During our stay in Langkawi we were treated to a special activity, one of the best places to visit in Langkawi! We spent most of the day at what I suppose you’d call a day resort, Paradise Island 101 by Naam Adventures. This 2.5 acre man-made island just outside Telaga Harbour is owned and run by Naam one of the main tour and activity operators on Langkawi. It’s been open for around 18 months but only to private bookings as it’s only 90% complete, they hope to have it open to the public by the end of the year.
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He’s finally been roped in, this is Craig’s first official full post so read on to find out about our trip to Paradise 101 with NAAM and Naturally Langkawi.
Paradise 101 – one of the best places to visit in Langkawi
The island is covered with shady Casuarina and Pinoh trees and has plenty of sun lounges and hammocks to relax in. Across the back of the island facing west are a number of cabanas and Langkawi’s largest sun deck where you can sit and watch the sunset.
Morning Activities
We arrived at Perdana Quay, Telaga Harbour and waited for the boat to take us on the short journey across the bay. Once on the island we were welcomed with a cold drink and a cool towel. Our host, Liz, explained how the resort worked and what activities were on offer. There are a number of activities you can do for a reasonable fee, these include jet ski hire, banana boat rides, a zipline, parasailing and kayaks. There are also free activities, including a floating aqua park, snorkeling, beach volleyball and just relaxing with a few cocktails or beers in the beautiful surroundings. During our stay all were available except for the parasailing.
The kids went straight in and attacked the aqua park and spent a good hour out there. The kids had a ball on this and went back to it a couple of times over our time there. There is a rope from the beach out to the aqua park and the kids had life vests on so it was very easy for them to get out there and back alone.
After sitting on the beach watching the kids and having a beer for half an hour the moment we had been waiting for arrived, it was time to bust out the jet skis. We had a quick safety and operational briefing and jumped on, Keira with me, Alannah with Sally and Caelan with one of the staff, I think Caelan got the fast one. We buzzed around the back of the island for a bit when I realised that Caelan had been given the controls so I pulled up alongside them and asked if it was ok for Keira to take control. She took to it like a duck to water and had an absolute ball until she tried to do a 180 degree turn from a standing start and tipped us into the drink. The kids all went back out for seconds with the tour guides and Paradise Island staff and all came back with beaming smiles, all three said that this was their favourite part of the trip.
With the jet skis packed up the kids went back out to the aqua park while I got the drone out to get what I thought would be some great footage. Unfortunately I had left the iPad that has the app to control it back at the resort so I had to download it again to my phone, hot spotting off one of our tour guides. Once downloaded we were all set to go and off it went about 20 metres in front of me and about 3 metres in the air, I was just about to rotate it towards the kids on the aqua park when it just dropped out of the sky straight into the ocean!!! OMG, what had Sally just said to me, “don’t take it over the water, it might fall in”, I was in a bit of shock and slow to react and by the time I got out to where I thought it had dropped, it was nowhere to be found. To make things worse visibility was about 5 centremeters so it was a matter of walking around hoping to step on it. After having not much luck, one of the staff on the island donned some scuba gear to see if he could locate it but after about 20 minutes I told them not to bother as it was most likely destroyed by the salt water now anyway. We can laugh about it now though!
Lunch
It was time for lunch and another great buffet with the mandatory satay skewers and rice, the meal was delicious and the kids again ate their body weight in skewers! There was so much food, bbq sea bass fish, stir fried vegetables, so much fresh fruit and beer, soft drink and water included. I loved the table set up, you can see in the photo below.
The team at NAAM Adventures are able to cater to any specific dietary requirements, just let them know before hand. Sally doesn’t eat seafood but she found there was plenty enough for her to eat. The team set this up and take it down for each visit, the BBQ area behind is where the food is prepared, there is a functional kitchen there too. The food is transported each visit and no rubbish is left on the island.
After lunch Sally went for a little walk and took some photos of the island. I think you will agree it’s the perfect spot to spend a day.
Afternoon Activities
The kids scoffed their lunches and were straight out onto the zip line for a couple of runs. It’s only a short line but they have it set up to go over the water and the kids really enjoyed it, Sal and I gave this one a miss. It’s perfect for the kids and all had a few goes.
It was getting close to our departure time but before we left we couldn’t resist a banana boat ride. The 5 of us piled on along with our driver, Boi and two of our new friends from Naturally Langkawi, Elly-ce and Shaiful. I thought it was pretty tame at first, so Boi and I started to try and rock it and maybe tip it over. I don’t know whether it was us or not but it did manage to tip us all off just before we finished which added a bit to the ride, it was another fair sight watching us all try and climb back onto the boat.
Liz spent some time with the kids playing volleyball while we all got ready for our showers. The bathroom facilities are new and very clean. They provide towels for you and there is soap and shampoo in each shower for personal use.
Verdict
The kids gave Paradise Island 101 a resounding 10 out of 10 and are already asking if we can go back again. Sal and I also enjoyed the day, it was the first time Sal had ever driven a jet ski and like the kids thought that was pretty awesome. I loved that the kids enjoyed the aqua park and we were able to sit on the beach lounges and have some time just watching them. It was nice to see them playing nicely together and having fun just the three of them, not to mention working together and helping each other to conquer the challenges of the obstacle course!
Liz and the other Naam staff were fantastic with the kids. It’s nice to know you can relax and that they are in good hands. The way they spoilt the kids is a credit to the organisation, the kids had such a special time there and they are still telling everyone about it 4 weeks later.
Our time on Paradise 101 had come to an end but we had had a fantastic day. This place would be great for travelers that had opted for cheaper accommodation that didn’t have all the bells and whistles of a resort or were doing a home stay which is becoming very popular in Malaysia as you only pay for what you use. It can also be rented for special occasions and would make a great wedding venue.
The Drone
The staff at Paradise Island eventually found the drone about 80 metres off shore and returned it to us later that evening after we finished our Dinner Cruise, a 40 minute drive away, what more could you ask for?? We couldn’t be more thankful and due to them making the effort to locate it for us, we now may be able to claim a new one under warranty. I was very humbled that they had gone to so much trouble on our behalf.
Have you ever spent a day on a beautiful private island? Let your comment in the comments section below, I would love to hear about it. If you are looking for a great place to stay, read our review on the Meritus Pelangi Resort & Spa.
Langkawi is very family friendly and we found plenty for the kids to do, if you are looking for ideas, look no further we have you covered, Langkawi’s top tourist attraction – SkyCab the views are amazing and well worth a visit just for them. Kilim Geoforest Park are amazing coastal mangroves chock full of wildlife, caves and century old fossils. Experience an amazing Malaysian Cultural Show at Aseania Resort and Spa which includes a very decedent buffet dinner with plenty of seafood and desserts! If all that’s not enough, make sure you spend you last night taking in a Langkawi Sunset Dinner Cruise, kick back have a few beers with a buffet dinner and hope you get a cracking sunset, what a way to finish the prefect holiday.
Safe travels,
Sally, Craig & Our3kids
Disclaimer: We had a mutually beneficial arrangement with Naturally Langkawi, as always our opinion is our own. we would also like to thank Naan Adventures for a thoroughly enjoyable day.
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