72 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2015 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2015 73DESTINATION
Aft er a lunch break at Monkey Beach, fi ttingly overrun with macaques,
we headed around to the southwest corner of the archipelago for the
second dive. When we arrived there were still some big swells from the
previous day’s wind, but we could tell it had veered back to the north and
were thankful for our sheltered spot at Sunset Beach. Visibility on this
dive was over 50m and the hard corals formed giant coral heads that were
sometimes 10m tall and 15m wide, providing shelter to numerous lionfi sh
with giant schools of smaller fi sh hanging just
off the reef.
We tried out the spacious, seaside Castaway
Resort for dinner at Sunrise Beach and fi nally
retired to the boat for a well-earned rest close
to midnight.
Everyone wanted to spend a few more days
in Koh Lipe, but we still had two more stops we
didn’t want to skip when we got to Langkawi;
Datai Bay for a spa day, and Unesco World
Heritage Site Langkawi Geopark.
Th e wind had gone light during our stay
in the Butangs and we had day of motoring in
bright sunshine to make the Geopark in the
early aft ernoon. Th is area of mangrove swamps
and tall limestone escarpments also provides a
very secure spot to spend the night. Th e entry
through a “hole in the wall” provides plenty of
water for even large boats to enter and the 1.5m
draft of our catamaran gave us no problems
getting inside and fi nding a spot to anchor near
the other cruisers.We weren’t able to fi nd the famous crocodile cave with our dinghy- hire a guide if you want to see it. We did see such a variety of tropical
birds there was little chance we could name them all and enjoyed a
seafood lunch at a fl oating restaurant that was also a fi sh farm housing
a wide range of species.
Th e next day we headed back west to Datai Bay, sailing for a second
time past what are known as the best beaches in Langkawi. We had called
ahead to the fi ve-star Andaman at Langkawi resort and the staff met us
on the beach with welcome drinks. We relaxed by the pool with some
snacks, followed by massages at the spa on the cliff s. Overlooking the sea,
we watched the monkeys and birds migrating from the beaches up to the
jungle canopy to fi nd a spot to spend the night. We thoroughly enjoyed
our relaxing break on land.
Th e last day of the trip was just a short jaunt around to Telaga Harbour
on the northeast part of Langkawi. Yachts are allowed to be in Malaysia
for seven days before having to clear into the country and this made
our trip planning much easier. Customs and immigration are in one
building and the Harbour Master is next door, making the oft en painful
process very easy.
Telaga is a picturesque spot with the entrance guarded by a
lighthouse with cows grazing outside. Inside there is moorage for
ships over 100ft with fuel, water, power and easy access to the rest of
the island.
Langkawi has plenty to off er to keep guests occupied for another
vacation all by itself. We hired a car and made a lap around the island
checking out beaches, waterfalls, and shopping – Langkawi is duty-free!
Th e night market in Kuah Town was a remarkably varied and delicious
cultural experience. We tried numerous local foods before we fi nally
headed to the airport.
Our only regret about the trip was not having at least twice as much
time to spend. Consider 10 days to be the minimum from Phuket to
Langkawi, but take at least three weeks if at all possible.
http://www.simpsonyachtcharter.com
http://www.cata-lagoon.com
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http://www.theandaman.com66-73 Destinations.indd 72-73 07/03/15 2:24 pm