We just came home after four glorious and relaxing days in Langkawi. Once in a while, one must take a break especially if one is an entrepreneur and work is but an extension of life!
Seriously though, we deserved this trip because we were really working back to back for the past two months - imagine working on web development projects simultaneously! Everything just came about in one go so like it or not, we had to finish them all.
But once we did that, we did breathe a bit easy. Of course, living in Penang does have its stressful moments. The traffic jams, for instance. I was just talking to a client over dinner last night and he had just come home for a business trip from the UK, and yes, the first thing he commented (or rather grumbled about) was the sickening traffic problems on the island of Penang. He felt that things have changed so much that he no longer felt Penang charming.
Anyway, we escaped to Langkawi for a few days to take it easy. Langkawi’s pace is good for a holiday - you can drive and not see a car for miles. Maybe a couple of grazing buffaloes might turn around and stare at you. Unlike Penang, you don’t get honked. It’s blissful driving on Langkawi!
While we still considered it a holiday, it was also a time to connect with our friends on that island. Like one of our friends said, there is something magical about Langkawi. Once you get ‘charmed’ by Mahsuri and the island’s beautiful craggy mountains, wide expanses of sea and paddy fields, there’s no looking back. And it was true. We felt like this was a homecoming - a home away from our Penang home.
I think Langkawi works for us because:
- it is so easy to move around on the island. I can just rent a car and I can go exploring happily.
- it is so easy to eat well on the island - you will be amazed at the quality restaurants and the range of cuisines available.
- it is so easy to fit any type of budget - you can live in luxury (ala The Datai or Four Seasons) or you can go the backpackers’ way.
- it is so easy to find local food - Kuah town, Pantai Cenang, Pantai Tengah are full of quaint little places and warung(s) for have chinese stirfry, hawker food or nasi campur.
- it is so easy to be with nature - just take a scenic drive to Burau Bay and you will see the gorgeous expanse of bluest seas, cloudless skies and amazing kampung lifestyles.
- it is easy to go nuts over chocolates and liquor - a can of beer is cheaper than a can of soft drink!
So short of sounding like a Tourism Malaysia ambassador, yes, Langkawi IS a good holiday destination. Plus it’s easy for us in Penang - just a ferry or flight away.
So if you’ve been busy, going at breakneck speed and your boss is hinting that you should finish up your leave before the year ends, try a few days on the island and let Mahsuri weave her magic over you.
P/S: By the way, lots of people have emailed us asking us enviously that it’s so cool to own one’s own business and be able to take off for a holiday whenever we feel like it. Well, being one’s own boss does have its perks BUT we face a lot of stress too. It’s not always fantastic - it’s not great to sleep at 3 am because some project needs to be completed before our client turns livid. Most times though we enjoy the freedom and flexibility.
So here’s a great article - very timely too for those of you who asked us how to start being an entrepreneur. Here’s what you need to know before you make that momentous decision to become self-employed.
Read it at http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/startup/a/beselfemployed.htm