Langkawi Part II

After the cable car ride we finally did head back to town for dinner. Although we couldn't stay at the Bon Ton, we did want to have dinner there as their creative fusion-style restaurant was highly rated in Langkawi. The Bon Ton is a great place because its more than just a resort, its a place that's welcoming to artists and animals. The ownership maintains an animal sanctuary with over 200 rescued dogs and cats, some of which roam around the hotel grounds. Also, they always embrace artists and musicians who are coming through to relax, recharge, and get ideas. We were lucky to get a tour of the rooms which were amazing - all of the 8 villas are original structures over 100 years old, and have unique characteristic like integrated showers that drain through the floorboards, and antique furniture.

Dinner itself was pretty good too - I had an avacado and cheese salad which satsified my appetite, and the blended fruit juice drinks (pineapple, ginger, lime I believe) were fantastic. It was a late night, and we got held up for an hour because apparently the entire Visa processing system in Malaysia went down so the restaurant had to call to very every credit card. Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we got home.

Nima and I had a 4:00 flight out of Langkawi on Sunday, while the others had a later flight stopping through Kuala Lampur. We decided to spend Sunday morning enjoying the beach, and then head out to get a true Malaysian experience for lunch. Not much to report about the beach except it was nice and relaxing, and the water was warm too. Basically we all dozed off for a couple hours after breakfast. For lunch I found a place recommended online called Fatimah Restaurant, in the central part of the island, which is known to literally attract locals by the busload for lunch. We didn't really know what to expect but it was a nice ride through the countryside. After a half hour we found the place and cautiously strolled into the open-air eating area jammed with lunchers. Nothing was written in English, but the scene was basically like a huge potluck with over 30 dishes spread across a few tables, and people going everywhere. We could identify a few things like rice (duh!), pineapple curry, fish, grilled chicken, and some vegetables. Truth be told, all of us were a little apprehensive about eating the food, but we all took a stab anyway. In fact, the hearts of palm curry was fantastic, and the barbeque chicken was quite tasty too. The fish, not as appetizing. Also, payment for the meal was by estimation, as the cashier looked at each plate and based on what was on it, threw out a price. My plate full of rice, curries and fish came out to a whopping 5 RM, or about $1.25 USD. Nima's was a steal at 3 RM - less than a dollar. All in all, it was a great experience and over time I'll be less concerned about picking up a wierd disease at these kinds of places.

After lunch we headed back to the hotel to close things out, and have one last beer and a bit of substancial food before leaving. Nima and I then took the car back to the airport and returned it to the owner (its nothing like renting a car in the US. It was an all cash transaction with little record of anything, and he was cool with the condition upon return). I spent the last of my Malaysian ringets on chocolate in the duty free shop before heading back home after yet another great weekend.