Wed 28th Nov – Sat 1st Dec

I’m leaving Koh Lipe feeling much better than yesterday. I’m now off to Malaysia…my 4th country in Asia and my 13th in total so far.

Having handed in my passport to some guy at the check in office, they hand back out on the speedboat by country. Luckily there’s only 3 of us from the UK and I happen to be sat next to them. Carol and Paul have an interesting te and save up for a few years at a time and then spend a good few years abroad. They’re now heading to Langkawi for 5 weeks and away until April. Despite my amazing adventures, with it bearing the end, I can’t help but be a wee bit jealous! Having been here before and knowing the area, they tell me they go past where I’m staying and say I can jump in their taxi. Thanks guys and I wish u all the best on this haunt of urs through Asia.

I check in to Indiana hostel. It’s my first time in a 10 bed dorm and I’m gutted that it’s full but at least I shd meet some people. Time to go for a rekkie.

Langkawi is full of duty free shops but on nearly buying some gym kit, the quality didn’t look that great and I cdnt work out whether any of this stuff was genuine or not. I did find a heap of Cadbury chocolate thou and cdnt resist! I wander along the beach, plan where I will claim my spot tomorrow! Back at the hostel I chill in the garden soaking up more rays. Malaysian food is world famous being a mix of many nationalities. Tonight I settle for a good curry and bloody good it was too…although not cheap considering where I am.

Thursday starts a bit later than I planned but more because breakfast doesn’t start until 9 and they make chocolate toasties one by one which is painstakingly slow. Watered and fed I get my butt down to the beach and park my arse on a sun lounger. Patai Cenang is one of the busiest and most famous beaches on the island. As lovely as it is, it doesn’t have the same wow factor as where I’ve just been.

Back at the hostel and I get chatting to Sophie from the UK who turns out is a fellow Bristolian. We head to the night market together and sample a fair few Malaysian delights…from noodles to satay chicken, a chicken egg pasty type thing to a snickers tasting waffle/pancake all washed down with a mango shake and all costing less than £3! It’s a shame this is only here once a week!

Friday and it’s time to do some exploring! I have a list of things to see and my mate James has told me it’s easy and safe to get around the island on a moped. It’s great that today I will have company too as Sophie is coming with me. Our bikes finally turn up….there doesn’t appear to be much urgency here, and after a petrol stop, we’re off.

Our first port of call is heading to the cable cars and sky bridge. To get there you drive along the coastal road which is really pretty.

Luckily the park is signposted so we don’t have to stop that often to check we’re on the right path. Walking in it’s like any other tourist attraction – full of shops, places to eat etc in Oriental Village. A ticket costs 50R (approx £10) for the cable car but don’t buy any drink beforehand to rake up with u as they make u leave everything at the bottom with ur name on it.

SkyCab is located at the oldest part of South East Asia and the first to emerge from the ancient sea and estuary, at the foothill of the Machincang mountain. It reaches an elevation of 708m asl (seems nothing in comparison to the heights in South America).

The cable car gives great views out over the island and the mountains and quite steep at times so ur ears pop.

There’s a midway point with a viewpoint then up to the top (it’s some 4400m in length) where there are 2 more which provide spectacular 360 degrees panoramic views of the Langkawi islands and Southern Thailand.

From here, you also access the Sky Bridge which is an extra fee of either 15R to use the funicular or 5R to use the walkway. The bridge is suspended from a 82m high single pylon and hangs at about 100m above ground. It can accommodate up to 250 people at the same time.

It swings out over the landscape which gives a fabulous perspective and view of the mountainous jungle below and out to sea. Measuring at 125m in length, it ranks among the world’s longest curve suspension bridges.

There’s a whole host of other attractions here too but you pay a higher fee on ticket price. These include a 6D cinema, a sky dome etc but these are not really of interest to us and with a lot to see, we move on.

Not far from here is the Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls which means Seven Wells, referring to a series of seven connected natural pools fed by seven separate waterfalls in Mount Mat Cincang. It is billed as one of the island’s most wonderful natural attractions and features in every must do list.

If your just here for the falls, there are several hikes u can do, or you can drive there and from the car park, take the steps up. 100m up and you reach the base of the waterfall. A few photos and enjoy the spray from the force of the water.

Next it’s another 250m up and a total of 638 steps to reach the pools at the top which are the most welcome sight ever after climbing these steps in this heat. Strip off and I’m in!

It’s pure bliss as the sun beats down but with wanting to see more and the day vanishing quicker than we realised, we scoot off.

I had been told about Black Sand beach so we make a quick stop here for a photo.

It’s a bit of a nothing beach, not even proper black sand…just more laced with dirt. There’s also a massive cement looking factory in the distance too. I’m not sure why this place has such an appeal. Some locals believe the black sand to be a result of a centuries-old curse laid by a mermaid because a fisherman had stolen her ring. Others claim that it’s soil from the rice paddy fields that were burned by farmers back in 1821.

From here it’s up to the northern top of the island and one of the nicest beaches in Langkawi, Pantai Tanjung Rhu. It’s quiet, tranquil with some good tunes gently oozing from a bamboo bar. The sand is white, the sea is glistening and there are beautiful trees and lime stone formations jutting out of the water.

It isn’t at all crowded and it’s hot, very bloody hot. This wd be a great place to spend the day and I wish we had more time but it’s been a full on day and we have to get back.

It’s a lovely ride back to the hostel, the sun beating down and some good open roads we can just zoom along. Driving on the A’s e dude as the UK is a definite bonus for us. To celebrate a lovely day, back in Cenang, we go to a great beach side bar Thirstday to watch the sunset.

It’s Saturday and the 1st Dec. I cannot shake the miserable and depressing mood I am in. Today marks the start of my last month and only 22 days left. How the hell has that happened. Where have the last 10 months gone and how have they gone so quick. I’m just not ready to come back home yet….the thought of home, work, mundane boring life has me constantly fighting back tears. 2019 is sure gonna suck!!!

I get my act together and get my ass down to the beach, still quite teary. I enjoy my last day on the beach here until some dark angry clouds arrive calling time on todays sunbathing….I needed to pack anyway. I end my last night in Langkawi back in the same bar as last night watching the sunset and talking to my good friend Manda back home, sharing my woes about my impending return.

Anyone who tells me all good things must come to an end is likely to get a slap!