Langkawi Island is one of the key holiday destinations for Malaysians and we can see why, with beautiful golden beaches and wonderful green sea that is like swimming in a warm bath. The reason for heading up here was to take a few days rest and relaxation, top up the repaidly disappearing tans and have a few nights out in the beach bars. Pam and Iain, a couple we met in the Cameron Highlands, joined us in our hair-raising bus trip through the winding, trecherous roads of the highlands and then across the sea to the island of Penang, the main stop off point before reaching Langkawi. We are very close to the border of Thailand here, right at the top of Peninsula Malaysia and are also just across teh way from Indonesia. Consequently the poulation is quite a mix with a large percentage of Chinese, Malay and Indian. The Straits of Malaca off the coast of Lankawi are infamous for Pirates. In the last three weeks, two boats (one of them a tanker) have been attacked and the crew abducted. We read that about 35 people a year are kiled by pirates in these waters. We stayed the night in the capital of Penang but were decidely unimpressed with its offerings - nothing more than a large town on a holiday island. The next day was a ferry trip to Langkawi and a treat to stay in a beautiful wooden chalet right on the palm tree ridden golden sands of the beach - a fantastic view from our window - and the wonderful sounds of the ocean lapping on the shore at night to lull us into a peaceful sleep. There are quite a few little beach bars and restaurants where we have enjoyed some good food and drinks. The island is duty free, so things are also very cheap. There is little more to say about the place as the 4 of us have stayed around the same area enjoying the sun, sea, sand and food. A deserved rest on a beautiful island with great company. Next we are off the Singapore to experience the highlife for a few days.