156 157Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015 Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015

DESTINATION – Langkawi, Malaysia –DESTINATION – Langkawi, Malaysia –

THE JEWEL OF KEDAH

WHILE SCORING HIGH ON A CHECKLIST FOR PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS, IT IS THE MESMERISING BEAUTY OF LANGKAWI THAT GETS A SAILOR’S HEART LEAPING FOR JOY.

By Kamila Delart

158 159Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015 Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015

DESTINATION – Langkawi, Malaysia –

SHIELDED FROM WIND AND STORMS, and with monsoon rains falling mainly at night, the Malaysian archipelago of Langkawi is one of the world’s few boating destinations with year-round appeal. With straightforward immigration and yacht registration procedures, three fabulous marinas and duty-free status, it’s a true paradise for yachting enthusiasts.

Yet to be discovered by the masses, the archipelago consists of 104 tiny deserted islands sprinkled about the emerald-green Andaman Sea that lure travellers with secluded bays, tranquil anchorages and white sandy beaches with no other souls around. The archipelago is part of the State of Kedah, which borders Thailand. The largest island, Pulau Langkawi, is about 480 square kilometres, has an international airport and a population of about 65,000.

Above the glistening water, magnificent towering limestone formations with colourful streaks of mineral sediments mark the passage of time as far back as 550 million years. Set only some 200 feet apart and covered by a dense jungle ruled by monkeys and primordial reptiles, a few islands form canyon-like corridors – making it feel as though you’re sailing through a rainforest.

Board a dinghy and you may discover a secret “pirate lagoon” or a hidden cavern with giant stalactites and stalagmites. If the magic hasn’t gotten to you completely yet, wait until the night falls and the velvety sky lights up with millions of stars that seem to shine just for you.

A Voyage of Discovery

Only a day’s cruise away from Penang, Phuket and other popular boating destinations, the archipelago is easy to reach with your yacht. Or charter one locally to enjoy a leisurely cruise aboard a classic sailing sloop, seek the thrill of a fast motor yacht or host an exclusive event on a

majestic three-masted barquentine. There are many charter companies in Langkawi, including Blue Water Star Sailing, the island’s leading crewed yacht charter agency with a fleet of 20 yachts. Simpson Yacht Charter in Phuket offers charters to/from Langkawi.

If you’re looking for a unique sailing experience, book the spectacular Indulgence Cruise on the 97-foot Naga Pelangi. With a name that translates as Rainbow Dragon, the traditional Malaysian wooden junk schooner boasts dark red sails and an interior inspired by the palace of the Sultan of Terengganu. With a private chef on board, free-flow champagne and exquisite spa treatments, this is a luxury treat to remember for years to come.

Where To Stay Onshore

While cruises with Naga Pelangi are exclusive to the guests of The Datai Langkawi, spending at least a couple of days at this iconic luxury hideaway should be part of your itinerary anyway. Hidden deep in a 10-million-year-old rainforest, overlooking a dreamy bay voted by National Geographic as one of the world’s Top 10 beaches, The Datai Langkawi lures with stunning architecture by Kerry Hill and breath-taking scenery. Seamlessly blending into the surrounding nature and resembling a majestic fortress, the main building is made of black shale

160 161Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015 Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015

DESTINATION – Langkawi, Malaysia –

rocks and exposed timber wood with a graceful patina of time. Veiled by dense foliage, the rainforest villas are set on a mountain slope, rising on stilts above the purling stream of Sungai Datai. Follow the path all the way to the seashore to discover magnificent beach villas surrounded by tropical gardens with private pools. Life in the jungle follows its natural course, allowing you to experience breath-taking moments even while standing on the balconies watching the monkeys forage in the trees.

On the remote rocky part of the beach, Long-Tailed Macaques hunt for crabs, groups of Sea Otters bask in the sun and if you are really lucky, you may even spot a few White Dolphins. While enjoying a leisurely breakfast, you will hear the mysterious laugh of the Great Hornbill soaring above the jungle canopy. As you explore the 750-acre property, you may catch sight of an adorable Dusky Leaf Monkey, a sleeping Colugo clinging to a branch, or a Monitor Lizard.

Set on a stretch of a white sandy beach and surrounded by spectacular limestone formations and mangrove forests, the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi enchants with stunning elements of Moorish architecture, featuring soaring walls in warm terracotta hues, airy courtyards, reflecting pools and plentiful fountains. Resembling secret keyholes, the horseshoe arches emblematic of Islamic art offer a glimpse into the dreamy landscapes. Pathways made of reclaimed railway sleepers lead to lavish beach villas and charming two-storey Melaleuca Pavilions with floor-to-ceiling windows that make the lush tropical foliage and constantly changing colour of the sea part of the ambiance.

While offering a variety of nature-based activities from rainforest immersion and mangrove exploration to archery and rock climbing, the most unique is the holistic experience at the resort’s Geo Spa. Inspired by the surrounding nature, the concept draws upon the abundant gifts of the Kilim Geoforest Park – incorporating healing mud from mangroves, indigenous rainforest plants and the energy of primordial rocks to purify and nurture your body, illuminate your spirit and facilitate energy flow to help you achieve equilibrium.

Another stunning resort is The Danna. Overlooking a picturesque marina with white sails of luxury yachts proudly glistening against the emerald green Andaman Sea, the resort revives the memory of a lavish colonial era and the hedonistic lifestyle of affluent traders and merchants who settled in the tropics centuries ago, chasing the dream of exotic fruits, aromatic spices and ships loaded with silk, pearls and tea.

USEFUL INFOLocated off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Langkawi is only a

day’s cruise from Penang, Phuket or the Similan Islands.The Langkawi International Airport receives several daily flights

from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore. With Air Asia planning to turn Langkawi into one of its hubs, direct flights to/from more places are to be launched in the near future.

VIDEO www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsaID2W2tNo

YACHT REGISTRATION www.myyachtregistration.com

MARINAS www.telagaharbour.com www.rebakmarina.com www.langkawiyachtclub.com

CHARTER www.simpsonyachtcharter.com www.bluewaterstarsailing.com

ACCOMMODATION www.thedatai.com/langkawi www.fourseasons.com/langkawi www.thedanna.com www.templetree.com.my

GOLF www.elsclubmalaysia.com/teluk-datai/

ADVENTURE www.langkawi-gazette.com/adventure-guide

DINING www.langkawi-gazette.com/trendy-restaurants

162 163Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015 Asia-Pacific Boating May/June 2015

DESTINATION – Langkawi, Malaysia –

Luring with grandeur and opulence, The Danna is built around a courtyard with lush vegetation, cascading fountains and a Koi pond. The interior astounds with soaring ceilings, towering pillars, and sparkling chandeliers. The black-and-white photographs along the corridors capture grand railway stations, horse-drawn carriages, gentlemen with elegant hats and ladies in corset-gowns with petticoats, bringing back the glory of a bygone era with a waft of nostalgia.

The resort’s Straits & Co tempts with an Afternoon Tea introduced in the early 1840s by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. The Planter’s celebrates a dining experience in the style of decadent colonial banquets, reviving the memory of sparking diamond earrings and skirts swaying to a piano music, while The Drawing Room with heavy leather chairs tempts in the evenings with vintage wine and fine hand-rolled cigars.

Those fascinated by the colourful blend of local cultures should stay at the Temple Tree. Built on a coconut plantation around a sacred tree with an adjacent Taoist shrine, the unique property celebrates the

IDEAL FOR YACHT JOURNEYS“Most superyacht charters start their cruising journey in Asia

in Langkawi, with its unrivalled yachting facilities and natural beauty,” reports Captain Charlie Dwyer, who heads up the Asia Pacific Superyachts Langkawi agency that is part of the APS network of 15 branches in 17 countries. “The duty-free port includes a shipyard and duty-free spare parts and provisions. This is the perfect starting point to process paperwork (and avoid bureaucracy delays in other countries), pick up fuel and load up on fresh provisions.”

A typical journey will start from Langkawi to cruise north towards Thailand, to Koh Lipe and the Butang Group of Islands in the Tarutao National Park. Thailand’s first Marine National Park consists of 51 islands close to the Malaysian border, and of the 51 islands all but Koh Lipe are uninhabited.

Departing the Butang Archipelago the islands of the Andaman Sea beckon with Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, Tarutao, Similan and Surin all fantastic options – or cruise farther on to mysterious Myanmar (formerly Burma) and the Mergui Archipelago.

To learn more about this centrepiece of Malaysia’s tourism industry and premier yachting destination in the region, contact langkawi@asia-pacific-superyachts.com. www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com

country’s multicultural heritage and showcases nine historic villas from various parts of the Malay Peninsula. Lovingly restored to their former glory in a grid style typical for settlements a hundred years ago, there is a grand Colonial House built by a wealthy goldsmith trader from Penang, a traditional long house that used to serve as accommodation for Indian rubber plantation workers, as well as the opulent Chinese House with verandas offering breath-taking views of the mountains. Furnished with hand-selected antiques, each of the estates tells a different story, taking you on a contemplative journey into the past.

Flora and Fauna

Wherever you choose to stay, take some time to explore the island of Langkawi. Declared in 2007 as the first UNESCO Geopark in Southeast Asia, Langkawi is famous for its geo-diversity and unique flora and fauna. With an excellent network of roads that allow you to travel from north to south in half an hour and from west to east in 50 minutes, all places of interest are within reach.

Play a round of golf at the Els Club Teluk Datai recently named the world’s best new golf course. Designed by the golf legend Ernie Els as a tribute to the surrounding nature the 18-hole, par-72 championship golf course is nestled in a virgin rainforest with a magnificent backdrop of the Machinchang mountain range, stretching all the way to the picturesque coast of the Andaman Sea.

To experience the beauty of Langkawi from a bird’s perspective, book a private sightseeing tour by helicopter or take a ride with the world’s steepest cable car to the summit of Gunung Machinchang, a mountain older than the Himalayas.

One of the absolute highlights is a kayaking tour that takes you to the Kilim Geoforest Park with spectacular limestone formations, hidden caves and a labyrinth of secret waterways that wind their way through a mangrove forest.

If you love trekking, visit Temurun, Durian Perangin or the

myth-enshrouded Seven Wells Waterfall. Or join a guided hike through the 10-million-year-old rainforest to discover wild orchids, a Resak Tree whose fragrant resin is a sought-after perfume ingredient, or Tongkat Ali, one of the world’s most potent aphrodisiacs. With a bit of luck, you may spot Langkawi’s “Flying Five”: airborne lemurs, lizards, frogs, squirrels and tree snakes. Langkawi is home to 226 bird species – nearly twice as much as found in Australia – so bird-watching expeditions or a wildlife photography tours are an absolute must.

Exotic Local Cuisines

To get a true taste of Langkawi, you have to experience the exotic blend of local cuisines. Coupled with spectacular settings, a Langkawi dining experience at the following restaurants will stimulate all of your senses.

The Andaman Resort’s Jala restaurant is set on the shores of pristine Datai Bay, enchanting diners with the dreamlike seaview and seafood specialties, with a daily catch delivered in a small boat by a local fisherman. The menu marries exotic Malay ingredients and Danish culinary philosophy. Give your sandals to the shoe concierge and enjoy the soft powdery sand underneath your feet – a very sensory experience.

Situated in the heart of a virgin rainforest, The Gulai House enchants with the rustic atmosphere of a traditional Malay kampung house and the ever-present symphony of wild birds, crickets and frogs. Following a traditional hand-wash ritual, authentic Malay and Indian dishes are served in dreamy alcoves shielded by airy organza drapes with traditional Malay low tables and hand-woven pandan mats.

Floating in the rainforest canopy some 32 feet above the ground, The Pavilion lures with a distant ocean view and the silhouettes of the Thai Tarutao islands on the horizon. Celebrating the culinary art of Siam, the dishes prepared a la minute with fresh Thai herbs are so exquisite, the restaurant has earned numerous culinary awards.

Situated in a 90-year-old estate that enchants with a dreamy colonial ambience and antiques, the Straits Club Restaurant boasts a small private dining room and an airy verandah with a tranquil garden view, serving exquisite fusion cuisine with indigenous spices.

Blessed with marina views of yachts glistening against the backdrop of jungle-covered hills, Tapaz embraces the Mediterranean theme of Telaga Harbour, delighting guests with an eclectic mix of the famous Spanish appetisers. With oversized sofas and dining tables made of rustic wine barrels, it’s the perfect spot for a leisurely siesta.

A wonderful way to spend an evening on the island – especially the final night before departure – is to experience the spectacular sunset at the Rhu Bar. Take a seat in the giant Mogul swing, savour the tantalising flavour of a signature cocktail – and wait for the sky to explode in golden, orange and crimson hues. It’s the perfect finale to a magical journey.

ASI

A P

AC

IFIC

SU

PERY

AC

HTS

LA

NG

KA

WI –

LA

NG

KA

WI H

AR

BO

UR

AT

SUN

SET