When constantly moving, chasing budgets and schedules, and documenting everything along the way, we do consider travel to be work these days. So sometimes we really just need a break from our life of so-called “holidays”, and we found this recently at Resorts World Langkawi where we were able to finally relax, and do nothing but indulge in what we desire the most. In food, and drink, and more food.
And Langkawi is no doubt perfect for this, an island I’ve often touted as being my favourite in Southeast Asia, which is for somewhat of an obscure reason. Langkawi is in fact a Duty-Free island, in a country where alcohol is otherwise notoriously expensive country when it comes to drinking, so this at least lets us offset much of our travel budget.
Not far from the noisy tourist beaches of Pantai Cenang, we escape to the seclusion of Resorts World Langkawi, and we feel like we’re worlds apart. As Resorts World Langkawi escapes the noise and hubbub of elsewhere on Langkawi, situated on a secluded shoreline promenade, with views overlooking the iconic archipelago karsts of the Andaman. It is relaxed, slow-moving and serene, and the vacation begins.
The Seagull Coffee House
We spend much of our time at the Seagull Coffee House, from early breakfast, to late evening, from sunrise through to sunset cocktails. And we do find a serious list of strong cocktails, which sit at around the 18RM mark, which is just ridiculously cheap in this region. Again this is why I really love Langkawi.
But my other obsession obviously comes in Malaysian food, where this region brings an exciting mix of Indian, Chinese, and Malay cuisines, as well as some Thai influences, given we are only a short distance away from Thailand’s borders. But what I crave more than anything on every visit to Malaysia and Langkawi is the Mamak, and authentic Indian food, which is completely lost next door in Thailand.
But there is always a conundrum in Malaysia, where it is very rare to find decent Indian food alongside a good cocktail, due to the local Halal influences. But here we thankfully find both, a splendidly spiced mutton curry, served alongside a Long Island Iced Tea. Far from classy, I know, but I am on holiday.
Anyway, the food at The Seagull Coffee House is not just diverse, it is also of the highest quality. It also includes the western food menu for the less adventurous eaters, like cheddar cheeseburgers, and battered fish with tartare sauce and capers, and I ate here a lot. Because there’s no real reason to eat anywhere else.
Langkawi’s Geoforest Park (Unesco)
This was in fact my second time joining this tour (and I’d happily go again) as I find the experiences in Langkawi are more in common with the eco-adventures in Borneo, rather than the generic island hopping tours of Thailand’s Andaman Sea.
The main event is undoubtedly the eagle feeding, and meeting the birds that have become somewhat synonymous with the island, given the name Langkawi in fact translates loosely as “Eagle Rock”. So it would be almost rude to visit without seeing them.
In the archipelago are two common eagles, the Brahminy Kites, and the rather massive White Bellied Sea Eagles, which will be found hiding in the canopies of the island’s mangroves. And at their feeding grounds, they will swoop to the waters to grab beakfuls of eagle grub.
There is of course more to Langkawi’s Geoforest Park than just eagles, as we meet swimming crab-eating macaques which are really quite adorable. Then we come across Dusky Leaf Monkeys, a deadly Pit Viper, the Bat Caves and giant Fruit Bats, and of course take some time to feed the tropical coral fish. All on this one tour.
There really is just too much to share in this post, so check our full tour review here. Otherwise much of the overall excitement, at least for me, was darting between the dense mangroves and through the picturesque karsts and archipelagos while comfy in the back of the speed boat. Langkawi’s scenery is undoubtedly unforgettable.
The Sunset Cruise
Days do feel longer here, as technically we are further north than some Thai provinces, yet we are set in a time zone an hour behind. So sunset is an hour later than anticipated, which allows for plenty of time to prepare for the evening’s sunset cruise.
A good indicator of just how fun this night was my suffering the following morning on our early fight to Kuala Lumpur. Yet we have no regrets whatsoever, as the night before was just so ridiculously fun, and the last thing I remember was dancing off the boat, with a glass full of gin. Which is weird, given I never dance, or drink gin. In fact, I never even socialise, or join cruises.
So I was like a completely different person on this getaway, pushing my own anti-social boundaries, which is mostly due to it being a more amiable cruise here, unlike the haphazard “booze cruises” found so often on the backpacker trails of the Andaman. This was otherwise more sophisticated, less raucous, and ultimately more enjoyable for everybody.
As always with Resorts World, everything was of extremely high-standard, from the safety procedures to the platters of curries and barbecue buffets. It is also an all-inclusive tour with all-you-can-eat/drink food and alcohol, meaning I unfortunately went a bit overboard (not in the literal sense). But it was no doubt the perfect ending to this holiday away from our holidays.
