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Ticket to paradise
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An ideal destination for water sport lovers or island hoppers
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PHOTOS: DIVYA KUMAR
NATURAL SPLENDOUR A mangrove in Langkawi
There's no dearth of pristine beaches and calm blue seas in and around the 99 tropical islands that comprise Langkawi. But that evening, most of the islands' inhabitants seem to be on the stretch of beach known as Pantai Cenang on the main island.
The occasion is the three-day celebration of the launch of the Water Festival at the archipelago that lies off the North-western coast of peninsular Malaysia. For a whole month, Langkawi, part of the State of Kedah, will host water activities such as kayaking, canoeing, jet skiing, fishing and swimming competitions, white river rafting, river safaris and underwater treasure hunts.
Island hopping
Starting from the town of Kuah on the main island (Pulau Langkawi),most of the other islands are uninhabited and have not been developed except as sites of natural beauty for tourists to visit. In fact, Langkawi as a whole received very little attention until the 1990s when then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Mahathir Mohamad, decided to develop the area as a tourist attraction. Even today, the population of the islands is less than 70,000.
First, we head for Pulau (island in Malay) Dayang Bunting, which has the largest freshwater lake in Langkawi. Walking through a reserve forest, we see an iguana dart into its hole and several monkeys (long-tailed macaques) basking the afternoon sunlight. Finally, we reach the calm lake surrounded by greenery, ideally suited for swimming or boating.
The lake is often referred to as the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden, taking its name from the landmark hill on the island that appears in the shape of — you guessed it — a pregnant woman lying on her back.
As we leave Dayang Bunting, we see the Water Festival in progress around us as canoes and kayaks in shades of brilliant orange and yellow glide past. We make our way to the nearby Tube Straits famous for their lush mangrove forests embedded in limestone, through which one can cruise on small boats. There, we get to see the majestic brown eagles swooping overhead. In fact, Langkawi in old Malay actually means `reddish brown eagle', and visitors arriving from mainland Malaysia to the Kuah jetty by catamaran are treated to the sight of an imposing statute of the bird at Dataran Lang or Eagle Square.
While on the mangrove trail, you can also stop at some old limestone caves nestled within the forests.The surrounding clear, sheltered waters there are ideal for snorkelling and diving to have a closer look at the marine life, including corals, and even try your hand at shark feeding.
Cable car ride
Back from our island hopping adventures, we prepare to swing high up into the air, on the Langkawi cable car. The two-km journey is one of the world's steepest, and takes you right to the summit of Mount Machincang at 713 feet. Below, you see the vast expanse of untouched equatorial forest with sudden shocks of orange Flame of the Forest flowers amidst the sea of green. At the summit, a long climb on stone steps takes you to a suspension bridge from which one gets a brilliant view of the entire archipelago of islands, the Datai peninsula and the Andaman Sea.
And that's not all. There is Underwater World Langkawi, the one of the largest aquariums in Asia, a crocodile farm, a bird park, museums, and of course, plenty of shopping to do on the duty free main island. That night, we attend the official launch of the Water Festival by the king and queen of Malaysia at Dataran Lang amidst fireworks and performances by popular singers of the region. The festival may only last till May 6, but there's always plenty to see at the 99 isles of Langkawi.
DIVYA KUMAR
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