Highlights of our Langkawi trip: A foul madame, Underwater World and chocolates

ladies indoor pool

This is not the strangest thing we’ve seen on this trip. It’s also not related to the titled foul madames. The resort we stayed in actually has an indoor covered swimming pool just for the ladies!

jellyfish

If you’re wondering what’s going on inside and whether it requires an adult ID for entry…wonder no longer. The answer is nothing much and no. It’s just a feature to attract Arabic and other Middle Eastern families due to their Muslim religion. You can’t very well swim in a burka. It doesn’t exactly cut through the water like Ian Thorpe’s drag resistant and aerodynamic bodyskin swimming rig.

ritter sport

On to other matters, we also went chocolate shopping! We must have bought hundreds of dollars worth of imported, duty free confectionery.

ritter sport choc

I ate frozen Ritter SPORT for two weeks straight coz it’s 3 for RM 11.30.

ritter loacker limited edition

They also had this limited edition exclusive where they collaborated with Loacker (most famous for their wafer coated chocolates) for a Ritter-Loacker exclusive! It’s a Ritter SPORT that has a Loacker wafer inside and comes in two flavors – Strawberry & Vanilla-Wafer and Raspberry & Cranberry Yoghurt.

cognac chocolates

I thought it was okay, my better half loved it though and I must admit, it’s a pretty cool temporary partnership. It’s kinda like how Mars and Pods work but it’s for a limited time only.

liquer chocolates

On to other things, I saw the usual array of liquor chocolates and bought an Anthon Berg limited edition. This time they did a cocktail series! They usually do a standard array of liqueur chocolates with fillings made with Jack Daniels, Otard, Famous Grouse, Canadian Club etc and I don’t get overly excited with them.

chocolate cocktails

The Anthon Berg limited edition cocktails series doesn’t have branded liqueur inside but cocktails! It still uses the same hollow chocolate bottle with liquer inside though – I thought a cocktail glass would be cool. Flavors are Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Margarita, Strawberry Daiquiri. Not too bad but GOLDKENN Remy Martin cognac sticks are much better (although more expensive).

underwater world

We also went to Underwater World coz the kids wanted to go. There’s all sorts of underwater creatures kept in captivity from pink flamingos…

pink flamingos

…to penguins.

penguins

It reminded us of our first holiday together at Phillip Island in Melbourne. We went to the Penguin Parade and we tried to do a similar pose here. Haha!

us penguins

Langkawi’s Underwater World is getting a little run down and there’s not much for returning (or first time) visitors to see but it’s worth a trip if you have little kids.

huge fish

Hell, I even bought a ridiculously priced photo of us that we halfheartedly posed for (my better half told me not to get it coz it’s expensive) at the entrance coz I wanted a memento with my dear and the kids at the last minute. I did the same for our Sunway Lagoon trip. I guess I’m becoming one of those schmucks who goes for these things nowadays. smirk

foul madames

I bet you’re really wondering about that foul madame at this point now.

ful medames

It’s not a person, it’s a dish from Egypt that you can make yourself at the breakfast buffet. It’s the resorts policy to attract visitors from that region at work again. Ful medames is described as “cooked and mashed fava beans in olive oil”.

langkawi photo

That’s the last of Langkawi, till our next trip, here’s the aforementioned photo of us! 😀

Wonderland Food Store Seafood, Langkawi

wonderland langkawi

This is supposed to be one of the best seafood restaurants in town. I say this based solely on the fact that a lot of people like taxi drivers in Langkawi use it as a landmark/drop-off-point. Wonderland Food Store is just one of many seafood restaurants along the waterfront in town.

lobster

There are Thai style seafood restaurants, Malay seafood restaurants, and Chinese seafood restaurants, but many of the last don’t serve pork anyway. We decided on Wonderland Seafood coz we’re never eaten there before and a lot of people talks about it so we checked it out.

wonderland food store

It was a huge disappointment!

wonderland seafood

The mantis prawns were frozen instead of fresh, most of the dishes are unappealing with no plating considerations and even though it was packed, the clientèle seems to be mostly tourists – Japanese, Chinese, Korean etc.

wonderland coconut

To add to the list of sins, they hired an unlicensed taxi for us – which costs RM 1 more than the standardized fare – and is a highly unusual practice in Langkawi since the taxis are heavily regulated.

Kam Heong Mantis Prawn

mantis prawn

This is deep fried since they didn’t have any fresh ones. The proprietors said that the fishermen didn’t have any catches since it was the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays. The frozen mantis prawns tastes alright but I was looking forward to fresh steamed ones so it was slightly disappointing.

Fried Squid

squid

The squid was too chewy and just wasn’t fresh – it’s exactly the *opposite* of what I had hoped to eat in Langkawi, which is famous for their seafood since it’s a duty free island.

Soft Shell Crab

soft shell crab

This was fried the same way as the other two dishes so it’s quite jelak to eat so much deep fried battered seafood, even if all three are very different creatures. I thought it was mediocre.

Seafood Fried Rice

wonderland fried rice

RM 8 a plate and it comes with lots of squid! I suspect that the “seafood fried rice” contains whatever surplus seafood that you ordered. It’s oily and repetitive.

Steamed Sea Bass (Siakap)

sea bass siakap

This is the saving grace of our seafood dinner. I liked it so much I ate all of the fish – mostly by myself. Haha. The rest of the food we tapau and took it back to the hotel coz there were so much leftovers it was obscene.

wonderland bill

The bill costs RM 99 which was pretty reasonable. However, dinner wasn’t what we expected – we had been looking forward to a nice seafood meal in Langkawi. It could be the lack of fisherman’s produce due to the Hari Raya holidays as the restaurant didn’t have fresh seafood and had to resort to frozen ones. Or it could be just the wrong place to eat.

wonderland us

I can’t say I recommend Wonderland Seafood from our dining experience but I had a lot of fun with the kids and my better half! That’s all that matters. 🙂

Tonight, we shall feast!

swimming with kids

I woke up having pains and aches in places I didn’t even know existed. I had been running around the pool with the kids for several hours last night, swimming and remembering how to do stuff like:

Underwater somersaults

-_-

pool night

Haha! It was a lot of fun though, and we went just opposite the hotel to the tourist trap seafood restaurants for a bite to eat.

3 antara

I wanted to head over to this cool looking place with the menus written in English and Cyrillic script (!!!) called 3 t.i.g.a. Antara (no relation to the 3 Line criminal gang) which looks like something out of the trendy beach front eateries of Bali or Boracay. I figured if you wanted to be ripped off, at least we can get ripped off…in style! smirk

seafood restaurant

The menu was surprisingly cheap but the kids didn’t like anything on it so we walked to a Chinese seafood restaurant (which strangely serves no pork).

tourist trap

The place was comfortable though – we’re just beside the beach so we can feel the breeze being enhanced by the ceiling fans.

old coconut
Fresh coconut (RM 4)

wah tan hor

Now, the lady taking the order warned us that small is VERY SMALL. Sorry, that should have been very small. The wah tan hor (Medium – RM 12) that came out made us apprehensive about all the other Small orders – would there just be a few pieces?

guinness stout chicken
Guinness Stout Chicken Fillets (RM 9 – Small)

venison deer meat
Venison (Deer Meat) with Ginger & Onions (RM 15 – Small)

fried rice
Fried Rice (RM 5- Small)

ate well

It turns out that there’s more than expected and everyone ate well (for just RM 57 at a tourist trap – woo hoo). It’s very forgettable food though…

family dinner

Tonight is the night that we’re heading to town where the locals go for a *proper* seafood restaurant to eat the ocean’s diminishing supply of creatures – delicious treats like mantis prawn!

holiday villa

Tonight, we feast! *tears eagerly into a foot long cod*

Family trip to Langkawi: Day 1

subang airport

We have arrived in Langkawi!

kids

(with two little checked in luggage)

fried durian balls

After eating at two fast food joints in a row (granted, one had some pretty awesome deep fried durian puffs)…

balcony pool

…it’s the room with a balcony and a pool view!

jumping on bed

The kids are jumping up and down on the bed in anticipation of the swimming session later in the evening.

family langkawi

The adults are planning to crash for a while to rest them tired ol’ bones. smirk

langkawi

I’m planning to get a rental car tomorrow so we can get around town – seems like the best way to get around Langkawi – which is not an island, but 99 individual islands, or so I read on the brochure.

Deep fried battered burgers!

battered burgers

This is one of the most sinfully delicious finds that I’ve had the pleasure of eating recently. I was at the Langkawi pasar malam and chanced upon this deep fried burger stall.

deep fried burgers

Let me reiterate the awesomeness of that sentence just in case it didn’t quite sink in.

fried burger

It’s an entire burger that’s been dipped in batter before being deep fried in glorious churning oil until it’s golden brown.

deep fried burger

It’s just RM 1.50 but the patties seem to have been sliced in half.

artery clogging

This burger will clog your arteries faster than you can eat it. 🙂

Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi

tanjung rhu dawn

I was in Langkawi over the weekend for a dose of sun, sea and surf (not forgetting the other s – spirits ;)). It’s about a 1 hour flight from KL and as soon as I exited the airport, there was a sign with “Poh Huai Bin” waiting for me.

tanjung rhu ambience

It was the concierge from Tanjung Rhu Resort and I was pleased with the luxurious van that provided airport transfer to the resort (complete with the driver offering you a wet towel as soon as you make yourself comfortable).

lobby

Tanjung Rhu resort is one of the best resorts in Langkawi, or so I hear. I was there to check it out for myself. The lobby is built according to an open concept with various water features (of the natural kind), a nice cool sea breeze and birds chirping.

hornbill

There’s even a real, live hornbill (and a six foot monitor lizard they call Jack). The check-in is very hassle free – it’s done in your room! This brings personalized check in to a whole new level. Heh!

check in

Your luggage is dropped in the lobby to be ferried to your room later while a nice lady shows you your room, offers you a wet towel (everyone needs a towel), takes out some ice cubes and pours a drink for you.

fruit basket

She fills in all your details too! I think every hotel should offer this service. In-room check-in FTW!

tanjung rhu room

The room is large and spacious – it has a huge tub and a gigantic bed which was rather wasted on one person. 🙂

It’s the small touches that makes Tanjung Rhu such a luxurious place – Time magazine on a practical shelf beside the bed, a balcony overlooking one of the pools, and chocolates at night in a proper wooden box instead of paper.

tanjung rhu beach

There is a reason Tanjung Rhu is the hotel/resort with the 3rd highest spend in Malaysia – they treat their guests really well, with an amazing memory prowess which enables them to remember your name and greet you when you walk past them! MENSA grade, seriously.

tanjung rhu pool

Oh, and another reason could be the RM 155 champagne cocktail flutes, of which I had a few. 😉

mangrove adventure

There’s no lack of activities to do in Tanjung Rhu – we went for a Mangrove Tour (RM 220) which brings you to:

monkey

Monkeys – Langkawi is INFESTED with primates, we even saw a family on the way to the airport

The mangrove swamp

mangrove tour

This reminds me of a certain scene in Apocalypse Now

This one brings back memories of The Two Towers

bats

Bat caves

me louise

Cute!

Eagles and kites

horseshoe crab

A fishing village…featuring the amazing spitting fish!

We took turns to operate the boat too – I think I freaked out the tour guide when I put it on full throttle. 😉

boat

I have to reiterate that it is of utmost importance to wear flip flops on this tour since you’re on a boat.

mangrove fruit

Leave your mosquito repellent at home since the bats here eats all of them so there’s none! 🙂

I also went for a swim in one of their pools – they have several, with one reserved for adults only. One interesting thing about Tanjung Rhu is that they limit the amount of children in the resort to about 5 and of the restaurants – The Rhu – does not allow kids inside.

sunset

However, one of the best features in Tanjung Rhu is the remarkable sandbar which makes it possible for you to actually WALK to the Turtle Islands over yonder. They have an awesome spa and massage too!

room service

Tanjung Rhu Resort room rates ranges from RM 1,850 to RM 3,250 per night. I recommend going for the all inclusive package where all food and drinks are free, no matter how much you eat. It also includes room service, but unfortunately not alcohol.

sunbathing

Sunbathing naked is officially prohibited by the resort though.

chill

It’s still a very chill and relaxing resort if for a nice beach holiday.

tanjung rhu end

Heck, with room rates starting from RM 1,850 per night, it better be good! 😉

JivaRhu spa massage

masseuse

I just had a very relaxing massage at JivaRhu spa in Tanjung Rhu Resort. Yes, I’m staying here for 3D/2N and I’m lovin’ every single second of it!

jivarhu spa

JivaRhu spa is nested in a quiet corner of the resort and you can feel the breeze from the sea and various birds chirping (not muzak, these are real birds) while you’re served with a cold towel.

jivarhu massage

There are various rejuvenating massages on the menu – everything from Swedish massage to Shiatsu and even exotic sounding ones like Shramonash massage. The 50 minute massage session costs RM 250. I opted for the Malay Traditional Massage (Urut) since I am in Langkawi.

foot massage

This is my masseuse – her name is Irati and she’s from Bali. The session started with a foot bath in warm water. The service here is excellent, you don’t even have to do anything – the masseuse will soak your feet and gently wash and dry it for you.

The Urut massage was great. It started off with the masseuse applying pressure with her nimble fingers…working the knots in your muscles on your back. I asked for more pressure and despite her diminutive size, she managed to apply enough force to loosen all the tension on my shoulders. The session progressed to Irati using her forearm to gently rub along your oiled body down to the spine before moving to your legs and thighs.

Her fingers worked magic and I fell asleep at one point before she woke me up and asked me to turn over. The Urut massage is quite comprehensive, I liked the reflexology elements where the masseuse put your feet up on her shoulders and rubs the soles.

The warm oil and the soft caresses of the masseuse gliding over your skin of your body while the sounds of nature lulls you into a Zen-like state is pure heaven!

Cigarettes from Langkawi in the mail!

mr lim package

I received a Pos Malaysia Pos Ekspres (Next Day Delivery) package in
the mail today from Mr. Lim in Langkawi. He was kind enough to send me
cigarettes for review purposes. Thanks Mr. Lim! 🙂

mr lim package contents

I was puzzled regarding the initial content of the packaging at
first (having been on the receiving end of several items of *cough*
dubious nature in the past) but since it did not come with an entourage
of police, I decided it was safe to open the package up. 😉

mr lim package cigarettes

Peel – Menthol Orange and Fisher Lights
are two of the cigarettes that Mr. Lim sent me. He’s also the
distributor of DJ Mix cigarettes in Malaysia and can be contacted at limmalaysia@gmail.com
[gmail.com] for the people who’re interested in obtaining the entire DJ
Mix range of cigarettes. He has a real brick and mortar shop in
Langkawi and has sold the DJ Mix line to people overseas and inside
Malaysia from the sixthseal.com comment queries in the past.

…and no, Mr. Lim, there’s no commission for this. sixthseal.com is a pure community oriented site. 🙂

P/S – Future new cigarettes for review purposes would be much appreciated though. 😉

Legal disclaimer: sixthseal.com cannot be held legally responsible for third party transactions.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...