Scenic Sunday- Ferry to Langkawi Island

These are some of the ferries which bring visitors to Langkawi Island from the mainland.

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Camera Critters- Flying Saucer?

Can you see the fish in the water? Do you recognize the fish? It look like a flying saucer!


It is a Sting Ray, I guess!
This Sting Ray is harmless. You can even touch, play and feed him with your hand. Unbelievable? Believe it..

I captured these photos at Kilim Nature Park, Langkawi Island, Malaysia.

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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.