Aloha and welcome to my tropical-themed third post on my trip to Malaysia! This time we’re on the island of Langkawi, an archipelago of 99 islands at the northern tip of the country, near the border of Thailand. Think crystal clear waters, clean white beaches and mountains dense with jungle. It’s also been duty free since 1986…
Our destination on Langkawi: Bon Ton and Temple Tree, a duo of boutique hotels built on an old coconut plantation just north of the island’s longest beach. Bon Ton is made up of eight antique stilt houses brought in from Thailand and painstakingly reassembled by Australian owner Narelle McMurtrie. Temple Tree, meanwhile, is a collection of classic Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian houses from all over Malaysia that are divided into 20 rooms. It certainly didn’t feel like any old resort, where you could be anywhere in the world – both hotels have an authentic, relaxed feel, with their architectural details, antique wood furniture and friendly staff. Oh and the cute feline friends – Bon Ton and Temple Tree help fun a shelter for stray cats and dogs.
We stayed in the colonial house in Temple Tree, and having booked through iescape (which was a breeze) were greeted with a chilled lime margarita that instantly set the relaxed mood. This is where our holiday really began.
There were three swimming pools to choose from (what a hard choice to make!), each sandwiched between rows of deck chairs and towering palm trees. The beach was a 15 minute walk away and the staff could arrange boat trips out to the various islands, but we always came back to that pool.
Oh it’s a hard life for a cat round these parts
Bon Ton has an excellent restaurant called Nam, which serves Asian fusion food such as chargrilled rack of lamb with roast pumpkin, mint salad hummus and tomato jam, as well as a nine course sampler menu of Straits Chinese cuisine. We had some of the best food of the trip there. The breakfasts were served in the room, allowing for lazy starts and breakfast in bed.
Waiting for the sun to set with a fresh minty cocktail
And if you can bear to get up from the comfort of a sun lounger, you’ll be greeted with some of the most perfect sandy shores and freshest coconuts. Take me back?
And that’s my last post of Malaysian photos, what a fantastic trip. I can’t wait for the next adventure, where will it be I wonder?
All images my own
