Langkawi evening

There was a direct ferry from Penang to Langkawi but it took 3+ hours and there were warnings that the sea on that route can be rough at this time of year. Since there were storms forecast for this morning, I decided to go the long way round. That meant the short ferry back to the mainland, a bus to Kuala Perlis, near the Thai border, and a shorter, more sheltered ferry to Langkawi.

I arrived in perfect time for the first ferry. Unfortunately both the next connections involved a 1.5 hour wait for each. In Kuala Perlis I tried to find somewhere for lunch but it’s a more Muslim area with fewer Chinese people and not many tourists so all of the restaurants were closed (even KFC) because it’s Ramadan. There were a couple of stalls selling snacks and instant noodles outside the ferry terminal so that’s what I had.


The ferry was fine and I didn’t feel ill. But, as with so much transport here, it was freezing cold. Quite a few Malaysians had brought coats to wear on the ferry! There was quite a contrast between sleepy Kuala Perlis where everything was closed and Kuah on touristy Langkawi where there’s a shopping centre with coffee shops and restaurants doing a good trade right next to the ferry terminal. I stopped for a drink in a coffee shop before getting a taxi (there aren’t any buses) across the island to the area where I’m staying. 

I went for a walk along the beach. It was overcast so sunset wasn’t spectacular but I liked the way the light silhouetted the people in the water in this shot. (The beach was much busier than it looks here!)