Is Malaysia truly Asia, as the song goes? Several years ago, yes it probably was. Today, I fly into Kuala Lumpur and it seems more like Batman’s Gotham City, full of shopping malls, fast roads, fast cars and five star hotels than the “Asia” I remember. So I escape to Langkawi about an hour away. It’s like Mumbai to Goa in many ways and Langkawi is a sophisticated version of Goa as far as facilities are concerned…drop dead gorgeous beaches, fancy five star hotels and plenty for the tourist to do from snorkeling and sailing to a stunning cable car ride, night markets and plenty of duty free shopping, if that rocks your boat. I love the scenery, the serenity and the beauty of Langkawi which although it is made up of 99 islands, only 4 are actually inhabited; the exquisite private and public beaches are almost always deserted even in peak season and there are some truly magnificent hotels. We stay at the relatively new Westin (www.westinlangkawi.com), on the south east tip of the main island. It has its own beach, pier (called the float) and a spa overlooking the turquoise blue Andaman Sea and two breathtaking islands. Unlike some of the other hotels on the island which can be remote, Westin is private and yet just a 5 minute ride from Eagle Square, a local shopping precinct, the tourist jetty if you want to visit any of the nearby islands and Thailand and the local town Kuah with a very interesting night market on Saturday night.
The Westin Langkawi Heavenly Spa Suite
The view from the Westin, Langkawi
If like me you are a spa junkie, then you have to try a signature Heavenly spa (hot poultices and gentle massaging do the trick to rectify both jet lag and hours of endless bending over a computer)….Its a Balinese like open spa with high ceilings and wooden rafters with the ocean right in front. Perfect for an evening swim. I have dinner in the spa itself, so no unnecessary dressing up. It is a perfect menu of bite sized morsels again with Asian touches, seared tuna with marinated wakame, grilled chilli scallop and pandan crêpes with caramelized pineapple and lime sorbet).
With Chef Shuk
Langkawi is full of paddy fields and coconut palms and if you dig deep enough, is still an island of tradition. I take a cookery class with Shukri. It’s called ‘Cook with Shuk’ and if you get past the cheesy title you’ll be charmed by Shuk and his German partner Johannes who take you on a gastronomic journey around their traditional Malay house. It’s an afternoon crammed with information, knowledge, authentic recipes and a genius which only comes with age, experience and passion. At my cooking with Shuk session, we start with perfectly grilled satay, chicken and beef, with pressed rice (Nasi himteh steamed in ketupat or dry palm leaves) served with pieces of cucumber, drizzled with a very flavourful satay sauce (see recipe). We then move upstairs to his spacious, spotlessly clean modern kitchen to prepare the rest of the meal….sambal, fish steamed in banana leaves, ulam, rendang, chicken curry and a stir fried vegetable made Chinese style which in Malaysia means in oyster sauce, light soya and sesame oil.
Langkawi is different things for different people. I leave the island indulged, renewed and recovered. I feel blessed to have witnessed the calm blue sea at dawn and at dusk to have eaten some exquisite home cooked food and some stunning up market dishes and to have made some friends on the way. What more could anyone ask of a weekend away?
