Langkawi Island
| Introduction To Langkawi
|
Introduction : The archipelago of Langkawi contains 99 islands awaiting discovery and that is when the tide is high! At low tide, the islands can number as many as 104. Lying in the north western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The exact location of these tropical islands is at the site where the Straits of Malacca meets the waters of the Andaman Seas. The largest of these islands is called Langkawi Island and is bigger than the Penang Island. The other islands in this group are Island of Pregnant Maiden (Pulau Dayang Bunting), Lion Island (Pulau Singa Besar) and Beras Basah Island. The smallest of these islands are atolls roughly the size of an ordinary house. Sanctuary of some of the most ancient rainforests in the world, they are teeming with exotic flora and fauna.
The largest island of Langkawi itself, measuring about 478.5 sq km, is the only one with any real settlement. Almost as large as the island of Singapore, it is still very much undeveloped. Clad with jungles in the interior, it is fringed by lovely beaches scattered along its coast. The island is still very much a rural landscape with villages and padi fields. The island is steeped in legend, the favorite being the one of Mahsuri.
Langkawi is coined from the Malay words Lang and Kawi. Lang is a brown eagle and Kawi is a local manganese stone. The ancient fishermen must have seen eagles flying clutching the manganese stones! A giant monument of a brown eagle clutching the manganese stone greets all visitors to Langkawi near the Kuah Jetty.
The main tourist attractions of Langkawi Island is its virgin white sandy beaches.The beaches have very gentle continental slope and the water is crystal clear.
This island is unique in the sense that it has so many legend sand myths associated with it. Langkawi Island is therefore also called Pulau Lagenda or Legendary Island.
The most talked about legend is that of Mahsuri who is said to have laid a curse on this island for seven generations. Luckily the period of this curse is over now and Langkawi Island is fast becoming an internationally recognised tourist destination.
The government of Malaysia has declared the entire Langkawi Island as a duty free zone. Hence this island is also termed Duty Free Island. All goods sold in this island are exempted from government tax. Therefore this Legendary Island is a haven for the shoppers. You only need to stay in Langkawi for a minimum of 48 hours to take back home a reasonable amount of tax free goods Mahsuri’s Tomb
The final resting place of Langkawi’s legendary daughter, Mahsuri, a beautiful maiden who lived more than 200 years ago. She was a victim of malicious accusations that led to her being condemned to death. In her dying breath, she laid a curse that Langkawi will not prosper for the next seven generations. But that was many, many generations ago.
Air Hangat Hot Springs
Legend has it that during a bitter quarrel, a potful of boiling water was spilt on the site where the hot springs are located.
Telaga Tujuh (The Seven Wells)
Trek through a hilly forest to these wells believed to be the bathing spot of mountain fairies.
Pantai Pasir Hitam
Till today, the mystery of the black sand on this beach has remained unsolved. Maybe you can try to unlock this mysterious phenomenon.
Tanjund Rhu, Rantai Kok, Pantai Cenang & Pantai Tengah
Engage in your favourite watersport here, whether its windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling or para-gliding. Or simply lie back and soak up the tropical sunshine and mesmerizing sights that beaches offer.
Gunung Mat Cincang & Gunung Raya
These two mountains are said to be two legendary giant warriors turned to stone because of their pride. The hill that appears to separate these mountains, Bukit Sawar, is supposed to be the third person who tried to break up the dispute between the giants.
GETTING THERE
By Road The journey by road from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Kedah takes about six to eight hours. Visitors car park are available at Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis with a minimum charge of RM 15.00 a day.
By Air The Langkawi International Airport at Padang Mat Sirat is about 20 km from Kuah and 8 km from the beach resorts in Pantai Cenang. Malaysia Airlines and Pelangi Air operate daily direct flights from Kuala Lumpur as well as via Penang.
By Rail KTM Berhad (KTMB) provides comfortable and economical rail service, from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar and Arau. From Alor Setar / Arau you can take a taxi or bus to Kuala Kedah / Kuala Perlis and from there by express ferry to Langkawi.
Ferry Schedule There is an express ferry service providing regular services between : Kuala Kedah / Kuala Perlis and Langkawi.
We can only get there by scheduled boat ride from Langkawi or Penang. Transportation is never a problem as there is a number of travel agencies that offer that very service. The fare is RM150 (half price for children) which includes a return trip ticket, meal and snorkeling fees.
The boat to Pulau Payar will depart from Kuah Jetty or Pantai Cenang every 9.30 a.m and return at 3-4 p.m. For those
who are willing to spend more for extra comfort, they can choose the service of a 45-minute ride by 162-seater ferry.
This ferry departs from Kuah Jetty every 9.30 a.m and leaves Pulau Payar at 3 p.m. The fare is RM220 (RM140 for children below 14 years old) and it includes lunch buffet, snorkeling fees, watching marine life through an undersea observation hall and riding a glass bottom boat around Pulau Payar.
ACCOMMODATION
Langkawi offers a wide range of accommodation to suit every budget and taste. Modern luxurious hotels and resorts provide complete facilities for comfort, excellent dining and recreation, including swimming pools and gymnasiums or fitness centre. For those who prefer a touch of rustic ambience, chalets are available. And for the budget conscious, there are smaller hotels at reasonable rates.
Facilities
There are no accommodation facilities nor are there any basic amenities such as water and electricity to preserve the marine park natural ecosystem. However, visitors are allowed to camp provided they have obtained an approval from the Dept. of Fisheries (04-7342135). The maximum number of campers allowed at any one time is 30 people and they have to bring their own camping tools. There is a marine park that is operated by the Dept. of Fisheries that is equipped with information and pamphlet circulation counter, telephone booths, barbeque area and toilets. Even though the marine park has no water supply, the toilets in this center get their supply from natural water resources for visitors’ use.
Two trekking paths are built to enable visitors to enjoy the view and watch the flora and fauna around the island. They may also climb 183 steps to reach the highest point of Pulau Payar and enjoy the beautiful panorama of the azure water. A floating reef platform called “coral pontoon” is about 100 metres from the beach. The roofed platform is equipped with a restaurant, toilets, changing room and the undersea observation hall. Although there are no accommodation facilities at Pulau Payar, there are plenty of choices at Langkawi, from budget class to five-star hotels and apartment-style accommodations. They are priced from as low as RM35 per night for a budget chalet in Kuah to RM1,000-per night suite. Travelling to Kuah Jetty from the hotels are not a problem as these hotels would normally provide transportation, otherwise, visitors may take a cab that will cost them only RM4 from Kuah town to the jetty.
Leave a Reply
Ads
Use the form below to search the site: