By Foong Thim Leng Norwegian couple Leif and kari Aagaard enjoy Pangkor Island in Malaysia so much that they have visited the resort for the 11th consecutive year.
The Star Online
“We will be here for two months this year and will continue to visit the island as long as we are healthy,” said Aagaard.
A friend first introduced the couple, who are both 90 years old, to the island in 2000.
“We’ve travelled to most parts of the world but we found it nice and warm here.
“Everybody is friendly. You can tell that their smiles are genuine by looking at their eyes,” said Aagaard, a retired shipping employee.
They would stay in the same room at the Sea View Hotel & Holiday Resort and dine at the same table.
The couple, who are known as ‘grandpa and grandma’ at the hotel, even know the employees and some regular guests by their names.
“Every trip is like coming home. The island is beautiful and it’s good to see people from various races living together in harmony. This must be paradise,” he said.
The couple have a son and two daughters, seven grandchildren and eight grandchildren in Norway.
“Our children have been here before and they promised to accompany us here again next year,” said Aagaard.
The couple spends their time walking along the beach, visiting the town, swimming and reading.
They also attend Sunday service at the Methodist Church for 30 minutes.
“It is a Chinese church and the service is in Mandarin. We can only understand a few words,” said Kari.
“We will surely come back next year if our health permits,” she said.
The couple said they keep fit in Norway by exercising at a gym twice a week.
“We do plenty of walking and rowing. We like fish, especially cod and salmon, sandwiches and fruits,” said the husband.
They arrived at the Pangkor jetty on Jan 30 after taking a two-hour flight from their hometown in Oslo to Amsterdam, a 14-hour flight to reach Kuala Lumpur followed by five hours of travelling by taxi to Lumut and a 30-minute boat ride to reach the island.
The hotel’s managing director Datuk Tan Yee Khan and his staff welcomed the couple at the jetty.
