Langkawi REvisited Part 2 – The Journey to the Peak, and Wonderland!!
April 16, 2009 | 79 views| 21 Comments »
The Archway to the Highlands
A map to the treasures in Oriental Village
Building blocks of Gold – A sign of prosperity, perhaps?
The Station before the intimidating 2.2km ride to the Top
Almost 45 degrees we were slanted. Though about 700m above sea level, Zephyrus was clearly on leave that evening …
A most precarious structure – The Fairweather Hanging Bridge.
The journey to the peak took about 15 minutes or so. There was a platform halfway, for those who may chicken out, or needing a breath of fresh air after being cramped in the tram for so long. But the 2 Musketeers (the 3rd had his calling) ventured to the top in record time, given the fickle weather which might ruined the odyssey to the peak, and the pilgrimage across the Bridge.
Of wooden platform, planks, observatory stations, and the not-so-welcoming dark clouds
Though behind every cloud has its silver lining, the Sunshine behind the dark clouds was a welcoming sight. To no avail, sadly.
The Deceiving Fog – ‘Twas sunshine at the other end …
But the Heavens above was clearly not siding with the innocent oneS. Sending waves after waves of rainfall, and completely shrouding the skies with a thick layer of Fog. OK, the Musketeers were successfully trapped amidst the chaos. What now? Stay or Down?
After much deliberation, all the staff and visitors alike were ushered to the flying carts and sent descending into the almost invisible land below. By now, visibility was at an all-time low. All hopes of sunny weather and continuing our pilgrimage to the Bridge were dashed.
Sakura Bridge in Langkawi?
And so the 2 Musketeers obediently (but reluctantly) relented to the subversive tactics. And bidded Oriental Village goodbye. No refunds for the less-than-ideal weather. SO be warned, and refrain from visiting during windy/cloudy times.
The lake must be a man-made one (or so, the Poor Boy thought), encircling a rather restricted area. One can’t help but wonder, how the heck are those yachts gonna sail?
Wonderland - Have we reached Nirvana?
And so, the 3 Musketeers reunited (yay!) for a leisure dinner by the riverside. Or it could be a HUGE drain, for all they cared. Most importantly, hunger pangs MUST be satiated!
Steamed Siakap Teo Chew style
Next to the GLK Seafood of the previous night, Wonderland commands a larger following, nearly packed at all times, on a weekday’s evening!
Albeit with higher prices (understandable, given the HOT reaction from the crowd), the food at Wonderland was still delicious, and fresh. And the 3 Musketeers were unwillingly trapped in a horrendous downpour (a grim reminder from the Lords above again, probably to wash our Sins …. a deja vu of sorts, much akin to our experience at Kuala Perlis last year).
Clockwise from top left : Batter-fried Squids, Sambal Belacan Kangkung, Dry Chillies Mantis Prawns and Or Chien (Oyster Omelette)
The meal came to about RM18 per person. Though next to each other, Wonderland and GLK can’t be categorized in the same league. They serve Lobsters, Crabs, Prawns, Fish and various other sea produce. People even bring their own bottles of liquor, from reds to whites, to ‘enhance‘ the dining experience.
The restaurant with the lounge, @ SUNSUTRA, Pantai Cenang
Rustic charm abound, the place looked nothing like a pub from the outside
Chilling to tunes from the 90’s, they drank, they splitted nuts (ground nuts, NOT their nuts), and they did NOT dance. As retro as Sunba may be, the crowd was thin (it was a Tuesday night after all, and the heavy rain was a huge deterrent factor!), and the Musketeers and Gang stuck out like sore thumbs amidst the majority of foreigners. A game of pool at RM3, a pint of beer at RM8, and cocktails/vodka/etc from RM12+.
Supper at a random mamak stall ended the night on a high note, with gratitudes to the ‘local’ guides (an alcoholic and a sober), toasting (teh tarik,Milo and all) to a comfortable stay, with free transportation and drivers, as well as some free meals!
The flight home was indeed, in a Class of Its Own ; Turbulence on a Propeller Plane = Nauseating!
And so ends, another chapter in the Motormouth’s travelogue. Pardon the less than logical/rational way of writing, as I’m still reeling from the food poisoning spell (no thanks to that dastardly Nasi Kandar meal in Penang!), hence the lack in intellectual reasoning.
Wait, was I ever an intellectual in the first place? =)
Next destination : PERLIS, this weekend. Geez, I want my weekends back ….. !!!
Oh My, i still remember that feeling of sitting in the cable car, though i don’t have height phobia, it still manage to ’soften’ my leg lol..
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The Fairweather Hanging Bridge looks amazing! I gotta go check it out next time I’m home.
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So nice that you get to take the cable car ride! We were so unlucky that time when we went, the first day the person said the weather wasn’t good for the cable car to operate, the second day the person said it was under maintenance! Awww… Nice sceneries btw ^^
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My gal enjoyed the cable ride. And she still grab her camera take pictures from the cable rice whereas another little gal is so afraid. ^o^
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sakaigirl : yes ah? but it wasnt even fast. minor gripe was the lack of breeze. rather stuffy in there.
Colin Woon : erm, that;s a name I coined lah, not the real name for sure. hahah .. Fairweather as in ONLY available at sunny times. like fairweather friends.
Sugar Bean : yeah, true. seems they close the cable car quite often, whenever cloudy, rainy, or windy weather.
Food Paradise: a little steeper than the one in Genting, thats for sure.
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My aunt freaked out when she’s in the cable car. She’s height phobia.
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It’s really too bad you missed the chance to go to the bridge! It was pretty exciting to be surrounded by mist. But no worries, I’m sure you can go back there again another time
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went to those places that you went. wonderland, oriental village, cable car, sky bridge,….
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the cable car ride was awesome!
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allie : really that bad? i think my mum also would feel the same way though. hha …
iamthewitch : yeah, i am sure there’ll be another day. but i sure hope NOT this year. the travelling part’s exhausting.
NKOTB : i didn’t go sky bridge ma. wasted.
foodbin : it was ok lah .. sadly the weather only.
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hey i think now u can be the north region manager, this month how many times aredi?haha?
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Love the shot of the “Fairweather Hanging Bridge” … Good photos!
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wow, is there such beautiful scenes and spots in Langkawi? Y din I notice when I visited long time ago! Should visit it again soon…
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Weather was not good when my last visit so couldn’t get a ride to the peak
But ur Hanging Bridge photo make my leg shivering now o.O
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cant wait to go..
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SuWei : I dunno lah. just came back from Perlis also. I think I deserve some award here. hehe …
Julian Si : thanks! pity we couldnt set foot on it though.
Mummy in Vain : the Langkawi Cable Car started operating some time ago. not sure when, but one of the better sights on the isle.
mimid3vils : really?! it was not that shaky maybe. if only we had the chance to walk across …sigh.
mycroft : cant wait to hear your feedback on the island!
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Hey, was just there a couple of weeks back during Earth Hour. Was great and kinda scary being up the cable car and on the hanging bridge. Just have something for heights. Such a wuzz. LOL
Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed your trip!
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It’s has been awhile since my last trip by boat to Langkawi. I think I ought to make another one soon. The island sure looked better now than before. Anyone with USD2M cruiser to bring me there?? Haha
http://crizfood.com/
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wow you got impressive pictures, no time to read but pretty good bridge you have there and with the fog, unbelievable in sunny malaysia. Thanks for sharing.
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qwazymonkey : you were there during Earth Hour? ahhah .. I was in Langkawi then as well! though trapped in the camp. hmm …
Criz Lai : boat trip? personal yacht ah? hahaha … bring me there also ok?
Jencooks : thanks! yeah, i’ve been rambling longer and longer I realised. whoops. i’ll control myself.
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Great photos! On positive note, the rain also give you a special experience that other visitors don’t have.
Besides, the view from the bridge is not much greater than from the other platforms.
.-= YeinJee´s last blog ..Kim So-eun in Hanbok =-.
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