Island Hopping!!

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

(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.

Boats & Sunsets

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

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