Frangipani resort, Langkawi

This place is a bit upmarket by my standards, although the rooms are nothing to write home about. It is easy to spend a day lounging on a lounger, dipping in to either the lovely pool or the gentle sea. And of course there are frangipani trees here and there, spilling their flowers and scent into the evening air. A very comfortable place to stay.

And then the afternoon rain. Had I really forgotten how thunder ruptures the sky, tearing overhead from somewhere behind to right out over the sea? The slowly moving sequence of explosive, cracking bursts that we would call just one clap... and the power of the rain. I drew a chair as far into the cover of my little patio as I could and sat and watched. The sky emptied and emptied, the cascades of rain almost as potent at the run-off from the roof. The flower beds filled with three inches of water. I watched for an hour or so, me and a large resident gecko, until there was little more than drizzle. Then I went into my room to find the tiniest gecko on my bed. Is there no end to the enchantment of this place?

By the time I'd showered and changed, the rain had stopped and the sky had brightened enough to promise a dramatic sunset amongst the clouds and islands.