Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah
Langkawi is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands.
Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah
The name Langkawi is thought to have existed in the early 15th century, According to one interpretation, Langkawi means the island of the reddish brown eagle, the Brahminy kite in everyday Malay. The Malay word for eagle is helang (abbreviated in everyday language to lang), and kawi is a red stone used as chalk to mark goods. This interpretation is used to create a landmark sculpture of an eagle as a symbol of Langkawi in Dataran Helang. Some also argue that Langkawi means “many beautiful islands”, rarely is a Sanskrit word meaning “beautiful” while wi means “many”.
History
The island of Langkawi became the property of Great Britain through the Bangkok Treaty of 1909 or the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909. Ralph Spencer Paget, the British Ambassador to Siam, played an important role in saving the island from further Siamese conquest. During the negotiations between Britain and Siam, he had informed Edward Henry Strobel, the Foreign Affairs Adviser of the Siamese Government, that the British still wanted Langkawi Island to belong to the British. As a result on 10 March 1909 the Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was signed giving the rights of the island to Britain.
Transportation
From Kuah jetty, there are high -speed ferry facilities connecting Satun and Ko Lipe in southern Thailand, Pulau Payar, Penang, Kuala Kedah, and Kuala Perlis in mainland Peninsular Malaysia. Langkawi International Airport is one of seven airports in Malaysia that connects Langkawi with Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Penang and Subang.
Get In
Langkawi is one of the best places to visit if you want to experience some adventure. And to get there is actually quite easy. It is best that you prepare a itinerary to Langkawi.
The Jewel of Kedah
Langkawi at a glance
- Country: Malaysia
- Area: 466.0 km2
- Population: 94,138
Highlights
- Dataran Helang: The icon of Langkawi, Eagle Square or locally known as Dataran Lang is the home for Langkawi’s giant statue of an eagle.
- Sky Bridge: 125-metre (410 ft) curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge in Malaysia, completed in 2005. The bridge deck is 660 metres (2,170 ft) above sea level at the peak of Gunung Mat Cincang on Pulau Langkawi, the main island of the Langkawi archipelago in Kedah
- Underwater World: It is built to raise awareness on the importance of conserving our precious aquatic life forms, thus creating understanding of the deep and an inseparable bond between man and nature.
- Telaga Tujuh:is a waterfall that originates from seven springs, flowing into seven natural wells. The discharge from the first well forms a small river and passes into the other well. It is located on the slopes of Mount Mat Chinchang towards Burau Bay.
- Skycab Langkawi: It provides an aerial link from the Oriental Village at Teluk Burau to the peak of Gunung Machinchang, which is also the location of the Langkawi Sky Bridge.
- Crocodile Adventure: It specially designed and landscaped with beautiful plantation and greenery, making it look like a recreation park. Different species of crocodiles are kept in specific ponds, where visitors can have a thorough look at the crocodiles while walking around.
