This past week we came dangerously close to entering a particular phase or mindset of long term travel/backpacking…what we’ve clumsily called the do nothing and not regret it phase.
Our week in Langkawi started off rocky but got better by the day. Getting to the Penang ferry wasn’t as clear as our Love Lane Inn host made it out to be, so at around 8:15 am on Monday, we were running to the ferry like we were contestants on The Amazing Race. We were one of the last passengers to board. The ride started off smoothly as the boat slowly made its way out of the bay, giving us great views of the city and a couple of cruise liners waiting nearby. As the ferry entered open water, it picked up speed and soon the whole cabin was rocking violently over some pretty substantial waves. And then the vomiting started…but not us…thankfully. Children and some adults were retching quite a bit…some getting it into plastic bags and others not quite so lucky. This went on for much of the 2hr 45 min journey. We’d never been so happy to set foot back on dry land.
Zackry Guesthouse…rooms on the left and communal area on the right behind the tree.
Langkawi is an archipelago of some 104 islands off the mainland coast of northwest Malaysia. We had reservations at Zackry Guesthouse, which is on the southwest side of the main island, and took a 30 minute cab ride from the ferry to get there. As we drove along and passed many fun guesthouses, restaurants, and bars, we realized we were staying away from all “the action.” We checked in, got the house rules, dropped our gear, changed into swimsuits, and headed straight out for lunch before hitting the beach (a nine-minute walk away). It was beach love at first sight, and any reservations we had about where we would be spending the week quickly faded away.
The beautiful surroundings made beach bums out of us for the week.
To make us feel even better, we went out for a walk to explore the backpacker area and Cenang beach and realized not only that we weren’t missing anything but that “our” beach, Tengah, was much better. The sandy beach is wider, there are fewer people, and it’s mostly filled with hotels, not bars and cafes. The low season contributed to fewer tourists on the beach, but it also meant that many of the nearby restaurants were closed or had limited hours. Amy was slightly frustrated that no shave ice or other fruit drink places were open for a post-beach snack, but that’s a minor inconvenience to pay for a budget-friendly paradise! We were able to find a good budget dining option nearby, Mangga, for lunch/dinner and were also able to cook our own breakfasts at the guesthouse. Zakry’s owner and manager even cooked Malaysian dinners for everyone three nights of our stay. These were some of the real culinary highlights of our time in Langkawi. There’s a nearby karaoke bar, Sunba, that everyone visited almost every night, but we opted to stay in and enjoy the $1 beers at the communal area…and the football when Euro 2012 started on Friday night.
Sam on the 1s and 2s…and by that…I mean the grill.
If we weren’t reading on the beach (which we did every day) or wishing that we could stay at the resort with the fancy pool (even though we still stealthily used their beach chairs and toilets!), we were hanging out at the guesthouse with fellow travelers (a couple of Germans, a couple of Swiss, and a Brit) who were there for the week as well…or longer…and gave good travel advice. Managers Sam and Joe were always up to talk, play guitar, and share a beer and worked diligently on bringing everyone together each night.
Travelers around the table.
There’s plenty to see and do along Langkawi’s 25km coastline, but if it wasn’t within the 4-5km zone we established around ourselves, we couldn’t tell you anything about it! Each night, we told ourselves, “Tomorrow, we’ll rent a bike and go see some sights.” Every morning we shrugged it off in favor of going back to the beach or hanging out with guesthouse mates. We were plagued by a touch of guilt, but we also knew that this was the first time we’d had more of a “vacation” on this journey; that is, not moving from place to place every other day and seeing/doing as much as possible with limited time in those cities.
A cafe along Cenang Beach…of course we didn’t try it.
We also knew that to make the most of our budget (and to actually get some site work and writing work done) we’d need to camp out in one location. In looking over the next month or so of our trip, we’re already seeing that such (in)activity is likely to become the order of the tour. Quite frankly, we got used to it fast. We saw that a similar feeling had infected at least one other traveler who had already extended his stay at Zackry multiple times.
As we took the ferry away from Langkawi, I told Amy we could always go back and spend more time on the island. It’s easy to get to Thailand from there, which is the next country on our itinerary. Maybe we’ll get back in a few weeks and actually rent that bike and ride the cable car, swim in the waterfalls, and do a couple of day-long island hopping tours…or maybe we’ll just spend another week laying on the beach and hanging out with new travelers.
Until next time…”Minum!”
More Langkawi Photos To Come!
