Happy New Years

So the rest of our time in Langkawi was just as amazing as the first half! We met a local lady at a restaurant named Moni whom we bonded with. She was born in China, but has lived and traveled all over the world. She was a professor in Australia and has written several Social Psychology books based on her experiences with people and traveling. On our last day in the village, she took us into the middle of the jungle to a fresh water stream and we went swimming while Amy got a Thai massage from a local man who created a spa in the middle of the jungle! We sat and listened to Moni tell stories, and we could have listened forever! She is the kind of person that I hope to be with I am 70 years old – full of life and energy, with so much knowledge to share, and so much life left to live!

 (Moni sitting in the stream)

After our afternoon with Moni, we left the village and headed to our resort (# 5) – Sunset Beach Resort. Up until this point, we had been staying in backpacker’s budget hostels and Inns. When booking our accommodations, we decided that we wanted something a little bit nicer during New Years – spoil ourselves a little bit. Online the pictures of the resort looked nice, but we did not exactly have the highest expectations because it was still really cheap – $178 USD for 4 nights and 5 days at a beachside resort (and that included a fancy NYE dinner). Believe me when I tell you that the photos online did not do this place justice! It was amazing. We had our own villa, surrounded by a beautiful garden that was very well maintained. Our room was just a 5 second walk from a beautiful beach lined with palm trees overlooking the Andaman sea and at least 10 small islands in the distance. It was appropriately names “Sunset Beach” because we enjoyed the amazing sunset view from our beach each night. Although our hotel was located on Pantia Cenang (the popular tourist beach), it was separated from the young hostel crowd by a bunch of trees and rocks so our beach was very low key and quiet – perfect – but only a very short walk to the partying side of the beach. Not to mention that the people working at the resort were so friendly! They tried to call us by name (although they usually called us by each other's names) and they were so hospitable and helpful! The only down fall to our resort was that many honeymooners also felt it was an amazing location to spend their NYE vacation as well!

 (our villa & garden view)

 (our beach) 

(our beach at dusk)

The first couple days we did very little but lay on the beach and swim in the water. Although there were jellyfish warnings, it was honestly too hot not to jump in. The water was perfectly warm and clean. During the day, I got massages in a little hut right on the beach, only needed to walk ten steps from my beach chair, and then ten steps back. In the evenings, we would have dinner at the beachside restaurant right next door called the Oasis. The food was awesome – a mixture of western, Malay and Indian – and enjoy the sunset and ocean breeze.

New Years Eve was just the same. Only after our day lying in the sun, we got dressed up and headed to our fancy dinner provided by our resort. A bus took us to a restaurant down the street called Suntra where we were taken to a table designated for us (a little rock with our name on it held our reservation). They put a white hibiscus in our hair and proceeded to bring us course after course of deliciousness! We had yummy cocktails, a variety of breads, Caesar salad, prawn soup followed by awesome fish fillet on a bed of veggies and potatoes. To top it all off, we had an awesome chocolate cake to end our meal.

Stuffed from our meal, we headed to the “party side” of the beach that was jam packed with people celebrating NYE. We walked around for a bit before we settled in one spot outside a beach bar called Lil’ Lylia’s – tons of people, a live band and a pile of wood that promised an enormous bon fire on the beach. There we met two English guys vacationing. They were nice and a whole lot of fun, and we brought in the New Year with them. People began lighting lanterns and sending them into the sky (an offering that is supposed to bring good luck), at midnight, people started lighting off fireworks. As you know, fireworks in China have never disappointed me. Fireworks in Langkawi were just as good. The difference is that when people light off fireworks in the US for a big display, they would be on a boat in the middle of the water, far away from people. In Asia, people light off fireworks standing right next to you, and I am not talking about little fire crackers… I am talking about a full on Fourth of July finale right above your head.

(our English friends John & Matt)

Once the fireworks ended, they lit the bon fire. I was already pretty excited to be spending my New Years on a beach, but the beach bon fire with live reggae music was the cherry on the cake! Not to mention that it was our friends’ first bon fire ever (so crazy) and they have never even heard of s’mores. We danced the night away and had a fantastic night! No one kissed me at midnight, but I could not have been happier J That night was the first night that I met Armin… but I will get back to his story!