The Visa Run (2 March - 3 March 2011)

I now leave Thailand as my welcome has run out, so have to do a visa run. Most people take a day to do this, nip over the border and then back. But I take the opportunity to see a bit more of Asia and take the trip to Langkawi, Malaysia for a couple of weeks, a new place in Malaysia, but sadly not a new pin.... The fact that it's a duty free area in an Islamic country that is not so keen on booze so it is generally expensive everywhere else but here, really had nothing to do with my decision - honest.... Again, I go the long way round, far south to Kuala Lumpur and then north again almost back to the Thai border. I take Air Asia again for both flights. Really good airline (voted the best budget airline in the world for 2010) and really low fares. The only issue is that like lots of budget airlines, delays are quite common. On the first leg, I was delayed by an hour but had luckily left enough time for the connecting flight. A good job really, as when I read the small print I realise that Air Asia is a "point to point" carrier only, meaning that you can't check luggage through, you have to collect it, go through customs and immigration and check in again for the second leg. And if the delay on your first flight causes you to miss your second flight - tough, even though it is their fault. Now I know why at the booking stage they keep recommending delay insurance......
But it all worked out fine. Air Asia use the LCCT (low cost carrier terminal) in Kuala Lumpur rather than the swisher International one. It does what it says on the tin! Functional to say the least, rather like a big aircraft hangar, but efficient. No escalators, walkways or airbridges here. Off the plane and across the tarmac in a long snake of people. The same in reverse to get on your flight. It's really weird, there are people walking everywhere in lines like human trains to different flights, how everyone gets on the right one is beyond me, but they do and it appears very efficient. Outside the terminal is bustling with people, cars and buses and many branches of western food chains. But a distinctive smell, drains (or is that Durian?) and clove cigarettes which take me right back to Bali.
So it was a late arrival at Langkawi and I check into my hotel, the Awana Porto Malai, just south of the main beach area Pantai Cenang. I am pleased to see the notice at the entrance declaring it a Durian fruit free zone.... It was difficult to find the smaller type of beach hotel here that you can find everywhere in Thailand, so this one is a bit more "resorty" than usual, but nice and very quiet. There are more locals here than Europeans. I discover that it does have a beach, but that it is on a private island with a boat shuttle, will investigate that later. But not too bothered about a beach, there are some scary stories around of people being attacked by box jellyfish..... I bag a room with a huge terrace looking out across the small marina to the sea. It's only when I wake up the next morning that I see the stunning view. Langkawi is made up of 99 islands, of which only three are inhabited. I think I can see most of them from my terrace, amazing. Small, dark green, wooded, pointy islands everywhere, in parts looking like the pictures of Halong Bay. Definitely a room with a view!







But there is nice quiet pool area to cool down, complete with a family of chickens wandering around.....

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