Destination Malaysia - Day Seven: Langkawi

Today is perhaps the day I have been looking forward to the most. Not that I don’t like a good MotoGP race, especially at a venue I’ve never been to before, but come on…a couple days on a tropical island? That’s tough to beat.

Our itinerary before we left the USA originally had us flying to Borneo these few days, but the aftermath of tropical storms there meant we would visit island of Langkawi instead.

While I had heard much talk of Borneo, Langkawi was an unknown to me. My worry was for naught though, as the once “cursed” tropical locale was just as decadent as we had been told — of course, staying at the five-star Danna Langkai resort helped in that regard as well.

Our morning started early, with yet another flight for us to tackle. It was just a quick hour-long journey though, to this tax-haven / tropical getaway.

After landing we had an “authentic” lunch on the side of a large boulevard — I think it was fish — and then we were whisked away to take in some elevation (2,300 feet) on top of Gunung Mat Chinchang, which we reached by cable car.

The rain and clouds obstructed our views at the summit and in the cars, but there were moments when things would clear briefly and we could take in the island as a whole. It was worth trip, but then again I don’t have a fear of heights, like some of my colleagues do.

Once down the mountain, it was a short drive to The Danna, through the winding jungle-lined roadway. You know you’re on a tropical island when monkeys are the local road kill and everything looks like inspiration for Jurassic Park.

Since we had an evening dinner cruise planned that night, we had only a short amount of time to unpack, get settled, and cool off in the infinity pool before we were hustling again. Did I mention it’s a tough life?

Our day would continue to be a burden (sarcasm) as we sailed around the Langkawi archipelago, eating deliciously crafted fresh food, and taking dips in the Andaman Sea on the side of the boat’s “jacuzzi” netting. After a busy week in the city, island life is starting to show its appeal. I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking.