Urban Mantra: Travel Diaries: Langkawi

When you find yourself getting frustrated at little things, your mind in a constant state of rush, and your shoulders tense, you know it's time for a beach vacay. For the long Chinese New Year weekend, we fled town for a relaxing beachside getaway in Langkawi. This Malaysian island leads an entirely different pace of life - there's no rush to be anywhere and the locals are incredibly laid-back.

One of the main sights in Langkawi is Cenang Beach (also known as Pantai Cenang). It's essentially the heart of town and ideal for doing beachside activities and hanging out at restaurants/bars. I would highly recommend visiting this area in the evening for a romantic/hippie vibe. Other beaches, quite frankly, failed to impress and Cenang Beach is probably your best bet.

While a cable car ride sounds super cliched, I would actually recommend going to the one in Langkawi. It's supposedly the steepest cable car ride in the world and I'm inclined to believe it. We rose up a very steep mountain where it was several degrees cooler. From that great height, the view of the aqua blue horizon and distant islands was absolutely incredible!

As for restaurants, The Pavilion at The Datai Hotel serves amazingly authentic Thai food in a lush green setting. You feel like you're dining in the treetops! Note that The Pavilion has a dress code and needs advance reservations. We were unaware of this when we showed up in shorts to this fancy place, but luckily they made an exception for us. Pia's the Padi is another restaurant worth visiting. Nestled among the rice paddies, the setting here is more rustic and laid-back. The owner is also the chef, serving up hearty local Malay cuisine.