Tanjung Rhu Resort: A barrier to a beautiful beach

Well, this is not a hotel review.

There is a wonderful beach in Langkawi called Tanjung Rhu. Where me and my wife spent really good time in 2007. Sand is lovely and during low tide you can walk 100 meters into the sea. It is also the start of mangrove river. And it's a public beach. And there is a hotel called Tanjung Rhu Resort there.Seems like a nice hotel from what I see. But;

A few weeks ago, one weekend me and my friend wanted to go there to spend some time, swim, relax. It was around 3 pm. When we arrived at the road leading to the beach there was a security checkpoint of Tanjung Rhu Resort. Somehow this beach became a private property. And here is our conversation with security;

We are going to the beach
Sorry sir, you cannot, it's too crowded, come 30 minutes later (beach is really big by the way)
What ? it's a public beach ?
No sir it's private property, you see the sign ?
No way, it was a public beach and still should be (By the way, we are both foreigners. Meanwhile local people's cars are passing by without interruption, even a taxi with people passed by). Why they can go and we cannot ?
Because they are locals.
We are going in, it's a public beach and you are letting only locals in.
(this is where he started shouting)

Than we turned back, like other foreigners on bikes and cars. This lovely luxury Tanjung Rhu Resort has killed my spirits. I've spent the best time of my life there with my wife and now I cannot get in. Frak you anyways.

Here is a photo shot by my wife at sunset on Tanjung Rhu Beach taken 5 years ago.

Wonderland the wonderful

By the way; we went to Wonderland again, food is really orgasmic. If you visit anywhere on Langkawi; Cenang, Tanjung Rhu or somewhere else, you must take some time to come to Kuah Town just to eat at Wonderland. Also to give you an idea about the prices again, for three person to eat till full, it costs something like 50Rm ($17).

When you need to see a doctor in Langkawi

Well, go to the hospital. I've had swimmer's ear recently (actually I'm still recovering now). As I live in Kuah Town, I went to the state clinic, Klinik Kesihatan which seems like a clean and big clinic. Paid 15 RM (~$5) and got into queue. I've talked to a Malay woman who supposed to be a doctor, I've told her that my hearing is a little blocked but I have pain in and around my ear as well. She told me over and over again "it's just too much wax, nothing", gave me a painkiller, an ear drop to clean the wax and sent home. After two days at 2 am we had to go to emergency because of my ear is swelling and severe pain. Paid 50 RM (~$17) and got into queue. Emergency doctor noticed the problem right away and gave me proper medicine and told me how to use them. Now I'm recovering with the medicine he gave me.

So to be brief, if you need to see a doctor in Langkawi, go to the hospital directly and exaggerate whatever you have so they take you seriously. Langkawi Hospital is quite close to town, actually somewhere close to the middle of the highway from airport to town. Don't forget, this is a tropical climate and nature, if you are not used to this kind of climate and nature you might get sick for reasons you can't even imagine. Another note; I'm allergic to some antibiotics. If you have some specific medication you need to use once in a while or in my case some certain antibiotics, don't forget to bring a couple of boxes with you. You may not be able to find everything here.

Two restaurants from kuah

I would like to share my thoughts on one good one bad restaurant from Kuah. Kuah is the town in Langkawi Island. It's been developed since 2006, last time I was here. Now there are hell a lot more foot reflexology places, a cinema and more restaurants.

Good Restaurant Review from Kuah; Wonderland

Wonderland is a local cuisine restaurant in Trimula of Kuah. It's easy to access, just on the road, other side of the small channel behind Bella Vista hotel. It's not hard to understand the quality when you come around 19.00, no place to sit! My friend took me here around 18.00 so it was less crowded and we could easily try some of the dishes. I had a black pepper chicken and veggie fried rice. My friend had squid salad, baby kailan and chicken fried rice. Well to be honest, I'm really sorry that I haven't discovered this place back in 2006. Food was really delicious. Prices are cheap, portions are large, so what do you want more from a restaurant right ? Also we had 4 apple juices in total. What we paid was 47 RM (~16 USD). I strongly recommend Wonderland Restaurant. When you take a taxi just ask them to take you there, everybody knows the place. If you are staying in one of Bella Vista, Bayview or Beach View hotels in Kuah, it's just walking distance.

Bad Restaurant Review from Kuah; Art Cafe

Art Cafe is inside Langkawi Fair shopping mall. When you get in from main entrance, you can see it on your left easily. It's quite decent place, lovely look and there are always paintings inside, like a gallery. But the food really sucks. I remember from the last time I was here, it was no good back than either. I remembered after I had a cold lasagne. They are precooked and frozen as far as I understand. Than they heat them in microwave. It wasn't heated enough and inside was cold. Also the minced beef is almost tasteless. Also the lasagne was in no shape to look like a lasagne, it was kinda in pieces. I was really hungry, so had this and just left. If you are desperate, you can try here, but it doesn't worth what you pay. A few steps ahead there is McDonalds, even that is better.

a lot of changes and reviews about some restaurants

After 5 years things have changed in Langkawi. Actually it's a more "alive" island now. When I left, even in high season, it was kinda couples getaway but now it's attracting more and more people. number 1 tourist area Pantai Cenang has grown significantly. This growth brought a lot of new restaurants, cafes and shops. I've tried some of them and I would like to share my thoughts.

Pantai Cenang Restaurants

Yellow Cafe

Well it's a cafe in a yellow theme because of the owner's nickname. He is my friend from my previous stay in Langkawi, a quite decent and fun guy. Back in 2007 it was just a tent renting jet-ski. Now there is a beautiful Yellow Cafe and just beside it Yellow Steak House. At my first night in Pantai Cenang we went to steak house for taste of good beef. I had rumsteak and my friend had a tenderloin. Service and food was very good. After dining, you can just relax in Yellow Cafe to have a few drinks and enjoy the night. There are nice events on special occasions like new year's eve. And people say they are usually very good.

Viva Italia

It's good to do one good and one bad review at a time. It was kinda late when we arrived here. This restaurants shares its kitchen with the Mexican restaurant next door. I first went to the kitchen as it was close to me asked if they are open, they said no. When I returned to my friends, guy on the door said they are open. So we went in. We ordered nachos, penne arabiatta, Italian salad and a margarita pizza. Penne was okay, came in a clay pot, but too much olives in it. But the rest was horrible; Italian salad didn't have any ingredients were listed in the menu, just some greens and onions, we couldn't see any mozzarella cheese on the pizza so when my friend asked the waiter where the cheese is, he said it's Italian style, not American. Nachos were also stale. We argued with the people a lot and in the end I was the only one had dinner. When they brought the check, there was also an error on it too, 3 drinking waters instead of 2. So we paid 47 rm (~$16) for almost nothing and a bad experience. Looked like a tourist-attraction-for-nothing to me.

5 years later

I left Langkawi in a hurry because my project was finished and this and that. Now I'm going back. I will be in Langkawi January 4th evening an I am so happy for that. So I will start writing here again.

langkawi nightlife: reggae bar

this is one of the most popular places of langkawi. totally reggage, nothing else. everynight they have their own reggae band playing (same songs always, but it's fun anyway). drinks are quite cheap compared to other bars and atmosphere is really warm.

it's in pantai tengah. you can see its sign on the left while driving from pantai cenang through pantai tengah, right at the opposite of holiday inn resort. they also have a shuttle launching from a few places in pantai cenang, it's also a reggae mobile (an old ww van with jamaican colors, some reggae guy is driving).

their band is all malays, they have a very good percussionist who really looks like anthony anderson in rasta mode (scary movie 4). they have a very good sound but the problem is they always play the same songs. but as far as people are going to langkawi for 3 to 5 days that's okay. place is nice, warm, welcome, drinks are cheap and lots of tourists are going there. i was also there for christmas' eve party of 2006, which was i think the best night of reggae bar.

i heard that it was on the beach of pantai cenang before (right in front of langkapuri resort) and much more better than this one. but langkawi is an island with very few places to go at night so this is one of the best.

nights in langkawi : sunba retro bar

lovely, friendly and exotic atmosphere. clean and quality service and very good drinks. when i first came here frankie the dj was the first (and the right) person i've met. he is a one hell of a dirtytalking good retro dj and a cheating go-cart racer (kidding, he is very good at driving). place is owned by jeffrey. you can see him; an asian with glasses and long grayish nice hair. he can help you out with anything.

place looks like a jungle bar. but it's totally closed. fans on the ceiling is usually enough to have some air, after a few of the exotic coctails you won't be needing any fresh air anyway. they have a flaming special coctail which is served with a nice show. usually the party boy/girl gets this one.

when you look at the menu, it seems like the most expensive bar in langkawi. but when you compare it to other places in malaysia, it's not. and drinking in malaysia is cheap compared to other countries.

music matches the name; totally retro. sometimes it's boring but usually people have fun with these well known old songs. "dancing queen" was the song i've heard most. maybe it's because of the swedish people always coming around. and one bad thing about retro is sometimes the age average is kinda high. but as long as people having fun, it's okay.

a must stop spot in langkawi. you will eventually hear about it when you ask "what can i do tonite?". there are really a few places in langkawi to spend a night drinkin' and dancin' . this is one of the good ones.