Things To Do In Pulau Langkawi

Pulau Langkawi will be the focus of this post. =D It is a cluster of 99 islands in Malaysia and famous with its fascinating legends, duty free shopping and beautiful beaches. (quoted from tourism.gov.my - click here for more information)

What's the legend? There is a tragic story of a beautiful young lady named Mahsuri, and it is a tale of love, jealousy and a curse that was placed upon the island by her for seven generations. Second, did I just said duty free shopping? Yes! Langkawi is where you can have cheap wines and chocolates, and also other imported items. A mug of beer here is cheaper than a cup of fruit juice. A bar of chocolate can cost RM5-10 cheaper than supermarkets. Definitely a place for alcoholics and chocolate lovers. Thirdly, you can't miss the beautiful beaches here! From tourists' favourite hang-out spot Pantai Cenang to Pantai Tengah to Tanjung Rhu. You can visit all of them if you want to, because Langkawi is a small island. Looking for an island getaway? Pulau Langkawi will be a good idea for you =D

Today, I am gonna share some experience and also my compile what I've missed out during my previous trips to put it into my wishlist. Hope it helps! 

Don't know how to get there? Don't know what to eat? Don't know what to see? Don't know what to buy? Don't know where to stay? This post will help you. =)

THINGS TO EXPECT BEFORE GOING TO LANGKAWI

#1 How To Go To Pulau Langkawi

There are 2 modes of transportation to Pulau Langkawi. You can either take ferry, from multiple ports in Malaysia (Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, Pulau Pinang aka Penang), or catch a flight to Langkawi. If you manage to get a cheap flight ticket, my suggestion would be, just fly to Langkawi. Nowadays, Malindo, Firefly and AirAsia always have promotion. Just grab one and fly. It would save you from sea sick and also a lot of traveling time. 

#2 Mode of Transport in Pulau Langkawi

Please bring your driving license to Langkawi as the main mode of transport here mostly by self-drive, either a car or a motorcycle. I would recommend a car as it can carry your luggage and also it can protect you from excessive sun exposure and also heavy rain. Another point is, some roads in Langkawi get real dark at night and it might not safe for you to drive a motorcycle that time. But if you are adventurous enough, go for motorcycle! That would be a whole new chapter of travel experience. =)

Price for car rental can hike up a lot during peak season. I've got mine for RM140 for 48 hours, a small car (Proton Savvy).We picked a counter in the airport and got the car. Few months back, my friend came here on Labour Day, the people charged RM250 for 24 hours, which is almost 4 times our price. Crazy! So, best time to come to Langkawi would be off-peak season. You can enjoy the not-so-pack beach and also avoid overcharge for everything (food, car rental, hotel). Save money $$ to shop!

#3 What to See in Pulau Langkawi

I would like to recommend some place of interest for you in see in Pulau Langkawi. Hope it will help in your planning. 

(a) Eagle Square (Dataran Lang) is like a significant tourist spot. If you never take a photo with this eagle, you don't seem to visit Langkawi. It is located in Kuah Town, walking distance from the Jetty. Eagle Square is the place that reflects origin of Langkawi's name. It is marked by a massive 12-meter sculpture of a reddish brown eagle which is poised to take off. Langkawi's name has been derived from reddish brown eagle (In old Malay Language, Helang  means Eagle, and Kawi stands for reddish brown). This complex is open 24 hours everyday with free admission. So you can drop by anytime for a photo with the reddish-brown eagle. =D

Eagle Square

(b) Oriental Village -- This is where Langkawi cable car, 3D Museum and much more other activities. It is located at the foothills of Mt Machincang. If you are Malaysian, please show them your IC upon purchasing ticket to get discount (50% or more). The cable car is pretty scary as it is quite steep compared to the cable car in Genting Highlands. But, the view on the way up is amazing! 

Beautiful view taken from the cable car.

(c) Sky Bridge is another must see. I had a hard time walking there on my first trip in April 2015. Second time is better! They shorten the trekking distance but it was still pretty tiring. You need to walk for about 10 minutes from the cable car platform in order to reach the bridge.

(d) Have a drink/dinner by the sea. During our 3D2N trip, we had lunch and dinner at Pantai Cenang and Tanjung Rhu, respectively. Island getaway is about chill and relax. So this is how you do it. Enjoy the sound of the waves, watch sunset, enjoy the blue sky and fresh air, enjoy life.

Beer and sunset. Awesome match.

Sunset at Tanjung Rhu. Though it isn't a perfect one, but I enjoyed. 

Things wouldn't be perfect all the time, right?

(e) Duty free shopping. There's Coco Valley, The Zon Shopping Paradise (near Aquarium), Cenang Mall, Haji Ismail Group, Saga Duty Free Shopping Mall, etc... We went to a few of them to do price comparison. In my opinion, the price for chocolates are pretty much similar. For alcohol, each of the shopping place has their cheap items, in my opinion. Whether if you compare it one by one or not, it is still cheaper than in mainland. So, 1-2 bucks difference? Just buy and drink! On the spot! haha...

Our girls night in the hotel =D Smirnoff is too sweet!

(f) Island Hopping. This is a must do! Till Dec 2015, I have been to Pulau Langkawi for the third time and this is my first time joining island hopping tour. I regretted for not going previously. The tour is so reasonable and I enjoyed it so much! 

We didn't do much homework before the trip and hence we went to the hotel reception to ask about island hopping tour. We read in some travel blogs saying that the jetty for island hopping tours isn't just the jetty at Kuah. We were confused and went to ask the receptionist. She immediately help us to call and book for an island hopping tour for RM35 per person, with free hotel pick up. Lucky day! Luckily we didn't drive all the way to Kuah without doing any booking. And true enough, the jetty for island hopping is at Pantai Tengah, only 10 minutes away from our hotel.

Dayang Bunting Marbel Geoferest Park. 

You need to walk some stairs in order to reach the beautiful lake.

Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. This is a must-stop of an island hopping trip. It is believed that any woman who has difficulty conceiving will be blessed with a child if she drank the water from the inviting lake. 

AirAsia's Anniversary Sale

Hey all! AirAsia is now having their anniversary sale! 

Base Fare from RM13.99. Book now till 20 Dec 2015. Travel Period 4 Jan-30 June 2016. 

2015 is coming to an end. 2016 is coming soon in 16 days! Have you plan any trips for 2016 yet? This might be a good opportunity. To be honest, don't try too hard searching for RM13.99 fare. I would say, it doesn't exist or it exists in a super minimum amount. But you can look for places that you want to go, and if it is cheap, just book it! Or, you can wait for another zero fare. 

If you never been to Ho Chi Minh, this might be a good chance for you! Noted cheap fare for KL-SAIGON and its still available! With less than RM200, you definitely should go and explore this beautiful city with awesome coffee. I bought it for RM280 during another promo. So, I think this is quite a good deal. 

If you are wondering why I keep on promoting Ho Chi Minh, probably you can refer to my previous post here to read more on my travel experience. It was an amazing trip and I would want to go back HCM again, one day. But definitely not in 2016 as I want to explore other places. =D 

This is not a sponsored post. Just want to share my thought with you. So, whoever that want to explore HCM, you can consider to grab a ticket. I have got mine by the way! =D Cheers!

Kuala Lumpur: Tim Ho Wan @ One Utama

Tim Ho Wan is famous as the cheapest michelin-starred restaurant in the world. It has expanded its business from Hong Kong to all over the world, which includes Australia, Manila, Jakarta, Singapore and also Malaysia. I didn't get to try it when I was in Hong Kong in 2013. I also didn't get to try when I was in Singapore. Luckily, right after Singapore trip, I managed to try it out at their new branch in One Utama. 

Their menu at a glance. They are famous with their crispy char siew pau (脆皮叉烧包). So, we ordered one plate of char siew pau which comes in 3 pieces, and also a bowl of steamed rice with chicken and mushrooms. 

Here's the buns! They are really really nice!

I like the crispy bun and the char siew is really juicy! Yumzzz.....

Close up. Look at the juicy char siew! =P

This is a bomb! This is the best steamed rice I've ever had. The rice is really soft and the chicken is also very juicy and tender. Worth trying. Maybe you can request for less sauce as the waiter gave me too much, and it becomes a little too salty. 

Singapore Getaway Part 6: River Safari

Part 6

Last day of Singapore Trip

Time flies! It is the last day of our Singapore Trip. I wanted to explore more but our last stop River Safari is a little way out and required a lot of traveling time. From Clarke Quay to River Safari, we would need to take MRT and about 40 minutes of bus ride to reach the destination. Very sadly I have to reject a friend's appointment to meet up for breakfast. We checked out from 5FootWay Inn around 7.30am and started our journey to River Safari.

What's so special there??

River Safari is a river-themed zoo and aquarium in Singapore. I have been to Night Safari, Aquarium, Zoo, but never been to a River Safari. Something to explore. And..... this is where they keep the Panda - Kai Kai and Jia Jia! River Safari is located at 80, Mandai Lake Rd, Singapore. 

To get there with public transport, you can take either one of the options below:

(a) Take MRT to Ang Mo Kio station and take the connecting bus No. 138

(b) Take MRT to Choa Chu Kang station and take the connecting bus No. 927

I took option (b) as it seems to be faster, in my opinion. 

Let's take a quick glance at my favourite photos taken in River Safari. =) Focus on the animals ok!

The smiling crocodile. Saw its cute look and we can't stop ourselves from taking a selfie with it. ;)

The Red Panda. First time seeing it in such exposed and close distance. Get to see the zookeeper feeding red panda too. Too cute!

Panda Kai Kai.

When we entered, he seems very hungry and kept munching his food. After eating, he climbed up to the platform and took a nap. Jia Jia, on the other hand, is a shy panda. She always wander around, looking for gate to go back to her cage. She doesn't like to be displayed. 

We was there pretty early on a Monday morning and hence there are not many visitors, we can spend lots of time observing panda. If it is peak period, you might be blocked by lots of human scalp instead of getting a good view of panda. Conclusion, travel at off-peak period is always a good choice. You get to enjoy more.

Can take multiple photos with panda from multiple angles. Haha!

Singapore Getaway Part 5: Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory @ Somerset 313

Part 5

Second Day of Singapore Trip

After so much of walking, we are hungry and it's dinner time! Was thinking to have local food or Korean Fried Chicken. I read some food blogs on Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory and decided to try it. Photos look so tempting! 

Western brunch and Korean dinner. Why am I having such combination for my Singapore trip? Such a weirdo. I should be eating food like chicken rice, laksa, popiah, etc.... But wait... Those are easily accessible back in Malaysia, so yeah... Korean Fried Chicken for dinner!!

Our friend reached Somerset early and got us a table. If not, we would need to wait for about 30 minutes. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Ordered a cup of Lady killer ($16.90), which is a jumbo-sized mojito slushie comes with a downturned bottle of beer. You can drink from sweet mojito first and then mixed with beer bit by bit for the bitter taste. 

Our fried chicken. The portion is kinda huge. So we shared among 3 person and it is really filling. 

Talk about the taste, we ordered a non-spicy one as my sister is having bad stomachache. The sauce is a bomb! Thumbs up. There is another cheesy version, which I think would taste really awesome but fattening. XD Maybe next time, I would try that. 

They provide us with glove and small clip to hold the chicken wings. So thoughtful. Able to finish the whole bowl of chicken without getting dirty/oily. Yumzzz....

Singapore Getaway Part 4: Orchard Road, SEA Aquarium, Gardens By The Bay

Part 4

Second Day of Singapore Trip

After having our brunch at Wild Honey, we continued to explore Singapore bit by bit. We walked along Orchard Road, trying to enjoy city life. They are celebrating SG50 and hence there is an art exhibition. I enjoyed the exhibition a lot. People are so creative. =)

At Singapore WOW art exhibition.

Paper luminal art, this is so beautiful.

With sister in front of ION Orchard.

After a short walk at Orchard Road, we decided to proceed to Sentosa. Took MRT from Orchard station to Harbour Front station. Then, we took a bus to Sentosa, which cost us $2 per person. After about 45 minutes of traveling time, we finally reach Sentosa! We want to visit S.E.A. Aquarium, which is the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia. We bought a ticket bundle in airport -- SEA Aquarium, Gardens by the Bay and River Safari for $76 per person. Hence, this is our first stop!

At the entrance! SEA Aquarium.

Enjoying sea view. Look at the baby shark!

My favourite fish -- cute but dangerous one. Pufferfish! =D

Signature tourist pose. Surrounded by fish.

After spending 1-2 hours in the aquarium, we decided to proceed our tour to Gardens by the Bay (Cloud Forest and Flower Dome). 

Came to Sentosa, how to not take a photo here? A bit regret that I didn't manage to explore USS due to time constriction. Next time... Next time....

Then, we caught MRT from Sentosa to Harbourfront. Then, we changed MRT to Chinatown --> Bayfront station.

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Second trip to Gardens by the Bay. Want to enjoy the day view of it. You may click here to read more at their official website.

Singapore Getaway Part 3: Brunch at Wild Honey @ Mandarin Gallery

Part 3

Second Day of Singapore Trip

The next morning, we allowed ourselves to get enough sleep before another long traveling day. Friend helped to reserve a table at Wild Honey at 11.15am for brunch. Hence we decided to wake up just on time for brunch. Relaxing trip. ^_^ I enjoyed a cup of coffee at the terrace, enjoying the view of MBS and Singapore river, before heading out.

This might look familiar as I uploaded before in my preview post. I really miss the nice view.

We headed to Dhoby Gaut MRT station to meet up with my friend. Then, we headed to Somerset MRT station and walked to Mandarin Gallery. This is my first time here and it seems to be a classy place.

Wild Honey -- No Place Like Home. 

This cafe looks really cozy and it is really packed in the morning. Seems like everyone made their reservations beforehand. Luckily we reserved a table too. If I were to walk in, don't think I'll get to try this cafe.

It was full house when we reached there. Waited around 5-10 minutes for our seats. 

The Menu

I ordered a cup of latte and it was quite decent.

Our food. ^_^

Let's take a closer look at each dishes!!

Singapore Getaway Part 2: Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Merlion Park, Chapter 55, Gardens by the Bay, Clarke Quay

Part 2

First Day of Singapore Trip

After exploring Haji Lane, we decided to check out a temple nearby as my friend strongly recommended that. Hence, with the help of google map, we successfully reach the temple -- Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple (观音堂佛祖庙). It is situated at 178 Waterloo Street, and is of significance to the Chinese in Singapore. This temple has existed since 1884 at its present location. When we were there, there are a lot of people praying. 

It was raining when we were walking there. But, the rain can't stop us. 

After that, we decided to walk back to Bugis Junction because the rain gets heavier. Feel so lazy to explore further due to the rain. Our hair got really messy. Hence we had steamed bread at Ya Kun Kaya Toast and went back to hostel to rest for a while. 

Steamed bread at Ya Kun Kaya Toast. It was really good! I would go back for this!

Around 5pm, my friend finished work and we went to explore more places. I haven't been to Singapore for almost 2 decades and hence I need to go to typical tourist spots -- Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens By The Bay, etc etc.....

Panaroma view from Fullerton Bay Hotel. Great view from here.
If we were to have a drink at Lantern bar, it would be soooooo great. 

Sis and me with MBS as background. ^_^

Fountain and MBS. Nice! 

Merlion Park.

Esplanade -- Theatres on the Bay

After walking from Merlion Park to Esplanade, we decided to grab our dinner at Chapter 55, Tiong Bahru. My friend strongly recommend this restaurant as they sell great Italian food. 

We ordered 3 different dishes to try -- Crayfish pasta, Aglio Olio and a Pizza. Personally, I think the Aglio Olio isn't nice. Crayfish pasta is special whereas the pizza is crispy, quite like the texture. 

Crayfish Pasta

Pizza, with lots of olives! 

Seafood Aglio Olio

It rained again while we were having dinner. Luckily the rain stopped after we finished dinner. Thank god! Then we could continue to explore tourist spots -- Gardens By The Bay and Clarke Quay.

Night view at Gardens By The Bay. This is so beautiful! But quite hard to capture a nice photo as it was too dark at night. So I would suggest to go Gardens By The Bay in the morning and also at night. It has different view/feel at different time.