From North to South

With one week off and my aunt and her close friend travelling in Malaysia, I had one last chance to explore a bit more of the country before moving to my last Dream Year location, Ethiopia. We considered many options for our trip together... Take the bus to Penang and explore historical Georgetown? Find our way to the apparently amazing Perhentian Islands? Or travel across the country on the jungle railway? In the end, we decided on a combination of north and south, a mix of culture and beach - they had, after all, just arrived from cold and rainy England, while a whole three weeks had passed since I returned from Bali (I know, the tough life of a Dreamer).

After a few days exploring Kuala Lumpur, we headed northwest to a couple of islands that have a more stable climate than the eastern part of the Malaysian Peninsula at this time of the year. Following a quick early morning flight to Langkawi and a ferry ride from Telaga Harbour, we were transferred by longtail boat to Pattaya Beach on the small Thai island of Koh Lipe. We were met by the silky turquoise waters of the Andaman sea and the softest white sand my toes have ever touched. One word: Paradise! No wonder Koh Lipe is often labelled the "Maldives of Thailand".

We picked up our passports at immigration (a woman shouting out names and handing the passport to whoever put their hand up) and spent our short stay reading and drawing on the beach, swimming in the crystal clear sea, enjoying delicious Thai curries, tamarind smoothies and refreshing coconuts and admiring the sunrise and sunset on each of their respective side of the island.

Buddhist Temple, Koh Lipe

Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe

Pattaya Beach at night

Typical Koh Lipe longtail boat

Yummy coconuts!

Needless to say, we left Koh Lipe a couple of days later somewhat reluctantly, heading back to Langkawi. The beaches are certainly not as white and the sea not as blue as Koh Lipe (unless staying at a luxury resort, according to photographic evidence shared by a lucky friend), but we still had a wonderful time! A definite highlight was enjoying a cold beer and stunning sunset at Pantai Tengah and concluding the evening with cocktails, candles and lanterns at a cool little beach bar on Pantai Cenang. I also tried the Langkawi cable car, which was slightly scary but provided a fantastic view of the island (my travel companions were not as keen, but single riders skip the queue!).

Black Sand Beach, Langkawi

Black Sand Beach

Cute!

Langkawi Cable Car (a bit cloudy, but still a nice view)

The skybridge - currently closed unfortunately :(

Pantai Tengah sunset

Pantai Tengah sunset

After five lovely days of sun, sea and sand, we returned to KL for a night before heading south to Melaka - a UNESCO World Heritage Site teeming with culture, history and a unique architecture. I already visited this charming little city during my first week in Malaysia with AidCom colleague Sara Linn. My aunt and her friend knew they wanted to include a trip here as part of their travels through Malaysia, so I tagged along as I had been hoping to return before leaving for Addis. We arrived on a Friday evening, just in time for the first day of the weekly night markets - the most famous one on Jonker Street in Chinatown and another Malay market on the other side of the river. Both are great places to sample some local treats! We also explored the city on a free historical walking tour offered by the tourist office and enjoyed walks, lunches and drinks by the riverside.

Melaka's colourful trishaws ready to transport people leaving the night market

Giant (like, crocodile-size!) water monitor in the Melaka River

Who's who? ;)

From Koh Lipe and Langkawi in the North to Melaka in the South, I really enjoyed my final holiday in this part of the world - a great trip with great company :)