
Geopark Langkawi is the most Northern archipelago located on the Westside of
Peninsular Malaysia; located 30 km off the mainland. The archipelago consists
of the main island Langkawi and almost 100 small surrounding islands; only four
of them are inhabited. Langkawi lies very close to the border of Thailand, the
nearest island Koh Lipe is only a 30 minute boat ride away. The island falls
within the district of Kedah, and contains 479 square kilometers of tropical grounds. Langkawi
has more than 62,000 inhabitants, most of which live in the capital town of Kuah,
the rest of the population is spread over a number of small villages and around
a large number of resorts on the island. Most inhabitants of Langkawi are of
Malay origin (around 90%) followed by a small Chinese and Indian community; in
contrary of neighboring island Penang, where the majority is of Chinese origin.
Beautiful
tropical island of Langkawi
After
tourism the main source of income for the islands population comes from
fishing, padi and rubber cultivation. The island has a duty-free status; this
means that prices throughout the island should be a bit cheaper although we
have never really noticed this, since this is mainly relevant to perfumes,
liquor and tobacco. A good bottle of wine in Kuala Lumpur can easily cost you
around RM70, while an equally good wine in Langkawi is often sold for half the
price. Alcoholic beverages that are sold at the resorts and bars (around Pantai
Cenang for example) are very cheap compared to prices in other parts of
Malaysia. Langkawi is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations
within Malaysia; over 2.5 million tourists visit the island yearly. On June 1
2007, Langkawi Island has been given a World Geopark status by UNESCO; which
will eventually attract even more tourists to this wonderful island.For many
travelers Langkawi is the first acquaintance with the beautiful country
Malaysia as it is not only one of the most beautiful islands of Malaysia; it is
also very easily accessible. You have amazing beaches and the inland is very
beautiful. There is more than enough to experience and to keep you entertained
for at least a week. If you prefer to relax on the beach a longer stay is also
very nice. Langkawi is a wonderful tropical island, but unfortunately the seas
directly around the islands aren't suitable for scuba diving and snorkeling.
For that you can best visit the islands to the east coast of the Malay
Peninsula (Perhentian, Redang and Tioman) or some of the Thai islands a bit up
north. You can visit Langkawi throughout the entire year; there is no real
monsoon season. It can rain daily (sometimes quite heavily) but this is quite
normal in these parts of the world. Should it rain, it usually doesn't last for
more than an hour. The rainy season in Langkawi falls between the months of May
and September. During these months it rains a bit more then it usually does. We
were unlucky once when it rained non-stop during our complete stay at the
island.
History of
Langkawi

The archipelago of Langkawi has a relative young history. In contrast to the
turbulent history of the adjacent island Penang; there have been hardly any
significant historical facts on Langkawi. Langkawi has not been the place for a
number of major developments that where responsible for the emergence of
Malaysia. Langkawi was a place where pirates did hide, but unlike the island of
Penang Langkawi did not turn into a place where pirates and travelers actually
settled. A long time ago the area in which Langkawi is located was known as a
pirate area. This history is the origin for many of the legends and myths that
are circulating currently. Myths and other mysterious tales are being told
until now.
"Princess Mahsuri was unjustly accused of adultery and
was executed as a result. It was said that she bled white blood which proved
her innocence, however just before she died, she put a curse on Langkawi that
it would not prosper for 700 years."
Langkawi wasn't that popular among foreign tourists until a former
inhabitant of the state of Kedah where Langkawi falls under became the fourth
Prime Minister of Malaysia. Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad rolled out great plans
to put Langkawi Island on the world map. His efforts soon turned into more
tourist arrivals and nowadays Langkawi is one of the most visited destinations
by tourists within Malaysia. National Geographic recently listed Datai Beach at
Langkawi as the 9th best beach in the world.
Scuba diving and
snorkeling

Although Langkawi is a beautiful tropical island, scuba diving and
snorkeling is not possible directly around the island. People that would like
to enjoy diving or snorkeling have three options; they can book a day-trip to Pulau Payar (one hour by boat from the island of Langkawi); second option is a
day-trip (or even an overnight stay) to the neighboring Thai island of Koh
Lipe. Lastly you can take a flight from Langkawi to one of the islands that are
renowned for diving and snorkeling possibilities like Perhentian, Redang
or Tioman.
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