Been nearly 2 weeks since we last posted our whereabouts and even then we were way behind. When we last posted about Kota Bharu we had already left there and we were on the Island of Langkawi. Since then we have travelled to Penang and then back to Kuala Lumpur. Now we are back in Melaka, the small quiet place south of Kuala Lumpur and staying at the really nice Old Town Guest house again. As I wrote previously, I was waiting on my new passport. I did get my new passport but now none of us have a passport as we have sent both of them back to the UK to get a new Indian visa. So, until we have passports we will need to stay here.
Anyway, back to where we left off, the disaster of Kota Bharu! We spent our first night in the KD Backpackers (not so great) guest house planning our escape. Our intention of travelling up the East Coast to go over to the Perhentian Islands turned out not to be such a great idea, the more we read about the Perhentians (Perhentian Islands). Although they are very beautiful Islands, there isn't really a great deal to do and explore. The main attractions are scuba diving and sunbathing. There is no indigenous population, so no small villages to explore and find good local food. Also, alcohol is very expensive. We decided to cut our loses and take a bus over to the West Coast and head over to the Island of Langkawi. Although more developed it does have an indigenous polulation, more to explore and has the advantage of being duty free! We decided to book a bus the next day for as soon as possible.
After a not so great night in the not so great guesthouse we went to the communal area for breakfast. We weren't expecting a 5-star spread but a bit of butter for the dry toast and milk and sugar for the black tea would have been nice! So, off we went hungry, to the bus station as getting a bus away from Kota Bharu was more important than having a full stomach! The soonest we could get a bus was the next day at 9am. There were only 2 seats left so it seemed that our luck was changing for the better. It was going to be a 7 hour bus journey which would take us to a place called Kangar, where we could catch the ferry for the 1.5 hour journey to Langkawi Island. The bus looked very comfortable and roomy, with 2 seats at the left hand side and only one on the right and lots of leg room. Anyway, that was how the bus looked on the picture and we had seen these really comfortable buses when we had been in Kuala Lumpur.
We spent some of the day walking around the suggested sights but, to be honest, the pictures of these in the guide book were much nicer than what they were like in reality. Our exploring was cut short when the rain started pelting down so it was back to the guesthouse to read a book. The following morning we happily checked out, obviously not bothering to have 'breakfast', and off we went to get our bus at 9am. Finally at 10.30am the bus turned up and it was certainly was not the bus we were expecting. It was a double decker with small cramped seats and no leg room but at least it was only half full - not for long though! What should have been an express bus, stopped at every bus station on route until it was full to bursting.
As the journey progressed we realised that we would not be getting to Kangar in time to make the last ferry to Langkawi. However, when the bus stopped at a rest-stop hawk eyed Colin noticed that on the front of the bus it said that it would be making a stop in a place called Alor Setar and he had read that you could also get a ferry to Langkawi from there. As this was closer than Kangar we hoped we were in luck. Fortunately we did make the last ferry at 7pm and were really happy to be on our way to Langkawi.
We had telephoned and booked a place to stay in the Rainbow Lodge at Pantai Cenang beach as an English couple we had met in Melaka had stayed there and told us it was a really good place. We finally got to Rainbow Lodge at 10pm as the ferry was delayed and then the taxi driver that picked us up at the ferry terminal got lost when trying to find our accommodation!
Anyway, back to where we left off, the disaster of Kota Bharu! We spent our first night in the KD Backpackers (not so great) guest house planning our escape. Our intention of travelling up the East Coast to go over to the Perhentian Islands turned out not to be such a great idea, the more we read about the Perhentians (Perhentian Islands). Although they are very beautiful Islands, there isn't really a great deal to do and explore. The main attractions are scuba diving and sunbathing. There is no indigenous population, so no small villages to explore and find good local food. Also, alcohol is very expensive. We decided to cut our loses and take a bus over to the West Coast and head over to the Island of Langkawi. Although more developed it does have an indigenous polulation, more to explore and has the advantage of being duty free! We decided to book a bus the next day for as soon as possible.
After a not so great night in the not so great guesthouse we went to the communal area for breakfast. We weren't expecting a 5-star spread but a bit of butter for the dry toast and milk and sugar for the black tea would have been nice! So, off we went hungry, to the bus station as getting a bus away from Kota Bharu was more important than having a full stomach! The soonest we could get a bus was the next day at 9am. There were only 2 seats left so it seemed that our luck was changing for the better. It was going to be a 7 hour bus journey which would take us to a place called Kangar, where we could catch the ferry for the 1.5 hour journey to Langkawi Island. The bus looked very comfortable and roomy, with 2 seats at the left hand side and only one on the right and lots of leg room. Anyway, that was how the bus looked on the picture and we had seen these really comfortable buses when we had been in Kuala Lumpur.
We spent some of the day walking around the suggested sights but, to be honest, the pictures of these in the guide book were much nicer than what they were like in reality. Our exploring was cut short when the rain started pelting down so it was back to the guesthouse to read a book. The following morning we happily checked out, obviously not bothering to have 'breakfast', and off we went to get our bus at 9am. Finally at 10.30am the bus turned up and it was certainly was not the bus we were expecting. It was a double decker with small cramped seats and no leg room but at least it was only half full - not for long though! What should have been an express bus, stopped at every bus station on route until it was full to bursting.
As the journey progressed we realised that we would not be getting to Kangar in time to make the last ferry to Langkawi. However, when the bus stopped at a rest-stop hawk eyed Colin noticed that on the front of the bus it said that it would be making a stop in a place called Alor Setar and he had read that you could also get a ferry to Langkawi from there. As this was closer than Kangar we hoped we were in luck. Fortunately we did make the last ferry at 7pm and were really happy to be on our way to Langkawi.
We had telephoned and booked a place to stay in the Rainbow Lodge at Pantai Cenang beach as an English couple we had met in Melaka had stayed there and told us it was a really good place. We finally got to Rainbow Lodge at 10pm as the ferry was delayed and then the taxi driver that picked us up at the ferry terminal got lost when trying to find our accommodation!
hey you two....we stayed in Kota Bharu...one of my least favorite places EVER...but we loved the Perhentians...and we stayed at the Rainbow Lodge in Langkawi...liked it...we are back in full on reality....has its good and bad times..maybe see you in India...T&F
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