New stories posted on travelife.ca

The Panama Canal is a symbol of pride for Panamanians.

My goodness, it's been a busy travel period for me.

Arizona one week. Dallas the next. Then on to Malaysia and Panama.

Along the way, though, I came across some wonderful stories that I'm now able to share with you at www.travelife.ca

Just posted this morning are stories on:

- Panama's legendary canal, which connects two oceans and is the greatest contributor to Panama's economy. But the canal is more than just a waterway - it's a symbol of pride to the proud Panamanian people who proved to the world they can run the world's most important canal better than anyone else.

- Arizona's great golf courses, many of which are bunched together in Scottsdale, the desert retreat that is home to one of the greatest courses in the world - TPC Scottsdale, where normally staid golf fans turn into college football rowdies when PGA stars arrive at one hole.

- Malaysia's treasured island known as Langkawi, where the local mangrove is the lifeblood of this island of mountains and myths. A trip through the mangrove brought me up close to monkeys, snakes, the world's largest crabs and giant eagles. It's a Garden of Eden experience that ranks among my best travel thrills ever!

- Dallas' famed Sixth Floor Museum, formerly known as the city's infamous Book Depository Building from where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shots that killed president John F. Kennedy and ended one of the most promising political periods in American history. Looking through the Sixth Floor window from where the shots were fired was for me like looking back on my boyhood memories.

It's great sharing these stories with you - I hope you enjoy!

Time to return home after eight days exploring Singapore and Malaysia

Singapore's St. Regis was a true delight.

DATELINE SINGAPORE - Just finished packing my backs and will soon be checking out of the ritzy St. Regis Hotel - a true wonder of the hotel world - to start my long journey home: an 18 hour flight to New York aboard Singapore Airlines; then a one hour flight to Toronto with Porter Airlines.

Accounting for airport waiting time, I should be home in about 24 hours. And you know what, every minute of travel time to and from Asia is worth it.

What an amazing eight days this has been.

I got to stay in the new Disneyland of the hotel world, the Marina Bay Sands Resort here in Singapore; then I journed to Malaysia to sample some of that wonderful country's genuine hospitality at the fabulous Four Seasons Resort on Langkawi Island; got to experience Langkawi's mangroves and came face-to-face with some of the most fascinating wildlife on Earth; then the cherry on top of the cake was the time spent at the St. Regis.

Of course, it may take me a few weeks to overcome the third degree sunburn I suffered while tracking down stories that I'll soon be sharing with you at travelife.ca and in TraveLife magazine. The pain and suffering I go through for you devoted readers.

Of all the wonders I saw on this trip, Langkawi and its natural beauty were the most memorable.

The sweet, hard working people of that island are truly lovely and their Muslim beliefs make them one of the most welcoming and accommodating people I have ever met. Of course, because Malaysia is a Muslim nation, some people shy away from it. Which is a crying shame.

I will return to Malaysia very soon to see Kuala Lumpur, its capital and one of the biggest and most dynamic cities in the world. And after getting a sample of jungle life in the mangroves of Langkawi, I definitely want to experience Borneo. But most of all, I want to get to know the Muslims of Malaysia better because they opened their hearts to me.

That's why I love travelling. People are what make places so special. And it was the people of Langkawi who made this trip so special for me.

I'll be in touch as soon as I get home.

Until then, safe journeys.

I bid Langkawi a fond farewell



The sun dropping into the Andaman Sea was our signal
that is was time to leave Langkawi this evening.



DATELINE LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA – Seems we just arrived in this Asian paradise and already it’s time to return to Singapore where we’ll prepare for our long journey home Thursday.

While packing our bags earlier today, we were interrupted by a knock on our Four Seasons villa door.

Standing on the other side of the glass was Aidi Abdullah, the charming Four Seasons naturalist who introduced us to the wonders of Langkawi’s delicate eco-system on a tour he lead just a few days ago.

Aidi, knowing that our Silk Air flight wouldn’t be leaving Langkawi until later (8:45 p.m.) decided he would offer to show us some of the local villages where we sampled lots of great Malay food.

What a wonderful gesture – especially considering it was Aidi’s day off.

“I could not let you leave without showing you the same hospitality that your country showed me when I lived in Edmonton,” said Aidi, who worked in the Alberta capital a few years ago before returning to his homeland.

“Canadians were the only people who ever accepted me for who I am, not what I am,” said the proud Muslim.

You have no idea how my heart swells with pride when I hear those words spoken about our country by people of other lands who have sampled our hospitality and generosity.

The sun dipping behind one of the 99 treasured islands that make up Langkawi and dropping into the Andaman Sea this evening indicated it was time to head to the airport.

We leave here with many wonderful memories – our stay at the fabulous Four Seasons Langkawi Resort was a true delight; our tour of the mangroves where we were eyeballed by strange creatures was life changing for me; and our tour of the local towns where we met creative islanders making amazing crafts – but the hospitality shown us by the mostly Muslim population is what we’ll remember most about Langkawi.

Langkawi is Malaysia's magical island made up of mountains and myths

Swimmers at the Four Season Resort on Langkawi look out on the Andaman Sea and nearby Thailand .

DATELINE LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA – I’ve been so fortunate over the years to have visited some of the most magical tropical islands on Earth.

The Seychelles … the Maldives … Thailand’s Phuket – visits to those islands are the ones I treasure most.

And now I can add Langkawi, Malaysia’s island of mountains and myths, to that list of my all-time favorites.

Since arriving here Sunday and checking into the fabulous Four Seasons Langkawi Resort, it’s been one thrill after another.

The Four Seasons Resort is itself a treasure that comes wrapped in beautiful Moorish and Malay architecture. Its luxury seaside villas – 228 square metres big - and rooms feature outdoor showers and plunge pools with breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea strait that separates this Malaysian outpost made up of 99 islands from Thailand. On clear days – that’s well over 300 here – you can see the mountains of Thailand clearly.

The Canadian-operated resort is a favorite with families from neighbouring Asian countries as well as Europe – Russians really like it here – and North America. It has great restaurants, a world class spa, and some of the friendliest staff this traveller has ever encountered.

Today’s poolside promotion was three cans of Carlsberg for the Canadian equivalent of $11.

I think I’ve found paradise folks!

Langkawi – Lang means “eagle” and Kawi means “stone” in the Malay language – is an eco-paradise where eagles, monkeys, tropical fish, poisonous snakes and rare birds thrive in the island’s treasured mangroves. The Four Seasons arranged a three-hour trip through the mangroves this morning with their resident naturalist Aidi and it may have been three of the most enjoyable hours I’ve ever spent.

The island’s myths come from ancient legends that surround locations like Tasik Dayang Bunting – the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden – whose waters, when drunk, is said to promote fertility in women; or the Mahsuri Mausoleum, the fabled white tomb set in a rice paddy where the body of an innocent young bride apparently rests; or Lagenda Park, a garden museum that tells the story of heroic giants, mythical birds, evil ogres and beautiful princesses.

This place, made up of granite mountains and where once marble was mined, has given me many story lines that will soon show up in TraveLife magazine and at travelife.ca.

So stay tuned for more on this treasured island.

Special moments on Langkawi

This is the scene that greets me each morning
outside my luxurious Four Seasons seaside villa.

Langkawi is a botanical wonderland.

Each morning local women sweep up debris that
the Andaman Sea spit out overnight.

I visited a craft shop where Malay women were
busy handpainting some fabric.

On my mangrove tour, I came across these cute little monkeys.

The island's mangrove is one of the most fascinating places
I've ever visited - it's the lifeblood of Langkawi.

I've arrived in Langkawi, Malaysia



The view from my Four Seasons beach villa in tropical Langkawi.



DATELINE MALAYSIA – The second leg of my Asian odyssey began today (Sunday) with my arrival from Singapore (aboard Singapore Airlines’ excellent subsidiary carrier Silk Air) in Malaysia’s tropical paradise Langkawi.

We were greeted by warm weather (34C) and warm smiles from the mostly Muslim population.

The island is located on Malaysia’s west coast just south of the Thai border and flying into this mountainous wonderland was pure eye candy.

The island is noted for its caves, delicate eco-system and myths and in the next few days I intend to check them all out.

I’ll also be touring some of the local villages where I’m told the craftsmanship is something very special.

Oh, did I mention that I’ll be staying at the Four Seasons Langkawi – one of the most talked about properties in Asia – and reporting back on how special this Canadian-managed property is.

So stay tuned as I take you along on my latest adventure.