102 t / p /c 103t / p / cTravel Malaysia Travel Malaysia

stunning architecture. And in KL itself traditionalHindu and Chinese temples dot the city atregular intervals, open for access to visitorswho are willing to look around with respect.

As city-break destinations go, Malaysia is stillvery much developing - Kuala Lumpur has,for example, only just introduced its very firsthop-on, hop-off bus tour designed to alloweasy access to all the major sights.

Such apparent naivety has a certain charm,however.The desire for the tourist dollar hasnot yet taken over completely and there is not the chaotic hustle and bustle that canprove so stifling in some of the region’s othermajor cities.

Like the Malaysians themselves, Kuala Lumpur isfar more laid back. But head towards the coastand the paradise island of Langkawi and you’llfind things are practically horizontal.

The small island off the north-western edge ofMalaysia - one of an archipelago of 99 - issteadily gaining a following in travel circles.

According to the agent’s spiel, “Langkawi todayis what Bali was like 30 years ago, before it wasinvaded by package holidaymakers.”

Another hotelier I bumped into while on theisland likened it to Fiji of a few years ago, too.

Having been to neither (they are both on thelist!) I wouldn’t know. But however you chooseto compare it, the hype that has begun to buildaround Langkawi is certainly justified.

Coupled with natural white sand beaches, lushjungle foliage and craggy mountain peaks - butuntil recently hampered by inaccessibility - theisland was at one time touted as “Malaysia’s best-kept secret”.

Since 1987 when it was granted tax-free status to encouragetourism, that secret has been out and regular flights and ferriesfrom the mainland - the journey with Malaysian Airlines takes about an hour from Kuala Lumpur - have opened it up to an influxof visitors.

Langkawi is the biggest of the archipelago, one of only four islandsin the cluster which are inhabited. It now competes with nearbyPenang for the title of Malaysia’s largest tourist draw.

Thankfully, however, it has managed to retain its basic charm.Theisland remains rural in places, while even in some of the moreluxurious resorts, you are never too far away from nature.

Encountering a mean-looking monitor lizard on the way tobreakfast from one of the charming traditional-style Malay huts atthe Pelangi Beach Resort in Pantai Cenang is something which, I cantestify, soon shakes you from your slumber, while in some parts of

the island, monkeys have been known to get into rooms throughopen windows and help themselves to food left on display.

A tour of the spectacular mangrove swamps - which can bebooked through most hotels - is also a great way to see the island’sother residents up close and personal, with eagle feeding from theback of a boat a particular highlight of the trip.

Inevitably, led by the influx of a growing number of luxury hotelchains, Langkawi is slowly becoming ever-more commercial. But thathas its benefits in terms of finding first-class accommodation.

The Bohemian chic - and notable cuisine - of the Bonton Resortand Restaurant built within the grounds of a 100-year-old coconutplantation, also at Pantai Cenang, makes it a superb option for themid-range traveller, while the aforementioned Pelangi Beach Resortis more expansive for those with the family in tow.

At the north-west tip of the island the renowned five-star Datai complex, complete with its own 18-hole golf course, offers