Malaysia — The Beach, Andaman Hotel, Langkawi, Malaysia
A stunning beach
August 2015
The beach at the Andaman Hotel, Langkawi, was stunning. I mean, it was a WOW! A real tropical beach.
I took a walk along the beach early on my first morning, which was magical. Very peaceful and relaxing.
There were hardly any people around.
The beach did have a protective coral reef until the tsunami of 2004, which destroyed around 80% of the reef. In response, the hotel has now established a coral nursery in which it is growing corals to re-establish the reef — it also provides a way for guests to view corals.
Evidence of the destruction of the reef by the tsunami can still be seen on the beach, with many small fragments of coral mixed in with shells at the high watermark.
The Andaman also has a reputation for monkeys breaking into rooms searching for food (to be fair to the monkeys, you have to leave a door or window open, they don’t pick the locks). During my stay at the hotel, I only saw monkeys down the beach’s far end.
The beach also has a lot of small burrowing crabs.
And there were some small, almost translucent crabs that ran across the beach with such speed that you would think it was fluff blowing in the breeze.
Besides crabs, there were some birds (presumably there to eat the crabs!).
Photo by Author — a bird on the beach at the Andaman Hotel, Langkawi, Malaysia
And swallows.
Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica).
The grounds of the hotel were also populated with tropical butterflies.
The beach at the Andaman Hotel, Langkawi, is shared by several other hotels.
And besides sunbathing, fishing can be had in a nearby stream.
Photo by Author — fishing on the beach at the Andaman Hotel, Langkawi, Malaysia
As well as the opportunity to stroll along the beach and enjoy the surf.
What surprised me was the number of people just lying in the sun.
So, the beach at the Andaman is a fantastic example of a tropical beach with lovely sand and warm water. A great place to relax.
It is a shame I am not a beach fan unless I am wildlife spotting or rummaging around in rock pools, as the beach was magnificent — a great place for an early morning walk.
