Langkawi. Or as mum likes to calls it. Line of cowie.

On the advice given to us by our hotel receptionist, we arrived 40 minutes before the ferry departed Penang for Langkawi. He said we did not need to buy the tickets in advance. That guy knows nothing! Both ferries were sold out. We were put on the waiting list & hoped for a cancellation. No luck. Or so we thought. We got chatting a to a couple from Malta. They had a plan b. We would get the ferry back to Butterworth, jump on two buses then get to another ferry port where a ferry departs to Langkawi every hour. We landed in Langkawi at roughly the same time as the original planned route & it cost half the price :D

Lizards we saw while waiting for the ferry

Our hotel was right on the beach. Actually in the middle of two beaches. From our room we could hear the waves crashing. It was the first thing you heard in the morning & the last thing at night. Excluding Catherine's snoring of course. The beach to the left was almost deserted. It was my favourite. The sea was cleaner. The one to the right much more touristy. Banana boats & jet skis whizzing from left to right. But they did have sun beds & the sand was a little nicer.

I loved the beach but hardly ventured into the sea. Which is a shame as that is my favourite bit. I was trying to keep my cuts dry. Hoping they would heal quicker. In Penang I got a dettol bath & then decided to get a shower. I turned it on & it was like a fire hose. Now I know how John Rambo felt in the police station. It blasted the scabs straight off my shin. Ouch & yikes! I battled my way through to the taps & with the lever pushed down I managed to turn it back on to the tap mode. It then decided to switch back & I took the full power of the shower in the face. I wish I had a camera on me at all times. I could make a fortune selling the videos. Why do those TV shows still only pay £250. I am sure it has been £250 since Jeremy Beadles days.

In Langkawi we finally got to eat some Malaysian food. It was at this really cool restaurant. Owned by a Dutch guy & his Malaysian wife. The food was very nice. But, the best food we had while in Langkawi (the whole of Malaysia for that matter) was at a Mexican restaurant. Nachos, burrittos & enchiladas. Washed down with 3 ringett beers (50p)

Some more examples of Malaysia's cool street artists. This was opposite the Mexican joint.

I found Malaysia a little dull. I never really got a feel for the place. I liked Langkawi much more that the other places but I think Malaysia as a whole is lacking an identity. It is also more expensive that other South East Asian countries. Take Kuala Lumpur for instance. The top tourist attractions include shopping malls. Shopping malls!!?? One of the top attractions in Penang is the ferry to Butterworth. I find this even harder to believe. I mean, it is nothing more than a crappy old commuter ferry & Butterworth has about as much personality as a ham sandwich. As I have said, I liked Langkawi. I am sure anyone coming here for their annual holiday would have a nice time. After the things I have done & places I have seen, a nice time is not enough. Take me back to Thailand please.

Here is one good thing about Malaysia.