YACHTERS from all over the world who have come to dock at the Hole In The Wall have hailed it as the best floating restaurant in Langkawi.

In fact, it's more than just a restaurant; it's a mini dockyard, a fish farm (kelong) and a place for homestay that provides guests with good meals, clean drinking water, bathrooms and beds.

Our journey there started at the Kilim Jetty, following the rippling water of Sungai Kilim with its lush line of mangrove plants on the riverbanks.

Our boat cruise on the river yielded a spectacular view of rugged limestone hills glinting in the sunshine. The most exciting view however were Brahminy kite eagles and white-bellied eagles flying high in the sky. Sungai Kilim is after all the place to watch these eagles, especially the Brahminy which is synonymous with Langkawi.

We moved along thinking the best view was behind us, only to be bowled over by yet another awesome sight. The river flows through a narrow passage flanked by towering limestone hills and then opens to the sea. Not too far from the passage is the floating kelong and restaurant.

Its owner, Rahmad Md Din, said an American couple who once sailed into the area called the place Hole In The Wall, a term often used by sailors whenever they come across a narrow passage at sea.

The place has, over the last nine years, become famous among yachters from all over the world, including the US, France, Germany and Australia.

With 25 mooring docks, the Hole In The Wall is like a yacht club, albeit a budget one. Because the mooring fees are affordable, many yachters have stayed there for the long haul. "Some have stayed for even six months to a year," said Rahmad.

When he first began building a kelong in the area, it was for his fish export business. However, it soon became a pit stop for many yachters who sailed through the "hole in the wall". Unlike other kelong, the place has showers and clean flush toilets instead of smelly latrines. Rahmad's foreign guests would stop and get fresh water, freshen up and rest before continuing with their journey. Eventually, he started providing them food and, later, rooms. Then he created mooring space on a river arm inside the Kilim Mangrove Forest, and this led to other services for the yachters like boat cleaning and hull-scraping services.

While he still continues to do all these today, his restaurant business has also grown to the point that it has become a must-stop for tourists who visit the Kilim area.

The Hole In The Wall Fish Farm and Restaurant is now noted as the place to go to in Langkawi for the freshest of seafood. You can fish from the cages which are submerged in the river and then have your catch cooked on the spot.

There are choices of prawns, lobsters, crabs and varieties of fishes, including red snapper, grouper and sea bass. These are cooked Malaysian style, such as grilled with assam dip and sweet sour. Prices are charged by weight and based on current market prices.

A popular side dish is kerabu mangga (fresh mango salad with hot and tangy sauce) and this goes well with grilled fish, served with either white rice or fried rice, kampung style.

More Than Seafood

A pit stop for good food, clean toilets and beds (Inset) Rahmad has made his kelong a must visit place in Kilim.

We didn't just eat there. We also went on a guided tour of the kelong and fed the fishes in the cages, including a giant stingray, an electric eel, an archer fish and a giant kerapu kertang, which are all Rahmad's pets.

All in, there are 60 cages and Rahmad plans to increase the number so that he can hold tropical fish exhibitions in future. These may be held at a cordoned area and he is considering charging entrance fees for visitors who wish to see special exhibits.

For now, the business-savvy Rahmad has trained some of his staff to become guides who can talk about tropical fishes and how to breed them.

When we were there, our guide even "coaxed" some of the fishes to swim to the surface of the water, much to our delight.

Not only were the service and the food superb, the natural setting of the kelong by the river and sea added to the perfect outing.

How To Get There

A stingray surfacing to play.

The Hole In The Wall Fish Farm and Restaurant is accessible from both land and sea.

You can get there by taking a boat from the Kilim Jetty, near Galleria Perdana in Kuah. A stop at the restaurant is included in Sungai Kilim tour packages. You may also call the restaurant directly for free boat shuttle pickup for lunch or dinner. Pick-up time for lunch is noon while for dinner, it's at 6pm.

The boat ride takes about seven minutes. If you are lucky, you may spot monkeys, otters, kingfishers, hornbills and even eagles along the way. Also, enjoy the view of the mangroves and the limestone hills, which are part of the Langkawi Geoforest Park.

If you get there by sea, take your boat up along the southern, eastern and north-eastern coastline and turn into Sungai Kilim through the Hole in the Wall passage.

For details, call Rahmad at 012-5620015, email rahmad@holeinthewall.com.my or go to www.holeinthewall.com.my.

Bed and Breakfast

There are 10 rooms for rent at RM55 per room, inclusive of breakfast. Rates for long stays are negotiable.

Activities Around the "Hole"

Rahmad's Golden Eagle Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd organises many activities around the Hole In The Wall, including boating, kayaking, fishing and camping.

It also offers several tours, including Mangrove Tour, Eagle Feeding Tour, island tours, Cave Tours (Bat Caves, Cave of Legend or Gua Cerita and Crocodile Cave) and Dinner Safari. For details of the tours, call 04-967 5301. -NST