As much as we love the hustle and bustle of city life, it’s nice to get away to a place where events aren’t planned and instead happen organically like nature intended.

Langkawi, being an island, is predisposed to a more laidback way of life. And when we want an escape from the city, it’s the first place that comes to mind, followed simultaneously by thoughts of The Westin.

Westin’s pools are its main draw, breathtakingly beautiful and all begging to be dipped into. The rock pool in particular is very popular with younger members of the family, shaded and full of interesting features for kids to slide and play around on.

The Kids’ Club will introduce your little ones to the traditions, sights, tastes and sounds of this idyllic island. Very friendly staff, who are brilliant with children, will take your juniors off to explore the beach, take part in local kids’ games and educate them on the fl ora and fauna of Langkawi. The Taste Adventure programme is perfect for adventurous taste-buds as your children will get to try local food they won’t fi nd at home. And Dorothea Lange wannabe’s will be given lessons on photography at the Kids’ Photo Corner.

Those with more sophisticated palates need not worry as the food offerings are fi rst class and of a calibre to impress mum and dad yet still hold varied and exciting selection for the kids.

A modern, clean and bright hotel, has its own small beach onto the water. It must be said that it’s not the biggest beach on the island and if your children are sand experts, like ours claim to be, they may fi nd the texture of the sand somewhat lacking (it doesn’t hold a fortress up as well as some of the sands from other Malaysian beaches) but it’s perfectly respectable for building bog standard sandcastles and the water is perfect for tiny feet to paddle – which is all that matters really.