Another beautiful day in paradise – we’re enjoying just “vegging” and taking advantage of the beautiful weather and the resort’s seaside tropical setting. Later in the day we had a guide drive us into the island’s interior to a mangrove forest. We followed a raised wooden walkway to a rustic Thai restaurant tucked deep inside the forest. As we neared the entrance monkeys munching on coconuts greeted us. Lunch was delicious. The chef prepared a selection of his best dishes and we especially enjoyed the whole sea bass served in a tangy sauce.
Next stop – a cable car excursion to the top of one of the highest peaks on the island. The venue is located in the rain forest and it must have been raining at the top of the park so the system was closed down when we arrived. As we exited the small village surrounding the cable car terminal we noticed a spa with a sign outside that read “fish spa” – of course we needed to find out more.
The spa had a super large tank filled with fish that suck dry skin from feet. Strange indeed so we knew we had to try it! Roberta did not want to chance ruing her pedicure so the Almeas men took to the challenge. We washed our feet first and then sat on the edge of the tank and saw swarms of little (and some not so little) fish circling the tank. At the count of 3 we agreed to dip our feet into what seemed to look like a piranha tank. Jacob & Steven took the plunge… they freaked out but eventually did mind the tingling feeling of hundreds of fish sucking their toes, ankles and heels. I on the other hand broke out in a cold sweat, hyperventilating and scared like a little girl to put my legs in a tank of feet sucking fish. The boys teased me and so did every person in the spa. I did want to yield to the pressure so I took a plush towel, stuck it in my mouth and slowly slipped my feet in the tank. Within 2 seconds the swarm of fish must have smelled fresh (or not so fresh) tootsies in the tank and attacked. I yelped and must have flicked a few dozen-toe suckers a few yards to the other side of the tank. It literally took more than 10 minutes to get me to keep my feet relaxed – well, honestly I was really never relaxed and I could have used a deep-tissue massage after all the tension. However, I was afraid the massage at this spa would consist of being placed in a tank of snakes! Long story short – the fish did a wonderful exfoliation job. No fish tale!
We made a quick stop to Eagle Square on our journey back to the resort. The past King (All 13 states in Malaysia have a king and every 5 years they rotate as king of the country) erected a huge eagle statue to attract visitors to Langkowi. The king felt this statue would be similar to the building of Big Ben for London or the Eiffel Tower for Paris. OK, it is kind of cool looking but I don’t know anyone who every said we must fly to Langkowi, Malaysia to see the enormous eagle statue. We took the obligatory family photo and left.
We received beautiful baskets of goodies and wine in our rooms to celebrate Christmas Eve – no Santa spotting this year. We enjoyed a Christmas dinner at the nearby Royal Langkowi Yacht Club. The facility overlooks the marina and it was decked out with a buffet complete with hats, horns, poppers, etc. – very festive. The British clientele wore their silly hats throughout the dinner. I tried grilled stingray – too chewy for me. The shrimp and squid are all local and delicious. We have a busy day planned tomorrow. The Almeas men are taking a full day excursion to the island’s marine park. We’ll sail to the reef and spend the day snorkeling in the clear water and swimming amongst the tropical marine life. After today’s fish spa adventure I’m confident the fish won’t be coming too close to us.
Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas. May everyone’s wishes be fulfilled this holiday season. Stay tuned for more…
