Being roughly 94 square miles in size, and 1.8 million in population, it means that it is overwhelmingly large. You can barely scratch the surface even after multiple days on multiple visits.  There is a lot to see and do in this city! Kuala Lumpur is very tourist friendly and fairly easy to get to (although the airport is pretty far out of the city). In fact, Kuala Lumpur was the 6th most visited city in the world in 2019.

I have had three overnight experiences in Kuala Lumpur (KL). However, I’m not counting number three as I was sick and didn’t leave the hotel (PS, Sofitel KL was fantastic! Highly recommend this place, the service and rooms were impeccable).

My first trip was in 2020 (see our Penang blog about my getting kicked out). I fell in love with the city in the brief 36 hours I was there. A side note as to how I ended up in Malaysia: in 2019 we were on a manta ray snorkeling boat in Nusa Penida, Indonesia with a lady from Malaysia who said it was one of the most underrated places on the planet, she said it was beautiful scenically and culturally. I was immediately sold and added it on to my 2020 Southeast Asia, post-Bali retreat, itinerary.

First on the MUST DO for Kuala Lumpur:  The Batu Caves

The Batu Caves are just a short distance from KL, a train ride (or Grab) will take you to this amazing Instagram worthy destination just outside of the city. These stunning limestone caves are home to a number of Hindu temples. And climbing the stairs up to the main cave is an experience you won’t forget any time soon.

Greeted by Murugan (a gold statue of a deity 140 feet tall), you walk up 272 brightly colored steps (ok, not so bright when you are standing on top of them), and into a large Temple cave.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I was absolutely awe-struck. Murugan is incredible!! Not to mention, the caves themselves are beautiful – the limestone is 400 million years old!! Unfathomable.

I know 272 steps sounds exhausting, but in reality, you just break it up into colored sections. Take it in bite-size amounts and you will be at the top before you know it.  Do not let a lack of endurance stop you from doing this climb.

There are several temples on site you can visit. Dark Cave is on the way up to the Temple Cave, additionally there is the Cave Villa, and Ramayana Cave (with a gold statue of Hanuman, the monkey in Hindu Mythology).

Entrance is free, but we suggest you get there early to avoid crowds, and wear pants that cover your knees or be prepared to buy a sarong.  I absolutely loved getting to experience this with my sister, loved the sarong I had to buy, and the cave temple is flat out amazing, absolutely beautiful.

And Because My Sister is the Spawn of Satan

Afer a morning at the Batu Caves, we had to hit up the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower (or KL Tower).  A 421-meter-tall tower in the city center, the seventh tallest tower in the world, you just can’t miss it.

And naturally it has an observation deck with amazing views of the city.  At the top is a revolving restaurant providing 360 degree views of the city.  And of course. . ..

It has a Sky Deck.

ssn – first of all, I’m telling mom. Second, it is a must do and I think you secretly enjoyed it.

The KL Tower Sky Deck

There are two sky decks, by the way, because apparently having just one is letting us off easy. 

The two sky decks are extended platforms on the observation deck that have glass bottom floors 300 meters above the ground. Hardly terrifying at all.  Technically it’s a fully enclosed glass box in the sky, hanging off the edge of the seventh tallest structure in the world.

And the bonus, you pay extra money for this death-defying experience.

Luckily, once you’ve faced death and have an appropriate adrenaline rush, it’s only a 52-second elevator ride to the bottom.  Nice safe earth space, where you can also explore the Upside-down house, and the World Peace Gong.

Kuala Lumpur Temples and Mosques

With a large Muslim population in KL, the National Mosque is in KL and open for tours.  You have to wear the appropriate garments and they have them available for you to borrow (and yes, they are cleaned between uses). 

Also in Kuala Lumpur are many Hindu and Chinese temples.

One of the biggest, and most elaborate is the Thean Hou Temple, it’s a large temple on a hill, where you can tour the grounds and experience the beautiful décor of the Chinese temple tradition.  They have beautiful sculptures of dragons and mystical animals imbedded into the décor, as well as a garden area with statues of the animals of Chinese Astrology.

If you love the Hindu culture, Sri Maha Mariamman is near the central market and has the same amazing carvings that you will find on the buildings surrounding the Batu Caves. This is the oldest Hindu Temple in KL, founded in 1873 and is right on the edge of Chinatown.

Kuala Lumpur Street Art

While preparing for our visit to Penang and the fantastic street art in Georgetown, we decided to kill some time exploring the city street art scene. 

We recommend starting on Alor Backspace Street Art and walking your way down Jalan Rembia to Frog Street.  Full building murals lining the entire street, with little pieces thrown in here and there on side streets.  Many beautiful art exhibits yours to wander for free in this amazing city center.

Luckily this area will also keep you near Chinatown, Jalan Petaling Street Market, AND Jalan Alor. Don’t miss these for amazing food experiences.

Selangor Pewter Factory

As part of our cultural tour of Malaysia we toured the Selangor Pewter factory.  Interesting tour about the history of pewter in Malaysia and the trade business.  You also get to watch the pouring, molding, and polishing of the pewter pieces.  At one point you can try your hand at imprinting patterns on a mug and realize how talented these workers are.  The tour ends at the gift shop (naturally), and there are some interesting and cool pieces you can purchase, both whimsical, touristy, and practical pieces are all available.

Kuala Lumpur City Center Water Show

Before you Grab to Jalan Alor (and you should, see below) for dinner, the KLCC has an evening water show.  Well, light show? No, music show?  Maybe. . . My Grab driver had an earful for me about what to see and do, and he said to go to this show, and I said “the light show” he said “no, the water show” . . .turns out it’s the same dang thing.

Walkable from our hotel (Ibis KL City Center is affordable and has an infinity pool!), the KLCC Park water show backs up to the Suria KLCC, an exquisite shopping mall with high end boutique stores and some traditional American chains.  Everyone just finds a seat on the grassy hill or on the cement steps outside the mall, and at 8 pm the water/light/music show begins.  American pop hits set to a fountain water show (think Bellagio in Vegas), and yes, it lights up too.

ssn – just keeping it real…the water/light show was just ok. It was no Bellagio. Looking back, I would have rather taken the time to go to Jalon Alor Hawker Stands.

Petronas Towers

This is also at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers, iconic twin skyscrapers 88 floors in height.  They are the tallest twin towers in the world! You can opt to buy tickets to explore the towers and the walkway between.  They are beautifully lit up at night, and are great for a photo op.  However, once you’ve done the Menara KL, the towers are just more views of the city.  But they are pretty to look at.

Let’s Talk a Few Food and Drink Suggestions

Jalon Alor Street Food

If you’re a foodie, KL won’t disappoint. The city is famous for its street food, and there’s no better place to sample it than at Jalan Alor. This bustling street is packed with food stalls serving up everything from satay to seafood to tasty desserts, and it’s a great place to experience the local culture.

It is where I had grilled stingray for the first (and only) time, and had this amazing butter prawn dish, where the butter was spun into a nest for the grilled prawns to sit on. AMAZING.

You can get something for every palette on Jalan Alor, but only in the evenings. Hawker stands provide a great glimpse of real Malaysian food from quick bites to dessert, and everything in between.  Jalan Alor is definitely on my “must-do” list if you are in KL.

Gravy Baby

KL has a Gravy Baby!  And if you loved our Penang post, you heard all about our love of Gravy Baby.

Old Shanghai and The Opium Bar

We were fortunate enough to stumble upon Old Shanghai at the end of our Street Art excursion.  A fantastic restaurant just outside of Chinatown on Changkat Bukit Bintang.  We naturally were drawn to the bar, and experienced an amazing cocktail list that wowed us and kept us wanting to stay longer. 

This street is also home to a number of bars and worth your time to wander and bar hop for an evening.

ssn – I loved this area of KL (Bukit Bintang) – The Opium Bar is on my list of best bars of the year. If Patti would have been feeling better on our last night here, this is where we would have spent our time. The bars looked fun and inventive and the streets had lots of character (and without being night-clubby)

Bonus point for the foot massage palaces at the end of the street! And KL has late night foot massages as a norm.

The area is very late-night activity friendly, and not in a sordid way.  The night we got kicked out of Malaysia, we were getting foot massages at 10 pm, the place was packed, and there were several families with children all getting foot massages. 

The downside of this is there are few early morning activities, as mornings tend to start later (and don’t expect to find a cocktail before 2 pm).

The Sai Hills Corner

We had breakfast a couple of blocks away from the KL Tower at a little restaurant with great reviews.  It was a hole in the wall, life changing kind of find that we lucked out to stumble upon. We were greeted at the door by two Indian men, one of whom exclaimed that Peggy looked like Princess Diana! (I can’t believe the Princess didn’t SSN this) They brought us to our table, showering us with compliments and assured us we would get the best food from them.  As we were there during Ramadan, we believe they were happy to have people eating after sunrise in their establishment. Sai Hills Corner was amazing.  They recommended we try the Roti Cenai, as it is a Malaysian staple, and they would bring us their best, one with egg, one with just butter and sugar.

I got up to look around, and there was grandpa on the flat top thinning out the dough before slapping it down, adding a huge hunk of butter and then sprinkling it with sugar.  This was not the day for me to worry about my cholesterol or blood sugar levels.  This was heaven!  It was truly magical.  They brought us three different sauces to try with it, with different levels of spices.  And then brought us a little bit of their chicken tikka masala from their buffet, which was equally delicious.  It makes me sad that we didn’t go back for a second round.

The Famous Fish Head Curry

Another Malaysian specialty can be found at House of Fish Head Curry by Ratha’s Kitchen.  This was right across the street from our hotel:  Ibis Kuala Lumpur City Center, which in case you missed it above, reasonably priced AND a rooftop infinity pool. . .We gotta add a picture for you).  And I know for some of you the thought of fish head makes you shiver in disgust, but this curry is fantastic.  You should really be brave enough to try this local delicacy.

Kuala Lumpur Wrap Up

Kuala Lumpur is a great place to visit, especially if big cities are your thing.  There is plenty to do, amazing food scene to explore, and a never-ending supply of Malaysian cultural stops to add to your tour.  It is definitely a place you should be eye-balling for your next exploration of SE Asia.

Other Malaysia Destinations

• Penang
• Ipoh
• Langkawi

Our itinerary was 2 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 1 night in Ipoh, 2 nights in Penang, 1 night in Langkawi and 1 final night in Kuala Lumpur. We grabbed a ride from mydaytrip.com in the afternoon and had a lovely 2 hour drive to Ipoh.

Ipoh is the fourth largest city in Malaysia and is about 2 1/4 hours north of Kuala Lumpur and south east of Penang. The most common way to get to Ipoh is by train. The train schedule didn’t match up with our wants and needs, so we decided to hire a driver.

Peggy had seen pictures of this delightful little town online and deemed it worthy of a stop.

This decision became solidified when she found The Haven.

The Haven Ipoh

The Haven All Suites Resort is a gorgeous resort on the outskirts of Ipoh.  Set beside a cute little lake, and framed by natural limestone geographic landmarks, The Haven provides a beautiful backdrop for a “relax and unwind” kind of getaway.

The Haven has won multiple awards for Luxury Travel, being Eco-friendly, and Travelers’ Choice awards on TripAdvisor.

For those who are interested in energy conservation and reducing your carbon footprint, it is important to note that The Haven uses almost all natural energy sources. Wind, solar, and water all are used to generate heating and lighting for the common areas.

Incredible Views at The Haven

There is a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks a natural lake, and a 280-million-year-old boulder.  Throw in an onsite restaurant, spa, and fitness center, and you never need to leave (nor will you want to).

We had booked a one-bedroom suite. However, we were actually assigned a three-bedroom suite, with the restriction that we would be charged if we actually used the other rooms.  The air conditioner was thankfully quick to cool down the room and our view was amazing. The suite also came with a courtesy bar (that included no alcohol) of snacks, juice, and tea.

We were given tickets upon check-in for a “Free Welcome Drink” in the restaurant.  You can imagine our dismay when we found out that “drink” is not synonymous with “cocktail” in Malaysia.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – not only was the “welcome drink” not alcoholic, it was heavily restricted on the hours it was served. LOL.

Heading into Old Town Ipoh

The downside to The Haven is if you actually want to leave the resort, it’s a 20-minute drive into the town itself. 

We grabbed a Grab and headed out for evening cocktails.

Our first stop was Concubine Lane.

Concubine Lane

Apparently, “back in the day” Malaysian men loved keeping a mistress (see Penang blog regarding Love Lane).  And Concubine Lane was where the mistresses were kept.  Ipoh’s dirty little secret has been turned into a cute little alley appealing to tourists for food and local shopping.  Just over 100m in length, it’s located in Old Town Ipoh. Easy to find, easy to walk, and quite adorable.

Luckily, we were there on a Tuesday evening, and it was almost completely empty. It can get pretty busy during the day and on weekends. 

There is also a night food market on Jalan Yau Tet Shin which brings in plenty of foot traffic and can make evenings on the weekend a little more hustle and bustle than our experience.

Ipoh is a Walkable Town

We noticed a white tower sticking up a few blocks down. Not large, just enough to peak over the top of the downtown two-story buildings.  We took a little stroll and discovered the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, the High Court building, a cute little park called Padang Ipoh, and the Negeri Perak Mosque.

But by then it was finally time. . .

Time for a Cocktail

Reflecting back to previous posts on Penang and Langkawi, what we Americans know as a speakeasy are generally referred to as a “hidden bar”.  This reflects the fact that Malaysians never had a prohibition era, so there was never any such thing as a speakeasy.  However, they love the mysterious vibe of having a hidden bar.

While technically not a hidden bar, Above was a good starting point for us.  The sign is out front, however we feel this qualifies as a hidden bar because once you enter the lobby it gets a little confusing.  It’s on the rooftop, but the rest is an apartment building.  There are stairs, but the roof is at least 4 stories up and we are not sold on the idea of hiking up 4 flights of stairs in the evening heat. There is actually nothing in this little lobby area (lobby is a stretch, picture a mud room with a staircase) to denote that there is a bar or restaurant or anything besides general safety instructions for residents.

But there is an elevator, ah ha, an elevator!  Once you step into the elevator, there is a note that to get to Above, take the elevator to the 4^th floor and then walk up the extra flight to the rooftop, success!

Above Gastropub

And it’s adorable.  Open air, but covered so not in the blistering heat, cute little dining patio, fantastic sounding food, and a bar in the middle of the restaurant. 

The lady behind the bar is nice and chatty and recommends exactly what we were planning on ordering as her favorites.  She had spent time in the United States and was happy to chat in English.  She was also training a young man, who seemed very nervous, and was slow and methodical with his cocktail making.

The drinks were fantastic! After the man had finished making our cocktails, he was happy to tell us about how he was from Columbia, and he and his wife had just moved to Ipoh to be closer to her family. Very cute little story, we love this part of traveling, hearing other people’s story. 

In conversation, we explained our hidden bar mission. The lady told us her favorite hidden bar was Lumi, and suggested we go there.  Upon pulling it up on the map, it was a little too far to walk, but we filed it away in the back of our minds, and headed on to Caina Bank.

ssn – Above had a great vibe – it is just what you want in a rooftop bar….well, just what I want. Meaning, it’s shaded! Great views, lots of plants, little cafe tables, glass partitioning and relaxed atmosphere.

A Great Example of a Hidden Bar

Caina Bank lists it’s address on Google, it appears on Google Maps, but it does not have any outdoor signage.

We found the address, and it was simply a door leading up a set of stairs.

So, we followed the stairs.  On the first landing was a bank vault looking door, and I could hear music coming from the other side. Despite the lock, the door opened easily, and voila, Hidden Bar.

Caina Bank (It’s a Bar!)

A gorgeous hidden bar.  One of my favorite hidden bars to date.  Chinese décor, but with a bank twist to things.  Our table was a floor safe, another table was a fake stack of money.  The seating was fabulous Chinese inspired stools around larger gathering tables.  We opted for the couch.  

My drink was amazing, and I’d love to tell you the name of it, but it was in Chinese, and it turns out I don’t read Chinese (or speak it, but whatever).  Sea Coconut infused vodka, Pineapple, and citrus served in a cute Chinese vase as a glass. 

Peggy opted for the Bartenders Choice, which we always love as an option.

We ordered appetizers at this stop and had the fried scallops and chicken wings.  They were good, but we regretted that they took up our tummy space for getting street food later on.

ssn – Caina Bank was such a good time! And Patti totally won that one with the drink served in a Chinese vase. Not that we keep score…but if you have siblings, you know. <click> for Patti

Next Stop:  Tiga Bar

Tiga Bar is actually a bar above a bar.  If you don’t know it’s there you just are hanging out in Kiki Lalat, a cute bar in its own right. 

But at the back of the bar there is a inventive wall with a “Bar Tinder” board, where people can fill out dating profiles for others to peruse and find their next true love.  Beyond the bar is a set of stairs that lead to Tiga.

A small, unassuming bar. A little dark, but the bartenders love and attention to detail is what sets this bar apart from so many others.

I ordered the Fresh Release: Mango, coffee and mint sounds weird, I get it; however, it was good, in an interesting kind of way.

Tiga Bar – Best Drink Award…so far

Peggy really stepped out of the box on this one and scored a home run.  The bartender highly recommended the “Buttery N I Know It”.  I took a pass as I’m not much of a Bourbon girl, but Peggy is.  This drink was admittedly strange, but absolutely mind-blowing.  Like someone smashed a peanut butter and jelly into a whiskey sour. It also plays on a cold and hot temperature experience.  Berry compote, maple, lemon and bourbon are served chilled.  Then it is topped with a peanut butter foam that gets torched and served hot.  This drink alone is worth returning to Ipoh for.

ssn – <click> for Peggy. Buttery N I Know It is easily the top contender for Best Drink of the Year. But I will not kick back and coast to victory, I will keep searching. I do it for you.

Then There is Lumi

We decided that so much of the town was closed on Monday nights that we would Grab over to Lumi for our final stop before heading back to The Haven.

Our Grab driver dropped us off in the parking lot of a three-story strip mall with a mix of convenience store, retail stores and businesses, with no sign of Lumi.  We asked in the convenience store, and they haven’t heard of it.  So we Google map ourselves to the exact location. Still completely confused as it’s an entrance to an office stairwell. Then I look up, and sure enough, above the door, high up by the windows is an unassuming neon martini glass.

Oops, Not Lumi

In through the doors, up the elevator to the third floor, there is wood panel, and I’m stoked that surely this is entrance.  We push, it pops, we walk in to an empty room with three people at a window table who look up at us in shock.  Not a happening place.  Also, not Lumi. But apparently a new wine and cigar bar that is not open to the public yet.  At least they know where Lumi is.

Ah, Here It Is

So, back down one flight, to another hidden door, and into Lumi.

Where there is one table of three, and a cute, but tiny lady behind the bar looking all of maybe 12-years old in her professional server attire.  She is making quite a few cocktails but assures us she will be with us next. 

And we waited.

Luckily about 5 minutes later and eclectic looking man enters the bar, zips back behind the counter and immediately starts directing her and sampling what she has created before approaching us.

Lumi has no menu.  It’s an Omakase style bar.  Omakase is a Japanese style of dining where the chef creates your menu based on what is fresh that day and typically at a set price.

He explains that they do five different cocktails of differing palette styles.  We only want two drinks (I meant two each, he assumed one for each, but his English was as limited as my Bahasa).  I told him Sweet and Sour palette.

I’m honestly still not sure what I got, but Peggy got a weird margarita.  Neither were terrible, but it would have been nice to have been prepared for a full Omakase experience.

Two side notes:  even as we were tabbing out the lady bartender still hadn’t finished her original round of drinks for the three people.  And, good heavens, those ‘tenders could shake those cocktails, it was really amusing the vigor they put into the shake.

Already Time to Leave Ipoh for Penang

We hit The Haven buffet, which I love SE Asian breakfast buffets because they always have a congee.  Great options, wide variety catering to multi-cultural tastes.

Then a walk around the beautiful grounds, the 280-million-year-old limestone, and the T-Rex.  Signs telling us to not feed the monkeys got us rather excited, but alas, no monkeys.

ssn – ominous foreshadowing…we had no idea we would soon face monkeys in Langkawi.

The infinity pool was calling to us and needed us to have a dip.  Loved the plexiglass walls on the lake side, and the in-the-water lounge chairs built in. There was also a cute little table and chairs in the water with an umbrella, had we found a breakfast cocktail this would have been a perfect spot to have it.

And Off We Go

Our www.mydaytrip.com driver, Raymond, showed up upon checkout.  We convinced him to drive us by a cave temple.  Ipoh is known for having several cave temples.

Peggy couldn’t enter as her shoulders were exposed (hussy), but it was a nice easy flight of stairs to enter the cave.  Perak Cave Temple was beautiful, set into a mountain with a large Buddha statue, painted walls, and prayer seating.  We were glad Raymond was willing to squeeze this stop in for us.  It was beautiful to experience.

Then we were off on our 2-hour drive to Penang, with plenty of Malaysian and Penang facts provided by our local driver.  We didn’t feel like 24 hours was quite enough, but you really didn’t need much more than a full day and a next morning.  Next time we will plan for a little extra time, and more Buttery N I Know it.

Other Malaysia destinations:

• Langkawi
• Penang
• Kuala Lumpur

I have been dying to get to Penang since March 2020 when the Prime Minister of Malaysia kicked me out of the country.

Ok, so technically he kicked all tourists out due to Covid, but I took it personally and have held a grudge against him ever since.  (Cue Frankie Goes to Hollywood – I know you Zoolander fans feel me on this one)

Finally, a Chance to Go

When Peggy agreed to meet me in Malaysia after my Bali Yoga Retreat, I dusted off my 2020 itinerary and jumped right back into planning.

Our itinerary was 2 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 1 night in Ipoh, 2 nights in Penang, 1 night in Langkawi and 1 final night in Kuala Lumpur.

Penang is an island in the northwest of Malaysia. Well, actually, it is split between the mainland and Penang Island. The drive was less than 2 hours from Ipoh and would be about 3.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur. Penang is most famous for its UNESCO Heritage Site in Georgetown, the food scene, the beaches and the Tech industry.

Penang is known as the foodie capital of Malaysia – mainly for their Hawker scene, but they also boast two restaurants awarded one Michelin Star. These restaurants are Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery and Au Jardin. Unlike other Michelin Star restaurants, these are not impossible to get reservations for. However they do have limited days of service (Auntie Gaik Lean’s is Wednesday through Sunday and Au Jardin is Thursday – Sunday) and we were not there during those days. We were really disappointed to have missed out.

From Ipoh we booked a ride with www.mydaytrip.com over to Penang. We added a stop at the Kek Lok Si Temple to the drive, so that we wouldn’t have to worry about transportation to this must-see location once we arrived in Penang.  We hadn’t really figured out how we were getting around Penang, except to rely on Grab until we found a driver.

And Here is Where I Start to Question a Trip to Penang

<insert picture of that fucking bridge>

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I know that was an editing note, but it was too funny not to leave.

I knew that Penang was an island.  I knew there would be a bridge. 

What I didn’t realize was that the bridge was 13.5 Km in length.

But it was fine. I mean, giant prehistoric megalodons don’t live in the Strait of Malacca, right? Well, that’s the story I told myself. In Googling a Megalodon fact to throw at you, I found this:

“Fossil remains of Megalodon have been found in shallow tropical and temperate seas along the coastlines and continental shelf regions of all continents except Antarctica.“

So, clearly, we won’t be driving to Penang ever again. EVER.

And Then More Concern

Our driver, Raymond, starts to tell us about Penang (actually side note: it was a cute story, he is from Penang but lives in Kuala Lumpur. The morning we requested the ride, Raymond was just packing up to leave for Penang to see his family and accepted the request so he ended up getting paid for a trip he was taking anyway. Go Raymond!)…so anyway, Raymond gives us the scoop about Penang.  All the tech companies that have moved there, how it’s the second smallest state in Malaysia, but the population is almost 1.8 million people.

Now I’m starting to dread this decision.  A crowded island full of tech companies, NO THANK YOU!

Kek Lok Si Temple

The population of Penang is about 65% Chinese, we knew the temple would probably be a great place to start our visit.

We start to drive up, and up, and up, to the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. Kek Lok Si temple began it’s construction in 1890, and while the temple was finished in 1905, they do ongoing fundraisers at the Temple to raise money to expand and upgrade the site.

One of the fundraisers was the Wishing Tree. We loved this!  You choose a ribbon based on your wish (long life, love, happiness, good fortune, etc.). Each ribbon is a different color and a different wish topic and you hang it on their wishing tree. It was super cute!

You can also contribute by buying roof tiles to complete the roof over the God of Mercy statue. 

This incredible temple stretches over multiple buildings, statues and gardens set at the base of Air Itam Hill.  The attention to detail at Buddhist temples is mind-blowing, it was truly beautiful. We decided to drive up to the God of Mercy Statue, because it’s a rather steep climb up a lot of steps. 

On to our hotel

We stayed at The Mercure Hotel Penang, I have an affinity for Mercure locations (and all the Accor properties, really).  It was right on the beach, with a incredible view.  There was an Indian wedding going on in the hotel, which made for a beautiful back drop of activity.  The hotel is bit north of Georgetown so we had to use Grab for our back-and-forth as this is where most of the action is.

Sister Time Means Sushi Time

We love sushi!  And we especially love sushi with our sister.  By this point, we were starving after our journey, and both were ready for our first sister sushi meal of the trip. 

When doing our research, we found Kaiden Japas on TikTok and with a 5-star Google rating we were sold. So we grabbed a Grab and headed there.

ssn – the thing that struck me as we were driving from the hotel was that the entire shoreline was being developed. It made me very sad to see such a majority of property being stripped and replaced with modern hotels and apartments. I suppose it is inevitable, but we hated to see it.

We were there at opening time and the place was empty.  It was a cute little place in a strip mall.  We opted to sit on the couches by the sushi bar and spent a lot of time ogling the multi-page drink menu.

A Slight Language Barrier

The official language of Malaysia is Malay or Bahasa with Mandarin and Tamil also common. I speak a little Bahasa from my Bali travels so I thought we could muddle through.  However, we ran into our first real problem with the language barrier.

The problem was that the fairly young staff spoke Mandarin, not much English and my Bahasa wasn’t getting it done; additionally they were really shy.  I get it, they were young, but we were more than willing to stumble through in their language, or even pull up Google Translate. 

We managed to point at the drinks and they managed to get them ordered for us, WIN!  Kaiden Japas had a selection of boozy tea based drinks served in tea cups, so we had to start there.

Luckily, one of their other servers showed up who spoke a bit of English, and she was happy to help get our food ordered.

Sushi and More

We settled on sharing plates.  The Volcano salmon lava roll, added on crunchy octopus tentacles and the Ko-Ebi (fried shrimp) appetizers. Then they had to sub-out the shrimp for Karaage fried chicken.

It was all excellent! So glad we had that Volcano roll, it was a… well, a little hard to explain, see the picture below.  A plate of California roll topped with a lot of salmon, a soft-boiled egg, salmon roe, and a fantastic siracha mayo style sauce.  It was amazing and will take a while for me to recover from knowing I will probably never have it again! SO GOOD!

As we were ready to pay and get on our way, we were informed that the drinks were buy two, get one free. Not ones to turn down free drinks, we HAD to get one more. Would you expect anything less? The drinks were inventive, unique, and tasty.

Georgetown, Penang

Feeling fantastic after sushi and cocktails, we continued on to the heart of Georgetown. Georgetown is the capital of the state of Penang, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is known for it’s street art, but it is a very colorful area, with many cultural sites and old colonial buildings. It’s a little crazy how there are these old colonial houses, Chinese temples, and mosques right next to these big skyscrapers and tall apartment buildings.

Chew Jetty

Our Grab dropped us off down by the waterfront, and we spotted an area named Chew Jetty.  It turns out that Chew Jetty is actually its own UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Jetty is a couple of long docks with wooden stilt houses built around the walkway, creating an over the water village.

Mostly old, and in decline, there are still people inhabiting the houses, and plenty of tourist shops.  A few restaurants, a temple, a couple of ice cream shops; old, rundown, but still so full of character it was definitely a fun find for us. 

From Chew Jetty, we walked straight up Armenian Street to begin our street art tour.

Off to Find Street Art and Famous Penang Murals

The City of Georgetown Tourist Board hired Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic to create 6 murals for the Georgetown Festival in 2012.  And the urban art trend grew in Georgetown to fill the streets and create the largest tourist attraction in Malaysia.

The original Zacharevic works are now famous and are 3D depictions of the life of the people of Penang. Weather worn over the last decade, but beautiful.  However, there are now many other artists featured along Georgetown streets, including the 100 cats commissioned by the Cat Welfare Charity, and large building size murals. 

The Tourist Board then added to the street art by commissioning cast iron signs (52 total) to tell the story of different parts of Georgetown using cartoon like graphics.  You can find them next to the UNESCO sign, along Love Lane, and super cute one depicting Jimmy Choo (who studied shoe making in George Town!), they come with a brief narrative and can be found adorned all over the area. 

ssn – we completely failed at finding all 6 Zacherevic murals, but we found so many cool pieces. And so many beautiful architectural features! Walking around these streets was probably my favorite thing to do. It was its own kind of beautiful.

One of Our Favorite Bar Finds

While admiring the street scenes, we spotted an open bar called The Canteen at Chinahouse. 

We walk in and it’s dead, no one to be found. We wait a few, but Peggy has to find a bathroom, so we head down the hallway and find a man sitting at a small table eating noodles, he points her to the bathroom. 

Then another man comes down the hall, the bartender.  I ask about drinks. He says absolutely, but you should really check out the back alley and then come back for drinks.

I walk back, past the man eating noodles, find a black and white room, then through that to a courtyard, on through that to another room filled with books and paintings.  This is where we find a wine bar, and then continue through to the bakery.

It was fantastic! 

It started on one street and went all the way through to the storefront on the next street over. Beautiful, inventive, and fun.

We stopped at the wine bar, had one drink and we were off to see the rest of the street art before sunset.

Penang – Foodie Capital of Malaysia

Penang is known for being the food center of Malaysia.  The food scene was one of the most anticipated reasons for our visit. Due to our lack of ability to commit to a schedule, we hadn’t booked a food tour ahead of time (and there are plenty to choose from). Luckily, our Grab driver, Elaine, from the night before slipped in the idea of hiring her to drive us around for the day.

A local to take us to local street food spots.  DONE

Morning 2 Starts with Mimosas

ssn – but first after a light breakfast and watching the lavish Indian wedding on the hotel’s patio, we decided to walk on the beach. The shell hunting was fantastic but sadly, there was a lot of garbage. We wished there would have been bags available to pick it up. Then, out of nowhere, rain storm!! We were quite a distance from our hotel so we had to just do our best to find shelter along the way back. By the time we got to the hotel, we were soaked!! Luckily the wedding had been relocated to the lobby and seemed to be seamlessly carrying on. This would be the first…but not the last…downpour of the day!

Brunch isn’t really a thing in Malaysia, and it is actually really hard to find breakfast cocktails. In fact, none of our four hotels offered mimosas or boozy coffee with breakfast. Weird.

Luckily, we found Gravy Baby, and our beloved new friend Iqbal.  He was adorable and made our cocktails “with heart”.

Although it was a huge menu, it was an easy decision – mimosa flight for Patti and a Porn Star Martini for Peggy. And an Croque Monsieur to share.

ssn – Porn Star Martinis are my single favorite cocktail ever. Although everyone has their own twist, its passionfruit, vodka, vanilla and bubbly. So good but such an unfortunate name.

This is our new home away from home.

After a brief stop for a foot massage, we wandered down or more street art before meeting up with Elaine for our food tour.

But First, Dessert

The Penang favorite for dessert is called Cendol.  It starts with shaved ice, then they add coconut milk, jelled Pandan “rice noodles”, then they add palm sugar and sweet red beans. Sugary sweet and surprisingly good.

The Famous Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow is the most famous dish in Penang.  And it is a MUST try.

Elaine took us to the spot she claims to be the best, Googgle Man. Googgle Man was working hard!! And with a 45 min wait, it was clearly where the locals went.  Thankfully, Elaine offered to order for us to ensure it wasn’t too spicy.

They take your order, gave us a number and we found a seat. You pay when the food is actually brought out to you. So, we settled in for our wait, grabbed a couple of waters, and decided it would not be thorough research if we didn’t also go to another stand.

We chose the fried oysters, which was more like an omelet. The oysters looked suspiciously like clams, but hey, whatever, they were delicious!

Then the Char Kway Teow arrives.  And it is amazing! Fried noodles with prawns and chicken, bean sprouts; slightly spicy and absolutely delicious. Worth the wait and easy to see why it is their signature dish.

And a little failed excursion for more food

As it was Ramadan, we did encounter the problem of a lot of stands being closed during the day (fasting from sun up to sundown).

Luckily, we were pretty full, so we suggested taking the Penang Hill Funicular Railway to the top of Penang Hill.

A bit of a tourist trap

Elaine waited down below to visit with a friend at a souvenir stand.  We scored the front seats of the funicular on the way up.

And while it was a fun trip up Penang Hill, once we got to the top the rain started again.  Additionally, there aren’t any very good view points at the top of the funicular station. 

It’s either hiking out to the view point, or paying money to go to the restaurant for the view there. 

And then there are all kinds of add-on experiences for you to purchase. 

It felt very forced and fake.

And on the car back to the bottom they packed us all in like sardines.  I felt really bad for the people standing up.  While it is a quick ride, it is a steep venture down.

Luckily, we had found an absolute gem of a person in Elaine. She stopped and got us some deep fried banana, which were amazing. In a sweet, fluffy batter (somewhere between pancake batter and tempura) and deep fried, it was a perfect top off to our Penang food experience.

Then it was finally time for drinking

It was still early, so we had Elaine drop us back off near Love Lane (a cute, narrow street said to be named because rich husbands housed their mistresses there back in the day), where we were anxious to try out The Pokok All-Day Bar.  Mainly because Pokok is fun to say, but also because it claims to be an All-Day bar, but it doesn’t even open until 3 pm, so boo on them.

However, we loved it.  Mainly outdoors, we had a cocktail just before the rain started (again!) and we moved under the covered patio.

One and done was the regulation of the evening.

Chulia Street

Just a couple doors down from Pokok was The Tipsy Cow. 

In Seattle, The Tipsy Cow is a fabulous burger joint.  But here there was an adorable man outside drumming up business, and it had a fun name, so we decided to pop in for a quick shot. 

Because shots take up less stomach space.

This is the same strip on Chulia St. where Gravy Baby is, and then in the evenings you can find The Tipsy Cow, Pokok, Brews Sports Bar, The Original Reggae Club, and the Hong Kong Bar.  It really is a great block to start your drinking on.

On to the Hidden Bars

Speakeasies in Malaysia are simply called “Hidden Bars” and are growing in popularity.

ssn – being self-proclaimed Speakeasy Specialists, we had done our research and mapped out a list of seven.

We decided to start with Beso Rosado.  The pictures online were adorable, it opened first, and it was on the outskirts, so we thought we would start there and work our way inward of the neighborhood.

Beso Rosado

It was super cute.  You enter through a lobby covered in bright colored graffiti and a sofa.  Keep going back through the double doors and the bar room opens up to be all pink and pretty.

And the cocktails! WOW! Inventive and served in fantastic, styled glasses.

We loved them and wished we had stayed for longer, just to work our way through the different cute glasses, from ceramic panda bears to upside down golden pineapples.

However, one and done, and it was time to go.

A Rainy Failure Came Next

And here is where our night took a down turn.

Google said it was only .7 miles to Archipelago. About halfway there was when the downpour started. Ducking in and out of doorways, we find the picture from Google of a blue door.  Only there is no way in. We can hear music. But, nope, nothing.

Hidden? Definitely.

So, we find shelter, Google some more, find out the entrance is actually around the next block. We hoof it through the pouring rain.  Some nice man at a bodega offers Peggy a ghetto umbrella (read: big piece of cardboard).

Around the block, to where the entrance is really supposed to be, and the door is closed and locked. The woman at the café next door has never heard of Archipelago.

And now, I am PISSED. Like a sopping wet kitten level of pissed.

ssn – no exaggeration here, she is cranky!! I thought our night was over, for sure.

But We Push On

We debate giving up but decide to walk the quarter mile to Manchu Bar.  And if that sucks, then we give up.

The rain lets up, but my feet are soaked, and my shoes are spongy, and I’m having trouble rallying for the cause.

But we find Manchu Bar.

And we can’t figure out how to get in.  The entrance to the building is a little teeny room.  We scan the QR code by the door, thinking that will alert someone that we are there; however, this is just a Covid check-in site.

We check behind the curtains, nothing. I find a door behind the curtains, but I push and it’s heavy and doesn’t really want to move, so I give up.

Peggy Googles, and discovers that yes, that door is the entrance.  We push a little harder, the door gives way, and IT’S FANTASTIC!!!

Great ambience, very Chinese themed, with red lanterns, and the best thing ever in a bar:  a huge carved dragon hanging from the ceiling.

The drinks are slow to be served, but are a whole new level of cool, containing Asian ingredients like dragon fruit and Yuzu, but also, wait for it:  POPCORN.

ssn – yes, the Pop Pop Corn! Cachaca, popcorn syrup and Campari, topped with popcorn. It was so good!

I insist Peggy visit the bathroom, because it’s super cool, and the fake Chinese Warriors guarding the doorway freak me out when I come out of the stall.

Then Peggy finds out that the decorative headpieces around the room are actually costume headpieces and meant to be worn.

And you know this is where our mood picked up!

We are Still Wet and Worn out

But we agree that if we go outside and the rain has stopped, we will hit The Junk Café, just a few doors down.

Because the pictures remind me of other fantastic dive bars that we’ve been in.

And luckily, it has stopped raining.

And The Junk Bar turns out to be really cool. Fantastic décor, including bar seats that make the one man sitting at the bar look like he’s wearing a G-string.

The bartender is an eclectic man, who you can’t help but feel drawn to, not in a sexy way, but in a “please be my new best friend” kind of way.

And thus ended our pretty tame and sort of lame experience drinking in Penang.

Our Last Morning

We decided to leave the hotel a little before our scheduled flight to Langkawi, for the sole purpose of hitting up our friends at Gravy Baby one last time.

Iqbal is there and has already created an Instagram account in order to follow our adventures. He starts us off with boozy coffees, made of course, “with heart”.

This time we have the full breakfast, which was really good. They have a full selection of, well, pretty much everything:  baked eggs, Croque Monsieur, Eggs Benedict, and French toasts. The “Gourmet Breakfasts” had different combinations of everything from a Full English breakfast to my personal choice: Late Miami, with sweet potatoes, chicken sausage, turkey bacon (no pork to be found due to the halal requirements), and scrambled eggs and spinach smothered in Hollandaise sauce.

ssn – I opted for Baked Gypsy Eggs. Eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce with spinach and gruyere, with toast for dipping.

And a new server, who is just adorable and flirty with his little winks and sultry stares.  It was adorable this young guy trying to get flirty with the old Americans.  But we appreciated it.  Especially when Peggy ordered the Porn Star Martini and his little face went “oooh, ok” with a little smile.

And then we were off to Langkawi for another amazing Malaysian experience. Sorry to leave Penang, but excited for Langkawi.  Malaysia just did not fail us, despite the rain.

Other Malaysia destinations:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Langkawi
• Ipoh

I am not saying “mistake” because it was terrible and we shouldn’t have gone. I am saying we made a tremendous mistake in not staying in Langkawi forever. We should have planned more time.

We should have just stayed forever.

Arriving in Langkawi

Langkawi is the main island of an archipelago of 99 islands in the Strait of Malacca, off the northwest coast of Malaysia at the border of Thailand.

We arrived after a very quick flight from Penang and ordered a Grab (the SE Asia equivalent of Uber). It is here we met our driver, Arthur, who tried very hard to convince us to go see everything that afternoon. He laughed at us for being stupid enough to only book one night. In the end, he was available to drive us on the next morning’s expeditions.

ssn – many sites will tell you that there is a ferry from Penang but it is currently not running – it did not reopen after the pandemic. There are ferries from a couple of other mainland towns but flying was just so easy.

Where we stayed

When looking at Langkawi hotels, there are some difficult choices to make. Options range from high end resort chains like the St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons to very inexpensive local long-term stays. Prices are generally on the lower side so we decided to splurge a little. And our accommodations at Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat were divine.

To say the least.

But you know I have to say more.

The service was impeccable, the view amazing, the whole quality of the resort makes me run out of synonyms for AMAZING.

We were greeted by Nizal in the shuttle to take our bags to the check-in lobby (all uphill), Lina checked us in and offered to secure us reservations for the sunset dinner at the rooftop restaurant.  Yes, please.

Nizal drove us up and up and up to our Singa 3 canopy suite and walked us through our amenities.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – Reception shared a building with their on-site Vegan restaurant, Spa treatment rooms and a small but cute pool. When she says up and up and up, she is not exaggerating. You cannot even imagine the grade of the twisty road to the top bungalow. Fortunately, we were told that the shuttle would take us back and forth whenever we needed to go somewhere.

The Sitting Room

Singa 3 literally sat high up in the canopy of the rainforest. The sitting room was open air to the surroundings and had an incredible view of the sea.

Our tour started with the huge stuffed Tiger sitting on the counter, to scare away the monkeys.  MONKEYS!

The fridge had a lock, because the monkeys can get into the fridge if we don’t keep it secured. There was a huge bathtub, the thrones of judgement (as we refer to any balcony chairs where we can relax and survey our kingdom), a kitchen, dining space and fan controls.

He motioned to the backpack I had left on the floor by the door and said to move that into the bedroom, because of the monkeys!

Into the Bedroom

We entered the bedroom area through the sliding glass doors that needed to be kept locked so the monkeys didn’t get in.

It was beautiful, spacious, floor to ceiling windows, and thankfully, air conditioning. 

The bathroom beyond that had a shower with a view, sarongs instead of bathrobes, and a separate water closet.

Just beautiful.

And Nizal leaves us to relax in our thrones of judgement.

Relax, sure

We changed into sarongs, and decided to just sit and enjoy the view and discuss how much our lives don’t suck.

ssn – it was truly one of those moments where you marvel at how fortunate you are to be in that place, on that adventure, living the most blessed life. So grateful.

And then there was a THUNK behind us.

Then a crash.

Sure, Nizal, the monkeys won’t mess with the water bottles that have been left out.

Until they’re thirsty, then they’ll knock one over and shatter it on the counter.

Then Papa Monkey and three babies joined in the fun.

We slightly freaked out, because wild life is, well, wild.  And we weren’t completely sure Papa Monkey was not going to eat our faces.

So, into the bedroom we retreated, closed the slider, and filmed from behind the safety of the glass.  That’s right, we’ve essentially made our bedroom a zoo enclosure, and we are now on display for the locals.

Luckily, Peggy remembered to lock the slider. As it turns out, the monkeys, too, had opposable thumbs and tried to open the door (cue my Jurassic Park fans).  We watched as they tried to snack on the pillows, the rug, and the rattan chairs. While we photographed, recorded and tried to make nice with our new captors from behind the glass.

Apparently, we weren’t as entertaining as we think we are, because after about 10 minutes they gave up and moved on into the jungle to terrorize the rest of the guests.

We were left to sit and ponder what else lay out there in the jungle watching us, waiting to pounce.

Rooftop Dining and Breaking our first Ramadan Fast.

Not that we were fasting.  That wasn’t happening.

But as it was Ramadan while we were there, many places in Malaysia offered extensive buffets and preset menus for Iftar, the evening meals.  Lina had offered this as an option and we thought we really should give it a try.

We arrived early, because they had a bar and we had monkeys. And we really should have cocktails before sunset.  Our new driver, Putra picked us up from our suite to drive us down the hill, up the road about a block to the other property, Ambong Ambong Beach Villas’ Rimba Sky rooftop bar.  Peggy had an Espresso Martini with three olives and I had a caipirinha for two rounds and then we made our way out to the rooftop table for sunset.

ssn – the olives were not my request, maybe something was lost in translation? But at least the martini was good and did not have olive juice in it!

When I asked if we could have the cute little corner table for two instead of our four top, I am told no. We can’t do that because we have too much food coming we need the extra space.

So. Much. Food.

Apparently Iftar starts with Muslim’s breaking their fast with sweets first.  Traditionally it is three dates, but we were not informed of proper tradition, and I only had two dates, Peggy had one, and now we have blown our new found practice. I’m a little ashamed.  The platter consisted of dates, mangos, grapes, pumpkin in coconut milk, some jelly slices, and amazing little cheesecakes.

ssn – not sure if it was the chef or a restaurant manager, but the sweetest older man came out to explain what we would be getting. He was genuinely appreciative that we wanted to participate in their custom.

Then more food came out.

And then more.

And then they added rice.

In the end we had a table full that included eggplant curry, chicken on lemongrass skewers, spicy prawns, calamari and green beans, and banana leaf grilled white fish. They also served us a small plate of veggies that I don’t eat (cucumbers and tomatoes) with a screaming hot sambal.  Just about burned Peggy’s tastebuds out of her mouth, but she took it well.

Spicy and fresh, it was an incredible meal and incredible service, highlighted with a beautiful evening sunset over the water.

Pantai Cenang – the Beach

A not to be missed occurrence in Langkawi is the fire performance on the beach.  At Pantai Cenang they have a group that performs incredible fire shows, with batons and sticks lit on fire and twirled around (like a Miss America pageant, only for cool people).

The stage where they were performing was in front of a beach bar. The bar provided big beanbag chairs to watch from as long as you are ordering drinks, which we were.

And we had a couple of fantastic mango mojitos and enjoyed a show with our toes in the sand.

After watching the show, and enjoying those mojitos, we walked down and stuck our toes in the water.

The water was warm, but not too warm, perfectly lovely on your toes.  The sand was this fine baby powder sand that just felt cool and soft.

ssn – Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach) is one of those quintessential beach towns. It felt very much like Mexico to us. Sandy streets, cute shops, beach bars, and huge amounts of happy.

Langkawi Sky Bridge and Cable Car

When planning for this trip started, Peggy called me and said “why do you want to go to Langkawi”, my one word answer: “SkyBridge”.

It’s the reason to go, a big cable car ride up into the mountains to visit the SkyBridge.

ssn – The Langkawi SkyBridge is the longest free span and curved bridge in the world!

I have a huge fear of heights (in case this is your first time reading this blog), but when I saw this bridge, I knew I had to conquer this fear.

So Arthur picked us up, stopped for a quick coffee and pastry, and we headed to the mountains. This also gave us an opportunity to see some of the other areas of the island.

We arrived at Panorama Langkawi, a large complex that includes restaurants, shops, and other attractions in addition to the main features, the SkyBridge and Sky Cab Cable Car.

And because she’s my sister

She made us take the glass bottom cable car up to the top.

Luckily the glass bottom was a little cloudy, and not that impressive.

But the ride up was pretty amazing.

It is a long, high trip to the top, 1.4 miles in length and reaching a height of 2,150 feet above sea level by the time you hit the first station. Just WOW, the view is breathtaking. 

Sky Cab Stop One

You can opt to stay on at the first station and ride all the way to the top, but really you should step out and go check out the view from the first platform. 

They are currently building the world’s longest cantilever platform at this first stop, but luckily it wasn’t done, so I wasn’t forced to risk my life trying that out.

On to the Top

A word of warning. You have to buy a ticket at the top to walk the Sky Bridge, in addition to the cable car ride you purchase at the bottom.

You need to buy a separate ticket to ride the Sky Glide down to the sky bridge rather than walk down (and then have to walk back up).  We support riding as those stairs looked exhausting.

And then I face my fear.

It was a breathtaking view, and the bridge didn’t shake, and I didn’t death grip the entire time.

Maybe my sister is finally wearing me down on this whole scared of heights thing.

There was definitely someone on that bridge more scared than I was.

ssn – I am so proud. Patti has made such progress and rarely complains. Another lady on the bridge was clearly terrified and clinging to her friend, and I mean clinging! If we didn’t feel so bad for her it would have been comical.

The view was spectacular

It was really amazing, being up in hills with views of the sea and the coastline.  It was an overcast day, so we were pretty much almost to cloud height. The cool temperatures were such a welcome relief compared to the stifling humidity and high temps in town.

I’m so glad we did it.  It was stunning, and another moment of “wow, this is my life”.

Sadly We Have To Get Going

We were pressed up against Peggy’s time limits for getting to the airport. We made our way back down in order to eat before we had to head out.

Being that it was daytime during Ramadan we had a little problem finding open places; however, Arthur mentioned the “hidden bar” near Pantai Cenang.

Shockingly, it turned out to be named “The Hidden Bar”, and it was open.

There’s Always Time for a Beach Bar

The Hidden Bar was super cute. We had a couple of drinks, and a couple of appetizers, just to get us flight ready.

Shockingly, the taco was amazing, chunks of beef covered in nacho cheese, sitting on a crunchy slaw base. We threw in a cheese “chaffle” and some calamari, both were pretty good, but the view was the winner of the meal.

Other Langkawi Activities

Because we just didn’t have enough time, we missed out on some of the other activities that Langkawi has to offer. The most popular excursions are boat tours/sunset tours, island hopping to some of the pristine beaches in the archipelago, and kayaking through the mangroves.

Leaving Langkawi

With big regrets for not staying longer, at least two nights, maybe the rest of our lives.

This is definitely going to be a repeat destination for me, eventually.

But for now, it’s back to Kuala Lumpur to finish off our Malaysia excursion.

Other Malaysia destinations:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Ipoh
• Penang