Hello my name is Raisah: July 2013

Officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah, the beautiful island has a lot to offer. It is only an hour flight away from KL which makes it a perfect weekend getaway for those who live there. There are flights from KL to Langkawi daily and at various hours which makes it very convenient to get to. The airport is also located very close to the coast and the beach that we went to called Cenang. We stayed at an interesting homestay place located near Cenang. They offered bikes for rent which was the perfect way to go around. After we checked in and had a tasty breakfast on the deck we hopped on the bikes and went to the beach in front of Babylon (a really cool bar on Cenang). We spent the whole day at the beach, enjoying the sun, eating local rambutan, swimming and relaxing.

Towards the end of the day my friend got stung by something in the water and we had to go to the hospital, luckily there was a local to help us get there. After a few shots she said she felt better and that she was hungry so we made it back to Babylon for a tasty dinner.

We tried barbecued fish, prawns and satay and for those that don’t enjoy very spicy food a piece of advice is to ask for the chilli sauce on the side. After dinner we biked back to the homestay place and after chilling a bit on the terrace by the sea listening to the waves and to the chillout music played on the speakers and enjoying the sea breeze.

The following morning we had breakfast and then returned to the rooms to chill because it was drizzling on and off. I found the rain relaxing and went around the place we stayed at to take a few photos.

We relaxed until lunch and then the rain stopped so I got on the bike to explore. I went as far as the main road by the beach went and then left the bike and continued walking. Wide beach, clean and surrounded by a lot of vegetation. Like a little piece of heaven.

Langkawi is a place I would return to and I would like to see more of, I know about the cable cars that take you up to the peak of GunungMat Chinchang, where the Langkawi Sky Bridge is located. And they also offer craft workshops and I read about its museums. Hopefully I will be able to stay there for longer next time and tell you more about it.

The third tropical fruit to feature in my blog is the rambutan. It originates from Malaysia and Indonesia and its name comes from the word rambut which in Malay means hair. No wonder why.

They told me to select the red ones as they are sweeter.

I wasn’t sure how to peel it and I wanted to check online, but I did not have internet so I just tried to press and cracked it open. Because of how we got used with technology my first thought was to check how to do it online. I am not against technology, on the contrary, I think it is fantastic how many things you can see, learn and understand online, but I don’t think we should 100% rely on technology and the internet. For example it is great to have a sat nav, especially if you are somewhere for the first time, but don’t listen to it blindly, follow the road, learn it so you don’t have to use it next time and don’t even bother using it in your city – learn your city streets! Anyway back to rambutan. Wild looking tropical fruit.