Koh Lipe

We left Langkawi and headed off via ferry even further into the Andaman Sea to the tiny Thai island of Koh Lipe.   One of the things that will hopefully not change about this completely magical place is the fact that it has no dock and must be accessed via longboat or a craft equally able to navigate the shallow waters that envelope the island.  Our small ferry stopped a ways offshore where we climbed off and into a very traditional canoe type vessel (the longboat) that shuttled us to shore.  From the moment we stepped onto the beach we knew we did not have to look any further to find one of the most beautiful places in the world.  The sand was as soft as sand could ever be and the colours of everything around us would be really difficult to describe.  We had no trouble hanging out and waiting for our passports to be processed at the beach hut that served as the immigration office.

Once we had properly entered Thailand, we were greeted by the “driver” from our “resort”.  We knew there are no cars on Lipe and barely any roads so we were not quite sure what the process would be to get us all to the other side of the island.  We assumed we would make a few trips and perhaps walk as it is not that far.  We soon discovered that the five of us plus the driver would pile onto a single scooter rigged up with a side car, the island minivan! 

We didn't get any pictures of all of us on the minivan but this is when Paul left, not nearly a crowded without Rob and all of our bags

On our way to our beach huts

While we made our way through the local villages that were as third world as we have seen on the trip, I was pretty sure that Uncle Paul was having some doubts about where the heck I had dragged him.  It didn’t, however, take long for doubts to disappear.  Our “resort” was certainly not a “resort” but we were not expecting it to be and how could we complain at all with clean and comfortable bungalows a step away from the water’s edge….. and what a waters edge!  We were also pleasantly surprised to discover that Canadian friends we had met in Malaysia had chosen Lipe for their "visa run".  It was great to see their familiar faces and realize they were also staying at the resort.  We had a lot of fun with them and it was wonderful to share time and connect again.  Our boys enjoyed keeping their two gorgeous kids amused and that translated into some very good adult time.

For the first few days we could simply not stop talking about how gorgeous everything was.  The kaleidoscope of blues, greens and turquoises have to be seen to be appreciated as the pictures don’t really compare.  We felt like we were in a picture book that had been photo shopped.  The colors extended beneath and above the water and literally all around us.  The snorkeling was amazing and we spent a good deal of time with our heads in the water marveling at the life swimming around us.  We certainly found Nemo and a lot of his friends…they were living just in front of our beach hut!  Too bad we forgot the connector to download our underwater pictures.

The laid back vibe of Lipe was amazing and the manner in which the tourism infrastructure, be it as it is, is embedded within the local life is unlike anyplace we have been.  Our hut was next door to the main island fishing village and while some may not appreciate being so close to the day to day life of the Chao Leh (Sea Gypsies), we really enjoyed it.  We got to watch them as they constructed their nets, loaded and cared for their boats, brought in their catch and filled their days. It was wonderful to see such simple and sustainable life apparently still thriving.  Every morning as we were having our coffee the Island Monks would stroll down the beach and go into the fishing village to give their blessings.  It was a beautiful just seeing this life happening.

We sure had fresh coconut!

With no dock or easy access we thought services on Lipe would be pretty limited and that it would be even less developed than it is.  However, stretching from one side of the island to the other is a “Walking Street” that is just alive enough with tourists and locals to suite our tastes perfectly.  We strolled this street on a daily basis enjoying the sites, sounds and smells of the heaven we had found.  We were staying on the breezy and quieter side of the island and while we enjoyed some excellent dinners on the main beach we were always glad to get back to our breezy bungalow. 

Directional signs on Koh Lipe

We met up with some Canadian friends we had gotten to know in Penang.  It was cool to connect and share our time with them!

There was a really good variety of eating establishments and the food was awesome both on the beach and on the walking street. We had almost forgotten how incredibly flavorful just about every bite of Thai cuisine actually is.  We also got used to savoring a number of fresh fruit smoothies on a daily basis. We loved Koh Lipe and could go on and on about it.  We also loved having Paul with us, what a treat!  It made the whole experience even more special.  It was really sad to say good by to Paul and also to say goodbye to Koh Lipe.  The kids will be happy to re establish internet connectivity but we have to admit that the lack of easy connections made our time even more relaxing. 

We managed to find a Birthday Cake for Fearon and have a little late celebration.  Having Paul with us sure made it more celebratory. 

It is incredible to realize that this is how every item that comes to the island arrives. This was a fridge moving in.   It is not surprising that it takes a long time to build things like new resorts.  We sure hope that it stays that way and that this idyllic island paradise is spared the fate of a lot of the other Thai Islands.  

Langkawi

Langkawi is a very popular island and beach retreat for Malaysian as well as international tourists.  It is part of an archipelago of close to one hundred islands whose limestone peaks seem rise from the sea for miles.  We spent a couple of nights there and took in some wonderful scenery.  The highlight was a cable car up to a mountainous peak that offered cooler temperatures and great views of the archipelago as well as a walk across a floating bridge suspended miles above the ground.  We were literally in the clouds. 

Kuala Lumpur Rocks

Spending the day at a Tea Plantation and in the car was not exactly what Fearon had in mind as a first choice for a 14^th Birthday day.  We had planned to be in KL in lots of time to take in an amusement park but instead of making circles on a roll a coaster we spent hours in the middle of rush hour traffic making circles within a few blocks of our accommodations.  Although we were very fed up with being so close but so far away, it did allow us lots of opportunity to marvel at the architecture and the urban landscape all around us.  

We circled the Petronas Towers numerous times trying to find our hotel. 

When we finally managed to get to our hotel it was a little late for much exploring but we were happy to discover that we had a fantastic apartment with an incredible view of the very happening city.  KL is an amazingly modern and developed metropolis that certainly rivals or surpasses most large American cities in many ways.  It rocked!

During our time in KL we could not help but marvel at the structures that towered around us and by the well designed and spacious green areas.  KL certainly had all of the offerings that one would expect in a world class city.   We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

Our first stop was the Menara KL Tower for amazing views of the entire region.  The pictures speak for themselves.

At the KL towers there was also an informative Cultural Village that had models of many types of traditional Malaysian dwellings.   Throughout our travels we had seen a lot of the different types of houses that were on display and it was great to learn more about how they were constructed and why each was built as it was. 

While we were in KL the boys also had a blast at Asia’s largest indoor amusement Park in Berjaya Times Square.  The roll a coaster was awesome.  The Petronas Towers were an amazing architectural site to see and Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) proved to have much to offer.  The Science Centre at KLCC sponsored by the Malaysian Oil conglomerate, Petronas was very informative and was as well done as any of the Science Centers we have seen in North America.  The emphasis was on teaching the visitor about oil and everything from its formulation over millions of years to the discovery of its uses to the process of extraction to its current use was covered in a fairly tasteful but somewhat unbalanced manner.  Visitors could even take a tour of an oil rig.  Of course, there was no mention of the environmental hazards that the extraction and the dependence on this resource pose.  We enjoyed the Science Center but would have enjoyed it more had some attention been paid to the fact that our reliance on and abuse of this resource needs to change before we destroy our planet along with the happily ever after potential of future generations.

We also enjoyed a visit to the KL Bird Park, the largest one in the world.  

OK – having beefed about the oil industry, I have to admit that we are incredibly guilty of making a few bad choices in terms of environmentally responsible travel options.  With Air Asia tickets often being the same price as train travel it has been easy to try to ignore our carbon footprint and choose to spend less than an hour on a plane versus a few days on trains and ferries. 

We were thrilled to meet up with Rob’s brother at the KL airport and fly with him to the Malaysian Island of Langkawi and from there to the Thai Paradise of Koh Lipe.   

Cameron Highlands

We left Ipoh and made our way to the Cameron Highlands, an area of Malaysia that was at one time a popular retreat for British colonizers escaping the heat of other parts of the country.   As the hours past and we continued to wind our way up the unforgiving pitch and around one treacherous corner after another, we had a difficult time imagining what it would have been like to make the journey 200 years ago.  The terraced mountainside housing strawberry farms, flower and tea plantations made for excellent scenery that certainly made tackling the road worthwhile.   It felt like we were in the middle of no where but when we reached the “village” where we would spend the night, the large Starbucks sitting in the middle of town told us otherwise.  We enjoyed cooler temperatures as well as wonderful tea and baked goods at a tea plantation before heading off to KL. 

On the Road Again - From Sub Par in Penang to Loving Life in Lipe With Lots in Between, stop one, Ipoh

It has been nearly a month since an update!  I am not so good at this so apologies to anyone who has been curious as to our where abouts.  We are alive and well and...I promise to do my best to provide more regular updates in the future.  We would also love updates from anyone out there!

Our month in Penang did not turn out exactly as we had planned but we are getting used to the unexpected twists and turns that have been a part of our journey since we left Victoria in September.  Rob, Eric and I ended up spending most of the last two weeks at the apartment in Penang in bed feeling pretty miserable.   We were glad we were not all confined to one hotel room and we did not have to try to move from place to place.  We are still not sure what we came down with but whatever it was, it was very nasty and it bit us like we have not been bit before.  Fearon managed to escape the wrath of the virus and he did a marvelous job of keeping himself amused and us cared for.  Fortunately, we started feeling better in time to vacate the apartment and, much to the kids chagrin, hit the road again. 

Ipoh

We left Penang and headed towards Kuala Lumpur, taking some excellent detours along the way.  The first stop was Ipoh, an ancient city nestled between towering limestone cliffs that were as picturesque as just about anything we have seen.  We went to a park that somehow successfully combined being an eco resort, natural hot springs, zoo, caves, water park and museum.  The mixture sounds kind of odd but it was amazing and we all loved it.  The setting was spectacular and the combination of having a blast on the water slides, being able to see cool animals, learn about the history of tin mining and wander through some caves made for a great day.  This was the start to the celebration of Fearon’s 14^th Birthday.  We knew we would be “in transit” on his actual Birthday but we wanted to at least do some particularly fun things around the actual date.

Ipoh is known for its many cave temples and Rob and I visited one of the largest ones.  The coolness of the cave was a welcome relief from the heat of the day but the relief was short lived.  It did not take long for temperatures to rise once we got through the cave and started to climb the cliffs to take in the view.  It also did not take long to realize that the previous couple of weeks spent in bed had taken quite a bit out of us.  We were huffing and puffing as though we were doing a major hill workout.