February 25 – Toby, who sailed with me from Fremantle to Carnavon arrived taking the easy way to Langkawi via AirAsia. He spent a few days staying at Pantai Cenang, riding around looking at boats for sale – there being a buyers market at the moment.
Cheap and cheerful budget accommodation near Pantai Cenang beach Langkawi:
Rainbow Lodge; http://rainbowlangkawi.com/
AB Resort; is right on the beach.
I collected Toby at the Telaga dingy dock after he had recovered from either too much partying in Pantai Cenang or a bug that he may have picked up on the flight. We hired motor bikes and rode around visiting the important provisioning establishments; the wet (fresh food) market, where to buy bacon, the cheap booze warehouse, duty free shops, yacht chandleries and the best boating hardware stores.
We took a covert skirmish to Ko Lipe on March 3 to show Toby the quaint, hedonistic little island. We left under cover of darkness at 6.30am, the sun only rises in Langkawi around 8.00am, and had a great sail in a 10 to 15 knot north easterly breeze. At 11.00am we dropped anchor at Sunset Beach having adjusted for the one hour time zone difference. On going ashore we visited and had a beer with Mr Man, who runs the Boom Boom Bar and who keeps an eye out for the dingy. In the evening we ventured ashore to the village in search of Thai food.
A great deal of time and effort was spent searching for the perfect beach bar. With the number of bars on the small island, I think it near impossible to visit every bar and remember what day of the week it was let alone ones name. I am sure many people have tried.
After much searching, the following day we found the “Bila Beach Bar”. After a very tasty omelette, some exhaustive fluid replenishment, dispersed with the odd swim in the warm, clear waters of Anderrman sea some hammock time was required. It did not take long for the smooth talking Toby to find a couple of attractive girls – Michelle and Ursula from Switzerland. In the evening we returned to the Boom Boom bar and against my better judgement Toby, ordered margaritas – deje vu. I really ought to know better!
The return trip to Langkawi started off slowly under motor, there being very little wind. However, an 8 to 10 knot north easterly wind soon persisted and we were able to raise the asymmetrical spinnaker for a very pleasant sail. Toby had arranged to meet Michelle and Usula at Pantai Cenang as they left Ko Lipe on the same day by ferry.
We dropped anchor near the southern end of Pantai Cenang beach at 19.45 and ventured ashore in search of food. The following day Toby showed me some of the bars he had frequented when he stayed there – one crime scene being the “Babylon Bar” on the beach. We sailed back to Telaga on Sunday March 6, me feeling decidedly liverish after having been forced to eat so much good food and drink so much alcohol. Toby kept on saying that it was so cheap in Langkawi, he still had so much Malay Ringgit left that he, generously, bought a great Thai BBQed fish dinner for Rob and Ticia on “Bluet” and me. An inspired Toby flew out of Langkawi on the Monday back to his boat Lotus in Fremantle. I’m sure my liver will recover eventually .
Cheap and cheerful budget accommodation near Pantai Cenang beach Langkawi:
Rainbow Lodge; http://rainbowlangkawi.com/
AB Resort; is right on the beach.
I collected Toby at the Telaga dingy dock after he had recovered from either too much partying in Pantai Cenang or a bug that he may have picked up on the flight. We hired motor bikes and rode around visiting the important provisioning establishments; the wet (fresh food) market, where to buy bacon, the cheap booze warehouse, duty free shops, yacht chandleries and the best boating hardware stores.
We took a covert skirmish to Ko Lipe on March 3 to show Toby the quaint, hedonistic little island. We left under cover of darkness at 6.30am, the sun only rises in Langkawi around 8.00am, and had a great sail in a 10 to 15 knot north easterly breeze. At 11.00am we dropped anchor at Sunset Beach having adjusted for the one hour time zone difference. On going ashore we visited and had a beer with Mr Man, who runs the Boom Boom Bar and who keeps an eye out for the dingy. In the evening we ventured ashore to the village in search of Thai food.
A great deal of time and effort was spent searching for the perfect beach bar. With the number of bars on the small island, I think it near impossible to visit every bar and remember what day of the week it was let alone ones name. I am sure many people have tried.
After much searching, the following day we found the “Bila Beach Bar”. After a very tasty omelette, some exhaustive fluid replenishment, dispersed with the odd swim in the warm, clear waters of Anderrman sea some hammock time was required. It did not take long for the smooth talking Toby to find a couple of attractive girls – Michelle and Ursula from Switzerland. In the evening we returned to the Boom Boom bar and against my better judgement Toby, ordered margaritas – deje vu. I really ought to know better! The return trip to Langkawi started off slowly under motor, there being very little wind. However, an 8 to 10 knot north easterly wind soon persisted and we were able to raise the asymmetrical spinnaker for a very pleasant sail. Toby had arranged to meet Michelle and Usula at Pantai Cenang as they left Ko Lipe on the same day by ferry.
We dropped anchor near the southern end of Pantai Cenang beach at 19.45 and ventured ashore in search of food. The following day Toby showed me some of the bars he had frequented when he stayed there – one crime scene being the “Babylon Bar” on the beach. We sailed back to Telaga on Sunday March 6, me feeling decidedly liverish after having been forced to eat so much good food and drink so much alcohol. Toby kept on saying that it was so cheap in Langkawi, he still had so much Malay Ringgit left that he, generously, bought a great Thai BBQed fish dinner for Rob and Ticia on “Bluet” and me. An inspired Toby flew out of Langkawi on the Monday back to his boat Lotus in Fremantle. I’m sure my liver will recover eventually .
