The most romantic sunset dinner cruise with honeymooners

December 13th, 2009

The Andaman Resort approached us a few days ago to charter our yacht DADDELDU for a newly wed couple from England.

As we knew that the tide would be too low to make a private beach drop in the later afternoon we offered them one extra hour complimentary for this sunset dinner cruise

 

So Genna and Bobby came in the early afternoon having no idea about the itinerary that we had planned for them.

 

On the yacht we welcomed them with a cold towel and a fresh orange juice while we showed and explained “their boat” for this day.

 

Soon we took off to sail to “our” private beach in the South of the archipelago. There we dropped the anchor and Acik, our crewmember, and I drove to the beach alone to clean it and to prepare the setup.

Just a few days ago I had bought a nice hammock made out of parachuting material, light and strong and set it up between two trees on that beach. A bottle of French champagne on ice and some salmon canapés as a little surprise were ready for the couple. On this beach the monkeys are still shy and not at all aggressive as no stupid tourists are around to feed and spoil them. But to be on the safe side, I sent Acik back to the yacht to pick up the guests while I was on monkey watch (I had not seen a single one!).

When Genna and Bobby stepped onto their beach and saw the little set-up that we had prepared for their “Lover’s Cast-Away”, they were really touched. Acik and I left them alone, teasing them by telling, we would pick them up a few days later.

Being back on DADDELDU we started to prepare the dinner for them. I had been to the wet market in the morning and had bought some fresh seafood including one crab and nice big prawns. After 30 minutes I picked up the couple from the beach and made a tour around another little island that I love a lot.

That island shows the magic of Langkawi so clearly that I always drive around it to show it to my guests. It is actually just one big rock and it’s amazing to see that the vegetation grows and survives without any soil just clutching to the pure rock. Many different varieties grow here including wild orchids and some small palm trees. As the limestone is so soft, their roots  grow through the rock!

 

When we came back to the yacht, the crew had set up the table nicely and the food looked really yummy.

Bobby and Genna seemed to enjoy it and washed it down with a glass of a nice Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Slowly we sailed back to Kuah Bay while they where having their romantic dinner. As another surprise we had a nice honeymoon cake complimentary and together with the crew managed to eat it all up. The sunset was just perfect; the best during the last 10 days; so lucky for them!

 

I think, they left being happy and we hope that this was the best day of their honeymoon here in Langkawi.

A Day aboard “My Blues Ship”

December 13th, 2009

 

“MY BLUES SHIP” is a Privilege 48 catamaran, owned by Martin, a German sailor who lives in Langkawi since a few month. We were crewing for the day, myself (Andy) & Maggie my partner; we are from UK, have our own yacht so are experienced in sailing matters. As crew I am responsible for the comfort & security of our guests, also the practical handling of the yacht, on orders given by the skipper (Martin). Maggie has similar duties but on this day her emphasis was more on food preparation. The party was a family of 12 adults & 3 children from Holland. The Tanjung Rhu Resort had recommended Blue Water Star Sailing for the private yacht charter and Eva had advised to do an island hopping tour finished with a sunset cruise.

MY BLUES SHIP has a length of 15 meters & a beam (width) of nearly 10m. This gives an enormous amount of deck space plus the stability of a catamaran, so very safe and comfortable. Internally there are berths for about 16 in comfort.

We had all worked well together preparing for the trip, at exactly 11am the party arrived at the marina berth, Martin  was welcoming everyone aboard, introductions were made & all seated comfortably in the fully shaded cockpit, flowers were on the table & cold drinks were served. As the responsible captain, he distributed life vests for all who required them (mainly the children) & discussed the itinerary for the day. It was decided we should go to the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden, the biggest freshwater lake of Langkawi. The journey leads through stunning islands, all untouched, with overwhelming lush green hills and colorful and dramatic rock formations.

 

We slipped the lines & motored out of the marina, Martin happily sounding off the horn! As we motored towards the destination Maggie was back in the galley whilst I served drinks & generally kept things tidy, Martin was socializing, sailing stories, that kind of thing, people are always interested in our “different” lifestyle. The guests were sunbathing, taking in the scenery; chatting & the children were happily playing below.

After about 2 hours of sailing we dropped anchor in a much protected bay, lowered the dinghy’s and & Martin & I ferried the guests to the pier near the lake. Our Dutch guests had a 10 minutes walk ahead of them through the jungle to get to the lake. They took a refreshing swim, saw some monkeys & enjoyed their time. Meanwhile back aboard Maggie prepared the table setting out the food. As soon as the guests reappeared on the pier, Martin & I went to collect them. They were in high spirits having enjoyed their swim & encounters with monkeys. The lunch was served on return, everyone eat well enjoying the many varieties of sandwich, fruits, pasta salad, green salads etc, wine was served for those that wanted & the usual beer & soft drinks. Soon after lunch the guests enjoyed another swim from the boat, rinsing away the salt with a deck shower.

Up anchor, away back to Kuah, a little wind out with the Genoa, motor sailing now, everyone relaxing on deck I went around offering ice creams as Maggie finished up down below, the ice creams were enjoyed by all (me included). Dolphins away to starboard! They weren’t too playful but the guests enjoyed seeing them. Martin supervised as one of the small boys was now steering the yacht, around in a circle, ok whatever, he was having fun & that’s what its all about! As we slowly approached to the marina a beautiful sunset changed the colors of the sky and with the last light we arrived at the marina where Eva met us & gave garlands of flowers & took some photos. Everyone made their goodbyes & thanks & we were left then just to clean up a little, altogether a good day.

Birthday Party on DADDELDU

December 13th, 2009

 

The Datai made a reservation for a couple that wanted to come for a half day cruise. The lady had the idea to surprise her boyfriend and made the booking weeks ago already. Lies and Steve are originally from Australia, but since a few months they settled down in Singapore.

I picked them up at the yacht club office and Steve was looking at me with big eyes of surprise, when he found out that he would be taken out for a cruise. He expected to be invited to play golf! The Datai had sponsored a nice little birthday cake and my crew succeeded to smuggle it onto the boat without him noticing it.

We took off from the marina and went into the direction of the Westin. Just behind that resort is a picturesque area with plenty of uninhabited islands, close to each other. Very safe and guaranteed no swell unless a ferry passes. No chance to get seasick! After a short but nice cruise we dropped anchor in front of “our” beach. But today the beach was occupied by a group of young Malaysians, who were engaged in a kind of teambuilding exercises. They had 2 funny looking rafts and tried to make a kind of racing by paddling. But as they were sitting back to back it was just too entertaining to watch them paddling to the North and the South at the same time!

Our guests went for a refreshing swim and we surprised them with a complimentary bottle of champagne and a loud and noisy Happy-Birthday-Stevie-Song.

For lunch we served: Prawns in Garlic Olive Oil, Mackerel on a Caper White Wine Sauce, Salad and Basmati Rice. They ate heartily and enjoyed the chilled Sauvignon Blanc accompanying the meal. While they ate on the aft deck we slowly motored back to the marina. We still had time enough to serve the birthday cake and a freshly ground coffee. Once back they were really happy and thanked us a lot for that great experience.

It is nice and very satisfying to know that a job is well done  and that guests have the impression that they got excellent value for their money.

Come and celebrate your special event with us! We guarantee you a successful day as this is our passion!

www.bluewaterstarsailing.com

Bats and Flying Foxes

December 13th, 2009

 

What does a company whose target is exclusive private yacht charter has to do with bats and flying foxes? Good question. But as we live on Langkawi we want to understand and enjoy the nature, culture, and myths of this tropical paradise. Sure enough, many guests coming here on a holiday also want more than just hanging around the pool or the bar. Langkawi has so many things to offer, to explore, and to enjoy. From the right perspective: you can drive around the island by car within 2 hours. You could sail around the island, let’s say within a few days, but you can also take your time and discover new fascinating details and amazing nature treasures that value your stay on this island much more and make you come back. Mostly we sail around the islands with our guests during daytime and you will hardly have the chance to see bats or flying foxes. But still we can show you.

 

Langkawi is home for about 20 different species of them and they are very important for the fertilization of many plants and fruits, in the jungle and the mangroves. The seeds of Durian fruit, for instance can only be carried by the larger flying fox (as we have no elephants in Langkawi, who love these fruits and are taking care of the propagation of Durian for example in India) as the seeds are quite heavy. Langkawi’s bats are mainly two different species. The fruit-eating and the insect-eating bats. I and my husband Gerd stay in Kilim River on the anchorage with our yacht fairly often. We stay quite closed to the mangroves and we wouldn’t do so unless the mosquitoes weren’t controlled by the many bats in that area.

 

Did you know that bats are the only mammals that can truly fly? I mean, they can really fly like they have no competitors. They can speed up to 50 km through the mangrove forest – at night, of course! And did you know that the female gives birth hanging upside down attached to the ceiling of the cave with only one leg. Not enough? Well, their only way to take a shower is to piss while hanging upside down. (Notice the very special perfume in the cave!) In case you want to visit the bat cave in Kilim River, please don’t disturb them by being noisy or pointing a torch light onto them for a longer time. And if possible, don’t make photos, as the camera flash disturbs them quite a lot. Many bats already left the caves due to the increasing tourism and escaped to caves that are not accessible for human beings.

 

 To visit the bat cave  at about sunset when these animals are preparing to leave the cave is a very special experience; actually the best time, indeed. (To do so will almost only be possible with us as the regular charter companies and the long-boats that are for rent normally don’t operate there at that time of the day, but we do if you ask us to do so!)

 

The cave is resounding with the bats “singing” like whispering and these little creatures are flying all around in the cave to warm themselves up so you feel as if you are standing in the middle of a swarm of them. They fly inches away from your face yet never touch you.

No need to be scared. It is of course nonsense to think about them as vampires or any such thing. When Gerd and I sailed the islands of Papua New Guinea I saw them on the wet market daily for sale. They cost just pennies and are either kept as pets – for only a while – or directly end up as part of next dinner. Nowadays we begin to understand what important and fascinating animals they are.

Welcome to Langkawi

December 13th, 2009

Good reasons why to choose Langkawi for your holiday / honeymoon and much more

I fell in love with Langkawi from the very first day I cam here in November 2005 and never regretted to be here ever since. But I am about to collect other peoples opinion about Langkawi in this Blog and I hope you will enjoy reading them.  Here is the first one, written by  my friend   Dr.Baskaran Kosthi. He is the owner of the highly recommended Ishan Spa.

Indeed, I am always thinking about this. For me, Langkawi is a ‘Healing Paradise’. It is a place for us to come for soul search. A Retreat. A place for solitude. A place where you can say, “It’s my time and I am here to be me, spend time with me, knowing me”.

Langkawi is a magic place where we can be in meditative state without meditating. A place than can afford to be still without any guilt and feeling bliss at all time.

People are as warm as the weather. Simple folks. Not very ambitious. Cheap long term accommodation. Eat out without burning a hole in your pocket for Breakfast, Coffee Break, Brunch, Lunch, Tea-time, Dinner, Supper, Late meal, midnight snack and still don’t know how to finish spending the money.

Being in Langkawi will give us a chance of feeling gratitude for what the Universe has provided us. Watching the world go by in a slow motion, when you came from a sizable city which is full of hassle & hustle.

Feel the space here. Do not have to rush in the morning to the beach to get your own space or a beach bed. Sail or even swim to an island nearby and realize that you are the only human being in this island.

Go trekking into the tropical rain-forest and learn to appreciate what mother nature has given us and how we just took it for granted and never got a time to cherish it.

Drive and de-stress. Do not even bother to have an alarm car lock. Don’t even have to worry to pull out the keys from the car. No snatch thieves, no kidnappers, no robbers, no mugging but Hahaha! beware of monkeys & buffalos.

Drive past herds of cows, buffalos, goats and no shepherds around. Go to a local restaurant. Eat whatever you want, which is avail and when you want to pay, the owner will ask you what have you eaten rather then checking on you. Pay less than a Euro or a quit and that includes your iced coffee or iced lemon tea.

Now tell me, how many places are there in this world where you can have the same feeling? This is an amazing place to come. To experience. To rejuvenate. To learn. To dis-learn. To teach. To fill. To Feel. To appreciate what we have here & back at home. To simplify. To live a life. And many, many more….

Join us to joy! Be here to feel! Bring home & cherish what you have missed throughout your life!

Welcome to Langkawi!

Family Cruise on Motor Yacht

December 11th, 2009

We joined a fantastic tour on your extraordinary motor yacht NAUTINESS in April 2007. As a family with little kids we worried if they would enjoy such a trip, but all of us had a day of great fun and unforgettable memories. At 10 a.m. we stepped on the most luxurious motor yacht we have ever had the pleasure to charter  and for a reasonable and affordable price! Worth every single penny we paid! You took us from Telaga Harbour to the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden, a cruise of about two hours. The sea was calm, as it is most of the time in the Langkawi archipelago as you told us, because the area is so well protected by the surrounding islands. Our 5 year old son Jaime had a great time with Captain Luke steering the boat together with him while our 2 little daughters where having fun to help in the kitchen to prepare some snacks! We dropped anchor at the beautiful island of Pulau Dayang Bunting, surrounded by magnificent limestone cliffs and, although such a nice place the only boat around. Unbelievable! The crew of NAUTINESS drove us with their little rubber dinghi ashore. A short ten minutes walk through the jungle took us to the famous Fresh Water Lake. Our kids had big fun to go for a swim and feed the little fishes. After about one hour we came back to the boat and felt quite hungry. What a surprise the buffet was! Tiger prawns, chicken satay, salads, fresh vegetables, tropical fruits and, last but not least the birthday cake for little Jaime! Captain Luke took his guitar and the crew sang a birthday song for our son. Me and my wife Carol had a memorable glass of champagne in the jacuzzi on the sundeck of this immaculate yacht while the crew was taking care of our kids. We sailed back to Telaga Harbour at about 7 p.m. and admired the most wonderful \r\nsunset as the topping of this spectacular day sailing the islands of Langkawi. We had to leave Langkawi the next day and we do admit that it was the best day of our 2 weeks holiday. We keep in touch and we definitely book one of your boats for an overnight stay on our next holiday. You took care of us in the most friendly and professional way possible. Thank you very much and we’re sure you will be successful in Langkawi

Wedding Proposal

December 11th, 2009

It took me 6 years to get ready for the decision to propose to my lovely girlfriend Christine and I was looking for a very special event to make this day unforgettable. Chris had no idea at all when we arrived in Langkawi and was very surprised when she stepped on DADDELDU. She thought that you guys where some of my German business partners. We set sails at 10 a.m. and sailed around the WESTIN Hotel next to the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club from where we had started our tour. First surprise for Chris (and me) were the beautiful ornamental flowers you had bought for her hair. We passed some spectacular uninhabited islands and saw a group of six dolphins joining us for a while. Sailing away on your yacht was an experience we never had before and I saw Langkawi from a much different angle than ever before. At lunchtime we dropped the anchor close to a lonely and very private beach. Chris and I just jumped into the warm ocean, swam ashore and the world was just me and my lovely bride to be (still hoped she wouldn’t say No when I had to ask her the most important question of my life!) Coming back to your boat we had a nice freshwater shower. You served us towels and fresh juices. Our private and intimate lunch on the aftdeck of DADDELDU with a chilled glass of Chardonnay on that anchorage is something I will never forget. We proceeded to sail the archipelago of Langkawi and the soft breeze was cooling my nervous brain. At exactly 7.20 p.m., the sun 3 inches above the horizon, I went on my knees, took the ring out of my pocket and asked the most beautiful girl in the world to become my wife. Chris eyes got as big and dark as I have never seen them before and she didn’t say a word. Then a tear rolled down her cheeks and she accepted. You guys were standing next to us to take some photos and although I spoke Mandarin understood the conversation. I saw and will never forget, that both of you had tears in your eyes as well. You pampered us for the dinner with lobster and champagne. The flowers all over the entire boat must have been quite a job to remove the next day. Eva, Gerd, I know I asked a lot from you guys with all my emails ahead of the tour to make sure everything was perfect. How can I find the right words to express my feelings thinking back to that day? That day was just sooo much beyond my expectations! Chris and I had the most romantic start for our life together and you guys will be a warm part of our memories in life. All the very best to you and stay the way you are.

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September 1st, 2009

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