Mr. M & I didn’t have the typical, chillax-by-the-Caribbean-Sea kind of honeymoon. This is for the best, as those Sandals commercials with handsome couples wearing all white and running hand in hand down the beach make me snicker. Who are these folk?
Even at 15, Mr. M & I were never so desperately in love that we had to skip about it.
Our crazy-fantastic-adventuresome trip to South Africa was much more… “us,” but our recent wedding anniversary (5 years this past Friday!) had me thinking: of the places Mr. M & I have traveled since, where would I recommend for an-ever-so-slightly more mainstream honeymoon?
Day#10,671: Pulau Langkawi, a tiny jungley island off the western coast of Malaysia, is one of the most naturally beautiful places that I’ve ever been and possibly the closest to what I imagine a “real” honeymoon would feel like.
Minus the obligatory couples massage.
After touching down in the island’s tiny airport, Mr. M hailed a cab, which was pretty much just some guy’s car that had a hand-painted T-a-X-i scrawled on the window (as much as my computer refuses to condone it, the “a” in TaXi was backwards) and seatbelts that had gone AWOL long ago. Our hotel was located pretty far outside the main town of Kuah, so we got a winding driving tour of the island punctuated by a striking number of stops to let errant chicken flocks or the wandering water buffalo cross the highway.
Although Kuah is fairly developed- and sadly touristy- the rest of the island feels rural, overgrown, untouched.
We wound our way deeper into the island’s core before turning down a steep cliffside road to our home for the next two nights, The Andaman Hotel.
The lobby is open to the air and views of the Andaman Sea. I’d never seen anything quite like it.
While we waited to check in, Mr. M and I were given glasses of chilled starfruit juice.
I was feeling pretty darn happy about deciding to spend our frequent hotel Starwood points staying here. Especially when we were taken to our room and discovered a bowl of freshly-dewed fruit.
Those hairy-looking alien fruits ended up being one of Mr. M’s favorite foods of the trip. They’re sweet, lychee-like creatures, and since first seeing them in Malaysia, I now see them ubiquitously for sale on fruit stands all through Chinatown.
Before leaving us, the hotel employee showing us to our room also mentioned that Mr. M & I should take special care to keep the balcony door shut when we weren’t in the room.
True to the stories I hear about what honeymoons are “supposed” to be, we did a lot of lounging by the clear, turquoise Andaman Sea.
While we did walk down the beach, I promise there was no running whilst splashing water on each other or laughing maniacally.
After the sun melted into the thick air (thicker than usual due to a fire on one of the nearby Thai islands), the Mr. & I snagged an outdoor table at the hotel’s restaurant for dinner.
While being stationed far outside Kuah turned out to be a very good thing, it did make it much more difficult to eat anywhere other than the hotel. Not a problem, as the hotel food was surprisingly bomb.
We feasted on a tableful of typical Malaysian dishes: nasi lemak (coconut rice topped with a fried egg, dried shrimp, peanuts, cucumber, & spicy sambal sauce), sayur lodeh (veggie curry stew)… mmmm….
Even on a faux honeymoon, I can’t sit around for too long. The next morning we woke up early to join a nature walk into the lush Langkawi interior. Halfway through our jaunt, the permeating island mist transformed into sprinkle, which quickly morphed into a tropical and torrential downpour. I scooped my beloved camera under my raincoat, and we sprinted for cover through the lush green, splashing up mud.
Nothing makes you feel quite so alive as an impromptu rainstorm.
The rain stopped as suddenly as it began, and this second day in Langkawi was earmarked for other adventures.
Even Vacation Dictator Me- with my clipboard timetables and drill whistle- has to admit that every once in a while, it’s liberating to spend a day or two with your loved one, burrowing your toes in the sand.
Even when it’s not technically your honeymoon.
To explore my next day’s adventure FREAKING out on a Malaysian sky bridge, click here!
Details of the Day: Pulau Langkawi is a great easygoing- and relatively cheap!- alternative to the more popular Thai islands (think Phi Phi and Phuket) that lie less than a few hundred miles north. Since returning from our trip, Mr. M & I have been spouting the wonders of Malaysia to anyone who’ll listen- we’re not sure why it’s not more of a travel destination!
Andaman Hotel: Mr. M travels quite frequently for work, and we were able to stay at the Andaman using his Starwood points- a reeeally good deal, if you have any extra points that need spendin’. Again, its wonderful isolation was the one possible downside; it’s cumbersome to go anywhere else for your meals. But… on the upside… the Andaman is still in our top 5 hotels we’ve ever stayed anywhere in the world (along with places in Zermatt, Switzerland, Bali, and off the coast of Rio de Janeiro). It’s that magical.
Transportation: Langkawi is a quick one-hour flight from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Taxis – or TaXis, as it were- are very easy to come by… no need to rent a car while you’re on the island.
Malaysian Food: I know I’ve pimped out Malaysian food before, but it’s just so darn delicious- and relatively unexplored, even amongst otherwise adventuresome eaters! Much to Mr. M’s delight, we happen to live just around the corner from a scrumptious Malaysian restaurant called Nyonya (199 Grand St, NYC)- he regularly forces our out-of-town visitors to broaden their culinary horizons and make Nyonya’s acquaintance.
If you happen to be in Manhattan, stop by Nyonya and try some roti canai (thin crepe in curry sauce) and- Mr. M’s Favorite Dessert on the Planet- cendol: a shave ice concoction with condensed milk, red beans, grass jelly, and palm syrup that’s sold by street vendors all over Southeast Asia.
Beautiful pictures and congrats on being newly married!! Btw, I love chendol - it's rich & thick and definitely not good for cholestrol but oh so good.ç Glad you enjoyed Malaysia! did you manage to pop by to my hometown Singapore? Cheers, Felicia http://dishbydish.net
Thank you, Felicia! Mr. M tells me that cendol is so delicious that the calories & cholesterol "don't count." I didn't know this was a reasonable argument, but it sounds pretty good to me. ;)
So glad i had the chance to read this. Malaysia is definitely on my list of places to travel and you have made it even more exciting for me! :-)
I'm so glad, Moon! Since visiting Malaysia, I've been curious as to why the country often gets left out of visitors' travels to Southeast Asia- it's such a beautiful, rich, and underrated country! But maybe that's better for the rest of us who are in the know. ;) I hope you're able to get to Malaysia sometime in the near future- you'll love it!
Is it selfish to wish not many ppl know about it so it remains a quiet and wholesome place to visit? All the goodies for us! Muahahahaha Thanks, i look forward to that day!
Ha ha! Agreed! I'll keep my mouth shut from here on out. ;)
Deal! :-p
Well, Happy belated anniversary!!! This looks like it would make a fantastic honeymoon... or vacation anytime. Is that tree on fire, or is it just light from the sunset?! I stared at the picture forever and cannot figure it out! I didn't have a typical honeymoon either. We went camping at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Lots of hiking and exploring!
Why, thank you!! We always end up celebrating our first-date anniversary and not our wedding anniversary, so it’s kind of fun remembering it exists! We were together for such a long time before getting married that the wedding ‘anniversary number’ always sounds so weak-sauce! :} Ha! I’d never realized the tree looked like it was on fire, but it kind of does! Happily for the tree, it’s just fancy uplighting. Your untypical honeymoon sounds fantastic! Camping honeymoons seem so romantic… and hiking is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I had no idea there was a grand canyon in PA! Weekend trip!!
I know what you mean. Daniel and I have been together 14 years, but only married 5.5 years. It definitely sounds weak-sauce ;) Yeah, it's not as amazing as the real grand canyon... or I imagine since I've never been there. BUT! The views are awesome. I've been there a few times, and I suggest going in the fall when the leaves are all pretty colors ;) I mean, it's beautiful all the time, but I love fall leaves the best!
The PA Grand Canyon is officially in my planner under "Fall Weekend Trips." Can't wait! So you know what I mean about anniversaries! I was like, 5 year anniversary? Pshh. That's so ten years ago. :)
Another amazing weekend trip in Pa is Rickett's Glen State Park, especially if you love hiking beside waterfalls. It's one of my favorite places!
Ooh, thank you! All these hiking ideas in combination with today's sunshine (yay!) have me itching to get out of the city. (And perhaps stop at a Sheetz on the way?) Hopefully soon!
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[…] I’ve mentioned thus far in the blogosphere are Hotel Coeur des Alpes in Zermatt, Switzerland, The Andaman in Langkawi, Malaysia, and Hotel Kajane in Ubud, […]
Ahh! I have just chanced upon you blog to find this post after only just getting a quote for the Andaman Hotel! Ooo spooky. I am so glad I have come across this though we have looked at Langkawi longingly and this has further convinced me it has to be done! Great blog.
What serendipity! :D I'm so glad that I'm helping further convince you to visit Langkawi! While the Andaman is a bit pricey, it was soooo amazingly beautiful & relaxing. I can't wait to hear about your trip, if you do end up going!!
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[…] To explore my next day’s adventure chillaxing off the coast of Malaysia, click here! […]
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[…] a day spent with our toes dipped in the clear, warm Andaman Sea, Mr. M & I grew restless for adventure and took a taxi to the uber-touristy Oriental Village […]