16 Langkawi : Kilim Karst Geoforest Park

Kilim Karst Geoforest Park or Kilim Geoforest Park for short, is a beautiful place to visit in Langkawi. Hubs and I thoroughly enjoyed the RM240 private speedboat Mangrove Tour we signed up for via a relative. It includes pick-up from the hotel.

A geopark is a UNESCO designated site of geological importance that is managed for conservation through sustainable development and given protection through public awareness, usually by way of tourism.

Karst : an area of land formed of rock such as limestone that is worn away by water to make caves and other formations. ~ Cambridge Dictionary.

Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Langkawi

The park is an hour's drive from Cenang Beach, where we stayed. We chose to go in the morning because it was cooler and to coincide with lunch at the floating fish farm.

Our ride, me at the jetty and on the boat.

The Boat at Tanjung Rhu Mangrove Tour Jetty, Langkawi

The Tanjung Rhu Jetty at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Vrrrrroom...! The boatman drove us out towards the turquoise waters of Andaman Sea. The scenery was incredible.

Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

We zipped past beautiful karst formations and slowed at certain locations to admire the rocky hills. The best thing about going on a private tour is that we have a say as to what we want to do. Our boatman is an accommodating young chap. As we headed into the mangrove swamp, the waters turned a murkier green and was muddy brown in certain areas.

Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Here we are at the short and narrow Crocodile Cave. It is named as such because it looks like a crocodile at a certain angle. There are no crocodiles here; At least none have been sighted thus far. This cave can only be accessed during low tide, allowing one small boat to pass through at a time.

Crocodile Cave Entrance at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Crocodile Cave at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Further in, we saw monkeys loitering along the mangrove trees, then lots of eagles flying in the air and swooping down for food. No feeding is allowed to preserve the eco-system.

Monkeys at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

An Eagle at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Mangrove Trees at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

We gave the bat cave a miss as there was a long queue and because we much preferred blue skies over damp, dark places.

Bat Cave at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

The floating restaurant is one of my favourite experience. We were the only tourists there at the time and a lovely guy showed us the various live fish he had in captivity. The most eye-catching being the stingray which had a smiley face. It was an informational visit and nice sitting down for a meal or just a drink in the open sea.

Floating Restaurant at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

We picked out a hybrid grouper for lunch, asking for the smallest one since it was only two of us. But as they patiently netted out several, it was obvious that fish here are a 'healthy' lot so we skipped the rice and settled for a large one which costs RM200-ish. No regrets - we tasted indescribable freshness and felt the difference from the ones we had back home in restaurants with water tank live seafood. It was delicious and unforgettable.

Choosing A Fish For Lunch
Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Fresh Fish Lunch at a Floating Restaurant
Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

This floating restaurant has private rooms where people can rest or dine romantically with their other half. I enjoyed this place so much. It has a view so beautiful that it's like your mind is getting a massage. Sounds funny, I know. I went to the restroom before leaving and was surprised to find it very clean. Nothing goes into the sea if that's what you're worried about!

We passed several other floating restaurants earlier on our journey. This one, which is further out, has a much better ambiance. It was our last stop before heading back to the jetty.

Floating Restaurants, Floating Home and A Lighthouse
Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

The boat tour alone was close to a 3-hour adventure for us. It was the perfect way to spend the first half of the day before winding down with a drive around Kuah town for food and a stop at the iconic Eagle Square.

Website: http://langkawigeopark.com.my/en/

16 Buffet Breakfast At The Andaman Luxury Resort

Continuing my post on our stay at The Andaman ...

The next morning, we had the loveliest buffet breakfast at The Restaurant on the ground floor. A wide variety of food was on display. There's something for vegetarians, health buffs and greedy pigs like me (we try everything).

Breakfast at The Andaman, Langkawi

The bread pudding is to-die-for and I am not ashamed to say that we helped ourselves to two servings. The bread on top was crisp giving it a nice contrast to the soft custard underneath.

The Awesome Bread Pudding

I especially loved the bread room which was filled with scrumptious baked goodies - so much to try, but so little stomach space. It felt like my thoughts were doing cartwheels trying to decide what to put on the plate. There was also a wide array of fruits in one corner.

Bread, Bread, Bread!

Fruits

After much thinking, I walked away with these ..for a start.

Fruit and Pastries

The eggs are a must for Hubs so we headed to the egg bar to order an omelette.

The Restaurant at The Andaman Luxury Resort

The Omelette From The Egg Bar

Alcohol in the morning? This isn't my thing but I was excited to see it anyway.

Wine, anyone?

Vodka, Tomato Juice, The Works

I didn't snap any pictures of the Malaysian food that was available since my stomach was grumbling by then, possibly upset that I was spending too much time with my camera than sitting down and eating.

Yoghurt

Salami And The Sort

The Restaurant has a cosy ambiance, with indoor and outdoor seating.

The Restaurant, The Andaman Luxury Resort

There you go. That ends my adventure in The Andaman Luxury Resort. Hope you enjoyed salivating over my breakfast.

25 Langkawi : Inner Peace At The Andaman Luxury Resort

A hidden paradise in a secluded corner of Langkawi island, The Andaman Luxury Resort is a dream for anyone looking for some quiet to revitalise themselves. Indulge in holistic spa treatments, take a nature walk or a swim in the beautiful waters of Datai Bay, this place is heaven tucked away in a rainforest with a wide stretch of sandy beach within walking distance from the rooms.

The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort

The Andaman Resort, Langkawi

"Ma'am, we've upgraded your room. Please enjoy your stay." I was ecstatic by the kind gesture upon check-in and in awe by the VIP attention. When it comes to hospitality and attention to comfort, The Andaman Resort is the place to be.

Hubs and I stayed here for a night. It was the best sleep I had ever had. The soft bed felt heavenly on my tired bones, brought on by two days of gallivanting up and down this beautiful island and twice, we were caught in the rain. I huddled under the cool, soft blanket, reluctant to leave the room. But I knew there was a stunning horizon to look forward to when dusk falls.

This is our room, one with a garden terrace.

Our Room At The Andaman, Langkawi

The glass door opens out to a lovely view of the rainforest. There was a warning about monkeys taking guest belongings out of the room so we kept our stuff out of view.

Room With A Garden, The Andaman, Langkawi

The bathroom is the cleanest I had ever seen! The toiletries? Of amazing quality. I tried the shampoo and I'm happy to say that it did wonders to the rain-drenched frizzy mop of locks on my head. Nothing like a good hair day to lift my spirits.

The Bathroom and Toiletries, The Andaman Resort

We took a romantic stroll down the seaside that evening and explored the jungly trails within the resort. It was a treat to see a group of monkeys on the beach. The Andaman Resort is surrounded by an old rainforest which is home to many wildlife.

The Beach At The Andaman, Langkawi

The Andaman, Langkawi

Twilight descended in brilliant hues of pinkish orange. We sat down for a meal at Tepian Laut shortly after, a cosy beach restaurant where the sound of waves rushing to shore is part of the music permeating the air.

Tepian Laut Restaurant at The Andaman, Langkawi

Twilight At The Andaman, Langkawi

Dinner At Tepian Laut, The Andaman

One of the waiters regaled us with stories of his life, adding to the charm of the Malay restaurant. I must warn you that food is very pricey here, but then again this is a 'luxury' resort!

Tepian Laut, Restaurant By The Beach

Breakfast the next morning? Oh, that deserves another blog post. I'm leaving this page with more pictures of the hotel area.

The Lobby Of The Andaman Resort, Langkawi

The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi

The Andaman Luxury Resort, Langkawi - Pool and Guest Room Area

The Andaman is a kind of resort that makes you feel you never want to leave its compound. I was actually sad to get into our rented car to head to the airport that morning...

The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi
Address: Jalan Teluk Datai, 07000 Langkawi, Malaysia
Telephone: +60 4 - 959 1088

20 Cenang Beach and Telaga Seafood Restaurant, Langkawi

Possibly the busiest stretch of seaside on Langkawi island but the scene is entirely different walking further down the sandy shore towards Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort  which is a paradise of serenity as you can read from my earlier post.

Cenang Beach, Langkawi

Jalan Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach Road) is lined with small hotels, eateries and touristy shops, left and right. The Underwater World is located here too.  Hidden behind all these is Pantai Cenang, a beautiful beach where stunning sunsets can be seen. Besides several restaurants offering romantic evening dining experiences, the place is a hive of watersport activities with a spot of kite flying and powered paragliding going on.

Cenang Beach, Langkawi and Powered Paragliding

The weather was a bit gloomy with rain clouds converging over the sky above us but fortunately, it didn't start raining in earnest until late evening.

Cenang Beach, Langkawi

I'm not into anything that makes my heartbeat go haywire so I stuck with a relaxing lovey-dovey walk, breathing fresh salty air, taking the scenery in and people-watching - all this with a cup of iced yoghurt mango drink in hand. We watched the sun go down.

The Crowd Thinning Out At Cenang Beach, Langkawi As Evening Approaches

Sunset At Cenang Beach, Langkawi

Cenang Beach, Langkawi

Night had fallen by the time we decided to hunt for dinner. We stepped into Telaga Seafood Restaurant, pleased to see a nice outdoor setting. The waiter ushered us to a cosy hut. It was pleasantly mosquito free although I wondered if it was also Guardian's Buzz Away spray at work. I had insisted that we rub that on before venturing out to the beach.

Telaga Seafood Restaurant, Langkawi

Telaga Seafood Restaurant, Langkawi

We ordered two jumbo prawns but that was out of stock so it was replaced with smaller ones at their recommendation. When the dish arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see the largest I had ever eaten. I cannot imagine what 'jumbo' would be like - it was an exciting thought though. These were bigger than my hand. Anyway, it was exquisite. Nothing like fresh seafood on an island holiday.

Telaga Seafood Restaurant, Langkawi

The fried grouper which was covered with a sweet and sour sauce was as tasty. Halfway through our meal, sweet music permeated the air in the form of a live performance. Top that with friendly staff and fast service, it was truly a lovely experience dining here.

Telaga Seafood Restaurant
Address: Jalan Pantai Chenang, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia.
Phone: +60 4-955 2225

Leaving you with another shot of the beach..

Cenang Beach, Langkawi

 

BEACH
Best Escape Anyone Can Have