See you in Langkawi

Check out the gorgeous resorts at this Malaysian island for those  long weekend family escapes. ELISA CHIA experiences two of them.

THE WESTIN LANGKAWI RESORT & SPA

There’s something about beach holidays that help you unwind and be rejuvenated. Perhaps it’s the idyllic pace, the fresh air and vast waters.

At Langkawi, it’s also the serenity of the beach, as we discovered during our recent getaway.

Unlike other beach destinations in the region we’ve been to, there were no screeching jet skis and parasailing boats. Neither were there hard-selling touts.

My active kids, aged nine and five, still had their fix of water sports at The Westin Langkawi, where they tried canoeing (RM20, or S$6.50, for a double canoe per hour) and went on a pedal boat (RM60 per hour).

Like others on the island, this luxe resort offers only non-motor sports so travellers can soak in the tranquility.

Langkawi’s beaches are varied. You don’t get fine sand on this strip of the island, but the property makes up for it by spoiling you with gorgeous pools.

We couldn’t get enough of the infinity pool that overlooks the ocean and a freeform rock pool with fountains. These are at 1.4m and 1.2m deep, respectively, and hotel guests can use the pool noodle floaters for free.

There’s also a 0.6m-deep kids’ pool and a huge 0.3m-deep waddling pool for babies and toddlers.

Under the chef’s guidance, my kids also got to make their own pizzas for lunch and decorated cupcakes, which we enjoyed for tea.

What’s a holiday without some sightseeing? Instead of hailing a taxi, we ventured out of the resort in a Mini Cooper. The self-drive experience starts from RM222 for two hours.

And no five-star resort is complete without a spa experience. At the Heavenly Spa, my husband and I chose the traditional Malay massage (RM310 each for  an hour) characterised by gentle kneading and long, rhythmic strokes.

The children were not left out – both experienced their first full-body massage (RM190 each for 45 minutes). My five-year-old son even slipped into blissful slumber at the end of the relaxing session.

Find out more http://www.westinlangkawi.com. Rates for the room start from RM908 nett per night.

THE ANDAMAN, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT

I’ve heard plenty about Langkawi’s rich nature offerings, but nothing quite prepared my family for what was to come at The Andaman.

Everywhere we turned, from the room’s doorstep to the beach, there was a surprise waiting for us. We spotted exotic birds, monkeys, squirrels, bats and even the rare colugos (also known as flying lemurs).

My kids were initially squirmish about being in such close proximity with wildlife, but quickly found out that these creatures were pretty harmless unless provoked.

They even learnt to share the pool with a monitor lizard, which periodically took dips in the water to cool off.

We also signed up for a free nature walk, which takes place at 8am daily, except Mondays. A seasoned guide led us on a trail around the hotel and highlighted the wildlife as well as medicinal plants found here and used in traditional Malay medicine.

Despite being surrounded by lush vegetation, we didn’t get bitten by mosquitoes at all. That’s because the bats and other wild creatures feast on them, our guide explained.

We also learnt that this hotel puts much effort into maintaining the ecological balance of the area. After all, it’s nestled between a rainforest that – believe it or not – dates back to 10 million years and an 8,000-year-old fringing coral reef.

My kids loved visiting the coral nursery in the resort. This is where in-house naturalists would plant coral nubbins (small coral fragments) and grow them to a suitable size before transplanting them onto a reef. Depending on the tide conditions, they would also conduct coral reef walks.

This nature-centric property also sits on the “ninth best beach in the world”, according to the National Geographic.

Jala, its beachfront restaurant, capitalises on that accolade. Here, guests are encouraged to leave their shoes at the entrance and feel the soft, powdery sand beneath their feet while they feast on seafood. We must admit: What an unforgettable dining experience!

Find out more http://www.theandaman.com. Room rates start from RM1,090 nett per night.