Day 4, Friday 25 October 2013 - Pantai Cenang

Penang departure..... I get a wake-up call just before 6 am. Last night I brought home some tarts; for breakfast of course. Together with hot coffee I'm set for the morning. By 7 am I'm ready to check out of Grand Inn. The recommended transport to Swettenham Pier where the Langkawi speedboats depart is by taxi but by this time I'm alert. I take the 101 bus to the jetty factoring in a good 30 minutes before departure. I'm now aware that the jetty for mainland traffic is a generous 10 minutes from Swettenham Pier on foot. Readers should be aware that I'm travelling with a backpack and utility bag of no more than 10 kilos. Anything more would require a taxi to this pier.
The plan works as I'm in plenty of time for the 8.30 am departure to Langkawi. I make my way through the complex which provides for international traffic but on this occasion, customs and baggage scans are unnecessary as this is a domestic service. The boarding commences, the seats unallocated, a fact that confuses some foreigners, but not me. The weather is fine for now, cloudy but dry. As the ferry departs I'm working on my netbook updating my notes. The sea is relatively calm and the crossing surprisingly smooth. On making some inquires about this service I was told the crossing would take two hours. I thought this rather optimistic at the time as travel guides suggest three hours. The latter proves right and not for the first time here I'm given misinformation. On the hour mark I give up writing notes and gaze out of the cabin window. The skyline ahead certainly looks darker as I try to get some rest; not so easy with the surrounding chatter. At half way, I'm sensing a storm brewing. The white fluffy clouds are disappearing behind me replaced with dark grey matter then on two hours the ferry is completely engulfed in mist and murk with visibility down to about two hundred yards. Rain begins to lash against the cabin windows; this is not the type of vessel for sightseeing on deck. Into the third hour I'm considering the consequences should I arrive at Kuah with weather like this.
With about 45 minutes left there appears a slither of white light on the horizon which steadily widens and extends. This signals hope that the storm will have passed by the time the boat arrives at the island. With the widening horizon, land becomes visible and increases in clarity. Up above, the cloud is thinning eventually revealing patches of blue sky. Dead ahead the grey hills turn a natural green completely transforming the outlook for this trip. In fact the lush green archipelago of islands gives that tropical island paradise feel much as is does on Krabi in Thailand. Compared with Penang it's like stepping into another world with luxury masted yachts in harbor replacing the container ships off Penang Island. It causes me to think about Francis Light's landing at Penang all those years ago. It must have been like this but without the yachts, but then this mariner was not that bothered about island paradises, only trade.
Kuah..... Kuah is the main town on Langkawi Island just a few kilometres from the jetty. Exit from the jetty is through a duty-free zone similar to that at airports then beyond is the taxi stand with eager drivers looking for customers. I'm still getting my bearings and inclined to be patient. There is no rush; it's only midday. With the weather now clear I can put my plan A into action. I don't need to stay in Kuah if I can arrange transport across the island where the beaches lie. I have selected a quiet beach known as Pantai Kok, the smaller of two beaches listed in my guide but how to get there? Unlike Penang, public transport has not been developed here and it's down to private operators: That really means taxis, but I have another idea. If I can rent a motorbike I can make the journey of 20 kilometres myself to give me complete freedom to find suitable accommodation. Quite honestly I've had a bad run of selecting rooms online so I figure the old-fashioned approach will work better for me. Among the throng eager to do business a chap offers to rent a motorbike. He is obviously on a commission, but I don't know the going rate here, although I know it's higher than across the border in Thailand. The chap wants 40 Ringgit which is almost double what I'm used to paying, but I see no obvious alternative. I try to get the price down, but he insists this is already his best price. It's not as if I can just wander up the street from here, but I could take a taxi into Kuah and perhaps get a better rate. Faced with the unknown, I accept the 40 Ringgit but only for 1 day. With the formalities complete I can now be on my way. I note the roads around Kuah to be of good international standard for an island of this size as I head into town. First I need some food and stop at a Thai restaurant which is quite a gimmick as it's run by Chinese who don't speak a word of Thai. Still, it will do if a bit overpriced. My next chore is to get some fuel for the bike. This at least is cheap. The petrol station is self-service unlike in Thailand but operates differently to the UK. You first pay the cashier at the kiosk and then dispense the fuel. OK I'm ready to head for Pantai Kok along well maintained roads. The main problem I have is that sign boards are not in English and the map I obtained not too clear, but somehow I make it to my planned destination observing the signs to the airport which is on my left.
Yet more wasted time..... I'm relying on what I've read and from local advice I'm given, which has supported my decision to head for Pantai Kok. It's all wrong or so it seems. Pantai Kok is a small village with a very nice beach, but there is little here; some beach huts, a marina, a few expensive looking resorts but not at all what I was expecting. I make some enquiries, but the isolation does not sit well with me despite having the motorbike. Where are the shops, where are the restaurants? In this Muslim community I do find a roadside restaurant where it turns out I get some simple but effective advice. I'm told to head for Pantai Cenang further down the coast which is the main beach area mentioned in my guide. Hindsight is a wonderful thing as Pantai Cenang has everything I need, but I've wasted a couple of hours. Forget the outdated travel books and websites. You read it first here. Head for Pantai Cenang which is growing so fast it's now overtaken Kuah as the island's main tourist destination.
Easy Hotel..... Before I reach Pantai Cenang I further inquire at what looks like a selection of wooden huts albeit in a prime location on the beach. I'm surprised to find a young English lady running the show and what a show she's running. I don't need to check what accommodation she's offering as she explains that being low-season she is prepared to offer 40% discount on the normal price. That still works out at over £60. That's it I'm outa here! Still feeling a bit low, I arrive in Pantai Cenang. Stopping to look around, I'm approached by a smart looking businessman who wants to show me his hotel. He's rather pushy, but time is ticking on and I'm now less inclined to be patient. Arriving at Easy Hotel it looks smart enough and checking the rooms it ticks all the boxes. The room is most spacious compared with the one I had in Penang with loads of table-top space for my computer. The only problem is the price, 100 Ringgit. While I ponder this I consider it's only 5 Ringgit more than I paid in Penang and as the man explains this is a 150 Ringgit room. I accept but again just commit for 1 night. The staff does appear more accommodating and the atmosphere a big improvement: Added to that it's just 2 minutes across the road to the beach. My spirits are instantly lifted. It's time for a long overdue rest.
Pantai Cenang..... Late in the afternoon it's time to explore my surroundings. Pantai Cenang consists of a coastal road skirting a sandy beach a few kilometres long. The whole strip is occupied by hotels, motels, guesthouses, huts, restaurants, travel agents, money changers, mini marts and shops of all descriptions. However there are no beer bars and nightclubs that I have noticed giving it a family atmosphere. In fact, only a few places sell alcohol most of which is drunk out of public view. The contradiction here is that being a duty-free island, beer in particular is exceptionally cheap. There is an abundance of specialist imported beers from all over the globe, a good proportion of it high strength. It should be a drinker’s paradise, but it seems that Muslim dominance here suppresses its effects. As I wander onto the beach it's still light, here until 7 pm. The weather has been good since my arrival on Langkawi and many people are still doing what comes natural in this environment; bathing, kicking around footballs etc. A paraglider can be seen in the distance but motor scooters park up on the beach unused, an indication this is still low season. This is certainly no deserted palm fringed beach but at the present time by no means overcrowded. I head on down the strip where I'm told the duty-free shop is located. The Cenang Shopping Mall houses a number of specialist shops on two floors but also houses the duty-free shop on the first floor. A quick glance around reveals some ridiculous prices for spirit from 20 Ringgit per litre. Wine starts at about the same price, but there is no vin ordinaire here. Beer, oddly enough is best purchased at some mini marts. A 500ml can of Dutch lager, I purchased, was just 4 Ringgits and a whopping 12% abv. I will feel its effects later as I wrote my notes. The mall is the extent of my travels in the evening. The restaurants here are predominantly Muslim with a smattering of everything else including Mexican I see. Any Western food is usually tacked on the menu with other foods but with one notable exception. I will end the day with a strong lager but not before a KFC: Great for a change but what about the fries? I forgot to bring my magnifying glass!
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