Malaysia/Thailand: Island Lounging on Langkawi & Koh Lipe

For our final leg of this marvelous journey we traversed from India to an island off the coast of Malaysia, called Langkawi, a large and lush jungle island in a chain of 90 or so similar islands on the Andaman Sea. We found a stretch of beach that seemed to be somewhat “developed,” having a slew of restaurants, shops, accommodations, etc. Our primary objective on Langkawi was as a jumping-off point to the southern-most islands in Thailand, so we made the main beach area (Pantai Chenang) our 2-night choice, staying in a seaside bungalow at Sunset Beach Resort – a pristine, picture-perfect retreat spot that was the ideal wind-down locale from the rigors and unsuspected events that we so recently experienced while maneuvering through southern India.

Time slowed to a crawl and we relished the languid pace of coastal Malaysia, spending hours strolling on white sand, while gazing at the many nearby, floating, specks of land that were clearly visible offshore on the horizon (and in every direction). YES! We had found the much needed, laid-back antidote for the soothing of some slightly frazzled nerves. But even in paradise there’s always “something” that isn’t quite perfect. Sadly, Langkawi has a somewhat large problem with the local jellyfish population, which made ocean swimming a bit dangerous. We’d heard that just last year a traveler was attacked and killed by a deadly box jellyfish! Needless to say, we were extremely cautious when we (briefly) dipped into the oh-so inviting sea.

Further onward from Langkawi’s tropical island paradise, we next boarded a mid-sized, covered, but open-sided, “fast boat” bound for yet another island adventure. Our passage between Langkawi Island and Koh Lipe, Thailand, was somewhat rough, and at one point the boat hit a huge wave, sending a wall of sea water into the front portion, drenching the majority of passengers, and creating a pang of panic! Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any additional, or more serious, problems on this crossing and we arrived on Koh Lipe in slightly over 1 hour – alive and well. The immigration “office” was a tiny, grass hut on the beach, run by a group of twenty-something Thai kids in bathing suits (extremely casual - considering we had just crossed into Thailand from Malaysia).

 

Five days of sunny skies and the warm, ocean currents of these tranquil Thai islands helped us regain feelings of general well-being and left us relaxed and replenished. The scene on Koh Lipe is primarily a mix of backpacker and European traveler/hipster, with some families from the UK and Scandinavia thrown in. There’s certainly a mellow, “party vibe” there, especially on the main beach, Pattaya, which consisted of beach-side bungalows, interspersed with many groovy, beach bar-huts, several “sand-in-the-toes” restaurants, snorkel trip/dive shop operators, and plenty of sea-facing massage shacks offering inexpensive body rubbing.

Iconic, Thai-style, long-tail boats lined the shoreline, and enhanced the unique look and feel that can only be found in this part of the planet. The landscape was lush and gorgeous as well, but unlike Langkawi, Koh Lipe was small and walk-able, and many paths led from Pattaya Beach to the other beaches on the island - where quiet coves and spits of soft, powder-white sand beckoned. We explored practically all of the sand options that we could reach (all on foot) as there are no 4-wheeled vehicles (or paved roads) on Lipe.

There’s was great snorkeling off of most beaches on Lipe, but one day in particular stood out. We arranged for a long-tailed boat/boatman to “taxi” us to and around the dozens of deserted, isolated, islands (koh) that make-up the Tarutao National Marine Park (of which Koh Lipe is the only island in the group with traveler accommodations). The marine reserve is a protected area and is a very natural and clean, chain of Thai islands. We saw virtually no trash or plastics floating in the sea, and most beaches seemed devoid of the usual island-flotsam (a surprising and refreshing change). Most surprising was that Koh Lipe officials have initiated a “Keep Lipe Clean” program that includes a recycling facility for glass and plastic bottles – something we’ve never seen before on a Thai island.

However, we were slightly taken aback by the amount of rapid-fire development that seemed to be going on around Lipe – especially along the cement-paved “Walking Street,” which was lined with restaurants and small shops, and which seems destined to turn into something more upscale in the near future. For now, Lipe is still more or less a backpacker’s bargain island, but fancy hotels and fashion boutiques are already starting to pop-up.

From Koh Lipe we retraced our route back to Langkawi Island in Malaysia, for more 2 days of fun in the sun. We had wonderful, inexpensive massages, and Deb also had a “fish spa” treatment, placing her legs in a pool of tiny Taiwanese “spa fish” that nibbled on her toes, ankles, and feet - smoothing and tickling, at the same time.

 Taking advantage of the tropical warmth, we enjoyed our last blast of lounging, lazing, and sunset gazing, and dined in a couple more “on-the-sand” restaurants - the perfect finale to another fantastic episode in the further adventures of the Grateful Globetrotters.