Travel Tips to Islands in Malaysia

Before you travel to the Island, few things you must remember to consider to bring along:-

• Sunblock lotion- this is important to avoid sunburn. At the island the sun rays is extreme. The sunblock with SPF45 should be a good choice. If you plan to snorkeling, you need the one with water resistance for few hours. Make sure you use the sunblock on your uncovered back of your body. This is because when you snorkel, your back of your body will be hit by the sun rays directly.
• Bring your own snorkeling gears if you wish to snorkel. Island hotels may provides snorkeling gears, not for free, you need to pay the rent. The gears also already been used by many people before. I don't know about you, but for me sharing the snorkel with someone that we don't know is "Yucks!"

Things that you CAN do and CAN'T do in Marine Park Islands:-

Permitted Activities.

• Scuba Diving
• Snorkeling
• Underwater Photography
• Sailing and Kayaking
• Fish Feeding
  
• Climbing and Jungle Trekking

Prohibited Activities.

• Fishing or Killing Fish
• Usage of spear gun or sling fishing.
• Collecting of sand or rubble.
• Collect or capture any marine resource whether dead or alive.
• Stepping on or breaking off the corals.
• Anchoring on the reefs
• Polluting and littering
• Building any structures in water

5 things you must know about corals.

1. Coral are living things.
2. Corals are extremely sensitive to their surroundings.
3. Coral reefs and their vicinity supply over 50% of our seafood.
4. Coral reefs are source of many life saving discoveries.
5. The destruction of coral reefs continues.

For more information, visit http://www.dmpm.nre.gov.my/main.php?lang=1

My Vacation In Langkawi Island.

FIRST DAY IN LANGKAWI

On 27th November 2008, my family and my uncle's family took a vacation to Langkawi Island. We drove all the way from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis jetty where we will take a ferry to the island. The trip took us about 6 hours, huh, quite a boring night ride. We reached the jetty at 7.oo a.m., and our ferry will be departed at 9 a.m., giving us enough time for breakfast after long journey. The one way ferry fare is RM18.00 for adult and RM13.00 for children and it took us 1 hour 15 minutes to reach Pulau Langkawi jetty.










In order to travel from one place to another easier, we rented cars. The rate is around RM80.00 to RM120.00 depending on the vehicle model. We drove to the chalet we already booked at Sweet Inn located at Pantai Chenang. Make sure you book your accommodation before you come to the island especially during peak season since they might be fully booked.

The Sweet Inn is a budget chalet. The rate is RM90 to RM120 per night. The standard rooms come with air conditioning, fan, tv and hot water shower. For me, not bad!










Langkawi is a shopping paradise for those who love shopping, but not for me. Langkawi is a duty free island. You can buy chocolates, dishes, cigarettes, clothing etc at very cheap price compare to other places in mainland Malaysia. But, remember, you might have to pay taxes if you bring out the island free duty goods in high quantity.

Our first day in Langkawi, we went to Kuah town. Kuah town is a perfect place to go shopping since that place have many duty free shops.

Tourism Attractions In Langkawi.

- Langkawi Cable Car.

• Taking a cable car to top of the legendary mountain, Gunung Mat Cincang is a wow! must-do. It is probably one of the most exhilarating experiences you'd ever have.

• Langkawi cable car is located on the southwest coast of the main island, just a 30 minute drive from Kuah town and only 15 minutes from Langkawi International Airport.

• This cable car will bring you all the way up to 709 meters. The journey covers a total of 2.2 km at an incline of 42 degrees. The steep ascend and descent make your ride an exciting one! You'd see beaches and islands retreat into the distance.

- Kilim Mangrove & Nature Park.

The Tour

• The best way is to take the sights here is to take the Kilim Nature Park Tour. You would picked up from your hotel and taken to the Sungai Kilim mangrove reserve where you would board a boat. These brackish mangroves protect the coastline from erosion and provide a suitable nursery for the teeming marine life within the Kilim estuary. Go for a closer look at the protruding adventitious roots of the Soneratia sp. and Rhizophora sp., two most commonly found mangrove species, and to view the shrimp and fish larvae scurrying in and out through the labyrinth of mangrove roots, seeking food as well as protection from predators.

Caves

• One of the area's interesting attractions is Gua Kelawar or Bat Cave. Visitors have to disembark at a jetty and walk a short distance to the cave entrance. Gua Kelawar consists of two caves. The smaller western cave has a low roof (one to three metres) extending northeast by southwest. Ancient seashells can be seen stuck to the roof and walls, testimony that this was originally the sandy bottom of an ancient river. Studies have revealed that the sea level about 5,000 years ago was two metres higher that that of present day.

• A wooden platform runs right through the cave, allowing visitors easy and safe access but a powerful torch is recommended if you want to view the cave's natural treasures which include breathtaking stalactites and stalagmites.

Eagle Feeding

• Home of a growing number of eagles for the past 40 years, the river is partially protected from the strong wind blowing from the open sea by the islands of Pulau Anak Kilim and Pulau Tanggok and the coastal mangrove swamps Found in great numbers here, the eagles here include the white-bellied fish eagle, brahminy kite and the gigantic sea eagles. The actual feeding takes place near the river estuary, Sungai Banjar. The airborne predators hover over the tall mangrove trees, fix their eyes on the boat, wait silently and prepare to swoop in on the food. Boat operators leave small amounts of chicken gut on the water surface for the predatory birds. they turn up the boat engines as a signal to the birds, and almost on cue, flocks of carnivorous birds like white belly sea eagles and brahminy kites swoop down from the cliffs. They take turns to snatch the food with amazing agility. With wingspans of over a metre they are indeed a majestic sight.

• For the best time to watch eagle feeding, avoid the last quarter of the year until March as breeding and nesting occur during that period. The eagle population in Kilim has grown over the years. Initially there were an estimated 15 pairs some 30 years ago and has since grown to number over 400. These wild predators have grown used to humans and boats and are not easily frightened by the sounds of engines and humans.

Langkawi Islands, Kedah, Malaysia

Introduction

• Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah is an archipelago of 99 islands (an extra 5 temporary islands are revealed at low tide) in the Andaman Sea , some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia . The islands are a part of the state of Kedah , which is adjacent to the Thai border.
  

• On July 15 ,2008 , Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 45,000, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as the capital and largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island.

Geography

• Langkawi lies north of the straits of Malacca in the southern Andaman sea near the border between Malaysia and Thailand . A few kilometres to the north lies the neighbouring Thai island of Ko Taratuo . The island group's main town, on the main island, is Kuah .

• Langkawi's highest point is Gunung Raya, rising to 890 m above sea level in the main island's central-eastern area.

• The archipelago consists of 99 islands with a total land area of 528 km² (204 sq mi).

History

• The name "Langkawi" is believed to be related to the kingdom of Langkasuka, centred in modern-day Kedah. The historical record is sparse, but a Chinese Liang Dynasty record (c. 500 AD) refers to the kingdom of "Langgasu" as being founded in the 1st century AD. 'Langkawi' mean's Eagle Island, it may be noted, and indeed there is a great abundance of eagles in the area. In Kuah, there is an eagle monument in Eagle Square which commemorates the origin of Langkawi's name.

• Langkawi is also the site of the Mahsuri Legend. The legend speaks of a young woman who was accused of adultery and was executed by the public despite her pleading innocence. Mahsuri, before her death, made a curse on the island for seven generations of bad luck. Langkawi eventually came under the influence of the Sultanate of Kedah, but Kedah was conquered in 1821 by Siam and Langkawi along with it. TheAnglo-Siamese Treaty og 1909 transferred power to the British, who held the state until independence, except for a brief period of Thai rule under the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War 2. Thai influences remain visible in the culture and food of Langkawi.

My Vacation in Perhentian Island

Last year on the 1st semester school holiday, my family, cousins and I took a vacation to popular island on the east coast of Malaysia, the Perhentian Island. The island is located in the state of Terengganu. From Kota Bharu, Kelantan, we drove for about 1 hour to Kuala Besut jetty.

The above picture was taken while we were heading to the Perhentian Island from Kuala Besut Jetty. The journey took approximately 30 minutes from Kuala Besut jetty to the Island. While on the fast journey by a speed boat we could see the beautiful sea scenery around us.












These breathtaking views was taken from the chalet we were staying. The chalet is located on the higher ground. As you all can see on the left picture, the jetty is under construction. In few months, the jetty will be completed. Then, the view will be more fascinated.

Our main activity at the island was snorkeling. We love snorkeling very much, in fact some of our cousins were inside the sea water almost all the time during the day, under the sun! Very hot, you can burn your skin! That is why my mother always remember to bring sunscreen lotion along whenever we go for vacation at beaches. But for us, sunburn our skins is nothing compare to the joyfulness while we were snorkeling. Some of our snorkeling spots are as pictures below:

At Perhentian Island we can see many outstanding underwater scenery. There were many types and different sizes of coral. Some of them already dead. How pity! The fishes were numerous, big, small and colorful. We can even spoted the "Nemo" fish inside their "house". The fishes looked very tame, but I bet you will never catch them using your hand. In fact, it is illegal to catch fish or any other sea life here since this Perhentian Island is gazetted as a Marine Park by Malaysian Government. To make more fishes came nearer to us, we fed them with bread. Hundreds of different kinds of fishes will come to you to enjoy their free meals. This was so exciting to me.




The picture above was taken while we were snorkeling in front of the chalet. I surprised when one of my cousins spotted a "gamat" or a "sea cucumber" in English. In Malaysia, sea cucumber is commonly used by locals to make some sort of medicine. Locals believe that sea cucumber can heal cuts, skin eruptions and ulcers. I've tried it. In fact, it really works!




While I was on the under construction jetty, I saw a group of small fish as the picture above. There were thousands of small fishes in the group swim together in same direction producing beautiful patterns.

We spent 3 days 2 nights at Perhentian Island. Those were the beautiful moments I could share with you all. I look forward to go there for our second time. What about you??

Perhentian Island, Terengganu, Malaysia

Introduction

• The Perhentian Islands lie approximately 10 nautical miles (19 Km) offshore the coast of northeastern Malaysia in a state of Terengganu, approximately 40 miles (64km) south of the Thai border.

• The 2 main islands are Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian) and Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian)

• The Perhentian Island belong to Pulau Redang Marine Park, which means fishing, collecting coral and littering are strictly prohibited.
  

History

• The name "perhentian" means "stopping point" in Malay, referring to their longstanding role as a waypoint for traders between Bangkok and Malaysia. The islands were sparsely inhabited by fishermen for centuries, although tourism now accounts for most economic activity. and

• The Perhentian Islands appear on many maps of the nineteenth and twentieth century as 'The Station Islands'. This arises from the British colonial period, as an English translation from the Malay "point to stop".

• The Perhentian Islands were also used as a refuge in the late 1900s.

• Perhentian Island also has a very beautiful beach call "Pasir Panjang" (Long Beach). It is located at Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian). It is a very beautiful white sandy beach, crystal clearater and it is the best place for picnic.

Article source and more information : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perhentian_Islands