Friday, August 31, 2012
Happy birthday Malaysia!
To celebrate, The Boy and I are off to the Perhentian Islands for a long weekend with our Scottish couple friends and our South African scuba diving instructor friend.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Weekend away from KL - Langkawi
Living in Kuala Lumpur is fantastic if you like to travel. You are in a central hub for travelling in the region, with other SEA countries at your doorstep and the rest of Asia not far away. And with the likes of Air Asia, Jetstar, Tiger and other low-cost airlines all servicing KL, you have the choice of fares so cheap for international travel they would certainly rival the cost of domestic air travel back in Oz.
That being said, The Boy's business commitments at the moment make it difficult for the two of us to go anywhere on a long holiday. Luckily, Malaysia is in itself a fascinating country to discover and has plenty to offer in the type of holiday the two of us love - relaxing by the beach. As inland as KL is, it does make me miss Sydney's beaches and how accessible the coast was from anywhere. And when lying by the artificial beach at Sunway Lagoon is no longer enough, what better than to hop on a quick flight to one of the many beautiful islands dotted around this country.
So one sunny weekend in late June, we headed to Langkawi with 6 others for a couple of days of sun and relaxation.
That being said, The Boy's business commitments at the moment make it difficult for the two of us to go anywhere on a long holiday. Luckily, Malaysia is in itself a fascinating country to discover and has plenty to offer in the type of holiday the two of us love - relaxing by the beach. As inland as KL is, it does make me miss Sydney's beaches and how accessible the coast was from anywhere. And when lying by the artificial beach at Sunway Lagoon is no longer enough, what better than to hop on a quick flight to one of the many beautiful islands dotted around this country.
So one sunny weekend in late June, we headed to Langkawi with 6 others for a couple of days of sun and relaxation.
We stayed at the Frangipani Resort on the more happening end of Pantai Tengah beach (closer to Pantai Cenang). A cute little eco resort, our garden villa (with amazing outdoor rain shower) was only steps from the beach and at night you could hear the sounds of the ocean.
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| Our garden villa |
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| The beach was only steps from the front door |
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| Frangipani flowers around the resort |
The highlight of the weekend though was a sunset cocktail/dinner cruise we all did through Crystal Yacht Holidays.
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| Arriving at the marina |
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| What the boys hoped we were going to ride |
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| Our real boat |
We watched the skies anxiously as the sunny day had turned an ominous grey as we arrived at the marina. Sure enough, it started to rain as soon as the boat started moving but luckily we escaped the bad weather and soon enough were in calm, gorgeous ocean waters.
It was free-flow drinks on board (soft drinks and a selection of cocktails) and the friendly crew made sure noone's cup was ever empty. Once we were in open water the jacuzzi net was put out the back of the boat, which was our cue to jump into the warm sea while the crew prepared our delicious dinner.
Eventually the sun started to set and we were heading back to the marina. A beautiful end to a great cruise. Definitely a must-do when in Langkawi!
The next day after a leisurely breakfast we headed to the Langkawi Cable Car together with our Scottish couple friends. The Boy and I had done this before on our previous visit in May 2011 but it was an overcast day and the fog at altitude had meant we couldn't see anything at all. Waking up to another blue skies and sunshine day, I was determined we wouldn't miss out this time.
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| View from the cable car on our way up |
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| Sky Bridge (closed when we visited) |
The fog literally began to creep in while we were up on the observation platform. Still, we were happy to have been able to see some of the breathtaking views before it got swallowed up in the grey mist.
Access to the Langkawi SkyCab is in Oriental Village, which is a bit of a tourist spot in Langkawi with several souvenir and clothing shops and a few eateries all in a pretty-ish setting. The Boy and I had already checked it out on our previous visit and unless you are looking for souvenirs, it's not really a must-do.
Back down on the ground, there was time for a leisurely seafood lunch (another must) and a few more moments at the beach before heading back to the airport with our duty-free purchases in tow. Yeah, did I mention Langkawi is a duty free island? Alcohol is one thing that does not come cheap in KL so The Boy and I stocked up on vodka and scotch at prices that would be unthinkable anywhere in Australia!
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| Lobster lunch |
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| Bye Langkawi! We'll be back soon! |
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Out and about from KL
Wow, I'm not sure how it happened but despite my good intentions, it's been over two months since I was last on here.
Actually, I know exactly how it happened. You see, since late June, I have been on a plane at least once a week. Extravagant, some might say. But no, it's been all discount airlines for me! Busy? Definitely. And the affordable and relatively painless flights have really made me appreciate how brilliant KL's location is as a hub for travel through Asia.
So where have I been?
First there was a weekend away in Langkawi with The Boy and assorted friends. Despite almost missing our flight, it ended up being a brilliant holiday. Our second time there but we enjoyed it just as much, perhaps even more due to the social aspect. Highlight was the sunset cocktail/dinner cruise. But more on this another time.
Then my parents and sisters arrived from Sydney for a whirlwind visit, having already passed through Singapore to visit Brother no. 1. Following that, mama and I flew out late at night over to Japan (Kansai International Airport, Osaka) for a week of lazing and feasting with my grandparents. Overnight flights are never fun but at just over 6 hours, it was over by the time I had a little snooze and a bit of breakfast.
A couple of weeks later I was back at KLIA this time headed to Hong Kong for a long weekend to visit a toasty friend of mine from school days and also meet up with a dear work colleague on her stopover back from Europe. We were feeling very pleased with ourselves for planning such a clever international catch-up until Typhoon Vicente hit and we found ourselves stranded at the airport overnight.
By this time, we were into August and due to the colliding of stars and the mysteries of the universe, I booked an impulse flight back to Sydney to see my family and friends, who are not so near these days but still remain the dearest in my heart. On the way back I tried out Scoot for the first time - Singapore Airlines' budget carrier - even travelling up front in ScootBiz thanks to my darling mama purchasing a last-minute upgrade for me at the check-in counter.
I felt like I had literally unpacked my woefully insufficient clothes after my freezing Sydney encounter (yes Sydney does have winter) when I was zipping up the suitcase again, this time for a quick business trip with The Boy over to Singapore. We went there by Aeroline coach, which I've mentioned before, and came back on Jetstar, which I give a big thumbs up to if only because they fly to KLIA and not the infernal LCCT.
And now I am looking at my itinerary for yet more flights - this time The Boy is coming too as we head to Kota Bharu then onto the Perhentian Islands this weekend for some sunshine, blue skies and blissful beach time with friends.
After that my travel plans do dry up a little, although I'm still hopeful for a wee trip somewhere close in September or October - perhaps Penang, Langkawi (again) or even across the border to Chiang Mai or Koh Samui in Thailand? The Boy and I then have a trip together back to Sydney for an early Christmas as prices double in December/January.
I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by. Looks like the other destinations on my Asia travel list - Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, South Korea and more Thailand will have to wait till 2013!
Actually, I know exactly how it happened. You see, since late June, I have been on a plane at least once a week. Extravagant, some might say. But no, it's been all discount airlines for me! Busy? Definitely. And the affordable and relatively painless flights have really made me appreciate how brilliant KL's location is as a hub for travel through Asia.
So where have I been?
First there was a weekend away in Langkawi with The Boy and assorted friends. Despite almost missing our flight, it ended up being a brilliant holiday. Our second time there but we enjoyed it just as much, perhaps even more due to the social aspect. Highlight was the sunset cocktail/dinner cruise. But more on this another time.
Then my parents and sisters arrived from Sydney for a whirlwind visit, having already passed through Singapore to visit Brother no. 1. Following that, mama and I flew out late at night over to Japan (Kansai International Airport, Osaka) for a week of lazing and feasting with my grandparents. Overnight flights are never fun but at just over 6 hours, it was over by the time I had a little snooze and a bit of breakfast.
A couple of weeks later I was back at KLIA this time headed to Hong Kong for a long weekend to visit a toasty friend of mine from school days and also meet up with a dear work colleague on her stopover back from Europe. We were feeling very pleased with ourselves for planning such a clever international catch-up until Typhoon Vicente hit and we found ourselves stranded at the airport overnight.
By this time, we were into August and due to the colliding of stars and the mysteries of the universe, I booked an impulse flight back to Sydney to see my family and friends, who are not so near these days but still remain the dearest in my heart. On the way back I tried out Scoot for the first time - Singapore Airlines' budget carrier - even travelling up front in ScootBiz thanks to my darling mama purchasing a last-minute upgrade for me at the check-in counter.
I felt like I had literally unpacked my woefully insufficient clothes after my freezing Sydney encounter (yes Sydney does have winter) when I was zipping up the suitcase again, this time for a quick business trip with The Boy over to Singapore. We went there by Aeroline coach, which I've mentioned before, and came back on Jetstar, which I give a big thumbs up to if only because they fly to KLIA and not the infernal LCCT.
And now I am looking at my itinerary for yet more flights - this time The Boy is coming too as we head to Kota Bharu then onto the Perhentian Islands this weekend for some sunshine, blue skies and blissful beach time with friends.
After that my travel plans do dry up a little, although I'm still hopeful for a wee trip somewhere close in September or October - perhaps Penang, Langkawi (again) or even across the border to Chiang Mai or Koh Samui in Thailand? The Boy and I then have a trip together back to Sydney for an early Christmas as prices double in December/January.
I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by. Looks like the other destinations on my Asia travel list - Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, South Korea and more Thailand will have to wait till 2013!
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