Just a few miles south of Thailand and only an hour’s flight from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore lie 99 islands. Together they form Langkwai Geopark, an area rich in biodiversity.

For many years Langkawi was just another Malaysian island with a rural population of farmers and fishermen, eclipsed in the north by the better-known Thai island of Phuket or the state of Penang in the south.

Malaysia’s much-revered former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad decided that Langkawi had potential and would put it on the international map, but in an environmentally friendly way. This was well before the word “environmentally friendly” was a household name.

The Langkawi Development Authority was created under Mahathir’s rule in 1990 and has never looked back. It was a simple but farsighted move on Mahathir’s part. According to Dato Kamarulzaman, LADA’s entrepreneurial general manager, their primary mandate is to develop Langkawi’s tourism potential without losing sight of its physical landscape and geological heritage.

In June 2007, UNESCO awarded Langkawi the much-coveted title of geopark. It is in fact the first geopark to be created in Southeast Asia. The concept of a geopark, initiated by UNESCO, in 1999 was essentially to promote education, science and culture in some of the world’s most prominent geological landscapes, as well as for the rich biodiversity. The geopark network began in 2004.

A geopark enhances employment for the locals in one of the best ways on earth: sustainable tourism. The tourists benefit from the first-hand knowledge of the natural and cultural environment, and the indigenous population gets to keep a lot of their traditional way of life.

The archipelago of Langkawi emerged from the sea around 220 million years ago, getting a ferocious reception from Mother Nature. It went through 550 million years of weathering and brutal natural pummelling. But this baptism by the elements formed some extraordinary rock formations on Langkawi. They have been described as natural phenomena that “stir the imagination and baffle the mind.”

From the geological to lifestyles, the island offers a bit of itself to everyone. World-class international resorts dot the island, offering a luxury of choice to the sophisticated traveler.

There is also a luxury of accommodations. Big brand names like Westin, Sheraton and the Four Seasons are all present, along with a select few smaller brands. But for all that, Langkawi is less commercially developed than such Thai resorts as Phuket. This ease of life makes it all the more compelling to visit.

Nonetheless Langkawi is becoming a playground for the rich and famous. The founder of Hotmail, Sabeer Bhatia, has chosen Langkawi as the backdrop for his wedding.

Whether coming for a wedding or mere rest and relaxation, Datai beach at the north end of the island is home to two of the most upscale resorts; The Datai and the Andaman. The Andaman is located directly on the beach, but seems to emerge as a natural extension of the rain forest. In the best ecotourism tradition, it offers educational tours of the rain forest. It’s a perfect venue for families with children.

Another jewel in Langkawi’s crown is the Tanjung Rhu resort. The brochure calls it an “experience,” and it truly is. The self-contained Jiva Rhu Spa is a village within the resort and offers some of the best Ayurvedic treatments in town. One of the linchpins of this science is that all people are born in a state balance within themselves and in relation to the universe. One of their peaceful, relaxing treatments can make you believe it.

Past legends are a colourful expression for today’s Langkawi, and the island boasts a world-class cable car ride to visit one of the giants in the legend (Gunung Mat Cincang) as well as a walk on one of the world’s most spectacular hanging bridges.

The Mahsuri theater relives the curse of the seven generations—placed by a wrongfully executed woman—and it is well worth the detour. (The curse has run its course.)

No visit to Langkawi is complete without a visit to the mangroves of Kilm and Pulau Singa Besar.

Langkawi, like most of Malaysia, enjoys a warm tropical climate. The dry season is from December to March and the rainy season is from July to October. Occasional showers may occur at any time.

Langkawi has “duty free” status, making shopping affordable and fun. Even though the entire main island has been designated as a duty free zone, there is one place where travellers find duty free shopping convenient and travel-friendly: Langkawi international airport.

Unlike other airports where all duty free shopping is restricted to the area only after the immigration checkpoint, at the Langkawi International Airport, the duty free shopping offers easy public access.
Langkawi is a place for all tastes. It’s actually more than an island or an archipelago—it’s a way of life.

Langkawi’s legends

In Langkawi almost every place has an intriguing story.

Telaga Tujuh when translated means “The Seven Wells” and is a natural series of seven deep freshwater pools and waterfalls, thought to be a playground for fairies.

Take a boat ride to Palau Dayang Bunting and visit the lake called Tasik Dayang Bunting or “Lake of the Pregnant Maiden” Mat Cincang and Mat Raya means the feud of two Families. These were two giants who apparently dramatically transformed the landscape of the main island through their feuding over Mat Cincang’s son who was literally caught with his pants down, flirting with another maiden at his engagement party. This resulted in throwing the engagement ring to the wind and where it landed the area became known as “Tanjung Cincin”.

As for the two giants, they were turned into mountains of stone Gungung Mat Cincang and Gunung Mat Raya.