Attractions In Langkawi
Langkawi, the beautiful archipelago of Malaysia, is shrouded in mythological legends. Its actual history & origin has lost its course in the passage of times. According to the legends, the term 'Langkawi' is said to have connections with the kingdom of Langkasuka, which is centered in the present Kedah. The historical documentation is little; however, the Chinese Liang Dynasty record (500 AD) refers the kingdom of 'Langgasu' as being established in the 1st century AD.
Another reference of the island's name has been made in the book The Legends of Langkawi by Tun Mohamed Zahir. It says that the term 'Langkawi' is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Langka (beauty) and Wi (innumerable). As per the book, Langkawi means the place of immense beauty. One more reference states that Langkawi means Eagles' Island. According to it, the term Langkawi is a combination of two words Lang and Kawi. Where 'Lang' is a corrupt form of Malay word 'helang' which means eagle, 'Kawi' means marble.
Since both eagles and marble are found in abundance in Langkawi, probably the place was named after the fact. Indeed, the Eagle Square at the island was built to commemorate its name. About 200 years ago, according to the folklore, a young woman, name Mahsuri, was accused of adultery and was executed by the people in spite of her earnest innocence. Just before her death, Mahsuri laid a curse on the island that it will remain barren for seven generations. That's about the mythological history of Langkawi.
As far as political history is concerned, the Sultanate of Kedah used to rule over the island. In 1921, when Kedah was conquered by Siam, Langkawi also passed in the ruling hands. The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred the holding power to the British, who held the state until freedom, excluding a brief period of Thai rule under the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II. The Thai influence can be still seen in the culture and food of Langkawi. In fact, Thai language is also understood by many people on the island.
ISLAND HOPPING
LAKE OF THE PREGNANT MAIDEN
Location: 18 kms from Kuah Town
Highlights: Tasik Dayang Bunting, Gua Langsir
Significance: It is the second largest island in the Langkawi archipelago.
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring speedboats from Kuah Jetty.
The Pulau Dayang Bunting is known to be the second largest island of the Langkawi archipelago. The island, about 18 kms from Kuah Town, is located on the southwest of Langkawi Island, next to Pulau Tuba. It is easily accessible from Kuah Jetty or Pantai Cenang. The island owes its name to Tasik Dayang Bunting (literally means Lake of the Pregnant Maiden), which is the largest lake of Langkawi. The lake together with the island is shrouded in a legend.
As one simmers down in the sparkling waters of the lake, the legend of Mambang Sari and Mat Teja's ill-fated love story looms over the psyche. This story takes the visitors back into the world of nymphs and genies. It states that the fairy princess fell in love with a mortal prince and married him. The princess conceived a child soon after, but lost the child just after birth. It is said that the anguished mother chose the lake to bury her child. As she buried the child in the water, he turned into a white crocodile.
Mambang Sari, who overflowed with maternal affection and distressed at such a fortuity, blessed the waters that any woman, who is unable to conceive, will be rewarded with a child if she drank the water from the lake. It is believed that the same crocodile guards the lake till date, and appears only to those people who're pure at heart. The lake is set in the middle of the island and is surrounded with tropical rainforests. When seen from above, the silhouette of the lake appears as if a pregnant woman is lying down on her back.
Pulau Dayang Bunting is also known for its limestone hills, dense forests, legendary lake and exotic animals. Besides, its beaches are good enough to bath in the clam waters and to bask in the sun. Island-hopping is the favorite activity of the tourists coming to this island. On the western shore of the island, there is a cave called Gua Langsir. This cave is believed to be haunted by a banshee; its name is possibly related to the wail created by the howling of the wind.
People attribute this wail simply to the acoustics of the cave. Gua Langsir is located stop a 91 m limestone hillock; it is heavily forested and is home to thousands of bats. At the island, a jetty has been constructed in a small cove to enable the visitors in getting off, and thereby explore the island. After all, the Island of the Pregnant Maiden is famous for its natural beauty and lush greenery. So come and experience the splendor on your own.
EAGLE FEEDING
LAMAN PADI
Location: Pantai Cenang, Langkawi
Highlights: Traditional tools and things used in rice cultivation
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
The Laman Padi, established in 1999, is a complex that is dedicated to Rice-the staple diet of Asia. This special place has the capability to satisfy all your nosiness about paddy cultivation and harvesting. Located at the renowned Pantai Cenang, it takes about 10 minutes to arrive at the museum from the Langkawi Airport. Literally means Rice Garden, Laman Padi represents the history, heritage and development of the Rice Industry in Malaysia.
In the complex, you can explore the museum where artifacts, charts and photographs, representing the rice industry, are kept on display. The replicas of traditional rice-based foods and fish traps made of bamboo are also showcased in the gallery. Check out the traditional technology and paraphernalia, which were used in rice planting and harvesting, during earlier times in Kedah and Langkawi
LANGKAWI CABLE CAR
Location: Oriental Village, Jalan Telaga Tujuh, 07000 Langkawi
Altitude: 700 meters above sea level
Highlights: Amazing views of the surrounding horizon and rainforests
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
A ride in Panorama Langkawi Cable Car is an exhilarating experience in itself. To take a ride, one has to move towards the southwest coast of the main island, which is about 30-minute drive from Kuah Town and only 15-minute from Langkawi International Airport. From the cable car, you can enjoy the panoramic views of the historical, natural and other distinct places of interest. Its three different stations are located at different altitudes
.
ORIENTAL VILLAGE AND SEVEN WELLS
Sited around a beautiful lake against the magnificent backdrop of Mat Cincang mountain, the Langkawi Geopark Hotel is located within the Oriental Village of Langkawi. Formerly known as the Oriental Inn, the hotel has been renamed to reflect the new given status from UNESCO to Langkawi as one of the world's heritage geological sites. Located in Teluk Burau, it is only 12 km away from the Langkawi International Airport.
CROCODILE FARM
Location: Kubang Badak, Langkawi
Highlights: Over 3,000 crocodiles including Alligators
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
The Taman Buaya, precisely the Crocodile Farm, is an interesting place to see on the island of Langkawi. Sited at Kubang Badak about 32km north of Kuah Town, this 20-acre farm is estimated to have over 3,000 crocodiles including many rare ones and some alligators. It is registered with the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species (CITES). In the farm, these unloved creatures are kept in different ponds such as Periodical Pond, Breeding Pond, Bridge Pond, Feeding Pond, Jumping Pond and Show Pond.
PANTAI PASIR TENGKORAK
A rather eerie legend shadows Pantai Tengkorak. Some locals believe that a giant whirlpool awaits unwary ships just off the Langkawi islands at the spot where the Straits of Malacca join the Indian Ocean and the Andaman Sea. The whirlpool is said to have swallowed countless number of vessels and deposited the skulls of the crew and passengers at Pantai Tengkorak (Skull Beach). The bone fragments of ancient mariners were found scattered at Tanjung Tulang, while parts of the ships washed up on Pantai Pasir Hitam. Fact or fiction, visiting this mysterious beach is not to be missed
GALLERIA PERDANA
Location: Kilim, Mukim Air Hangat, Langkawi
Highlights: Over 2,500 exhibits are displayed.
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
The Galeria Perdana is a brilliant gallery located at Kilim, about 11km from Kuah Town, in Langkawi. This gallery extends in 3 double-storey interconnected buildings. It showcases a remarkable collection of more than 2500 souvenirs, awards and gifts, which were received by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, and his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, from the world leaders during his tenure.
PAYAR ISLAND
Location: 19 nautical miles south of Pulau Langkawi
Highlights: An exotic variety of marine creatures
Significance: It is one of the best dive sites in the world.
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by taking ferries from Kuah Jetty, Kuala Kedah and Penang Island.
The Pulau Payar Marine Park is one of the most beautiful and exotic marine parks with rich and colorful tropical marine life, in Malaysia. It makes a quick excursion from Kuah Town. Located in the northern part of the Straits of Melacca, it is 19 nautical miles south of Pulau Langkawi. The Park is perhaps the best place to indulge in the pleasures of scuba-diving, snorkeling and swimming. It was declared as a marine park in the year 1985. Further, it is recognized as one of the best dives sites in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
KILIM GEOFOREST
The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park in the eastern part of the main Langkawi Island features magnificently formed landscape of nearly vertical to subrounded limestone hills with pinnacles of various shapes and sizes, can be viewed on limestone Setul Formation.
The northeast region of Langkawi, encompassing the three river basins of Kilim, Air Hangat and Kisap and the neighbouring islands of Langgun and Tanjung Dendang are spectacular in its beauty with the geological and landscape resources, the seas, the mudflats, beaches, the wetland mangrove and the unique fauna and flora that have long coexisted in these ecosystems.
The eagle and the cave system found in this area have also contributed to the myths and legends of the Island. The name 'Langkawi' is said to have been derived from the Brahminy Kite bird which is the most dominant faunal species in the area.
Gua Cerita or in English, Cave of Stories, which lies in the northern tip of the park, has many legends and beliefs associated with it - the giant bird Garuda, the epic fight between Rama and Rawana and Sang Gedembai - a humanlike giant female creature with a power to curse anything to turn into stone.
KUAH TOWN
Location: In the south-eastern part of Langkawi Island
Attractions: Eagle Square, Lagenda Park, Al-Hana Mosque, etc.
Significance: It is the district capital and the main landing point of Langkawi.
How To Reach: One can reach here by hiring ferries from Peninsular Malaysia or by air from many other countries.
Kuah, which literally means gravy in Malay, is the capital city of Langkawi district of Kedah state in Malaysia. To be found on the southeastern side of the island, this bustling town is the gateway to the Pulau Langkawi. Once that had been a rustic town with few avenues, today Kuah has become a full-fledged center of plush hotels and shopping-cum-business complexes. However, it is not over-crowded like other metropolitan cities.
SPA IN LANGKAWI
FISH SPA
BODY MASSAGE
Rejuvenate your tired body at the many spas in Langkawi.
EAGLE SQUARE
Location: Kuah Jetty, Langkawi
Significance: It acts as a symbol of the island of Langkawi.
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
The Dataran Lang, literally the Eagle Square, is the very first landmark that comes across the sight of visitors, arriving by ferry, to Langkawi. Located next to Lagenda Park near Kuah Jetty, the square boasts of a wonderful statue of a reddish brown eagle all geared for a flight. The eagle, with its huge brown wings, is perched on a massive rock, looking afar at the vast Andaman Sea.
Being in Langkawi, the land of numerous legends and mysteries, this massive eagle also has a story attached to its presence. As per the local folklores, the name Langkawi is derived from two different words 'Lang' or 'Helang' (meaning eagle) and 'Kawi' (meaning reddish brown). For this reason, Langkawi means reddish brown eagle, and the island is marked by its presence.
MAHSURI MAUSOLEUM
Location: Kampung Mawat, 17.8 km northwest of Kuah
Significance: It is the tomb of Mahsuri, a virtous maiden.
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
The Mahsuri Mausoleum marks the spot where Mahsuri was buried. It is located at Kampung Mawat, which is about 17.8 kms northwest of Kuah, in Langkawi. Earlier called Makam Mahsuri (literally Mahsuri Mausoleum), Kota Mahsuri was erected to honor the fair maiden, Mahsuri, who was unfairly accused of adultery over 200 years ago. Langkawi, undoubtedly, is associated with many fables and myths, but perhaps, this legend of the virtuous maiden is one of the most famous legends.
As per the legend, at her execution, she bled white blood; that is believed to signify her innocence. In her last breath, she laid a curse that the island would hang about barren for no less than seven generations. Whether it's real or fictional, the seven generations have passed and at present, Langkawi is a prosperous tourist destination on the tourism charts of Malaysia. To respect the belief of the islanders, this mausoleum was built with the hope that Mahsuri, when seven generations have passed, will finally rest in peace.
As a reverential gesture, visitors are recommended to remove their shoes before entering the mausoleum. In the premises of the mausoleum lies the Mahsuri's tomb, a well, an aviary and a conventional house. Beside the tomb, the whole story of the maiden is written on a panel. The waters of Mahsuri's well are said to have healing properties. In the aviary, one can check out the exotic variety of birds along with peacocks, while the traditional house is a host to ancient artifacts of Langkawi.
BLACK SAND BEACH
Location: 2km west of Tanjung Rhu Beach, Langkawi
Highlights: The beach has got black colored sand.
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
The Pantai Pasir Hitam, which literally means Black Sand Beach, is a spectacular beach on the island of Langkawi. This short stretch of beach lies 2kms west of Tanjung Rhu Beach. The shoreline boasts of sand, which isn't completely black but it's actually like a mixture of black sand and normal sand. However, like other black sand beaches, the sand isn't volcanic in nature. And iron oxide is understood to the cause of this observable fact.
TEMURUN WATERFALLS
DURIAN PERANGIN WATERFALLS
LANGKAWI WILDLIFE PARK
Location: Along Jalan Ayer Hangat, 9kms from Kuah Town, Langkawi
Highlights: Over 2,500 birds from 150 species
Significance: It is the largest covered wildlife park in Asia.
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
Langkawi Bird Paradise, called Taman Burung Langkawi in Malay, is literally a paradise for the discerning bird-lovers. This wildlife park is sprawled in 5.5 acres along Jalan Ayer Hangat, about 10-min drive from Kuah Town and 30-min drive from the Airport. It was officially launched by the Chief Minister of Kedah, Y.A.B Dato' Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain, on 24 Dec' 2002. Langkawi Bird Paradise Wildlife Park is touted as the first fully covered wildlife park in Asia.
UNDERWATER WORLD
Location: Pantai Cenang, Langkawi
Highlights: Over 200 species of aquatic creatures, Penguinarium
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
The Underwater World of Langkawi is rated amongst the largest marine and fresh water aquaria in Southeast Asia. It is located at Pantai Cenang, and is spread in 6.3 acres of land. Ever since it started operations in Aug' 1995, the aquaria has become one of the must-see places on the island. Till date, it has attracted innumerable foreign over and above local tourists. Underwater World was created with the aim to enhance the knowledge of people regarding aquatic creatures and to serve as a source of entertainment.
Moreover, it is formulated to raise awareness about conserving the precious aquatic life forms, consequently creating understanding of the inseparable bond between man and nature. The major attractions at the aquaria are the Freshwater Fish Section, the Seashell Display, the Koi Pond, the Mini Reptilian and Invertebrate Section, the Coral Reef Section and the Poisonous and Venomous Creatures Section. In fact, throughout Malaysia, you cannot see a larger collection of aquatic species than Underwater World Langkawi.
One of its exclusive features is the colossal 15-meter long walk-through tunnel, which consists of 500,000 liter seawater and houses numerous giant fish and sea creatures. Here, about 5000 fish and other aquatic creatures are displayed in over 117 specially designed tanks, which are arranged along an elongated passage. Recently, a new building has been added to the underwater world where three ecosystems, including Tropical Rainforest, Temperate and Sub-Antarctic, are on display.
Its Sub-Antarctic Ecosystem has an amazing penguinarium and an underwater tunnel exhibiting the swimming penguins. It also has a three-dimensional (3D) theatre having a capacity to hold 200 persons at a time. Some other facilities, available here, are gift shop, merchandise centre, dry seafood centre, Neptune Cafe, Zon Shopping Paradise, Restoran Kg. Siam and free parking bays. To put in succinct terms, Underwater World Langkawi is a one-stop destination for entertainment, shopping and eating on the island
PANTAI CENANG
Location: In the south-western part of Langkawi, 18.4 kms from Kuah
Highlights: Restaurants, Nightclubs, Laman Padi, Underwater World
How To Reach: One can easily reach here by hiring taxis, or by boarding buses from the island.
Cenang Beach, known as Pantai Cenang in Malay, is the most happening beach of Langkawi. Located on the south-western tip of the island, the beach is about 18.4 km from Kuah. It features fine sands, crystal clear waters, elegant casuarinas and lofty coconut trees. During a low tide, it's the right beach to take a stroll down the beach while taking a look of the local aquatic creatures and collecting exotic seashells.
If to be stated in exact terms, Cenang is the place to chill out and enjoy the picturesque vista along the shore. It is the place to spend relaxing time together with fresh entertainment. This two-kilometer stretch all along the coastline is dotted with innumerable restaurants, bars, nightclubs and chalets. Besides, you can get into other exciting activities such as infinite shopping, thrilling water sports, scintillating nightlife, and amazingly delicious seafood.
Pantai Cenang is also famous for offering a delightful view of sunset. You can, moreover, go for island hopping to the close by islands like Pulau Rebak Kecil and Pulau Rebak Besar, when tides are low. If you're really interested to check out some more islands, hire a boat and sail towards your preferred destination. Being home to numerous resorts, restaurants and tourist attractions, Pantai Cenang is thronged by tourists every year.
Owing to its immense beauty, Cenang Beach is also referred as a long stretch of shimmering white sands. Beyond the sands are the lush green rainforests, which provide a grand treat to the people with adventurous nerve. Some of the exciting places and popular attractions of the beach are Underwater World and Laman Padi. To put in short and snappy terms, Pantai Cenang is a great place to visit on the island of Langkawi
