Langkawi
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We made a trip to Pulau Langkawi (Langkawi Island) the largest of the 99 islands in the
 archipelago in the Andaman Sea. It has some fantastic beaches, easily rivaling those of Phuket, Thailand.
The island's name is sometimes misspelled as "Lankawi".

 The island is a current tax and duty free "special economic zone" where shopping is a local sport. The island has an interesting history revolving around a curse. A young maiden, Mahsuri,  was unjustly accused of adultery. According to legend, she bled white blood at her execution as a sign of her innocence. In her dying breath, she laid a curse on the island that it would remain barren for seven generations. That period expired just when the state offered an official apology for the wrongful death and erected a shrine to her memory. The special tax incentives may have eased the curse also.

Click on any picture to enlarge it.

Locator Map for Langkawi Island, Kedah, Malaysia

Map of the Andaman Sea. Langkawi is in the lower right quadrant, just above the word "MALAYSIA". The island is detailed below.  lankawi map of Andaman Sea

Langkawi is the main island of a cluster of 99 islands tucked away off the coast in the northern tip of Malaysia.  The flattish southern half is where the airport and Kuah town are located while the north features a hilly spine clad in verdant rainforest and rubber plantations. The east coast is fringed by dense mangrove swamps and limestone hills. It is in the north that Langkawi comes alive and nature is at its most vibrant. The ferry to the mainland is at Kuah town.  map of Langkawi lankawi

Map of Langkawi Island, Kedah, Malaysia

 
Ferry Ticket to Langkawi, Malaysia   Ferry Ticket to Langkawi, Malaysia Although Langkawi has a small airport, most people get there via one of the many ferries from Thailand, Kedah, or Penang. Here are examples of our ferry tickets.  lankawi 
Eagle Square (Dataran Lang) is Langkawi's most prominent landmark for visitors arriving by sea. Perched near the jetty is the magnificent statue of the reddish brown eagle majestically poised for flight. According to local folklore, Langkawi derived its name from the eagle or "helang" while "kawi" denotes reddish brown - hence, Langkawi means reddish brown eagle. The left photo is towards the sea.  lankawi The Langkawi Eagle in Eagle Square   The Langkawi Eagle in Eagle Square
  Naimah at the "Anna and the King" Summer Palace   Photo of the "Anna and the King" Summer Palace taken from Burau Bay Summer Palace Langkawi, situated at Pantai Kok, is one of the island's latest attractions. In 1999, 20th Century Fox commissioned the construction of this magnificent and expensive movie set for the making of the Jody Foster and Yun-Fat Chow film 'Anna and the King'. Although a movie about Siam (Thailand), the set was built in Malaysia as Thai law forbids the showing of this movie. Info on the film can be found here.   picture Naimah  lankawi 
Gunung Mat Chincang is one of the highest mountains on the island. It has a two-stage cable car, and a floating observation skywalk (skyway) some 400 meters below the peak. This rock formation is the oldest in the whole of Southeast Asia.   picture Jerrold Patz "Jerrold Patz" Naimah  Langkawi sky walk skyway  lankawi  

   Middle Cable Car Station on Gunung Mat Chincang   At the Top of Gunung Mat Chincang

View of the Sky Walk on Gunung Mat Chincang   Detail of the Sky Walk on Gunung Mat Chincang

         Admission Ticket to Tomb of Mahsuri, Langkawi Island, Kedah, Malaysia

Admission ticket to Mahsuri's Tomb (Makam Mahsuri), Kota Mahsuri. Mahsuri Tomb ticket     

Mahsuri's original grave marker from 1819 and historic view of the former commemorative tomb (Makam Mahsuri).  Mahsuri Tomb marker gravesite   lankawi 

Original Gravestone from Mahsuri's Burial Spot   Mahsuri's Former Burial Marker

Black Marble Marker at Mahsuri's Tomb   Mahsuri's Tomb  

Mahsuri's current commemorative Tomb and marker (Makam Mahsuri).   Additional legend details can be found here.  lankawi 

Air Hangat (Hot Water Springs) is another attraction. The water is heated because of geothermal energy and is really quite hot. Locals and tourists alike wash their feet with the waters.lankawi   Air Hangat (Hot Water Springs) Plaque   Air Hangat (Hot Water Springs)

Air Hangat (Hot Water Springs)

Pentai Pasir Hitam (Black Sand Beach)   Pentai Pasir Hitam (Black Sand Beach)

Pentai Pasir Hitam (Black Sand Beach) Detail

Black Sand Beach (Pentai Pasir Hitam) has really black sand because of particular mineral deposits in this area. The last picture is a detail of a land crab's expelling sand from his hole. The bird-like formation was much too good to ignore. lankawi

Langkawi Falls was as interesting for the views as it was for the many monkeys who came to greet us and our car. lankawi Langkawi Falls   Monkey Greeting Us at Langkawi Falls

Monkeys Greeting Us at Langkawi Falls

Langkawi Rubber Plantation

Although a small Island, Langkawi had many stands of rubber trees. Here we see the newer technique of collecting the latex in plastic bags rather than the older, traditional pots. lankawi

I saw this interestingly large, and very old, Bonsai tree near a small village at Pantai Cenang. lankawi Large, Old, Bonsai Tree

 

Here is a montage of additional pictures.

Mouse over any picture for a description. Click on any picture to expand it into a larger view.

 

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 tourist attraction "jerrold patz"  langkawi falls burau bay  lankawi tamarind jackfruit gondwana "lagenda langkawi"   "photograph Ala’a Al Jazaeri" "photograph Imran Jaffrey" "photograph Zaid Amr" "photograph Marc Ingram" skyway skywalk matchincang lagenda lankawi skywalk langkawi sky walk  bridge book village kampung buku  lankawi  outcropping islets    "Lagenda Langkawi"