Langkawi Island Travel Blog

Putri and I @ Pulau Payar Marine Park

2009-08-01T14:35:00.003+08:00

(Journal Entry)

8:45 a.m. – Putri and I are downstairs getting ready for our bus to pick us up to bring us to Jetty Point, Kuah Town.

-- We’re pretty excited about heading to Pulau Payar! One of the most highly anticipated adventures. Have really high expectations for this trip.. I hope its not disappointing!

Pulau Payar Marine Park is located 19 nautical miles south of Langkawi Island. If coming from Penang Island, it is located 32 nautical miles north of Penang Island. It is also approximately 15 nautical miles west of Kuala Kedah. This island still remains unspoilt until today due to its status as a marine park and is South East Asia’s first 1 stop snorkeling, diving and water activity floating platform. In a form of a massive two tier floating platform, due to the government’s tireless efforts to preserve marine life around the place, the fish in and around Pulau Payar seem to be totally at ease with tourists!

Booking day trips usually include pickup from your hotel, lunch on the island and use of snorkelling and diving equipment. Two dives are arranged. Total time that you need to allocate for this trip is from 8am to 4:30pm.

Once we had arrived at Jetty Point, Putri and I along with the rest of the tour group were escorted to the boat docks to where we were ushered into a large ferry boat with both indoor and outdoor seating. I must admit.. it looked pretty swank! J

A short 40 minute ride later, I noticed the boat starting to slow down, and out of nowhere, an overly excited Puteri (who chose to sit outside) ran into the indoor seating area where I was calmly reading my book screaming ‘Woooh! Where here! Come see!’

I must admit, the Pulau Payar Marine Park platform looked like something out of Star Trek! Anchored in open sea, just around 200 metres away from the island shore, the massive structure had a bridging area where boats can connect, a huge area (resembling a food court seating area) with round tables scattered everywhere, a diving centre and an equipment hub and even an underwater observatory!

Wow.. I was so excited I had to stop myself from screaming ‘BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY!’

Sun, Snorkeling, Sea, and Sci-Fi. My dream has come true.

After being led to our designated tables, we were briefed by our tour guide/dive instructor on the guidelines following the island. And they went a little something like this;

No fishing or killing of fish.

No collecting of corals or other marine organisms.

No collecting of sand, dead shells or dead corals.

No polluting or littering.

No anchoring on reefs.

No building or erecting any type of structure on the water.

Keeping strictly to these rules and regulations will ensure that this park will remain unspoiled for many years to come. Comprising of numerous uninhabited islands such as Pulau Lembu, Pulau Kaca and Pulau Segantang, this park is surrounded by coral reefs and many kinds of endangered marine species. Payar Island is the biggest island in this park measuring 2 km by 1/4 km.

Snorkelling, swimming and scuba diving are the main activities on the island. Being a marine park means that most of the marine life and vegetation in the sea are still thriving. The most popular diving site is known as Coral Garden and is located at the south-west of Pulau Payar where bright and multicoloured soft corals can be seen. The fascinating feature of this park is that there are many artificial reefs built from old boats, concrete blocks and tyres that have developed into mature reefs with plenty of sea creatures around them. Baby Shark Feeding is also a memorable experience, as we literally were able to swim with these baby sharks in about 4 feet of water!

Jungle Tracking is another activity that you can do over here as the island is a self-sustaining island with virtually no concrete except for walkways, and changing areas at the beach area of the island. I think it was great how they try to avoid over “commercializing” it at the cost of taking away some of its charm!

The moment I reached the island shore (via flippers!), I was reminded of that old TV show “The Swiss Family Robinson” with vast stretches of white sand, punctuated by rocks towards the shores, crystal clear water and a hilly (and very green!) zone just off the cost! Ok! excuse my overdone use of movie examples.. at least I’m not ranting on about food!

After a full on day of snorkeling, shark feeding, jungle trekking and photo taking, Puteri and I were pooped and ready to head back home to rest up for dinner.

I must say my trip to the Pulau Payar Marine Park definitely lived up to my expectations and is definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I felt like a little kid in a big, wet jungle gym all over again! It was really something else.

For those keen on doing something fun and memorable in Langkawi Island, the Marine Park is definitely on to go for.

Till The Next Post..

Harith The Trekky Beach Bum

Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd

My Last Week @ The Temple Tree - Bonton

2009-07-31T10:41:00.023+08:00

The next stop on my Island adventure is to The Temple Tree at Bon Ton Resort in Pantai Cenang.

Now, I’ve really been looking forward to this stay as everyone has given me rave reviews about it! From my parents who love the atmosphere and feel of the place to other hoteliers I have spoken to, elaborating on the very ‘different’ concept this establishment has.

This ought to be fun!

The Bon Ton Resort Langkawi is owned by Australian owner Narelle McMurtie who has enthusiastically developed her resort to make it one of the most unique resorts on the island without losing any of the traditional Malaysian atmosphere. She has purchased antique villas from other parts of Malaysia, dismantled them, and then reassembles them on her spacious land which overlooks a beautiful lotus pond and the Machinchang Mountains.

The antique villas are maintained in its rustic form but does not lack any luxuries on the inside; with beautiful furniture and top of the line equipment such as DVD players, air conditioning, silk slippers and of course a mini fridge.

The Temple Tree, an extension of the Bon Ton Resort, has a slightly different concept but does not lack in luxury at all!

This hotel is made up of 8 villas sprawled across a large area of land surrounded by a beautiful lotus lagoon, with Mount Machinchang in the backdrop. With Chinese, Malay, Indian and even Eurasian influences, each restored building villa is completely unique and rich with history as most of them are hundreds of years old, and have their own stories behind them.

This hotel has a fresh concept where the building villa can be rented on its own or as individual hotel rooms.

Once I had arrived at the Temple Tree, I was led to the Straits Club House to check into my room and meet with one of the hotel staff.

The Straights Club House

Originally called “Bahagia”, this building was originally placed on York Road in Penang. Built in the mid 1920s by a Eurasian family, the house accommodated them for 40 odd years until it was sold to a Malay family in the 1960s.

This building resembles an old colonial building with verandahs and beautiful carvings on the high end of the walls to let the air flow through. It now houses the resort reception, and also includes a restaurant, bar, library and game centre with a pool table and board games. The wide verandahs are perfect for reading a book or having a late lunch. The servants quarters at the back have been converted into the restaurant kitchen.

After filling up my details while enjoying my delicious welcome drink, I was shown to my room which is located at the far end of the lush, relaxing compound.

Pinapple Mint Iced Tea -- Delicious!

Estates Quarters

Originally built in Paser Puteh, Ipoh in the 1940s, this building was a long house for Indian workers on a rubber estate. With the aunthentic aesthetics of common workers quarters around Malaysia, it has converted superbly into 5 hotel rooms. All rooms include terracotta-tiled floors, a comfortably sized bedroom and a living space with separate bathrooms and a verandah at the front.

The interior design of each room are individually unique with different styles and feels. My room was absolutely sublime!

After getting settled in, I was very eager to explore the rest of the resort and to check out the other heritage building villas!

The Colonial House

This very large grand house which originated in Georgetown, Penang. Built by a middle eastern family in the 1920s, the very wealthy family showed their lavishness with the western influences which shows with the architectural touches such as the cornices, floor tiles and fishscale design canopy over the porch. It is now the ultimate gathering spot for five sets of friends or a large family.

With a huge living space with a bar included, a dining table for 10 and heaps of lounge space, combined with two bedrooms downstairs and three upstairs, making it a perfect space for a private venue. The two ground floor bedrooms have separate entrances and an outdoor private garden with wooden tubs and sunloungers. On the top floor, the Colonial 3 has a large space with a both the bedroom and living space as one area and a separate bath hall with two wooden baths. The Colonial 4, also on the top floor, is the showpiece of the villa, with separate living space, a family bath hall and 2 separate bedrooms.

Chinese House & Pool Area

The Chinese House is absolutely magnificent. Built by a Chinese family in Batu Pahat, Johore, the house was originally a farmhouse and was built approximately a hundred years ago. The aesthetics are said to have Taiwanese influence and the house includes one suite on each floor, both with large verandahs overlooking the scenic view of the Machinchang mountains. The house also includes a movie projector room, a private Mah Jong room and its own bar.

Black & White House

This beautiful Malay House was built in the 1940s in Mantin, Negri Sembilan in the south of Kuala Lumpur. It’s a complete house with a living and dining area, a huge bedroom with a wooden bathtub, separate bathrooms and an adjoining mini gym. The coloured glass windows and details in the finishing give a truly authentic feel to the building.

Walking across to the bonton area, I noticed a small garden at the far end of the compound. It was a herb garden!

Being a real food enthusiast, (as you can tell by my constant mention of food!) seeing an authentic vegetable and fruit garden really got me excited!

The vegetable and fruit garden was full of different fruits and plants including heaps of produce that are used in the delicious dishes created at the Nam restaurant, including limau kesturi (kaffiah lime) and the ubi ara (the common fig).

With a mix of modern, 5 star hospitality and traditional Malaysian heritage buildings, the Temple Tree is a wonderful place to holiday in when you want to step out of the mainstream "beach holidays" and step into your own personal sanctuary. It really is lovely here. Sighhh.

Phew. Exhausted from my tour around the Bon Ton and Temple Tree, I decided to cool off by the pool and then rest up as I have a long day with Puteri at the Pulau Payar Marine Park tomorrow.

Till the next post..

Harith The Heritage Happy Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd & Bon Ton Resort and Temple Tree

My Night @ Tanjung Rhu Resort

2009-07-21T15:28:00.015+08:00

On a cape in the northern tip of the island lies one of the oldest and most prominent resorts in Langkawi; The Tanjung Rhu Resort. This is a deluxe resort that occupies a long, scenic bay leading to the crystal clear, cool waters of the Andaman Sea.

And I have the pleasure of spending a night there!

Upon arrival at the Tanjung Rhu Resort, I was greeted by the General Manager, Mr I.Z. Melvin and was given a tour of their establishment.

The Lobby

The Sand Pool

The JivaRhu Spa

The JivaRhu Spa adds yet another addition to the experience at Tanjung Rhu Resort. Designed to pamper and assuage the five senses, the SPA has been conceptualized and developed in detail to rejuvenate the mind and body.

The JivaRhu Spa set amidst very luscious natural vegetation offers stunning views of the sea and vegetation that would make any visitor feel relaxed and tranquil. The spa facility covers a series of individual pavilions offering:

A gym with state-of the art gym equipment
A steam room
A sauna room
Several Pavilions - Treatment rooms for massages and other treatments
Enhanced Pavilions - set within individual private gardens complete with Jacuzzi bath with an annexed "meditation" enclave.

The treatments offered are either therapeutic or vanity/beauty oriented. The massages are an amalgamation of techniques that have influenced the identity of massages within the Malay Archipelago.

Each treatment room is equipped with a distinctive soothing natural sounds to enhance the experience of the treatment. No two treatment rooms offer the same experience. The aromatic essence of each room is also controlled to give a definitive character to the room.
All oils or rubs are specially blended for the resort to ensure they meet the highest standards in quality and for health. The "spa experience" services are designed to provide the visitor/guest a complete and experiential experience.

The JivaRhu Spa is operated by Tanjung Rhu Resort with specialist professionals providing technical input in treatments, juice therapy and oils. All guests and visitors will be given a brief description of spas and their benefits and how to use and enjoy the spa facilities at Tanjung Rhu Resort.

Consultation on the choice of treatment and nuances found in each treatment pertinent to the individual's desire will also be provided to the uninitiated by a specialist.

Sea Shell Gift & Souvenier Shop

The Kiddies Club

Executive Ballroom

After my tour of the resort, I was escorted to my room for my check in. Tanjung Rhu has a very intimate check in concept, where it is done in the room itself so avoid congestion in the reception area and also to stay out of the heat!

The Damai Room

All checked in and sorted, I decided to order room service as I had worked up quite an appetite on the tour earlier in the day. With so much to choose from on the room service menu, I opted for the classic combination of the cheeseburger and milkshake!

After my delicious lunch and a quick rest I decided to chill out by the Sands Pool.

The Sands Pool is one of the 3 pool available at the Tanjung Rhu Resort and is the only pool and bar which is restricted to only the adults. This is to ensure a more peaceful and quiet atmosphere by the pool.

Before going back to the room to get ready for my dinner at the Sands Restaurant, I decided to check out the Arts and Crafts Centre located next to the Sunset Pool and Bar.

The Arts and Crafts Centre located in a Rumah Kampung (Kampung House), includes 2 main crafts, Batik designing and wood carving. The craftmen were busy at work on batik pieces and wooden decorations which were specifically ordered by guests at the hotel!

7.05 p.m. -- Once dressed and ready for dinner, I made my way down to Saffron Restaurant.

Approaching the restaurant, On the beach, I noticed a sandy pathway slicing through the sea leading towards an island, names Turtle Island (named due to its shape of a turtle) about 200 kilometres away from the Tanjung Rhu Resort Beach. Because of the low tide, I was able to walk all the way across to Turtle Island!

Al Fresco dinner @ Saffron Restaurant

Once I had arrived at Saffrom Restaurant, I was brought to my table beautifully set up on the terrace over looking the beautifully beach. The sunset that evening was absolutely amazing. With intense purples, yellows and blues in the sky, the atmosphere at the restaurant was divine.

With a wide selection of meditarranean, arabic and classic western dishes including; (their famous) quasadillas, surf and turf grilled items, boullabaise (french fish soup) and many other items.

I started off with their hot rolls served with spice mix and olive oil. Their rolls were hot, crusty and buttery and the spice mix (a combination of salt, pepper, dried lemon and herbs) compliment the rolls brilliantly.

For my main course I had to have their famous Prawn Quasadillas! The delicious dish consisted of 2 pieces of corn bread wraps stuffed with a generous amount of grilled prawn and spicy tomato salsa filling. They were absolutely exquisite. Unlike the 'tex-mex' fast food we get in Kuala Lumpur, the stuffing tasted so fresh and tangy, and the quacamole and sour cream dips complimented the dish very well. A+

After my delicious and filling meal, I retired up to my room to spend the rest of the night watches movies and updating my blog!

Mmmm and a little chocolate surprise, compliments of housekeeping, before bed doesn't hurt either!

Good Morning and Farewell Tanjung Rhu Resort! :(

Sigh, feeling a tad depressed about leaving the lucious Tanjung Rhu Resort today, I decided to drown my sorrows in hot croissants and beef bacons as I made my way for my final meal at the resort.

The complimentary breakfast spread, located at the Sands restaurant, just next to the Sands Pool, has a massive and unique spread, offering western favourites such as Eggs Benadict and Breakfast Steaks to Asian dishes such as hot fish porridge and Dim Sum!

With breakfast finished, the time had come to leave the little sanctuary in Tanjung Rhu and head off to my next adventure.

All and all, my stay at the Tanjung Rhu Resort was definitely a relaxing and memorable one. From the hospitable hotel staff, excellent services, top class cuisine and of course the fine detail put into making each stay personal and special, the Tanjung Rhu Resort is one of MY faves!

Till the next post..

Harith The Beach Bum

Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd & A Special Thank You to Mr I.Z Melvin and the Entire Tanjung Rhu Resort Staff their kind and generous hospitality.

Pizza, Parasailing & Playing Scrabble

2009-07-12T17:09:00.006+08:00

After spending most of the morning editing photos and checking my e-mail, Puteri and I decided to spend our day at Pantai Cenang.

1st item on our agenda was lunch! Driving along Cenang Road, we spotted a bright red pizza parlour named Artisan Pizza. Seeing as there was quite a crowd in and around the establishment, Puteri and I decided to have lunch there.

With an impressive selection on their menu, including pasta, sandwiches, (their famous) mash potatoes and of course their extensive and elaborate selection of pizzas, it was pretty hard for us to decide on what to order!

(Salami & Anchovie Pizza)

After the delicious and affordable lunch, which came up to RM34.90 (for 1 large pizza, a large bowl of mash potatoes and 2 soft drinks), we headed down to a beachside café for some coffee and a game of scrabble.

With Puteri and I, Scrabble is not just a game played out of boredom to pass the time. Scrabble is a competitive sport played weekly, where our wins are tallied up at the end of the month, and the player with the most victories is awarded a free dinner and the bragging rights of being the scrabble champion for the month!

Seeing that Puteri has been champion for the past 2 months, we decided to put a slight twist on our scrabble match: the loser is made to do whatever the winner decides!

Yikes! I hope that the island breeze and relaxed atmosphere helps my scrabble skills! (Or at least helps distract Puteri from full concentration!)

The Sunset Beach Café, located next to the Sunset Beach Resort is a quite little beach café on the shores of the Cenang Beach. Its woody interior, decorated with vintage vinyl and old rock paraphernalia gave the café a comfortable and fashionable feel.

Introducing the newly titled Scrabble Ultimate Champion of The World… Harith Hisham!!!! Wooohoooo!

After basking in the glory of my triumphant victory, it was now time for me to decid a fair punishment for the very sore loser…

… Knowing that one of Puteri’s biggest fears is heights, and seeing that we were already in Pantai Cenang, her punishment was to go PARASAILING!

On the main beach at Pantai Cenang, there were many booths offering watersports which range from jet skiing, banana boat rides, windsurfing and of course parasailing. After surveying most of the booths, we opted for Babau Watersports. This booth, which is located right in the centre of the beach, decorated with bright canoes, gives reasonable prices (RM50 for parasailing) and to us, was the safest. (as they were the only booth who briefed us on the safety precautions of parasailing)

Strapped up and ready to go, a frightened but excited Puteri took to the air for her first parasailing experience!

Attempt #1 ....

... FAIL!!!!

Note to tourists keen on parasailing: When the parasailing crew says "1, 2, 3 pull the chords!!!"...

.. you should pull the chords.

Attempt # 2...

Success!!!

With Puteri back on the ground safely, we thanked the people at Babau Watersports for the experience and headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner!

Dinner @ Shrimpz

In search for good seafood, we asked around, looking to find good seafood joints. Many of the locals came up with Shrimpz Prawn Farm.

Located less than a kilometre from Underwater World, about 5 kilometres away or 10 minutes drive from Kuah town, Shrimpz was not difficult to find, but we definitely needed to follow the road maps and signage as we made our way there.

As the name suggests, it serves fresh prawns, hand-picked from some 300 acres of prawn farm and cooked to your liking! The restaurant features 10 wooden pondok (gazebos), all named after famous places on the island. The gazebos overlook the glistening waters of the sprawling prawn farm. Shrimpz serves a good variety of food ranging from local, chinese, fusion cuisine. Guests can sit on the floor in the pondok while having their meal Malay style, on wooden furniture underneath an attap roof. For foreign tourists in particular, it's a unique dining experience.

Having pangs for crabs, Puteri and I decided to order the curry powder crab (a favourite here!), cashew nut chicken and buttered prawns served with steamed white rice.

The ambience was relaxing and the food was absolutely delicious! The curry powder crab tasted fresh and slightly spicy, the cashew nut chicken was delicious and the buttered prawn was crunchy and cooked to perfection. All and all, Shrimpz Restaurant is definitely a great place to go.

After a fun filled, tiring day, relaxing over a delicious meal was just what we needed!

Till the next post..

Harith The Scrabble Ultimate Champion Of The World Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd

Putri comes to visit!

2009-06-28T22:29:00.002+08:00

Putri and I met a few years ago through a mutual friend. We went to neighbouring schools and knew of each other but were never close, but throughout the years we grew closer and now we’re very good friends!

10.45 a.m. – After picking Puteri up from the airport and unloading her bags at the hotel, we decided to take a drive around the island in our newly rented Kia Picanto.

Our 1st stop was at the Awana Porto Malai.

This 3-star resort is located at Tanjung Malai, some 30 minutes away from Kuah town, Langkawi. The resort has an interesting Mediterranean concept - of brightly colored buildings, open cafés, waters everywhere and a beautiful boardwalk by the sea.

After buying some knick knacks from a jewelry shop along the boardwalk, we decided to hunt for lunch seeing as it was already 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

The Best Laksa on the Island!

Along the roadside on Cenang Road, next to the air strip, lies one of Langawi’s hidden gems. Tucked away under a huge Catalpa tree is a Van with no name, just with the writing “Cendol Pulut, Laksa Power” in large red block lettering. Tables and chairs are sprawled around the van as well for people (like us) to sit down and enjoy the beautiful scenery, as the roadside also faces the Andaman sea.

Being complete gluttons (as we were both extremely hungry!) we ordered everything the van offered; Rojak, Assam Laksa “Power” and cendol pulut (glutenous rice). Also, we ordered the MOST delicious fresh chrysanthemum tea, with flower still intact. YUM!

After the delicious and well discovered lunch, we stopped by the Pulau Rebak shuttle point to check it out...

With both stomach and camera memory full, we decided to head back to the hotel for a well deserved siesta before dinner!

Dinner @ Nam Restaurant -- Bon Ton Resort

With a beautiful sunset at our disposal, the ambience couldn’t have been nicer for a relaxing, meal at the Bonton restaurant.

The dishes ranging from Asian, western and fusion cuisine, the Bonton Restaurant is famous for their creative yet tasty creations. And unfortunately, still full from lunch, Putri and opted to share dinner and a desert.

Spaghetti Bolognaise with crummed eggplant

Bread Pudding with Fresh Pears and Gula Melaka Ice Cream

Dinner was breath taking! I have a feeling I’m going to regret not ordering a dish on my own in the morning when I get my appetite!

Till the next post..

Harith The Well Travelled Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd

My Day @ The Oriental Village

2009-06-25T00:02:00.000+08:00

The Oriental Village Langkawi is located around a beautiful lake, set perfectly against the legendary and mystical Machinchang Mountains. The Oriental Village houses a number of different shops selling souvenirs, clothes, tour packages and even scooter vendors! Apart from shops there are also 5 different food and beverage outlets, including the Dropstone Café, serving a mix of western and Asian dishes, Krathong Thai Restaurant, Oriental Food Court, Oriental Snack Bar, for tourists that are on the go, serving burgers and other fast food and The Mizumi Japanese Restaurant.

Apart from shopping and food outlets, there are attractions such as the animal sanctuary, where there is a Rabbit Feeding area, a Deer Farm and Elephant Rides. This mini zoo is free and you can buy food to feed the animals at the farm itself. But the main attraction of the Village is the Langkawi Cable Car.

The Langkawi Cable Car Ride is open from 10 a.m. till 7 p.m. and costs RM30 for adults but if you show your Malaysian I.C , you may get it for half price! Woohoo!)

I must admit, at the beginning of the ride up the mountain, I was pretty nervous due to the sheer height we were escalating at, but once we reached mid way, my fear oh heights disappeared as the stunning view completely distracted me! So I just sat back in the glass bubble cable car and enjoyed the rest of the trip up to the 1st look out point.

The first of the 2 look out points has a deck which overlooks Telaga Harbour and some of Langkawi’s 99 islands. The view of the Islands was amazing and so magical! Also from this view, I could see the beautiful canopy walk bridge up on the 2nd look out point!

Once I arrived to the 2nd look out point, I made my way to the Canopy Walk to take advantage of the awesome sights! Reminiscent of my cardio work out hike on Dayang Bunting Island, the journey to the Canopy Walk was same! With steep and curvy bends all the way to the Canopy Walk suspended bridge, I knew going down was the easy part; it was coming back up that was going to be a real challenge!

Finally emerging off the beaten track, I finally arrive at the bridge; what a an amazing sight! The view from the Canopy Walk was simply incredible! Words really cannot describe what one can see and experience from the Canopy bridge… so, I’ll let the photos do the talking..

After a great time up the mountain and having ascended down safely, I decided to have a chilled out lunch at Krathong Thai Restaurant. Because it was just after lunch and it being a week day, the restaurant wasn’t very full, but had a nice clean, cozy feel to it. With novel in hand, I dug into my delicious meal of Seafood Cooked in Coconut Milk, Minced Chicken with Beancurd and white rice. YUMMMM!

Till the next post..

Harith The High Flying Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored By Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd

Last Day With The Family

2009-06-22T23:32:00.000+08:00

8.45 a.m. – With a little sightseeing planned out and some time to kill before my family’s 4 o’clock flight, we started our day off a tad earlier than usual to ensure we squeeze everything planned in our schedule without worrying about the family missing their flight (although missing their flight wouldn’t be THAT bad of an idea!)

Before heading off, we had our usual breakfast at the Feast Restaurant and then had a little Father’s Day celebration! During breakfast, we gave Dad his presents and told him how much we appreciated and loved the guy. AWWWW.

Our first stop was to the Ibrahim Hussein Art Museum!

The Ibrahim Hussein Museum & Cultural Foundation, a private, non-profit organization was set up in 1999 which is dedicated to the promotion, development and advancement of art and culture of artists of local and international stature. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily and is very affordable costing only RM12 for adults and is FREE for children under 12!

Located at Pantai Pasir Tengorak (Beach of Skulls) Jalan Datai, there it was, the Museum; a modern building with artistic beauty and wonder, nestled within the natural forest, overlooking the Adaman Sea and surrounded by Machinchang Mountains. It was so surreal to finally have arrived at this much admired about Museum.

The vision and goal of Malaysia’s internationally renowned artist, the late Dato Ibrahim Hussein (who sadly passed away 2 months ago – May God rest his soul) was to have an International standard gallery on Langkawi Island amidst the unspoiled natural beauty of Langkawi’s million year old jungle. The late Dato Ibrahim (Ib, to his close friends) had wished to place Langkawi Island on the International Art and Cultural world map. And that, he did!

My dad told us how 20 years ago as a young junior architect and a member of the architectural team JBIS designing the Museum, he had first met the late Dato Ibrahim. Dad describes the artist as a humble, charming and charismatic man; full of creative and brilliant visions on how he wanted the Museum to be for Langkawi and Malaysia. The late Dato had also mentioned how grateful he was to the Kedah State Government for giving the Foundation the land and how touched he was by the immense support the Foundation received from many art lovers (individuals and Corporations) to make his dream come true.

At the very site the Museum which now stands, Dad, rather sentimentally, reminisced on his first site visit with the artist and how the artist and the design team had sat on the beach called Pantai Pasir Tengkorak discussing Dato’s design brief. When the meeting was over, Dato picked up some river rocks, sketched on them and signed his name on them. To the delights of the young architects, Dato with his trademark smile, gavethe rocks to the architects as a memento to mark the beginning of their journey with him to realize his vision. I asked dad how much would his rock be worth now and I got a stern look from him. Yes, dad like many fellow Malaysians and International art community,was still mourning Dato Ibrahim’s passing.

Although I was slightly disappointed that I wasn’t allowed to take photos within the gallery walls, I quickly understood the reasoning behind this rule. Dato Ibrahim Hussein’s work was absolutely astounding! From abstract sculptures made of wood and natural materials, to his huge amazing canvas pieces, this man was a genius!Wow, being a huge pop art fan, appreciating such artists as Linchenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and of course the world famous Andy Warhol, I never knew there was a Malaysian artist with a caliber equal to theirs on our shores!

Before having to be pried away from the calm and mesmerizing ambience of the museum, Dad bought me a few mementos to remind me of the wonderful experience we just had viewing the amazing artist's work and of the great himself, an autobiography book of the late Dato Ibrahim Hussein’s life, journey’s and of course some pictures of his masterpieces. I am in fact wearing the tee shirt from the Museum with my most favorite painting by the late Dato Ibrahim Hussein.

I would like to dedicate this blog to Malaysia’s most Genius artist – Dato Ib Hussein. May God bless him and his family.

(Ib Hussein with my favourite artist, Robert Rauschenberg!)

Our next stop, The Datai Resort for some cake and coffee, and a chance for me to check out the resort!

While my family were tucking into some snacks and drinks at the lounge area of the Datai, one of the hospitality staff was kind enough to bring me for a tour around the resort premises!

Here are some shots of the different rooms and areas of the resort!

(The Beautiful Lily Pond in the Lobby)

(The East Wing Suites)

(One of their many poolside areas)

(The Standard Forest View Villa)

(The Club Suite Private Pool)

After finishing off our drinks and saying our farewells to the very friendly hospitality staff at The Datai, we made our way to our final stop.. The Airport. :(

With the bags checked in and 20 minutes till boarding time, we walked slowly to the departure gate, reminiscing the good times on my family's short trip; from Baby Malim's silly outbursts, to Hanissya's random comments, to Dad's irritating yet hilarious 'Room Serviceeee' gags to Mom's hilariously funny and sometimes cynical jokes. Yeah, we had a great time on this trip, I can tell that my family is so proud of me and are my biggest fans. And as much as I miss them, I know that thought will help carry me along the rest of my journey..

.. Till the next post

Harith The Sightseeing Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored By Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd

Dinner with the Fam @ Chenang Boat Quay

2009-06-21T23:28:00.000+08:00

Phew! What a hectic day yesterday! The family decided we were just going to veg out today the hotel and just take the day easyyyy..

After a completely relaxing day of napping and chilling out by the beach, we decided to have our Pre-Father’s Day/Last Night dinner at a nice restaurant.

Initially, we agreed on Japanese food at the ever popular Unkaizen Japanese Restaurant at Pantai Tengah, but on the way there, Dad decided to take a detour at The Cenang Boat Quay, where a quaint restaurant is located, serving local and international fair, from fried rice to surf and turf!

Once we had arrived at the Cenang Boat Quay, located off the beaten track in Kuala Cenang, we were greeted by Adam Zakhroff, the Operation Manager, and escorted to our table. We had a gorgeous spot, overlooking the ocean with a jetty right below us. This place is definitely a spot I’d take someone for a date!

The atmosphere at the jetty was relaxed and peaceful and with the Sun setting in the backdrop, it created a very comfortable setting for our final dinner together on my family’s short trip to Langkawi.

With so much to choose from on their menu, it was so hard for us to decide what to eat! but after a long hard think and the mutual agreement that we'd be able to try everyone's dishes, we ordered our food. Mom ordered the grilled barramundi, Dad had Pizza Diabola, Hanissya craved for the seafood platter, Baby Malim ate the mushroom soup and I ordered the fettucini carbonara. YUM! And for desert, we shared their famous, Banana Fritter with Ice Cream, which by the way, our former Prime Minister, Yg Amat Berhormat Tun Dr Mahathir orders everytime he comes here!

Weekend With The Family! Day 2

2009-06-20T22:04:00.003+08:00

9.25 a.m. – Awaken by Malim’s knocks on the door. For a minute, before I opened me eyes, I thought I was under the covers, in my room, at home... the sound of Malim’s knocks are the sound of home.

With the family up, and eager to get the day started, we agreed to assemble at Feast Restaurant to have breakfast together.

Breakfast here was just like breakfast at home! Hanissya – in her own world chomping down whatever is in front of her, Malim – throwing his baby tantrums while Dad attempts to shove food into his mouth... and failing, Dad – attempting to shove food into Malim’s mouth... and failing, and Mom – watching Dad’s failed attempts at feeding Malim, making sure Hanissya is eating the right stuff, going over the schedual for the rest of my trip WHILE enjoying a bowl of muesli. Meet Mom, the ultra multi-tasker!

After breakfast, we made our way to Tanjung Rhu, where we planned to laze around on the beach, have lunch and maybe do a little shopping.

A 15 minute drive away from Pantai Tengah, where The Sheraton Resort is located, is the area of Tanjung Rhu. Tanjung Rhu is famous for their clean, beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts such as the Tanjung Rhu Resort and the world renowned Four Season Resort. Other attractions in Tanjung Rhu are the mangrove tours and the Kilim River tours, where eagle feeding and fish feeding is available. These tour packages can be purchased at most tour agencies, and would cost around RM150-RM170 depending on the tour agent and demand.

Once we arrived at the beach at Tanjung Rhu, the kids ran off onto the beach, to play in the sand, Mom sat in the shade to read her book and Dad went off exploring as he always does. And of course, I took the opportunity to have a photo session!

After about an hour, with the Sun barring down on us as it was noon, we got cleaned up, packed out things and headed out to have lunch!

A five minute drive away, past the Four Seasons and Tanjung Rhu Resort, lays a small area leading to a public beach called Pantai Tanjung Rhu, where there were a few shops, restaurants and tour booths. The shops in this area sold the same things; tie-dye t-shirts, batik clothes, post cards and trinkets. The prices were around the same as other shopping destinations such as Kuah Town or Pantai Cenang, but I’m sure with a little haggling, anyone’s desired price can be met.

After watching my mom practically buy out an entire store, we all sat down for lunch at a restaurant recommended by one of the shop owners, called Restaurant Pak Ali.

Don’t let the simple décor and lack of patrons fool you, this restaurant had one of the best Tom Yam soups I’ve ever tasted! To accompany our soup, we ordered Nasi Goreng Kampung (Village style fried rice) and Fried Chicken. YUMMMM.

(Feeling the heat!)

OH! And by the way, for some reason, I really really really enjoyed the Milo Ice Pak Ali makes as well. Woooh!

(Yummmm)

After a delicious lunch, it was time to head back to the hotel for a nap before heading out to the Pasar Malam Kuah for dinner.

9.05 p.m. – By the time had arrived at the Pasar Malam, some of the stalls were already closing as it was already quite late. (Please take note that the Pasar Malam Kuah starts at 6 p.m. and ends around 10 p.m.) But nevertheless, we still did a bit of shopping at the clothing stalls and enjoyed tasting different foods offered at the Pasar Malam.

With our stomachs completely stuffed with delicacies such as Satay, deep fried fish balls and Ayam Pangang (Barbequed Chicken) it was time to head back to the hotel to watch horror flicks! Hope I don’t get nightmares! Eeep!

Till the next post..

Harith The Face Stuffing Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored By Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd. & My Parents Heheheh

Weekend With The Family!

2009-06-19T21:48:00.003+08:00

My family comes to visit today!

After being apart from my family for almost 3 weeks now, I’ve started to miss them immensely. I have to admit, I’ve missed the constant bickering between my 10 year old sister Hanissya and my baby brother Malim, the arguments I have with my Stepdad about who’re the better football team; Manchester United or Arsenal (obviously Arsenal), and of course my mom’s nagging about where I’m going, what I’m doing and how long I’ll be gone for!

Life back home is always so alive, active and full of noise! Whereas life for me here, on this mystical island is so relaxed, quiet and a somewhat, isolated (in a good sense!) And now, both my worlds are going to come together as one!

1.30 p.m. – After checking out of The Mutiara Burau Bay Resort, I made my way to the Langkawi International Airport to await the arrival of my family. According to Mom, their flight is schedualed to touchdown at 4.00 p.m. sharp. With time to kill and blog entries to catch up on, I decided to head to Starbucks to pick a cosy spot, open up my laptop and start editing photos for my next blog entry.

3.55 p.m. – Eager and overly excited about my family’s arrival, I saved my documents, packed up my laptop and parked myself at the very front of the arrival hall so they would spot me the minute they arrived into the airport!

As the crowd rushed out of the arrival hall doors, I pictured my little brother and sister wandering out of the doors, with my parents not far behind them. I could imagine my Dad’s warm smile and my mother’s comforting hugs, followed by the ‘How are you?’, ‘I miss you!’ and ‘you’re so dark now!’

And then right then, in the middle of my musing, I heard a boys voice screaming out, ‘BAMBAM!!!!’ It was my baby brother Malim racing out the doors followed by my little sister Hanissya right behind him, and behind them my parents! Everything then played out just how I imagined it, with the hugging and the screaming over each other and everything in between.

With everything sorted out, we made our way back to The Sheraton Resort!

After settling into our rooms and having a bit of rest, we decided to have dinner at the Sheraton’s ever popular, Spice Trader Restaurant, where we would be eating Indian and Arabic delicacies! Yum!

The ambience inside the restaurant very relaxed with low lighting and softly playing music in the background.

On this particular night, there was no ala carte food items served, only the buffet items were out tonight. That was good for us because we were all starving!

The selection of food items on the buffet line were delicious, with a mix of Indian and Arabic dishes such as; Chicken Masala, prawns cooked in chili and tumeric, tabouli salad, hummus dip and many more! There was even a kebab corner where you can assemble your own kebab with a meat selection of lamb, chicken, prawn or fish.

Their desert selection was also delectable with Arabic candies and pastries such as baklava and my favourite, Om Ali, which is an middle eastern interpretation of the bread and butter pudding, only with the addition of cornflakes, almonds and spices.
During dinner, we were pleasantly surprised to be entertained by traditional Malaysian dancers! Both the male and female dancers would perform various dances from different parts of the country and also different occasions, such as the Tarian Lilin (Candle Dance), Joget Kampung and many more.

After dinner, we walked along the pier which faces out to the sea, telling old stories of our past and reliving funny moments that we all remembered before heading home.

All and all, today was great! Having my family around, coming back to one of the most beautiful Resorts in Langkawi, and then enjoying a delicious meal with great entertainment.. What a great way to kick off my weekend with the family!

Till the next post..

Harith The Reunited Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored By Rahsia Estates Sdn Bhd & My Parents Heheheh

Island Hopping!!

2009-06-18T15:28:00.013+08:00

The weather is gorgeous today!

Fully recovered and utterly excited about the day ahead of me, I hurriedly gave the cute suit the wake up call I had promised her...

.. 10 minutes early! Hehe.

But it didn’t matter though. She was already awake and probably just as excited as I was about our island hopping adventure!

It is worth mentioning that the Island Hopping Tour is one of the more popular activities in Langkawi, and that almost every resort or motel will offer this package. Although this tour is available almost everywhere, the price of this tour package varies depending on the agent selling it – so do try to look around for the best prices. Prices will range between RM35 – RM55 (even though almost all the packages are exactly a like!)

The tour that we chose consists of touring 3 islands off the main island of Langkawi; Pulau Dayang Bunting, also known as the Isle Of The Pregnant Maiden, Pulau Singa (Lion Island) and Pulau Beras Basah (The Island Of Wet Rice).

A van picked us up from The Sunset Beach Resort around 9.35 a.m. to bring us to the jetty where we would begin our island hopping adventure. The jetty was about 10 minutes away from Pantai Cenang and was already filled with van loads of tourists by the time we got there! Designated stickers were handed out to different groups (depending on their package) and each group had to wait at certain areas of the jetty to keep order and to eliminate total chaos! Yeah, imagine being as excited as Shasha and I were… times 100 people! Yikes!

Once we were allocated to our respective speedboats, our tour guide/boatman whisked us to our first destination; Pulau Dayang Bunting. On the way there, he stopped at a certain area in the open sea, where the formations made by the mountains made it clear to me why this island is named the Island of the Pregnant Maiden. The mountain range depicted a shape of a pregnant lady, lying on her back. There is also a lake in the middle of the island where, according to local folklore, if barren woman swims in the lake and drinks the water, she would get pregnant! Well, hope that folklore only applies to girls cause I intend to swim in that lake!

Wow, now I understand why Langkawi is so mythical and legendary. As our boat slowly made its way to the shore of Pulau Dayang Bunting, a calm feeling swept through me and I felt excited and curious to explore the island.

Stepping up onto the island pier, we saw that it was very crowded (as it was a combination of a weekend AND school holidays) but that wasn’t going to stop us from visiting the famous Dayang Bunting Lake.

I must admit, even for a rugby player like myself, the hike to the lake was pretty challenging! With steep and unleveled steps, and constant up-down hill paths, it wasn’t a stroll in the park I tell ya! Especially when there are 20 other people behind you, eager to get there as well, it’s hard to stop to catch your breath! But thankfully, there are a few rest spots along the way.

After the long hike, we finally arrive at the lake! Stepping out of the beaten path and walking onto a pier where lots of people jumping into the lake, swimming, running around and obviously enjoying themselves, I felt as though I stumbled upon a lost civilization! Everyone was completely in the moment, having lots of fun. For those who were not looking to get pregnant.. whoops, on swimming I mean, paddleboats were available for rental.

Shasha and I discovered a very unique and new feature at the lake; a real cat fish spa! Yes.. I kid you not. 4 foot long, large cat fish sucking on the scum of your feet. If that doesn’t say ‘Ahhh this is the good life’ to you, I don’t know what will! Hehehe.

After dipping my feet into the ‘NO CATFISH ALLOWED’ part of the lake to cool off, and to enjoy the wonderful scenery, Shasha and I said our farewells to Dayang Bunting’s Lake and made our way back to the group’s meeting point to carry on to the second part of our tour.

My suggestion is that, if you’re keen on visiting Pulau Dayang Bunting avoid school holidays and weekends. That way, not only will you be able to take your own sweet time without having to worry about holding other tourists up, you’ll also appreciate the island more as it’d be way more intimate! But nevertheless, it was fun and definitely a place my buddies would love to go to!

A short boat ride away from Pulau Dayang Bunting is Pulau Singa. We were told that we would not be getting off our speedboat for this leg of the tour, instead, we were going to to feed eagles! Hmmm I smell a photog opportunity!

Pulau Singha which is a mangrove island, is inhabited by different species of eagles.

The last item on our agenda was a chill out session at Pulau Beras Basah!

We arrived at the island of Beras Basah around 12.25 p.m. The Sun was out, it was breezy and the tourists were out to play! There were kids making sand castles in the sand, college students playing volleyball in the water, couples walking down the beach hand in hand Shasha chasing the waves on the shore and me -- the utterly stereotypical tourist, with camera in one hand, and tour booklet in the other! Haha, I felt as thought we were on one of those cliché ‘Wish You Were Here!’ Postcards and it was great.
All and all, I think for RM40 per person, the Island Hopping Tour lived up to its expectations and money well spent.

Till the next post..

Harith The Island Hopping Beach Bum

Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd.

An evening with Datuk Azhar Mansor

2009-06-17T20:05:00.008+08:00

(From Journal)
5.23 p.m. – Shasha and I arrive at Telaga Harbour.
-- Its beautiful! And the yachts here are all so luxurious.
-- Have to go around to take photos!

The Telaga Harbour Park is a beautiful Marina and Waterfront development next to Pantai Kok. The vision and concept was mooted by our former Premier Yg Amat Berhormat Tun Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir in the late 90's. Yg Amat Berhormat Tun had a wish to promote Langkawi as a major sailing and yachting destination for the region. The entire marina and it's Waterfront development was designed to capture the romantic ambience and mood of the French Riviera!

This place was stunning! The harbour and marina was built on a natural sheltered cove, making it a safe haven for yachts, cruisers, speed boats and catamarans to drop anchor in the waters of the marina. The Telaga Harbour Waterfront is a long sprawling development where there are rows and rows of quaint 2 storey mediterranean styled shophouses facing the marina and also facing the lush forest. There is a gas station cum convenient store where the sea faring sailor a.k.a owner or crew of a luxurious yacht or 200 feet cruiser can get their necessary supplies, top up on gas and even use the wi-fi internet service whilst having a cuppa. There is even a fast food joint on the 1st floor which also happens to be my favourite one - Kentucky Fried Chicken! At the corner of this huge development and by the road is a lovely little mosque often used for prayers by locals, middle eastern tourist and some owners of the yachts and cruisers moored at the Harbour. We hear even foreign tourists stop to visit this mosque.

Whilst taking photos of the marina harbour and especially the Waterfront- I was reminded of my holidays with my family in Singapore where we would visit the Boat Quey and Clark Quey to dine Al Fresco at their many many exciting restaurants . At Telaga Harbour's waterfront, though not as busy as it's Singapore counterpart, there are also really interesting restaurants. There is seafood steamboat from the corner lot Chinese seafood restaurant, A Russian restaurant (I love there Russian decor!) and even an Italian Bar & Restaurant. Also located at a quiet quaint part of the harbour is Tun Mahathir’s famous Japanese-franchise bakery, The Loaf..

For those who may not know, Datuk Azhar Mansor is the first Malaysian to sail around the world on a solo voyage. in 1999, it took Datuk Azhar 104 days to complete his voyage across the continents in the sailboat, The Jalur Gemilang. Datuk Azhar has managed to set a new world record which has been verified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council as an official world record. Datuk Azhar is one of the few people in the world to circumnavigate the globe singlehanded non-stop, and is the only person from an Asian nation apart from Japan to do so. Fewer than 150 people have managed his feat, and he has earned the maritime world's respect and put Malaysia on the marine map. He is known as a hero and inspiration to the youth of Malaysia.

Our appointment with Datuk was at 6.30 p.m. and it was now 5.40 p.m. So many things were going through my mind, like ‘what if Datuk didn't like us onsight because we seem young inexperienced and not as savvy as the many hundred reporters who have interviewed him before?? What if midquestion, I freeze and forget the question? or maybe after half an hour, our conversation goes stale and an odd silence descends upon us? Worse still ‘what if Datuk Azhar finds us utterly boring?! 'Now I really wish Ihad worn a shirt instead of my usual rugby polo tee shirt’ Sigh. . too late now !

We were early. And I was dead nervous.

As the Sun slowly faded away, we discussed what we would talk about with Datuk Azhar, making sure we covered all the bases. His life, his adventures sailing around the world and even making sure all our information on Rahsia Estates was correct. The size of the development, the amount of cabana villas, where it was located and all that jazz! The last thing we wanted to do was to look silly in front of Datuk.

It was now 6.28 p.m. With the Sun now steadily setting behind theMachinchang Mountains in the backdrop, we received a call from Datuk Azhar requesting us to meet him at the Italian Restaurant, The Mare Blu, which was located next to The Loaf. Once we had arrived at the restaurant, we anxiously looked around in search of Datuk.

To be honest, I became suddenly so nervous and feared I would not recognize Datuk Azhar in person! I had read many articles about him and have knowledge about his successes and even know that he is the Managing Director of Telaga Harbour, and although I have seen pictures of Datuk in the papers, I feared I would walk pass him and that he would be so offended by me that he would call off the interview. Yes, I was so nervous that my imagination was running riot ! I think Shasha's rare silence was a sign she was equally as nervous as I was.

As we walked onto the deck of the restaurant, overlooking the harbour, we saw a pleasant looking man sitting by himself. Dressed in a short sleeve button down shirt, jeans and flip flops, sitting in a most relaxed manner sipping his water, simply staring out onto the horizon and enjoying the sunset! As he sat there gazing out to the sea, unperturbed by noises around him, he looked as if he were in a theater watching and listening to classical music performed by an orchestra or an art enthusiast in a museum studying a Monet original. He was simply absorbing the ambience of his surrounding . Not fretting about time nor fidgeting with his phone (unlike us impatient city folk!) He was just sitting there.. being in that moment..

..Yeah, I had a feeling this was THE man! We walked up to meet this man and he gave us the warmest of smiles and our nervousness melted away.

After the formalities of introducting ourselves and some ice breaking small talk, our conversation turned on the The Telaga Harbour. Datuk Azhar explained to us that unlike The Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, Telaga Harbour is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains and villages nearby. This location gave Telaga Harbour an intimate feel and it's very own unique character.

Datuk goes on to say..

“In Langkawi, there are no such things as competitors. Everything compliments one another. All hotels, restaurants and even ports have different feels and different atmospheres. For example, when a couple dines at an Italian restaurant in the city, its lively and exciting, and the next time they may feel like having Italian food in a more relaxing atmosphere, then they’ll eat at the Italian restaurant by the harbour! All people have wants, and their wants are always changing, having selection and balance is a good thing.”

We then spoke of tourism in Langkawi. He stressed on how Langkawi is a‘quality’ holiday destination. Even though Bali is still a top class holiday destination, with year round booming tourism industry, there is still the distant memory of the tragedies which occurred in Kuta and Jambaran Beach. Hence, casting a slight paranoia for some, when deciding to holiday in Bali. Langkawi, on the other hand has the advantage of being untainted by any major natural disasters or tragedies.

And recently, Langkawi Island was officially declared the 1st Geo Park in South East Asia (52nd in the World) listed under UNESCO . Hence, Eco-tourism boomed in a big way in Langkawi! Gone are the days when a holiday in Langkawi meant picnics by the seaside, banana boat rides in the sea and duty free shopping shopping and more shopping . The local tour operators have now reinvented themselves and added many more exciting tour packages which include more educational and well informed tours of the many Islands around Langkawi, visits to the many natural Mangroove sites by land or sea, tracking in 50 million year old jungles, exploring lime stone and granite caves, tours by bus to Historical and Legendary sites and for the laidback tourist, Island picnics, where freshly caught fish and crabs caught from the Adaman sea, are cooked in front of the tourists and they can than enjoy al fresco dining on the beach and soak in the natural surroundings of the enchanting island.

“Langkawi really is a quality destination. We have so many hidden treasures and beautiful places and it shouldn’t be outshined by the material aspects of this island! The problem is that, especially with the locals, the idea of holidaying in Langkawi is always followed by ‘shopping’ or ‘duty free’. This shouldn’t be the case! Langkawi Island should be an ideal funand facinating place for all ages in the family.

What I mean by distractions are the outside factors that will affect a ‘family’ holiday! For example, when a family goes on holiday to Singapore or Bali, the kids will want to shop, and then the parents will want to sleep by the beach... or vice versa! Yes, we have beaches here and shopping, but we also have marine parks where there is so much sea life. We also have mangrove tours and jungle trekking! These are the kind of activities that will bring families closer together, making it one unified holiday. Not individual holidays bunched up to make one holiday!”

I could tell Datuk Azhar had a huge passion for this harbour and for the island. Apart from managing the Telaga Harbour, his side project, or 'baby' is his boat yard, where he puts boats together and then sells them. He also runs a cruise out to the Thai island of Koh Lipe directly from Telaga Harbour.

Yes, to him this was really home. Although his family is in Kuala Lumpur, he visits them often and they will also come down to Langkawi to unwind. But when speaking about life in Kuala Lumpur, he cringed and told us how he could not stand the traffic jams, and the fast paced lifestyle. He elaborated that to him, living in Kuala Lumpur makes it hard for people to really think and to really appreciate themselves.

Sensing that our conversation was heading to a more comfortable, and intellectual depth I asked Datuk to elaborate...

“In K.L., everything is happening at 100 miles per hour. You do not have time to breath, time to think and time to appreciate life... Cause you’ll be too busy being stuck in a traffic jam!

You see, over here, there is no such thing as ‘time management’. There is no rush, and it is not hectic. Time will pass as you move along with it. And only then will you have the time to breath, time to think and time to appreciate life.

I will sit here by myself, and just stare at the sky and wait for the Moon to go over the mountains. Even thought I really enjoy this, it’s not for everyone! When I tell people of how I like to sit by myself and just enjoy my surroundings, they will say to me ‘Gile la Azhar!’ haha but you see I believe that when you are truly confident in yourself, you can do whatever you like without second guessing yourself.”

He then spoke of individuality. Datuk Azhar is a strong believer of one's sense of individuality. He said that when one is truly an individual, he or she will have the power and confidence to control their future.

“There is that saying that there is no ‘I’ in team. But I don’t think that is necessarily true. I believe that a real team is a group of strong individuals put together with one common mission or goal.

It is about leading by example.

A friend of mine, who manages a team of 50 employees once came to me and told me that managing all these people was such hard work. And then I told him, ‘It is impossible to manage 50 people, but what you can do is reflect your capabilities on to them and lead by example.”

As Datuk Azhar, Shasha and I sat at that table at which by this time was full of little finger foods and drinks, in conversation which started off with business, then subtly moved on to his stories and now a full on discussion about life’s philosophies, I had realised that it was already 10.30 p.m.! The time must have completely passed us by without us noticing at all. I must admit, at the start of the day, my stomach was in knots and my head was scattered as Shasha and I continually psyched ourselves out by being utterly intimidated by this man. But by the end of the night, I can whole heartedly say that Shasha and I were pleasantly surprised and got a lot more than we bargained for from this meeting!

Wow. Shasha and I were in total captivation by this man. His theories and philosophies on life, the way he turned his theories into stories, making it more sensible than it already was. We could see that Datuk Azhar was definitely a man with many layers. Maybe it was journey around the world in seclusion, or maybe its just the magical island air, but whatever it is that makes Datuk Azhar the individual that he is..I sure want some of that!

Till the next post...

Harith The Inspired Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd & A gracious thank you to Datuk Azhar Mansor for his time.

The Apam Adventures @ Saturday Night Market

2009-06-13T21:46:00.002+08:00

Whoa what a week! Shasha came to visit; we got to experience 5 star accommodation , we interviewed and got into the mind of the brilliant Datuk Azhar, met up with Shasha’s mom and had a few interesting encounters along the way…

.. I need a vacation within a vacation! Phew.

Since Shasha’s left and my schedual was a tad looser over the next few days, I decided to have a break and just bum out for the day. Apart from the short walks to and from the mini market (to stock up on water and some miscellaneous goods), I just watched movies in my room, and when the Sun was slightly dimmer, armed with my trusty iPod, chilled out by Sunset Resort’s private beach, and just drifted in and out of consciousness to the smooth sounds of Feist.

By 7.15 p.m. I was already starting get a little restless, and was really, really craving Apam Balik (a Malaysian equivalent of waffles with peanut and corn filling. YUM!) So I decided to walk around the streets of Cenang in search of my ever elusive Apam, only resulting in disappointment as there wasn’t a single café, restaurant or roadside stall that sold it. But before losing all hope, I remembered a cab driver once telling me that there is a weekly night market held every Wednesday and Saturday night over at Pekan Kuah, (where I first started my journey) and I had a BIG feeling they would have just what I was looking for.

The atmosphere at the night market was intense! There were fruit vendors screaming out their best prices on fresh dragon fruit and mangosteen, huge cues of people waiting in line to buy their favourite Malaysian dish to eat and of course the locals and tourists all merged into a sea of people, all at one place for the same particular reason, to shop!

The Pasar Malam Kuah, located on a long, straight strip of road, directly opposite of The Langkawi Baron Hotel in Pekan Kuah, had all sorts of stalls; The drink stalls, which had 5 or 6 different kind of drinks to choose from, the fruit stalls which had an impressive spread of fruits, from apples, to jackfruit and even lychee! There was also the Ayam Percik (Grilled Chicken) stall, where they would grill whole, halved or portioned marinated chickens over an open flame! If I were to list down every stall I saw at that night market, this blog’d be 3 pages long

A few metres ahead of the entrance was a stall that definitely caught my eye, it was a stall selling pulut durian. Pulut durian is a classic Malaysian snack, which has very strong Thai influences. It is basically sticky rice, served with a few durian segments and is eaten with sweetened coconut cream gravy. Mmmm… I HAD to get that!

Re-focusing on the mission at hand, which was looking for my Apam Balik, I continued walking around the night, taking a few photos of the more unique stalls, and bothering the locals with silly questions like ‘what’s in that soup?’ and ‘what is that? Does it taste good?’ Haha. There was never a doubt in my mind that the locals were a friendly bunch of people! Some answering my questions and further elaborating on its history or how it should be eaten. Some even offering to buy me some to try out. I felt like a ‘real’ tourist, even though I’m 100% Malaysian! I instantly remembered what Datuk Rahman told me...

"The locals can instantly single out the tourists from the islanders! Just through a glance of what you are wearing or how you speak, they can automatically differentiate you from the locals! And to them, even if you’re from another part of Malaysia, you’re just as much of a tourist as the guy from England!"

.. And with that in mind, I continued my quest for the Apam Balik. (GEEZ, now it’s starting to sound like an addition to the Lord of the Rings series!)

While taking photos of a curiously shaped kuih, which apparently can only be found in Langkawi (Unfortunately I can’t remember what it was called) I suddenly smelt something familiar. I smelt batter, peanuts and a hint of clarified butter… IT WAS THE APAM BALIK!

Three stalls away from the kuih stall, was a brightly lit canopy with a bunch of people hanging around it. Once I got right to the front of the stall, there was a friendly man who was taking orders while his wife filled the customized waffle maker with batter to make the base of the Apam Balik. It smelt so good. It was soft, ultra buttery and had a generous helping of peanuts stuffed in it. Yum, hands down the best Apam Balik I’ve ever had!

After making it to the end of the night market, I took a few more pictures, bought a little more food to bring home, and then went on my way, completely satisfied and horribly excited as I’ve found ONE of the many little ‘rahsia’ or secrets on this Mystical Island.

Till the next post..
Harith The Apam-Crazed Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd

Boats & Sunsets

2009-06-10T23:45:00.006+08:00

9.32 a.m. – Shasha and I have just finished packing and met at the lobby to check out of the Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort. After thanking Puan Rosidah for her gracious hospitality and also the hotel hospitality directors for kindly accommodating us the last few days, Shasha and I called a cab and headed straight to Sunset Beach Resort at Pantai Cenang, where we would be staying for the next couple of days.

The Sunset Beach Resort is a cosy little resort right on Pantai Cenang Road. It has a somewhat ‘backpackers’ feel to it, due to its casualness and budget like accommodation. Once stepping into the Sunset Beach Resort, I felt as though I was staying at a hippy community village! It was quaint, cosy and very comfortable. I was surprised to find that my room was very decent. It may not have a huge plasma TV or a bathtub, but for RM196 per night, it was clean comfortable and pretty hip!

Room inspected, and settled in, Shasha and I rushed to the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, which is located in the main town of Kuah, just a 2 minute drive from Jetty Point, where we had an appointment with their Executive Director, Mr Wicky Sundram for lunch. Once we got to the club, Shasha was thoroughly impressed by the aesthetics for the club itself. It was a gorgeous building. With a rising roof, which looks similar to the shape of the ship’s hull, stonewalls protecting and enhancing the beauty of the structure and a veranda with beautiful finishing. The Langkawi Yacht Club just oozed beauty and class.

After being greeted by a friendly receptionist, we were directed down to the club café, Charlie’s Place. This café was located at a prime spot; on the pier, overlooking the beautiful marina full of luxury yachts and timeless sailboats. A few minutes after being seated, Mr Wicky and his colleague Mr Rahman Mahani, The Senior Manager, joined us at our table and we begun our casual interview.
The Langkawi Yacht club is one of the forerunner sailing clubs responsible for the rejuvenation of the sailing sports and industry in Langkawi. Since its opening in 1996, the club has grown in tandem with the Island’s development, and now has one of the best facilities for yachts, sails boats and catamarans in the region! We are told that the Langkawi Yacht club has berthing capacity of 200 berths in the water, 8 of which can take super sized cruisers that go up to 150 feet, 24 hour security patrol and even a wireless internet network which covers the entire marina, so that internet can still be used while the boats are docked there.

Mr Sundram went on to speak about the care they put into their boats..

“We used to have a very big problem with the ferries coming into and out of the harbour. There are designated areas where the ferries need to slow down, but because they have to reach a certain quota, they ignore this rule. Now, when the ferries speed close to the marina, the waves that come through will rock the boats on the marina and may cause damage to the boats.

To put a stop to this, we have constructed a sea wall that takes the impact of the waves, decreasing the affects towards the boats berthed here.”

Apart from the marina the Yacht club also houses 2 restaurants, Charlie’s Place and also the Captain’s Deck Bar & Grill on the second floor, all overlooking the sea and famous Pulau Dayang Bunting. These restaurants have been popular dining spots on the island, and their catering team is also capable of managing functions, themed parties and private island catering as well.

After speaking about topics such as the history of the club, and even a proposed plan on making a hotel on the empty lot of land opposite the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, Mr. Rahman suggested we take a tour of the Yacht Club.

After the tour, we sat back down at our table and had lunch at the Charlie’s Place Deck Bar & Grill. Coincidentally, all of us decided to order the Ceasar’s Salad (Ruining my chances to pick on what Shasha was going to order. Darn it!) The salad was presented in a Nuevo-esque style, and tasted absolutely delicious! There is definitely no lack of quality in the food area at the Yacht Club! Over lunch, Mr. Wicky elaborated on how The Royal Langkawi Yacht Club do not base their club on a ‘members only’ policy as it will not help tourism and also, having a club as beautiful as it is, why restrict it to a select few! After having a after lunch coffee, we thanked Mr Wicky and Mr Rahman for their kind hospitality and bid them adieu.

It was a fascinating day for us at the Langkawi Yacht Club as we were treated to great architecture, classy ambience and par excellent food ! Kudos and many thanks to Yg Mulia Tunku Datuk Yaacob Tunku Abdullah of the Melewar Group Berhad and the management of the Langkawi Yacht Club for their hospitality and for their valuable contribution to the sailing community on this Legendary Island of Langkawi !

We decided to head back to our hotel to take the rest of the day easy.

(From Journal)
6.20 p.m. – Shasha’s just returned from the spa down the road and I’ve just finished the draft of blog. We’re hungry. Going to walk down Cenang to find food. Mmmm food.

Shasha and I decided to walk down the Cenang beach to find a place to eat. With us, it would take ages to decide on a place to eat, NOT cause we were both picky eaters, but because we both were easy eaters! So, as Shasha and a grouchy-due-to-hunger version of me walk down Cenang, telling each other random stories, we make it to the middle of the beach just in time for Sunset. It was a beautiful sight. The children running around in the sand, couples in each other’s arms, even locals trying to offer us cheap island hopping packages…

… But for 2 minutes, while the children were running, and the couples were in each other’s arms and the locals were offering us packages everything went into slow motion. Even though I was still in the middle of conversation with Shasha, my mind was glued to the image of that beach at that particular time.

The sky was in a battle of colour; the Sun’s orange tinge entangled with the cooling soft purple of the soon-to-be dark sky, caused a soft, yellow equilibrium right in the middle of the heavens. The silhouette of the mountains and reflection of the islands in the ocean made it look as if the sea and land were in matrimony, making one true entity.

Sigh..
… Alright enough sappy stuff!

After getting off the beach and onto the streets of Cenang, the cute suite and I decided to dine at the 1st restaurant we laid eyes on!.. “Café Italiano Cenang – serving Arabic food, Western food & Indian Food” Uh-huh yeah, you know your spaghetti isn’t going to taste like it’s fresh out of Sicily when your Italian themed restaurant of choice advertises food from every other continent except Italy!

Two blocks down the Café Italiano Cenang was a small quite restaurant with only a few patrons. We didn’t know how good the food would taste, or even if they were open! But I guess we had a gut feeling about this place.

Chicken cooked in garlic. Kangkong Belacan. Garoupa cooked in Soy Sauce. Omelette for two. Yum.

After dinner, Shasha and I took a slow walk down Cenang Road to check out the shops and nightlife there. Many of the shops only open after 7 p.m. The same goes for the pubs and lounges around this area too. Everything and everyone was so alive! the lights were flashing and the people were buzzing around. The hustle and bustle down Cenang Road was even reminiscent of Phuket's Patong Beach!

(From Journal)

10.56 p.m. -- Just got back from dinner and a walk through Pantai Cenang. So busy and lively! Must bring Nadia and crew here!

-- It's getting late and we have a long day of Island hopping ahead of us. Lights out!

Till the next post..

Harith The Konked Out Beach Bum

Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd. and a Special Thanks to The Royal Langkawi Yacht Club

The Suit & I @ The Sheraton Beach Resort Langkawi - Day 2

2009-06-10T16:21:00.000+08:00

The difficulties of my second day at the Sheraton resort started very early today as it begun with me struggling to get out of bed! A combination of laying between the soft, luxurious layers of bed linen and in the comfy signature Sweet Sleeper bed (which Sheraton is famous for, I hear) and the calm and tranquil surroundings , made it almost impossible for me to start my day.

But with a quick stretch and a glance out the window and sea beyond, I was up and ready to start my day. And besides, there was no way I was going to miss out on the resort's legendary breakfast buffet spread!

Shasha and I decided to walk to the Feast Restaurant instead of taking buggy, to enjoy the greenery and its natural beauty and at the same time build up an appetite for what awaits us at the Feast. Once the equally “famished” Shasha and I arrived at Feast Restaurant, I was astonished to find that the place was filled with so many different faces from all over the world. From the animated Saudi Arabian family of 7, laughing over the breakfast table while their little ones ran about on the outdoor terrace, to the sun-dried Dutch honeymooners, locked in a dreamy gaze, feeding each other fresh fruit from the buffet table to us, the travel blogger and the Cute Suit. The ambience was bursting with holiday joy and excitement. The mood was indeed infectious.

Beef bacon, Japanese soba noodles, nasi lemak, hummus, pancakes, 10 types of breads were amongst the many breakfast fare offered to the Sheraton guests. There was such an amazing spread and variety of international breakfast to choose from that I didn't know where to start! After finally filling up my plate with a selection of different dishes and seeing Shasha doing the same, we nestled ourselves down on the Feast outdoor terrace and dug into our 'feast' (excuse the pun)

We were then joined by the Director of Food & Beverage, En. Nazar Rosly, to chat with us about his Pride and Joy – The Feast Coffeehouse and The Chime. Over breakfast, En.Nazar enlightened us on the food and beverage industry in Langkawi and told us that The Chime is now the latest hotspot in Langkawi ! Yuhoo! we were in the right place at the right time ! With a resident DJ, different theme nights and a 7 piece live band, Chime Night Spot caters to party animals who can bust a move on the dance floor, business travelers wanting to wind down after a long day of wheeling and dealing and music lovers who could sing along to current hits and hit classics performed by Chime's resident live band. Don’t know about The Cute Suit but I was already planning to chill out at Chimes after our interview with Datuk Azhar Mansor this evening!

Towards the end of our breakfast and feeling totally energized by the consumption of good rich food, we were joined by Puan Rosidah, who graciously offered to give us a personal tour of the resort on a private golf buggy!

We started our tour visiting the different suites and chalets within the resort. The Superior sea view rooms were similar to our rooms, with timber floors and of contemporary Malaysian interior design. The soothing aesthetics of the suites blended in effortlessly with the natural surroundings and the sea which can be enjoyed from a large balcony. The bathrooms are very sexy whereby one can choose to soak in the bath tub whilst watching the many cable channels on the flat screen plasma tv in the bedroom thru a shuttered opening! The Partial Sea View rooms similar to the sea view rooms have an absolutely exquisite view of the Andaman Sea! The Garden View rooms are just as comfortable and well decorated as the Sea view suites only difference is that the balcony looks out onto the lush forest of the resort and on occasion, monkeys swinging from the trees!

Our last stop of the Sheraton room tour was the chalets, which had extra large verandas with outdoor dining area for 4 and a comfy daybed for lazing and gazing out to the sea. The chalets had direct access to a sandy beach overlooking the sea. I could easily imagine how it would be like having my own little house by the sea, being in one of the chalets. Sigh..
Suddenly, I thought about my mum, an avid traveler, who scrutinizes hotel rooms with such zeal and concluded that she would approve of the interior design of the rooms and the extras available to guests like the coffee maker with the many variety of coffee and tea sachets, the well stocked mini bar, free bottles of mineral water topped up daily and the local and international leisure and travel magazines laid neatly on the coffee table for easy reading.

After the brief tour of the hotel and chalet suites, Puan Rosidah brought us to the Chawan Spa; the Balinese Spa located in a quiet and secluded part of the resort. After a brief tour of the Spa reception area (which smelt so good from the exotic aromatherapy oils) we were taken to one of the many spa suites where, we are told, a variety of spa treatments are made available for the individual guest or for the honeymooning couple. From the outside, the spa looked just like any other chalets in the Resort, but the interior was completely different! The Spa Suite oozed with sensuality and tranquility with its mood lighting and enticing decor. After literally “prying” Shasha off from the Spa doors, Puan Rosidah kindly drove us back to the hotel lobby, concluding our insightful and enlightening tour of the Sheraton property.

That night, after an interesting encounter with Datuk Azhar Mansor (which is a totally different story all together!) I decided to pay my long awaited visit to Chime night spot, where on this particular night, the theme was Sinful Pleasures. The atmosphere inside Chime was chilled and very laidback. The crowd was just starting to pick up as it was still relatively early, but with the DJ spinning some eletric Hip Hop tunes, and the 7 piece band performing later on, I'm sure Chime would be packed to the brim night in, night out!

By the time the crowd picked up, I was already out the door and making my way back to my hotel room to recharge from the long day.

All and all my visit to the Sheraton Beach Resort Langkawi has been eventful and highly appreciated, really. Kudos to the Sheraton Resort and many thanks to Puan Rosidah and the Sheraton Hospitality folks for making Shasha and I feel like their most cherished guests! It is rare to find the 'human touch' in the hotel industry nowadays, but with The Sheraton Beach Resort Langkawi, it definitely feels like my home away from home.

Going to take a day off blogging to catch up with myself and get my thoughts and creativity back into my system. Will be back with an update of my adventures like my interview with Datuk Azhar Mansor, the first man to sail around the world in 114 days, and island hopping with the cute suite! But till then..

Harith The Hectic Beach Bum

Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd. & The Sheraton Beach Resort, Langkawi

The Suit & I @ The Sheraton Beach Resort Langkawi - Day 1

2009-06-09T16:58:00.025+08:00

10.21 a.m -- Currently at The Airport Starbucks, awaiting 'the cute suit' to arrive from Kuala Lumpur to pay me a visit or rather check on me. Elisa (Shasha for short) is the head of Sales & Marketing for Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd. and is down from KL to the Island of Langkawi to meet some of the prominent folks of the Island with me. Some to mention include Mr Wicky Sundram Executve Director of the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club and Datuk Azhar Mansor, the first Malaysian to sail solo around the world. The Cute Suit plans to also do some research on Rahsia Estates competitors and reki other resort developments on this Island. Coincidentally, the day she arrives is also the same day I check into my new temporary residence on this mystical island.

The Sheraton Beach Resort Langkawi has generously invited us to stay 2 nights at their resort free of charge! And in exchange I will do a complete blog article on their entire resort and its facilities.

Phew, after getting Shasha out of the airport and into the taxi, we made our way to the Sheraton Beach Resort Langkawi. On to way to our destination, we chatted about how my trip has been so far and Shasha's agonizing flight into Langkawi. (Sound familiar?) She also passed me a package from my little sister; a batch of home made cookies, which were absolutely delicious! Thanks sis..!

We arrived at Sheraton’s security check point and entered into a lush, green forest like paradise! The entrance porch of the hotel was stunning and as we got out of our taxi, we were greeted by their cheerful bell boys and charming hospitality host. They welcomed us with warm smiles and genuine warmth. That took a lot of our stress and tiredness away from us. We could exhale and relax.

Once inside the main lobby, the receptionist showed us to the luxurious and comfortable lobby lounge. The plush sofa seats and arm chairs were a pleasure to look at and to sink in. The softly playing elevator music in the background almost lulled us to doze off! We met with the head of sales and marketing of the Sheraton, Puan Norsidah who was a soft spoken and very welcoming lady. She introduced herself formally and spoke to us about Sheraton's 'Back To The Community' program.

This program basically “gives back” to the Langkawi community youth by inviting youths of the island to join Sheraton’s community program and take part in team building exercises and also when completing the programme, will be given jobs at the hotel, such as being a waiter bellboy or front desk staff.

"With this program, we hope to give back to the community, by giving the native youth of Langkawi the opportunity to learn and experience working in the hotel industry, it may not be a glamarous job but it definitely will put these kids on the right track!"

Puan Norsida then went on to explain to us how The Sheraton Resort have an open policy in terms of hiring staff whereby no one is discriminated from a chance at getting a job at the hotel as long as they have the right credentials , training and attitude. Puan Norshida mentioned how one of their bell boys is a “little person” but his size did not matter to the Sheraton. He always takes his job seriously and does not let his size affect his job quality

After getting acquainted with her, and also collecting our room keys, we then hopped onto our buggy, and was then driven to our respective rooms (which luckily for us, were side by side!) Once at the room, I was stunned by the room size and layout. The room was spacious and very comfortable. The smell of aromatherapy oils and the faint sound of the sea at my balcony made me feel completely at ease and relaxed!

After settling into my room and taking some photos, I met up with Shasha to explore the hotel. We started from the lobby where we checked out their comfortable business centre called 'Link' equipped with free wi-fi and up to date computers. We then made our way to their spacious and contemporary style all day restaurant called Feast. This restaurant offers Ala carte dining, international buffets, interactive cooking stations and a beautiful garden view, making eating at this restaurant not only a pleasure for ones palate but also for ones eyes.

We made our way down the stairs from the Feast Restaurant to their nightspot fun pub F&B out-let called Chime. Known as THE place to be when the sun goes down, whether it's chilling out at the sexy outdoor ( under the stars ) cabana or dancing inside to the music spun by their resident DJ, Chime was a really awesome place. I was already planning in my head to go back to The Chimes when it opened in the evening! Perhaps, I may invite Shasha to come along with me.

A short walk off Chime, onto their outdoor timber boardwalk, we came upon the infinity pool canopied by huge leafy trees. Quite a sight to behold! The pool area was divided into a smaller children's pool and in the main pool was a bar! Drink while you swim! How cool is that!!

By the poolside, there was a man making batik art on the spot! He was very friendly and even offered to let us try our hand at batik making. But both Shasha and I declined as we didn’t want to embarrass ourselves and ruin his master pieces so we moved on to Sheraton’s private beach cove. Because The Sheraton supports the island's eco friendly status, they did not destroy the natural rock formations on the beach and instead created a fascinating beach cove with sandy nooks and crannies for the guests to explore and enjoy also giving the beach a more natural and untouched look!

400 metres, 3 bottles of water and 2 tired tourists later, we were sticky, exhausted and had achey feet.. but it was all worth it to check out the hotel surroundings! We decided to wait for a buggy (which come by the main entrance to pick up passengers regularly) and headed back to our respective rooms to rest up for an international buffet dinner with the executive assistant manager.

After a refreshing nap and armed with a worked up appetite, Shasha and I made our way to the Feast Restaurant for a casual dinner with Mr Kumar, the Executive Assistant Manager. Once seated at the restaurant, we were greeted by the very friendly Mr Kumar who took us around the restaurant, where the buffet was showcased and then sat us down for dinner! The spread at the international buffet was huge! From asian delights such as chicken rendang and mongolian style barbeque, to their signature succulent roast lamb and paprika potatoes. Yum! I've dined at a few hotel buffets but this one was definitely worth remembering. I could tell that the chef and sous chef took so much pride in their creations, walking around the buffet tables making sure all the trays were replinished and serving their barbequed meats with the biggest smiles, making us feel comfortable about eating at their restaurant.

Stuffed to the brim, and now in need of some deep hibernation before tomorrow's packed schedual, we thanked Mr Kumar for the memorable meal and went our seperate ways. But before heading back to our rooms, we decided to check out the other restaurants in the hotel grounds, which include The Spice Trader, an Arabian and Indian themed restaurant which overlooks the Andaman Sea, and The Captain's Grill which is located on a pier so close to the ocean you can feel sea breeze gently caress your face while enjoying the best seafood the island has to offer.

It is now12.32 a.m, Shasha is in her room, completely knackered from her long day, and I'm fully satisfied with my entire day. It has been very tiring.. but to get to sleep on a bed THIS comfortable, definitely well worth it. Going to reenergize as tomorrow I will be exploring the rest of the hotel including the different rooms and their Spa! Woooh. But till then..

Harith The Cosy Beach Bum

Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd. & The Sheraton Resort Langkawi

A Day With An Artist..

2009-06-07T19:02:00.007+08:00

I was woken up at around 6.04 a.m this morning to the sound of my phone ring. It was Rina calling to wish me good luck on the interview today. Not being able to fall back to sleep due to utter restlessness, I put The Shins - Phantom Limb on repeat on the iPod and decided to go for a walk around the hotel. On my walk, I thought about life, about how far I've come in life and about whether I've made the right decisions so far and if I've wasted too much time in my life. Instantly, Kahlil Gibran's verses from his book 'The Prophet' popped into my mind..

"And is not time even as love is, undivided and paceless?
But if you think you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all the other seasons,
And let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing"

.. One of my favourite verses in his book, and what I suppose he was trying to say is that we have to cherish whatever time we have, and regardless of the decisions made in the past, we are where we are now, and all we can do is embrace that and continue life making the right decisions starting from NOW.

After calming my nerves and having another melancholy breakfast of buffet baked beans and toast, I got ready and proceeded to make my way to Dato' Rahman's house, which was in an area just off the highway heading to Padang Matsirat. A quaint village by the name of Kampung Chandek Kura.

With a geographically savvy taxi driver and brilliant direction giving by Dato', I eventually arrived at his residence, ready to finally meet him and his lovely wife in person. Once inside the residence, I walked up onto the front porch and was greeted by the gentle couple seated on their front lawn with the warmest smiles and most gentle greeting.

After the salams' and warm embraces, Dato', his wife and I sat on his porch, in front of a beautiful Koi pond and started the interview. We reminisced on the last time he saw me, and whether I still remembered them visiting my Grandfather, and my Grandad telling Dato' that I was the only grandchild he let jump on his bed and climb all over him. Haha. The longer I spoke to him, the more comfortable I got. He reminded me so much of my Grandfather. His warmth, manerisms, and even the way he playfully teased his wife!

We then entered the topic of his life as an ambassador for our country. Dato' Rahman served 33 years as an international ambassador, working in various parts of the world, moving around with his family by his side, moving to different countries every 3 years. He has lived in Australia, Beijing, South Korea, Thailand and even Egypt (Twice!) and after his long run working for the Government, he had decided to retire after his posting in Egypt. By this time, his children were already adults and Dato' Rahman longed for the slow paced, relaxed lifestyle. And Langkawi was the first place he had in mind!

"There is a time in ones life, where priorities shift. At your age, it's all about making a name for yourself, making money and starting an independent life. But when you come to my age, you want to take life slower, and just relax a bit more"

Our conversation then shifted to his ever growing talent and love for art. He told me his interest in the paint brush developed in his school days, and from then on it just carried on. Dato' Rahman is one of the elite artists in Malaysia, in the same ranks as the talented Raja Idris and Latif Maulan. In the middle of Dato' telling me a story about his younger days, his wife, Datin Adora excitedly brought me into their living room, where the couple's captivating collection of art (both Dato's and other artist's) were displayed all over their walls. What instantly caught my eye was a beautiful canvas piece of Gunung Mat Chincang displayed on the right corner of his room. I could tell that the, modest artist was exceptionally proud of this piece, explaining that it wasn't actually finished yet, hence the lack of his stamp on the corner of the canvas. I insisted there was nothing more to finish as the piece was beautiful as it looked! (I ain't no Picasso but was pretty sure about this!) He then directed me to one of his Islamic pieces, the Ayat Al-Qursi, designed in a circular form, coated in beautiful green, yellow and royal blue navy acrylic paint. This too was an stamped unfinished piece, and again I insisted it was as good as completed.

After showing off her husband's artwork, Datin Adora had to be excused to open shop and was in a hurry.

When Dato' Rahman and his wife settled onto the island in 1997, they spent the next 12 years owning and running an antique shop at The Langkawi Fair Shopping Centre, selling a variety of items from scarfs to cannons (yes, Captain Hook-esque cannons!), and of course Dato' Rahman's artwork and prints.

Our focus moved on to the Langkawi lifestyle and how the couple had adapted from the constant fast paced city living, to a slow, more predictable island lifestyle. He explained that when he was posted to the different countries, his life was centred around the high society and a certain 'materialsitc' lifestyle. But once he moved to Langkawi, and after taking a long time to gain the trust of the locals, he was completely embraced by all walks of life in Langkawi. He explained that "once living here (Langkawi), we need to bring ourselves to a level where we can understand, and be understood by people in every level of hierarchy". He explained that he made it a point to respect the fisherman just as much as he would, the british millionaire who lives on his yacht. To him, because of his vast amount of experience of embracing different cultures and people, judging a book by it's cover should never be done.

Before we knew it, covering topics such as the low crime rate in Langkawi, and the influx of expatriate living in the community, it was already 1.12 p.m and we decided it was time for lunch! We headed to one of Dato's favourite spots to eat, a thai restaurant called The Wan Thai Restaurant. But before leaving, Dato' Rahman kindly allowed me to take a few more photos of his stunning art collection and DIY garden.

At the restaurant, Dato', being the expert on what was good at this joint, he picked out his top 4 most favourited dishes; Thai green curry, mango and cashewnut salad, vegetables cooked in oyster sauce and my personaly favourite, the seafood otak-otak (a steamed mixture of fish, coconut cream and spices). The entire meal was delicious and his stories of adventure, comedy and perseverance during his career completely wrapped the meal up to make it a fine dining experience!

After lunch, Dato' Rahman brought me to his shop, The Manora Gallery, at The Langkawi Fair Shopping Centre. His shop was large and a tad cluttered, but there was a difinite rusticity and calmness about it. Sitting at the cashier, reading her newspaper was Datin Adora, delighted that we were able to join her at the shop. It was very clear that the establishment was her pride and joy, and when asked whether she would miss the shop once she moves back to Kuala Lumpur, she told me she wouldn't have time to miss the shop as she would be too busy with her 8 grandchildren!

Not wanting to take up all of their Sunday, I took a few more photos, thanked them graciously, indulged in one last story from the constantly cheery couple and went on my way.

8.53 p.m -- 3 glasses of milk and an entire Arctic Monkeys album later, I've finally finished my first interview blog of the trip. Today was definitely one of the most memorable days on this trip yet! Everything about today was great. Not only the interview, but the food we ate, stories he told, the advice he gave me and the bond we had created were all highlights of the day. The respect and utter appreciation I have for this man is insurmountable. Maybe it was his warm and sincere energy that made me appreciate his company..

... and maybe it was also that for those couple of hours, I felt as thought I was back on my grandad's bed, jumping around and climbing all over him again. I felt connected to my Grandfather through him. Making me miss him a little less.

Till the next post.

Harith The Happy BeachBum

Kindly sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd.

My achey breaky... Belly. :(

2009-06-06T21:26:00.004+08:00

I think all that nasi and cendol has taken a toll on me. I didn't get much sleep last night, NOT because I was out partying the night away at some Beach Discoteque, but rather entertaining the party going on in my BELLY. Argh. I had a sleep over in the bathroom as my stomach was aching throughout the night, making it almost impossible to sleep.

With absolutely zero energy, and motivation the size of my apetite at the moment (which was tiny for ONCE) I decided to have a day in, and just re-energize for the hectic couple of days ahead.

I spent the day reading my book, Paolo Coelho's Veronika Decides To Die and attempted to nap, which was constantly foiled by the over zealous house keeping who, with all credit to them, reallyyyy wanted to clean my room, checking up on my room every 15 minutes (that'll teach me to forget to put up the DO NOT DISTURB sign) and the excited family staying next door in constant high spirits.

It is now 9.40 p.m, 5 cups of tea and 1 Maggee Cup Noodle later, my stomach has finally calmed down and I'm feeling well rested, ready for whatever comes up next! Tomorrow will be my long awaited interview with Datuk Rahman, and I need to prepare the interview well, so that I squeeze out as much as I can from our meeting and also so that I don't end up looking silly in front of him.

Just got off the phone with Mum, which always calms the nerves and soothes the soul. Can't wait for my family to come visit in a couple of weeks. By then, I should be able to show off my tour guide skills, bringing them to places they never knew existed here. Muahaha. Anyway, going to do a little more research and them I'm off to bed. Sorry for the bland and picture-less blog, but I promise, there'll be way more to come! Goodnight and till the next post.

Harith The Aching Bellied Beach Bum
Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd.

Friday 5/6/09 WEEKEND BEGINS!

2009-06-05T18:31:00.006+08:00

The weekend begins wooohooo! Ok, so the next month will be sort of a continous weekend for me, but everyone gets that natural buzz knowing the first day of joblessness is begining! And because Kedah is an Islamic state, the weekends begin on a friday and end on Saturday

Still a tad fatigued from yesterdays heavy load of sightseeing, I decided to have a more relaxing day walking into the nooks and crannies of Kuah Town, trying my best to avoid another shopping centre or tourist spot.

11.46 a.m. - My day begun walking around Pekan Kuah (where I had that delicious cendol-shake the day before) to take in the sights and sounds of the area on a weekend. The open air market was packed with families doing their weekend shopping and road side vendors were busy screaming out for people to buy their goods. Today, I wasn't interested in checking out the fair at the market but was more keen on going deeper into the heart of Pekan Kuah where a village lied. I wasn't sure what the village's name was or whether the inhabitants would accept me intruding into their village unannounced, but i figured it was my day off so what the heck. (And I was really keen on getting a photog session in as well.)

The village was small, and empty at the time, probably with the villagers in the Pekan centre selling goods or maybe they were off to the beach since it was a weekend. After row upon row of wooden, traditional style houses and zinc make-shift huts, i found a tiny community restaurant where an indian family were serving banana leaf rice. Having pangs for home cooked food (home cooked food being the mamak, indian muslim cafe, down the street from my house in Kuala Lumpur) I walked into the establishment and picked the dishes of my choice which was to be served with my rice; chicken varavel and potato chutney. I will now refrain from elaborating on how good the food was as I've realised that all I've ever really been writing about is food, making me sound like a complete pig...

.. OK! But the curry was deliciously thick and had just the right amount of spices in it, and unlike the predictable tasting potato chutney in mamaks found in Kuala Lumpur, the chutney was sweet, and slightly sour. Maybe it was the fact that I was really hungry that made it taste so good, but I personally feel that the best meals are the ones made with care. Tiny cafes like these don't cater to 100 customers a day but to the families and passer bys like me, and because their food will only be tasted by their neighbours, they make sure their food is cooked with the care and love. Sort of like the lasagna Mom makes me on my birthday! Mmmm.

During lunch, I scimmed through my journal, checking on my ever growing To Do List. Ticking off all the completed activities, until I came to a very important item on the list; 'Call and schedual Datuk Rahman Interview! ***' (3 *s making it uber important mind you!) Datuk Rahman was a very close companion to my grandfather, the honourable Tun Hamid, and a loyal friend to our family. He was a jet setting ambassador for many years, and after retiring in Kuala Lumpur, he decided to settle down in Langkawi from a suggestion by my grandfather, and has been there ever since. I'm quite nervous about meeting him, but I'm very keen on listening to his stories and words of wisdom.

After making the call to set up the appointment and paying for lunch, I ventured deeper into the village where I came across an old abandoned colonial style building, covered in trees and moss. Something about this building captivated me. I wanted to learn where it came from, what it was doing in the middle of a village and what caused it's abandonment. While in the middle of my photography session, I had realised it was already 12ish and it was a Friday, meaning it was almost time for Friday Prayers!

Rushing out of the village and back onto the main road, I hurriedly opened my map to search for the nearest mosque only to find that there were no mosque indicators on my map! The next best thing to do was to follow the trail of men in sarongs and traditional clothing, which eventually did guide me to a mosque a few metres away from The Langkawi Fair Shopping Centre. The Masjid Al-Hana is a one storey, medium sized mosque with an Islamic Centre behind it where Hajj and wedding courses are available. Refraining from taking photos inside the mosque, I closed up my camera bag and carried on into the washroom to prepare myself for Friday Prayers.

It's now 8.04 p.m and I think I'm going to head out to Starbucks at Jetty Point to have a coffee and read my book. Hopefully Jetty Point won't be as packed at night as it is in the day time, and a little change of scenery will be good for me. Till the next post.

Harith The Coffee Craving Beach Bum

Kindly Sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd.

Getting To Know You, Kuah Town.

2009-06-04T21:54:00.014+08:00

9.58 a.m -- I woke up this morning in a daze not remembering for a moment that I was not in my bed at home but on a mystical island. I had obviously over slept as I peered at the hotel alarm clock/radio and saw it was not 8.30 a.m but already 9.58 a.m! Yes. I overslept.. sighh. And I was now rushing down to the pool side cafe to make full use of my complimentary breakfast!! Being warned to come down early for breakfast to avoid having the soggy bits and unwanted dishes on the morning spread, I briskly walked my way down to the pool side in hopes that either everyone else had also slept through their alarm or the guests of the Bella Vista just didn't like beef bacon. As i made my grand entrance into the cafe, my nightmare came through as the buffet spread was almost completely finished! (Leaving me with soggy fried noodles, the all unoriginal Nasi Lemak and a whole lot of sambal.

I decided to burn off my uneventful, carbo loaded breakfast by taking a walk around the hotel surroundings and maybe get a mini photog session in the bag as well. Because the Bella Vista is located in the city itself, there isn't really a beach at the hotel, but they do have a beautiful infinity pool and an oceanside pathway to walk along while enjoying the beautiful back drop.

Once dressed and ready to leave the hotel, I took the hotel shuttle to The Jetty Point in the main part of Kuah Town. Jetty Point acts as both a single storey shopping depot and also a bunker where tourist activities can be acquired within, with a long row of booths with services such as car rental to island cruises. A few metres away from the Jetty Point is the Dataran Lang

(Eagle Square) where the giant Eagle Monument stands. This site is a must see for tourists as the dataran not only has a giant bird popped right in the middle of it, but also a few shops within the perimetre where homemade goods such as fabrics and beads can be bought.

A 10 minute walk east of Jetty Point is an area called Pekan Kuah which is an area of shoplots, and markets with a(nother) shopping mall at the edge of it, the Plaza Langkawi. I decided to have late lunch at a small Nasi Kandar (Mixed Rice) shop in the corner of the area where there was a large gathering inside it. Unlike mixed rice shops in Kuala Lumpur, with a self service system, this shop had a more Penang-esque approach where you'd have to tell him what you like, and he'll put in on your plate. A very charming concept where you will entrust your server with your meal! The chef gave me a generous helping of rice, with a side order of curried squid and stewed beef stomach. I didn't even have to taste it and I already knew I was going to like it. And like it I did! One of the best Penang style mixed rice i've had in a long time!

After the delicious meal that made up for a disappointing breakfast (i know, i know, i have to let it go!) I walked around Pekan Kuah looking at the various clothing and food stalls. Before heading back to the hotel, I spotted a quaint, little table-shop, selling a concoction called 'cendol-shake'. Now we all know that consuming east-west hybrid concoctions such as the satay burger and the nasi goreng bombay-jepun (yes, bombay-jepun is what i said) never really ends well, but the thought of a bowl of cendol (traditional malaysian desert consisting of shaven ice, palm sugar, coconut milk and jelly bits) merging with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream just couldn't be passed up! Mmmmm.. cendol-shake, where have you been all my life.

11.07 pm -- Just taken my shower and edited all the photos of today. Think I'm going to watch a movie and then hit the sack! More adventures around Kuah tomorrow. Later.

Harith the forever eating Beach Bum

Kindly sponsored by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd.

Departures, Arrivals And Everything In Between

2009-06-03T17:20:00.021+08:00

From the time I woke up until the time I reached the departure hall of the LCCT everything was a bit of a blur. Not cause I wasn't focused but because everything happened so fast. From getting dressed, to saying one last prayer before leaving the house to hugging my sister outside the airport. I suppose it is a good thing though as I am not a very big fan of goodbyes and the anticipation of being thrown into the great unknown would've phased me out. By the time I sat down to take a breath in and have a bite of my sandwich in the departure hall, it was already 11.30 and time for the passengers to board the plane. It was so ironic because just at that moment where the annoucer said 'Passengers of flight 5452 to Langkawi please make your way to p2', I was just finishing off a sentence in my journal which wrote '11.30am -- At the departure gate now. Just bought some food and about to settle down.' Haha, what's life without a little humour i suppose?

As my hopes of being on a relatively empty flight disintergrated into thin air, I realised that the majority of passengers on my flight were Middle Eastern (visiting Langkawi with their ever growing ginormous families) and local islanders making the trip home from a holiday in Kuala Lumpur with their extra luggage and last minute shopping bags. Once settled in to my seat, I started to make small conversation with the young couple sitting next to me. I told them about how I'm a nervous flyer, and how this flight is bound to be a very noisy one. The woman would chuckle politely and the man would agree with most of what i said. To numb down my nervousness of flying I made even more conversation with the couple, pointing out the henna on their fingers, signifying that they were newly weds. They then told me about how they planned to go to Phuket, Thailand for their honeymoon, but was too worried about the riots and also the lack of kosher food around the area; hence opting for their 2nd choice of Pulau Langkawi. They elaborated on how honeymooning here kills a flock of birds with one stone; the food is kosher everywhere, there are no language barriers, the beaches are beautiful and the atmosphere it just as laidback in Langkawi then it would be in Bali or Phuket!

Just before take off, as i dozed off into dreamland, the pilot announced on the speaker that there would be heavy winds throughout our journey, so we should be prepared for turbulence. Well.. that shot down any chances of 'dozing off' or 'settling down' until arrival! Throughout the flight I kept my nerves down by writing out what I needed to do in the next few days in my journal, which subtly turned into doodles, which then turned into tic-tac-toe... and then back into doodles.

45 minutes later...

I arrive in one piece! And now it was just a matter of collecting my luggage and heading to the Bella Vista Hotel in Kuah Town. Scurrying out of the hot sun in between the plane and the arrival hall, I noticed that in the corner of the arrival hall, next to the baggage collection belt is a long row of tour, car rental and cruise booths. And the most interesting thing about it was that the booth staff would yell at you on your way out to get your attention to visit their booth! It was like a night market frenzy in the middle of the day! There is also a Tourist Centre in the middle of the hall where holiday go-ers of can enquire, reserve and research on the many things and places to go to on the Island. At the exit area of the airport is a booth for taxi hire with a very good system where there are no metres and the taxi fare is fixed depending on where you are going. My taxi ride to Kuah costed RM25 and the trip to town was quick (taking about 15 minutes) and scenic.

After checking into The Bella Vista Hotel (which looks like something Mickey Mouse would have designed if he decided to become an architect), i decided to explore the grounds and was enthralled by the gorgeous beach view and the huge recreational arena the hotel has. What this hotel lacked in aesthetics, it made up for in a beautiful location.

My room was of a decent size and had a view of the garden below, and the TV had surprisingly impresive channels including HBO, ESPN, AXN, The Australian Network, NHK and lots more! (not saying you should stay in and watch TV the whole trip, but in the event you do.. this hotel has got you covered!)

After getting some well deserved rest, I took to the streets of Kuah for a photo session and to just do some soft exploring, as tomorrow I'll be checking Kuah out full on. I stumbled upon some interesting finds around the streets, such as Air Kelapa Abg Man, which was a van full of coconuts and a single man cutting them and pouring the juice into an ice and jelly filled container.. yeah it doesn't sound THAT interesting but what made it so was the long, long queue behind his van, waiting just to get a taste of his coconut concoction. Don't know whether it is his secret recipe or just plain ol' Global Warming thats boosting Abang Man's business, but whatever it is, it sure is working for him. Further up the road is the Parade Shopping Mall which houses the only cineplex in Langkawi Island but other than that is just like any other mall, except for a really rad shop on the top floor which really caught my eye called the Exodus Shop which was basically a Bob Marley memorabilia shop that had clothes, books and Bob Marley paraphenilia.

The shoplots which were sleepy and closed in the day time were now wide awake and brightly lit with row upon row of street food and drinks. With so much to choose from and my energy levels running low, I decided use the old theory 'eat at the restaurant with the most people' or in my case the longest line. Reminiscent of the coconut man's line of fan's, 'Burger Pokok Asam' had a line almost just as long but was more pleasing to the eye, with its brightly lit burger camp and pleasing to the nose with the smell of fried onion, egg and burger patty. So with my mind made up and my stomach steering me towards the stall, I proceeded to wait in line with everyone else. But through a stroke of good fortune (or my keen curiosity with the stall, taking loads of photos and 'oooh'ing and every order someone makes), the owner of the shop (who did not want his name or photo taken!) pushed me up to the from of the line and asked me what I wanted, in a very forced, semi-patronizing english accent! While waiting for my Burger Udang Special and attempting not to make eye with the 30 odd people giving me dirty looks for cutting their line, the owner of the shop explained to me how before he opened the burger stall he used to be an accountant working in Kuala Lumpur for a firm, when one day he decided he to quit his job, sell his house and move to Langkawi with his wife and child to start a new life. Mmm a delicious burger and coffee table conversation! The things we can get away with by looking like an utter tourist!

Well, now i've settled into bed, and am feeling a little restless and physically drained. I think I'm going to read a little and then hit the sack. Paolo Coelho's Veronica Decides To Die should do the trick for me. Goodnight and will keep you posted.

Harith The Beach Bum.

Sponsered by Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd.

The List!

2009-06-02T18:28:00.012+08:00

After a long and anxious night, I woke up this morning feeling pretty stoked about the trip down to the island. After a quick jog and a run through my e-mails, i whipped out the biggest luggage i could find and started chucking in all the necessary clothes and miscellaneous items to bring to Langkawi Island. After about 20 minutes of folding and placing of clothes into my massive luggage i started to really think about what I needed to bring. Toothpaste? check. Laptop charger? check. iPod? check. Shoes?! triple checked. After shoving in a pair of jogging shoes into my bag, (in hopes to get a little exercise done on the island) chuckling to myself about the time I was rushing to the airport to catch a flight to Singapore with my Grandparents when i was 7.. and realizing at the airport that i wasn't wearing any shoes, I decided the safest bet was to write down a list of my top 10 most important things to bring.

1.) SHOES
2.) Camera charger
3.) Camera (no point bringing a charger without the camera itself!)
4.) Sun Block from Dad
5.) External Memory Stick
6.) Phone Charger!
7.) Maxis Broadband Modem
8.) Yaasin' (for protection)
9.) My notebook
10.) ....?

Still not sure what my tenth most important item would be but i'm sure it'll come to me sooner or later.

After finishing off the majority of my packing I decided to give Nadia, one of my best friends, a ring to see if she wanted to catch a bite to eat (and hopefully coax her into letting me copy movies off her hard drive!). Turns out the whole crew wanted lunch so we headed out to Ayam Penyet Restaurant at The Curve. On the way there, in the between making fun of Miriam and eavesdropping on the endless streams of gossip coming out of the 5 girls sitting in the car with me, it dawned on me that this was the 1st time all 5 of my closest friends were in the same car together and the energy in that car was immense!

At lunch, the girls pondered into the details of my trip to Langkawi wondering how long i'll be there, what exactly i'll be doing there, whether i'll be alright and what I would do in my free time. And of course, reminding me how miserable I'd be without them there. And as much as I played along with there jests with sarcastic come backs, truth is a part of me really does wonder how I'd cope without the crew with me. As we all ate our food in almost pin drop silence (pin drop silence being RARE in our group of friends mind you!) a weird feeling swept through me in an instant. Hoping it was the spiciness of the sambal cili in my rice, I realised it was more a feeling of belonging and just plain happiness at the thought that for the first time in awhile I had a group of friends who truly truly appreciated me and did care about me. Before we headed off our seperate ways, Chiky handed me a doodle on the back of the lunch receipt displaying "We Love Harith!" in bold writing across the paper. Haha a little memento for me to hang on to till my return. So cute how we make it feel as though I'm leaving to be dropped off to the middle of the desert for an eternity!

Upon arrival home, I was greeted at the door by my 2 siblings and my busy mother, with her phone glued to her ear making sure everyone is doing what they should be doing and everything is well. Mom sat me down and made sure I had enough money, planned out my trip with me and was a little sad about not being able to see me off at the airport as she has an early meeting tomorrow. Dinner was pleasant and parents are excited about the trip too. Tomorrow's the big blast off so going to get ready so i don't end up forgetting to wear something else in the airport this time.

My Air Asia flight is at 12 pm tomorrow and i fly directly to the Langkawi Airport. From there i will have to find my way to Kuah Town where i will be staying at the Bella Vista Hotel right in the city. I hope to then get acquainted with the city and settle myself into my temporary home. Will keep you posted on my travels tomorrow.

Harith H. the soon to be beachbum.

PS/ Still don't know what the 10th item is yet.. wish i could put friends and family on the list though...

Day 1 @ The Office

2009-06-01T11:40:00.002+08:00

Its not everyday someone gets the opportunity to be shipped off for a month to travel, explore and experience island living. When the suits offered me the position as official Blogger for Rahsia Estates Sdn. Bhd. how could i have said no!

First official day at the office; booking hotel rooms, intricately planning out the trip day by day to make sure I squeeze as much as i can and focus on not only the tourist attractions but the gloriously laidback island living as well. It is one thing to be on an island for a weekend and its another to make it your home away from home. Thats where I come in. I hope to simulate Langkawi island living, not just a 3 day trip but as a sanctuary to come to when people need their well desrved R & R. I always liked playing make belief as a child, from stacking up pillows in my living room and beating up my stuffed kangaroo (imagining I was a WWF wrestler) to playing hotel-hotel with my cousins, delivering food for 'guests' a.k.a my Pah and Atok and making sure the 'hotel' staff were in order. Haha. I never thought i'd be playing make belief even at this age! I plan to check out where the locals hang out on Sunday afternoons, where the rugby players train and i even hope to interview a brilliant artist who left his hustle and bustle life of being an International diplomat for our country to settle down in Langkawi. Can't wait for that!

Will keep you posted. Later.