Indulging in a continental buffet breakfast we lessened the need for a substantial lunch before heading over to LCCT for our flight to the duty free island of Langkawi. Having heard much about the cheap booze, chocolate and electrical, I looked forward to our few days exploring the island.

A short flight later and we arrived and took a taxi to our apartment in the south of the island. A quick explore of the complex revealed a modern flat with nice lounge/dinning area, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, a washing machine (which by this point in my trip was a very welcome appliance) and views over the shared swimming pool. As we started to unpack the hire car arrived. It was in a pretty dingy state, with enough bumps and scrapes to dispel any fears of any further damage being noticed. Dirty seats and blood stains (from squished mosquitoes) aside, we jumped in and headed out to explore.

Driving into the local town, down by the coast, we had a wander along the shore to a huge eagle monument, indulging in the photo opportunities! Next we headed for the local shopping mall for a bite to eat and found a small Malaysian café, ordering a couple of rice and noodle dishes. A quick glance around the shops revealed little of interest so we hopped back in the car to investigate the rest of the town.

Not seeing much on our drive around we decided to head along the coast to get our bearings a bit as the only maps we had of the island were pretty basic. Despite not being your typical 'tropical' island we found some nice scenery and picturesque views overlooking the sea, as well as a supermarket to pick up the necessities. By the time we got back the pool was closed, saving that experience for another day, so instead we got changed and headed out for dinner. We found a nice local restaurant down by the river in town but checked out the yacht club afterwards for a nightcap (and nothing to do with the free wifi).

The next morning we decided to head for the island's famous cable car to ascend 708m above sea level to the top of Gunung Machincang. The gondolas stop half way up to allow you to see the unique flora and views over the island before heading to the top station for panoramic views of Langkawi's coastline.

A quick scout around the oriental village surrounding the cable car base station left us seeking a cool off so we set our sights on reaching a local waterfall. The walk to the falls was quite a trek but the various wildlife on route kept us entertained, spotting a variety of monkeys and even a close up view of a hornbill. We were rewarded for the climb by the presence of a beautiful waterfall complete with rock slides into handy pools of cooling fresh water. Keeping a beady eye on the mischievous monkeys so we didn't loose our clothes, we changed into our costumes and indulged in the fresh water, racing each other down the naturally formed water slides!

Suitably refreshed we took a slow walk back down all the steps to the car and spent the rest of the day exploring further around the island and the beaches that we found there.

The following morning we had homemade roti accompanied by kaya for breakfast which set us up well for the day. We started by driving to Laman Padi Langkawi which gave us a introduction to rice farming on a 8 acres site of luscious green paddy fields provide an unusual change to the scenery. The complementary guide got us in character by providing us with traditional paddy hats and began with a tour of the herb garden. It was interesting as well as interactive with us all coming away with the smells of lemongrass and with flowers in our hair. Next the knowledgeable guide described the different methods of planting and subsequent care of the rice-including the flooding and draining of the fields-before demonstrating their equivalent of a scarecrow. Enjoying the pleasant atmosphere we decided to stay for lunch at the local restaurant, Jimmy's Cafe with its views across the paddy fields.

That afternoon we found a small town with various shops to explore. Interested in a telephoto lens for my SLR camera the family found themselves dragged through some of the many Canon and electrical stores. To make up for all the shopping we headed to the beach for a swim in the sea. Quite comfortable sunbathing on the sand (despite the not-too-hard sell of the owner of a row of sun loungers) and snorkeling in the sea, we easily wasted a few hours before heading home. We were however, back in time to use the pool and I paddled away happily until the sun set.