Langkawi Island
Islands are open air museums for nature lovers. Such is the idyllic island of Langkawi in Malaysia.
I have always fancied reading fiction books and pirate stories in the back drop of uninhabited islands ever since my school days but two novels that I relished the most were the ‘Treasure island’ by Robert Louis Stevenson and Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’. While the former was a tale of ‘buccaneers and buried gold’, the later is the story of a shipwrecked adventurer doing ingenious town planning to make the place habitable for a comfortable living in the wild.
Sri Lanka and Great Britain, though islands by definition, never gave me instinctive perception of one, except when seen in atlas. They look too big to be islands. I always fancied small islands that gave the feel of a land mass surrounded by water; and island state of Malta was one such place that I visited before flying to Langkawi in Malaysia. Langkawi, in the Andaman Sea, is the head quarter of a cluster of ninety nine islands which interestingly swells to one hundred and four in low tide. Unlike Malta, Langkawi is not a sovereign state and is greener beyond imagination because of thick tropical rain forests. All islands, I believe, are a world unto themselves and to come to an island is like coming to another world.
This idyllic island, covered 60% by forests and green mountains and having rich tropical mangroves was once a safe haven for sea pirates, outlaws and non state agents making a living by plundering the sea travelers and taking refuge in the thick forests on the undulated landscape. Now the concept of a trip to an island by the holiday makers is to go fishing, watch the sun set, splash and play on the beach, cherish family time, watch the stars and wish on them, enjoy wild life, go trekking and relax, relax and relax.
We were on a holiday trip to Kuala Lumpur from where we flew to Langkawi, an island separated from the mainland by the Strait of Malacca. It is thirty km from the peninsular mainland while the Thai border is some twenty five km away. It was over an hour’s flight by Firefly ATR which was quite a smooth and friendly ride. Langkawi Airport, one of the seven in Malaysia for international flights, was a colourful building with innumerable international food chains, rows of duty free outlets and tour guide facilitation centres. Our first impression of the place was wonderful that we carried throughout our stay there. Ferry is the other mode of transport to reach the island.
Taxis are cheap, hotels aplenty and the infrastructure for tourism of international standards. There is a lot to see in this land mass of 64000 islanders; nature has been generous in giving a thick green cover to the undulated terrain while the government authorities have developed it in to a five star tourist resort. The development of this virgin island was started by the then PM Dr. Mahateer Mohammad in 1986 and they never looked back since. Langkawi in colloquial Malay means reddish brown eagle and an eagle square with an enormous size eagle statue represents the name of the island. Other places of significance for the tourists are white sandy beaches, a water fall, also called seven wells, in the picturesque mountain slopes, a huge and well laid out orchard growing a variety of tropical fruit, a cable car, a sky bridge and a batik factory.
The cable car covering a distance of 2.2 km up to Gunung Raya at a height of 881m with commanding views of the island down below, originates from the oriental village which has a theme shopping centre showcasing Malaysian and oriental architecture. Trekking up to Seven wells water falls at Telaga Tujuh is an exhilarating experience. One has to cross a beautiful hanging bridge to reach the scenic spot. This fall descends almost vertically and runs through rock formations bouncing merrily through the lovely woodlands before cascading in to the tranquil rivulet below. A walk through the woods and along the watercourse reveals the nature at its best. A few wild life trails are also witnessed. There is fragrance of freshness and verdure in the atmosphere. A somewhat challenging hike up to the top was very much worth the effort.
A 125 m long, curved skybridge, suspended by a single pylon, offers a spatial experience to see the expansive jungle. This skybridge was prefabricated and assembled in its present location after being lifted by the helicopters. A unique idea indeed! Dramatic views are unfolded from the viewing platform and gondolas when tourists glide over the verdant rain forest. A diverse range of animals and birds are in abundance and eagles are also sighted at times.
Touted by the locals to visit a night market held twice a week wasn’t much of an experience as it was nothing more than a slum trade centre with cheap ready made garments, every day use household items and a variety of local snacks prepared and vended on push carts or in make shift kiosks. This market may catch the fancy of western tourists but for us it was just a sorry reflection of the Sunday Bazaars back home.
A visit to batik factory was also in our list of must-see places where seeing the artisans at work was a good learning experience. The well stocked sale outlet of the factory was replete with fine collection of the art work albeit expensive. Langkawi Fruit Farm was the best place we visited at the island with various fruit orchards covering a large area. Besides mangoes, guavas and water melons that are grown back home in Pakistan, a large variety of tropical fruit like pineapple, papaya, coconut, durian and jack and star fruits are also grown there. A water melon with yellow pulp on the inside was something new to us. The open bus of the fruit farm took us around the beautifully laid down farm and we enjoyed the scenery. We were also given a welcome refreshment break at midway where we were treated sumptuously with well presented local fruit delights including yellow water melon. Who-so-ever’s brain child, this farm is an excellent place for the tourists to visit.
“All islands, I believe, are a world unto themselves and to come to an island is like coming to another world.”
The size of Singapore, Langkawi is a tourist paradise with its white sandy beaches and relaxed and slow paced island life. Our very own hotel was on the sea front and if we stepped out of the dining hall veranda, we would land on to the thick, white and soft sand of the beach. This hotel gave us a taste of the beach culture without going on to the beach. 94 inches of annual rainfall is the hallmark of the island’s wide array of flora and fauna. Agri based economy is augmented by fisheries and rubber plantation but revenues from tourism have skyrocketed to phenomenal 6.9 billion US$ in 2012 from a meager 2.86b in 2005 and they are targeted to reach a whopping 20.4 b by the year 2020. We, in Pakistan with four seasons, snow covered mountains, big flowing rivers, vast deserts and so many untapped resources, have a lot of lessons to learn from these nation but does anyone care?
The writer is a Dental Surgeon and can be reached at: dsq006@gmail.com
