Happy new year, from Langkawi

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So it was off to an Island for the holidays! Pulau Langkawi of Malaysia, off Thailand's most southern Andaman coast. For Christmas I'd been in Sukhothai and had really enjoyed being away from things christmassy, bar a couple of stalls of novelty santa outfits for kids. Sukhothai had many sweet spots for me; history, museums, cycle rides, city parks, food markets, a swimming pool and city wandering (if a little bruised and bandaged from a bike drama!). On these I would expend the traditional holiday gorging.



But New year, and the build up, would be with friends on a gorgeous, fun little bit of old lava.



I felt a joy as I could see the sea for the first time in my trip, ready to board from Satun to Langkawi. The boat ride was a treat - the soft waves around us and being bubbled within a vast pretty blueness that we'd soon be under and in. The boat also provided some grand entertainment - a thai karaoke video medley, where I was able to imitate the dynamically cheesy singer with my own bandana and shades (from the safety of our own seat row), and the Jurassic World film which aligned with the scenery of lush karsts about us.



On arrival Sam and I waited excitedly for Becca, with Malaysian street food, a weighty bag of spicy sauce, and the workings of our treasure map; we were perched by the roadside on plastic chairs of a Chinese temple. Reunion!



Night one was wine browsing, chocolate hunting, wine drinking and chocolate eating; with big laughs and a few Christmas tunes (with the introduction of an American to a fairytale of new York). It was also in our port side guesthouse that we'd concoct our set of caricature dance moves, which would come out to play again, as named - the pancake dance, thizz face and the water bottle shaker. (Please feel free to ask for instructions or a demonstration).



We couldn't have imagined a sweeter place to stay for the rest of our time. A twenty minute walk from the fun bustle of the long beach side stretch, in beautifully designed, raised wooden homes in rice fields of majestic colour, and water Buffalo neighbours. The swaying peace and the noisy colours of nature.

We would be invited for breakfast with the couple who had built and run the wooden huts and were utterly charmed! Over rotti and breakfast rice treats they would share lovely stories and tell us how they imagined, designed and lived in design1 for six months, to understand how the hut suited the climate. An incredibly warm and inspiring Malaysian couple. Another night they'd show us other new rooms on site, themed brilliantly from old China to an imposingly cool Hendrix above a groovy bedspread. We then all walked up the white roof steps to a star freckled sky.



It was calmly captivating, and here we felt part of a wider family. Some evenings would be spent on our veranda - comedy podcasts, our own made chai tea (as procured by Sam in Satun), wine, books and sunsets. I felt in love with time here. Whilst we got about on our motorbikes (3 helmets, 2 bikes, 1 particularly good wifi pit stop up the road!).



We were also fortunate to have two great food spots along the quiet road from the paddies. One was a cafe serving egg sandwiches alongside traditional food and the guys who ran the stall were ever friendly, and invited us to as seafood BBQ one night with family who had come to visit. Spectacular! Fish rolls, squid salad and chargrilled prawns. It was nice coming to know the locals, and becoming regulars.

The second place was a Malaysian muslim restaurant, and the New Years day buffet that we stumbled zombie-esque to really saved us! Eggs, rice, curry, poppadoms.. repeat! Here I would pick up new year messages from home, 12'o clock voice clips, and a fantastic (the moves, the acting, the almost there feeling) video from the gang - so good to have. A very happy New Years day with a bumping head, big smile and memories of the night before..





And it was some new years! In a flashback roll call of the day and night:



- We spent the day in the sea and on the white sand, with a long beach walk. Langkawi really lived up to its tag as Malaysia's best. Simply adored the sea and beach here! Whilst out at sea, and kayak reachable, were other islands of the archipelago. Langkawi was designated a geopark in 2007 by UNESCO, it really is a stunner.



- Along our beach walk we'd pass by wooden new year structures, ready to be burned and sparkled from later on; some drink spots and a large crocodile sand sculpture, whilst the day's dark clouds and bright blue sky mingled, battled and hugged around us.



- We played the sunset chase game, led by our own sunset runner, grabbing beers and pounding back to the sand to see the sun's final scenes, and a cloud solo encore. It was gorgeous, and we stayed as others departed (true sunset catchers)



- It was then back to spruce up for the night ahead! And big decisions for us all - open the wine here?(yep), dress or no dress?(no dress), bumbag or pockets?(bumbag, packed lightly), hat or no hat?(hat), wound dressings?(yes, and fortunately so given a worm attempt later!)



- The evening started with delicious kebabs on the beach, it was so lovely and calm. Infact before long (after buying and marking our paper lantern, having a beach kick around and a walk) we grasped just how quick the new year bells were approaching; and we were but tipsy at a stretch (cue immediate gin shots, thanks Gordon)



- We were soon lighting our lantern, it held a written decoration (declaration?) from each of us, and we got it flaming well, on our knees holding it and on three we said..1,2,3

- Oops - i held on a second too long (on three, then four?!), and then let go. So the three of us were then running after the wiggling paper wobble heading to the sea, before a passer by got there first and flicked it up. It headed up really well and we watched it long as it joined fellow commuters of the dark horizon. We felt proud (without needing to claim ours was the brightest!)



- Fireworks time! And it was some show. Rather than feeling orchestrated, fireworks kept shooting up all around us; as if more were constantly being added to the party, arriving late and at different doors. It was a sparkling, chaotic sky party from the beach where more lanterns and big red fires were added to the guest list. It was really special and the flaming party went on a while. We made our own countdown within the firework bursts, 10,9.. I remember feeling present and very lucky to be here. Big smiles and hugs all round.



- Fast forward a little and we were bringing our own dance move caricatures to new audiences, a game to get others to copy our dance out of the three. A few group persuasions let Becca pull ahead with a healthy lead! An orchestra of pancake arms in Cenang's streets.



- We were then on stage in a club (pulled up by the club's dancers) that we'd bumped into off the main street. This gave us a chance to be silly, to dance away, laugh and look across the stage bemused to eachother, whilst also getting parts of the mainly Malaysian crowd to follow our moves.



- a few shenanigans more dotted an extremely fun night, I think Sam's memory is the most intact here..



- There was time left to chill and nap on the early morning beach; to round off an amazing New Year's eve together that had had the moments, both lightly beautiful and heavily fun.







Other highlights of Langkawi:

Chilling at a Hooka bar (with smuggled in spirits to share) on the beach, here we met other characters and were treated to a wicked fire show. It was a great, buzzing atmosphere.



A motorbike ride around the island. The planned route took a dent after a petrol station quest, and meant we were able to get off track and begin our full-tank ride outlining the island's airport. The wind raced with and at other times against us as we followed the narrow, winding nature tunnels, beside noisy taking-off planes a fence away.

Our route then took in a small fishing village that we wandered through, fishermen attaching the fish attracting bulbs on bendy bamboo archs. Over a roller coaster drop of a bridge we found a small cove that was danced upon by a huge monitor lizard as the sea lapped in.

We then sped along an empty blue painted pier where we got to the end of the horizon. The sea sparkling to where the sky met it, where they both pulled across the laid out clouds to make a crowd of mesmeric nature. This was also a spot for beautiful wee #2!, on the edge of the rocks with only the sea, sky and clouds beyond, whilst an enchanting call to prayer begun from the stunning mosque in the distant town behind.



And,

Chasing the day's sunset, making it to a beach spot on the bikes, along the airport-side main road and eating fish soup as the sky wonderfully performed. We were able to make out faces in the impressive hills and see their wooden bridges up high.

Waking up, chilling, and going to bed in our beautiful Langkawi home.

Watching water buffalos swim calmly in a pack by our wooden hut, below the surface they seemed huddled together caringly.



The easy feeling that we would come back one day. Langkawi, we will see you again.

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