Langawi Day 1

Today we booked a private boat to take us Island Hopping.  We don't really know what to expect, but we are excited.  But first, we headed to a restaurant just down the road from the hotel (Tim had a breakfast burrito, I had a greek frittata, and we shared an order of pancakes with mango puree syrup).  It was a pretty good western-style breakfast that we all enjoyed.

After breakfast we walked back to the hotel, packed our day bags, caught a Grab, and headed to the Jetty.  After paying the bill (330 MYR => $74 USD), we were introduced to our boat driver Flower, and we headed out.

Flower and I

Off we go.

So beautiful.

This is not us...this is a boat next to us...but this is how we look.

The first stop today is Dayang Bunting (Pregnant Woman) Island...and island that looks like...well...check it out:

Next stop is Dayang Bunting (Pregnant Woman) Lake.  We pulled into an island and have no idea what to expect.

And there were monkeys.  Here is Peter about to negotiate his path through them.

So this lake is actually located a short walk into the land. You walk about 8 minutes along a path going up and down and wind up at this freshwater lake.  They put interconnected plastic decking along the coast to make a platform to swim or kayak off of.  Very touristy, but it was fun to jump in and swim around a bit.

Back to the boat and then we stopped.  Flower threw some chicken into the water and the birds came.  Big White Bellied Sea Eagles and Brahminy Kite (Red-backed Sea Eagle) swooped down to grab as many pieces as they could.

Lastly we stopped at Beras Basah Island where I swam as Tim, Peter, and Susan hung out in the shade and...I guess...watched me swim.  The island was pretty crowded with all the boats stopping here.

Back to the boat and back to the Jetty.  We had a good day as can be seen from the smile on all of our faces.

This is what it was like during the time we were boating between the stops on the tour.  It really is a beautiful area.

After the tour, we took a Grab back to the hotel to shower and relax until dinner.  I actually found a hammock on the grounds and just chilled for a couple of hours until my stomach was telling me it was time for dinner.  After another Google maps search, we agreed with a place.  We took a Grab and wound up at a restaurant across from the beach bar we went to yesterday after dinner.

I had a grilled fish, Tim had chicken cashew, and we shared a vegetable dish and fried squid.  Oh...the right side photo was a prawn dish that Peter ordered.  Tim and I each had one prawn and it was delicious.  Our total bill for this meal was 125 MYR => $28 USD

After dinner we headed over to the beach where we did make it in time for the sunset.  And what a beautiful sunset it was.

Around 8:30 PM we ordered a Grab and when back to the hotel.  Tomorrow we booked another boat ride.  This time it will be through the mangroves. Until then...