Our next stop of 4 in a row is Langkawi. This is stop 3 of 4Langkawi is a beautiful archipelago of 99 islands in Malaysia, located in the Andaman Sea. It’s known for its stunning beaches, lush rainforests.

The walk to our transportation was the longest we have had on this trip yet…..  2 km from when we left the ship.  

For our excursion we cruised and explore an ecosystem of winding rivers, mangrove forests, isolated islands and limestone rock formations. First stop was some fish farms. We walked on platforms that separate the nets in the sea to see the variety of fish that are raised here. Nana’s favorite was the manta ray. 

Next stop was seeing 4 species of eagles in their natural habitat. They flew around our boat and roosted on trees nearby.   The locals feed the eagles so along the river so the eagles don’t hunt their dogs, chickens and other animals in town.  

We also stopped at a Mangrove forest and learned how important they are to Langkiwi. 20% of Langkiwi is covered by Mangroves.   The locals believe that the Mangroves saved them many times from Tsunamis in the past.  The Mangrove trees have a very unique root system that actually filters out salt out of the water so they get fresh water for the leaves.  

We visited the Bat Cave (Gua Kelawar) in Langkawi which is a fascinating natural attraction located within the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park. It’s named after the thousands of bats that inhabit its dark chambers. We saw these nocturnal mammals enjoying their daytime siesta. Hundreds of them hang upside down, clinging to the ceiling of the cave. The formations of stalagmites and stalactites and other rock formations are quite stunning as well. The larger bats consume 10,000 mosquitos per day.  I need one of those bats for mosquito control in Georgia.

Today we stopped at Phuket. Last stop of the 4.  Phuket Was a Major Trading Hub during the 17th century, Phuket was a key stop for European traders, including the Dutch, French, and British, due to its rich tin deposits. The island played a vital role in trade between China, India, and the Malay Peninsula. In 1785, when Burmese invaders attacked Phuket, two sisters, Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Sri Sunthon, led local villagers in a successful defense. They are honored with a monument in central Phuket. Many Chinese immigrants arrived in the 19th century to work in tin mines, bringing their traditions, food, and festivals. In the past, Phuket’s strategic location made it a prime target for pirates who raided ships passing through the Andaman Sea. Some local legends suggest hidden pirate treasure still exists on the island!

We took a long  excursion today. We began with a short drive to Promthep Cape — a hill covered in date palms and bright yellow grasses. The sea below breaks onto a rocky shore and we enjoyed spectacular views over Phuket’s coastline.  We explored the lighthouse which is still active today. 

We continued to the island’s most famous temple — Wat Chalong — dedicated to two revered monks.  The temples here are a mix of all the asian cultures as you can imagine from all of the immigrants that came here.

We stopped for lunch at Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town.  We had traditional Thai food. Nana found some inviting noodles but one bite and she had tears it was so spicy. 

We then visited old Phuket Town, the main shopping center and city on Phuket Island. Portuguese influence is evident in some of the city’s architecture — a legacy of the tin barons.  Nana did some shopping and found some great deals. She was negotiates prices and then buys a lot.

Final stop was Jui Tui Shrine, a traditional Chinese temple that plays a pivotal part in the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival. One of the island’s oldest and the most respected spiritual centers. It is interesting because we found several statues of the Virgin Mary there. 

Back to ship after a long hot day.  We had to tender today and going back in the tender felt like a sauna.  Once we get back on the ship, we then froze from the air conditioning but it felt good.  Tonight was Mardi Gras.  The ship’s crew went all out with a big party and they made up masks.  Nana and Papa did a lot of dancing and we ate some King Cake. It is interesting in that a lot of the long time world cruisers have something for every special event. We saw some great masks tonight which I am sure they traveled with to the ship. Nana and I didn’t think much about this and now we wish we would have looked ahead and planned a little better.

We have 3 sea days which is great, we can slow down a little.  We have to work on taxes this week.  Life goes on whether you are on a cruise or not and taxes are still due on April 15th.  Tomorrow is the halfway mark for the cruise.    For you grandchildren (and anyone else), I will be putting tegether a quiz from my blogs over the last 2 months.  Get ready as thee will be prizes awarded for the top scores.  I will also try to put together a top 5 destination list so far.