It was a Robinson Crusoe moment. Our only means of transport, a small motor boat, had disappeared around the headland and we were now castaways, completely alone on the soft white sand of a beautiful tropical island beach.
For the next few hours we swam in the clear blue sea and relaxed in glorious solitude. Our only company was a pod of dolphins lazily swimming in the bay and a pair of sea eagles circling majestically above the island’s dramatic limestone cliffs.
However, we had to admit that unlike Robinson Crusoe, we were cheating a little as our hotel had thoughtfully provided us with a splendid picnic lunch and a comprehensive first aid kit!
 Happy Bathers at the Lake in the Isle of the Pregnant Maiden |  |
This was just one of our lazy days spent enjoying Langkawi’s many charms. It is a picturesque archipelago of 99 islands in N.W. Malaysia, close to the Thai border.
The island group has lovely beaches, calm waters, tropical forests and soaring limestone crags, all inhabited by a wide range of exotic wildlife. Our hotel, the Casa del Mar, was at the quiet end of the popular Pantai Cenang beach. This attractive stretch of sand has accommodation for all budgets and a tempting range of restaurants, bars, tailors, jewelers, mini-markets and massage parlours – manned by cheerful Malays, Indians and Chinese.
 Member of the Gamelan Orchestra | |
Langkawi’s myths and legends
Langkawi is full of myths and legends, some more interesting than the places they celebrate! The most famous is the tomb of Princess Makam Mahsuri, a beautiful maiden born 200 years ago and who married her lover during a time of conflict with the Thais.
Her husband went to fight in the war and her mother-in-law, jealous of her beauty, vengefully accused Mahsuri of adultery. She was sentenced to death but at her execution she shed white blood, thereby confirming her innocence. With her dying breath, Mahsuri laid a curse upon the island’s next seven generations with problems commencing immediately when the Thais invaded.
 Deserted Tropical Island Beach | |
Langkawi remained a sleepy backwater until 1987, when the island was granted tax-free status to promote tourism. The spectacular tourist boom that followed was believed by the locals to be due to Mahsuri’s curse being lifted with the birth of her 7th generation descendant!
The historical area around this much-revered lady’s tomb overlooks peaceful paddy fields and has a museum, orchestras playing traditional gamelan music and some typical Malay rural houses.
Pulau Dayang Bunting is the second largest island and its name translates to ‘Isle of the Pregnant Maiden’. Draped in verdant rain forest, the island has a large natural lake, whose deep water is superb for swimming and, according to legend, believed to aid conception – hence the island’s name.
 Pantai Cenang Beach | |
We couldn’t resist a dip in the lake’s cool water and joined dozens of happy tourists of every ‘conceivable’ nationality. Unsurprisingly, it is a very fashionable destination for young married couples!
Away from the beaches
Away from the coastal strip, Langkawi’s predominantly Malay population maintains a peaceful agrarian lifestyle.
The lush countryside, backed by mountains rising to over 800m, can readily be explored by hire car or motorbike on a good network of roads. Buffalos that lumbered leisurely across the tarmac were the chief traffic hazard!
The Atma Alam Batik Art Village was a treasure trove of local culture, where we admired the deft skills of the local artists creating some gorgeous batik products, either hand-painted or printed on cotton and silk.
The splendour of the island’s tropical jungle can be viewed from the Langkawi Cable Car which takes visitors way up above the tree tops to the jagged peaks in the west of the island. Unfortunately, this spectacular ride was closed during our visit due to windy weather at high altitudes. Instead, we drove to Langkawi’s highest peak, Mt. Raya. It has a rather tacky hotel at the summit but the views are magnificent.
As lovers of tropical fruit we were keen to explore the Agrotechnology Park, where we were shown the cultivation of juicy delights such as jackfruit, rambutan, pomelo, durian, papaya, mango and mangosteen. The colossal knobbly jackfruit is the largest fruit in the world and can weigh up to 40kgs!
A perfect family destination
Langkawi is a perfect family holiday destination with hotels, beaches and attractions that compete favourably with Phuket and Krabi just to the north in Thailand.
The island’s capital, Kuah, has duty-free shopping to satisfy souvenir-hungry tourists and the sea-life at ‘Underwater World’ on Pantai Cenang Beach entertains all age groups.
Malaysia’s ethnic complexity ensures that dining is always a pleasure with a mouth-watering range of fiery tastes, aromas and textures. The friendly staff at the picturesque Casa del Mar hotel (www.casdelmar-langkawi.com) provided us with outstanding personal service and offered all types of wildlife adventures under water and in the island’s mountains, jungles and mangrove forests.
Our only criticisms of Langkawi were the annoying jellyfish sometimes encountered during sea swimming and the largely uncontrolled use of jet-skis on some of the beaches. Most tourists arrive by air from Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian capital is readily accessible through direct flights from Europe. However, a more attractive option is to travel by ferry from Penang, with its amazing colonial history.
As travellers arrive by ferry at Kuah, they see the impressive 12m high statue of a brown eagle dominating the sea front. This is a perfect introduction to the island, as according to another of Langkawi’s myths, the fishermen who were its earliest settlers saw a giant eagle clutching a stone as it hovered above the crags.
Considered a magical omen, they decided to name the island from what they had witnessed. “Lang” is a shortened version of the Malay word for eagle, whilst “kawi” is a local brownish manganese stone.
Just like the ancient fishermen, modern day tourists can enjoy their own magical moments in this idyllic destination – in the jungle, under the sea or maybe a romantic picnic on a deserted tropical beach!
|| features@algarveresident.com
Nigel Wright, and his wife Sue, moved to Portugal seven years ago and live in the countryside near Paderne with their three dogs. They lived and worked in the Far East and Middle East during the 1980s and 90s, and although now retired, still continue to travel and enjoy new cultural experiences. His other interests include tennis, gardening, photography and petanque.
