MALAYSIA

September 5th, 2014

Penang & Langkawi, Malaysia 2014

by Seer Oon Hor

co-editor Shu Li Tan

This recent trip back to Malaysia was fantastic. We flew back with great anticipation to meet family and friends. Another reason for this trip was to attend a friend's wedding, which was held in Rasa Sayang Resort, Penang. It was a comfortable and luxurious resort, ideal for a tropical seaside holiday. 

Yi Ying & Michael's Wedding

Rasa Sayang Resort, Penang, Malaysia.

Beach Holiday!

Four Seasons Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia.

We made our schedule very packed by treating ourselves with a beach holiday in Langkawi, a popular island north of Malaysia. The flight from Penang to Langkawi only took us 35 minutes and we were greeted with amazing aerial views of the tropics. The newly constructed second Penang Bridge was clearly visible. Guess its name! Ready? It's called the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge.

As we arrived at Four Seasons Resort, I found it hard to search for words to describe the hospitality, architecture and landscaping of Four Seasons Langkawi. We were welcomed by Christina Lai, one of the assistant managers. From the moment we arrived, we did not have to carry our luggages. They were taken care of right from the beginning. The lay out of the entrance to the waiting area for checking in showed off the zen-like feel of the resort. We walked into a completely different world, one of beautiful architecture accentuated with water elements, decorated with overhanging lanterns and high walls of Balinese-style art pieces. The check in process was definitely unlike other places we have been. Whilst enjoying the wonderful surroundings, they dealt with our check-in process and offered us chilled towels and ice-cold limeade, much needed in a warm tropical country. For some reason we were upgraded to Upper Melaleuca Pavilion but I was not sure to accept this as the room we originally reserved had an outdoor shower! Christina kindly offered us to take a look at the Upper room and call to change if we insisted on the Lower room. 

As though timed to precision, a golf buggy driven by a nice gentleman with a big smile was ready to take us for a short tour around the resort before heading to our room. Did I say we did not have to hold our own luggages? They were loaded and ready in the buggy for us. After the short tour, the gentleman took our luggages up to our room and showed us around. We were first greeted by an expansive pair of wood-framed glass door. You can feel the comfortable luxury element to the room. As you walk pass the sleeping area, the washroom area oozed style and quality. I loved the two-sided hanging mirror with rustic wash basin. Further in was the indoor built-in jacuzzi which was as big as a baby pool. This room has more privacy and has an additional balcony. However I wanted my outdoor shower! Yes, I declined an upgrade. While the other room was being prepared, we went out to explore the beautifully decorated resort. We felt like we were in a different world altogether. Everything was so comfortable and private despite the resort being over 70% occupied. We were at the beach, enjoying each other's company on a gorgeous sandy beach and warm breezy climate. 

As we walked around we ended up in Rhu Bar where there was a purpose-built swing overlooking the sea. We sat and relaxed before we went to the Adult Pool area. It's a pool area with peace and quiet. Each cabana was separated with brick walls on either side for privacy. One of the pool men came very quickly to wrap our deck cushion for extra comfort.  We were then offered glasses of cold water and mango truffles. Nice touch! The adult pool area was quiet and overlooked the sea. Serenaded by the gentle sound of water, it was certainly an area to relax, so much so we had an afternoon siesta. 

As the day turned to night, we went back to our room by foot, maximising our stunning surrounding. We decided to dine at one of the resort's restaurants, Ikan Ikan (literally means fishes in Malay). Our stay was inclusive of a set dinner and Ikan Ikan does a Fishermen's Special on Mondays. We called up to check if they were willing to let us have that instead and they did!

As we arrived at the restaurant, guests were being entertained by Malay dances on the main deck. We were seated promptly and given complimentary Mango Bellinis! The food that night was overall good and sumptuous. It was full of asian cuisines which we both dearly miss. There were kerabu (Malay mixed salad), Malay roast chicken, satay, beef rendang and nasi lemak just to name a few. There were easily 30 types of dishes to be tasted. There was also a chef ready to char (fry) our Char Kuay Teow (Hokkien fried flat noodles)! The dish was cooked over a large flame giving it the much-required charred aroma. Penang is famous for the dish but the resort chef made it so well we both loved it. At the end of the dance performance, guests were invited to join in. We tasted small portions of each dish and managed almost all of them. We decided to skip a couple of deserts as we were extremely full. Sadly, some of the seafood especially the prawns were not as fresh as they should. Overall, I would say they were good and the service was amazing. Everyone was very friendly without being obtrusive. It was a beautiful night embellished by a full moon. We walked hand in hand back to the room to get our cameras. We took more photographs and walked towards a gazebo built on stilts over a manmade pond. We sat on the swing and chatted the night away. (Shu Li says: Seer chatted with his camera). It was a serene moment.

Tiredness had finally kicked in as we woke up fairly late and also to the sounds of tropical rain. The fabulous breakfast was hosted by Serai Restaurant. Again there was variety of Asian as well as International selections. We had roti canai (roti prata), nasi lemak with beef rendang, beautiful smoked salmon, banana chocolate waffle and omelette. We also had freshly squeezed fruit juice, which could be mixed with fruits of our liking. The dining area had the luxury of comfortable sea breeze coming through and was frequently visited by adorable little sparrows. We took our leisure for our breakfast and went back to the room as it stopped raining. We wanted to go to the sea so desperately but the double red flag was up (which means swimming in the sea was not allowed). We went anyway in the absence of strong winds and the sea looked very calm. As a courtesy I asked the pool guy and I was told it would be at our own risk as no lifeguard was on duty. We took our chances. The sea was slightly cold as it just stopped raining. Nonetheless it was manageable. We didn't go far due to the double red flag warning but we did spend some time in the sea before deciding to retreat to the comfort of the adult pool area. It came as a surprise when we received a text from my father asking, "Do you have tsunami in Langkawi?". With a bit of internet research it turned out to be 'speculation' in the social media. In the evening, we had dinner in Kelapa Grill. We ordered pan fried giant Garoupa with scallop fried rice and Wagyu Beef. The fish was perfectly cooked and the beef was generously served and beautifully done. We were both very satisfied. We had a pleasant surprise as we came back to our room. A birthday cake with a personal message to Shu Li from Christina complimentary of the resort! We were truly impressed with the resort by then and this just surpassed our expectations of their hospitality. The cheesecake itself was gorgeous topped with a variety of flavours of macaroons, chocolates and golden spun syrup. The macaroons were surprisingly good (no offence to Four Seasons), possibly only slightly inferior to Ladurée's in Paris. Considering where we were, a secluded resort in an Asian country, this was mind blowing. Thus, the day was ended with a pair of happy tummies.

We joined the Mangroves and Eagle Safari the next morning. During the tour, we were given a brief explanation by Farouk, our personal naturist, on how tourism in Langkawi was promoted by the government as an intervention of excessive charcoal manufacturing. This was particularly important as destruction of the mangroves damaged the ecosystem. We were also shown feeding of White-bellied Eagles and Brahminy Kite Eagles, which is where the name Langkawi originated. Not to mention there were a number of long tail macaques which apparently eat crabs due to limited amount of fruits in the mangroves. There should be otters which were not lucky enough to see. We were also brought to a cave to visit bats but the high tide prevented us from entering. At the end of the tour we sped back to shore as the sharp-eyed boatman spotted a large group of rain clouds approaching. The resort had kindly arranged a late check out enabling us to freshen up before we leave.

The whole experience in Four Seasons Langkawi was very pleasant indeed. There was so much privacy, comfort, luxury and zen-like features in the whole experience we felt like we were in a different world altogether. Despite all the walking and swimming, we felt properly rested, thanks to Four Seasons Langkawi.

Our journey back was pretty impressive too. The pilot announced that our 35-minute flight took only 15 minutes! 

After Langkawi, we spent a few more days in Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur visiting family members before we flew back to the UK. This trip was short and compact but it was very pleasant and rewarding. It was very nice to see parents and family members with a much needed recharge session in Langkawi. Do you want to see more than 1457 photos in under 4 minutes? Play the video below.

Until next time. Be good.