their room sorted out and an upgrade to a very nice one overlooking the ocean it was back to exploring Langkawi. They hired a scooter for the day and zipped around the island while Jerry & I did boat jobs.
We took the cable car to the highest point on Langkawi which was quite spectacular. I am not fond of heights so the trip was a bit scarey for me, especially as I sat between Jerry who discussed the pros & cons of what could go wrong with machinery and Ben who insisted on sticking his head out of the small window whilst leaning on the door that didn’t lock! Just like he did when he was little. But it was well worth the nail biting experience and I am glad I have ‘been there, done that’!
We are now back in Perth as Jerry has finally had his double hernia op that he has been waiting on for 2 years. Returning to TToo this Sunday where he will continue to rest for a couple of weeks before we head up to Thailand. We are thinking that a couple of weeks back in Rebak Marina where we can enjoy the luxuries of the resort will help with Jerry’s recovery…it’s a tough life!
