The feeling of taking that first step in a new country is unlike anything else. It’s a sense of exhilaration about what possibilities lie beyond. While I get this feeling when flying it’s much more satisfying when entering by a different means (favorite border crossing Kenya-Tanzania), and so having never entered a country by sea I was particularly excited about entering Malaysia.
Of course that feeling is almost instantly shattered by the logistics of entering a new country. Which customs line do I choose? Where do I get money? Why the F*#k are there taxi drivers wandering the terminal harassing people? Seriously wait outside!
Langkawi’s symbol is the Eagle and this giant one is found near the main pier
I had met two other Canadians in Koh Lipe and although they had left Koh Lipe the day before me I decided to meet up with them, and their friend, at a hostel in Langkawi (Which took me a lot longer to find then it should have). Meeting them definitely made the experience of Langkawi much richer. Here are some of the key things we did:
Exploring the Island by Scooter
Langkawi is big and by far the most economical and fun way to get around is by scooter! I had wanted to rent a scooter on Koh Phanagan but had been talked out of it in favor of renting a Jeep (you can read more about that here: Koh Phanagan – A Tale of Two Full Moons). But here seemed like a much more sane place to learn the ins-and-outs of motorbike life. Of course safety in numbers helps and since the others were from Quebec I wanted to call our bike “gang” the Hells Angels. Vince later told me that the Hell’s Kittens were a more accurate name and I couldn’t argue with it.
“The Hell’s Kittens”
The roads were mostly good and the traffic much more reasonable and mindful of laws than Thailand and so our fierce gang took to the roads. We made our way around the island taking in breakfast in a rice field, visiting waterfalls, temples, beaches, and avoiding rainstorms (some of us with better success than others).
Exploring Langkawi by scooter
It was a lot of fun and definitely made the Langkawi experience. O, and I only forgot which side of the road to drive on once. Luckily, I immediately remembered.
Exploring the Kilim GeoPark by boat
Langkawi is home to the Kilim GeoPark, which was designated a UNESCO site in 2015. The rocks making up the area are thought to have originated from Pangea making them some of the oldest in the world. Their stability has been added by the mangrove forests that help to protect them from erosion¹. All of this combines to make a beautiful area that is widely only accessible by boat.
We chartered a boat and although our day started off to a rocky start (forgotten wallets, tour misinformation and overpriced fish) ended up being pretty fun.
After visiting a bat cave our boat zipped us thru the mangroves taking us to a fish farm, showing us eagles being feed (there were probably over 100) and letting our boat be swarmed by monkeys. But by far the best part was darting around the coast of the island and being left on our own private beach for a while.
The Kilim GeoPark
If you find yourself on Langkawi visit the Geo Park – you won’t regret it! But remember the fish prices are per the 100g.
Langkawi – a duty free island
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Langkawi is a duty free island. Which means it has cheap alcohol and electronics, or so I’m told. I didn’t drink here and when I looked at getting a GoPro it was more expensive than at home. My big purchase? A new beard trimmer for 45 ringgit ( ~$15 CDN). So at least when I left Langkawi I looked like less of a hobo. Win-Win.
Leaving Langkawi was pretty straightforward, especially compared to Koh Lipe, and following a Starbucks visit and some gravel we boarded a ferry and began the 2.5 h trip to Georgetown on what I was told could be rough seas.
Links:
The Travelling Scientist 
I do remember the fish price now…. I think I will never forget hahahah. See ya hells kittens
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