/ 12 May 2005

Laid-back Langkawi

The last thing we expected on the back-roads of Langkawi was a traffic jam. But there we were, marooned behind a rickety old Datsun pick-up, inhaling the primeval pungency of its cargo of fruit as they warmed in the midday sun. The old man at the wheel was patiently waiting on a monitor lizard — four feet of shimmering silver from tail to flickering tongue — to amble across the road. No one thought to hoot a horn. Ayman, our taxi driver, simply smiled and said: “Welcome to Langkawi.”

We had decided to end a hectic few weeks exploring Malaysia with a rest on this idyllic island in the Andaman Sea. It has some of the best beaches in Malaysia, but unfortunately this perfection comes at a price. Affordable accommodation can still be found — the basic beach-side chalets at Melati Tanjung are great for a night or two — but to really do this island justice it’s worth splashing out for some luxury.

Overlooking the bay of Pantai Datai on the north side, the opulent Datai or family friendly Andaman hotels are beautifully designed, with creepers cascading from the limestone cliffs behind and views out over the ocean.

Datai bay has the island’s best beaches — white sands and jungle-clad cliffs, and no salesmen trying to flog you mass-produced trinkets masquerading as local charm bracelets.

However, for somewhere more individual and down-to-earth, the Bon Ton easily won our vote — despite being a serious hike from the sweeping beach and bars at Pantai Cenang. Part of the draw is its superb restaurant serving a fusion of Malay, Australian and Balinese food, including the best laksa I’ve ever tasted.

Eating vies with chilling out at the pool or beach as one of the most satisfying ways of spending your time on Langkawi. At one end of the scale is the Gulai House at the Andaman, designed in the style of a Malay sultan’s palace. It serves some superb (if pompously presented) Malay and Indian-influenced food, including, on our visit, a tangy tandoori snapper and coconut-rich beef rendang. Yet, despite its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Malaysia, it costs half the price of a decent meal in London.

But Langkawi is not all about posh nosh. Excellent if more down-to-earth Malay food can be found for ridiculously few ringgits at local restaurants such as the Siti Fatimah roadside canteen in Padang Matsirat. Here, we joined locals for a buffet-style lunch — a feast of mixed rice dishes with spiced fish, meat and vegetable curries. As at the Gulai House, eating was done Malay-style with a fork and a spoon.

If you tire of white beaches and cocktails by the pool, there is the mountainous interior to explore. Getting about is easy; cabs can be hired very cheaply. Best of the options is the Langkawi Canopy Adventure, where balancing precariously on an aerial walkway brings you alarmingly close to the flora and fauna that sets up home high in the tree tops.

It took some encouragement, but as we gamely wobbled along, monkeys screeched at the intrusion, brightly coloured birds took flight and enormous reptiles and insects froze to the trees. We were well rewarded for our snooping, spotting first a flying squirrel and then an absurdly top-heavy hornbill.

Pulau Lankawi is the largest island in an archipelago of more than 100 smaller islands and outcrops, and chartering a boat is the best way to appreciate the islets on this extraordinary coastline, with their limestone pinnacles, uninhabited jungles and deserted beaches.

Bon Ton has a traditional 60-year-old wooden sailing boat, which can be chartered by the half, or full day (the four Langkawi marinas also have boats for charter). There is blissfully little to do when you drop anchor at a deserted cove on one of the smaller islands except to chill out, swim, munch on a barbecued prawn or two, bury your toes in the warm sand and wonder if Ursula will emerge from the sea. — Â