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Langkawi
Island / Pulau Langkawi
Langkawi island is an archipelago of 104
islands lying in the north western coast
of Peninsular Malaysia. The exact location
of these tropical islands is at the site
where the Straits of Malacca meets the waters
of the Andaman Seas.
The largest of these islands
is called Langkawi Island and is bigger
than the Penang Island.The other islands
in this group are Island of Pregnant Maiden
(Pulau Dayang Bunting), Lion Island (Pulau
Singa Besar) and Beras Basah Island.The
smallest of these islands are atolls roughly
the size of an ordinary house!
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Langkawi is coined from the Malay words Lang
and Kawi. Lang is a brown eagle and Kawi is
a local manganese stone.The ancient fishermen
must have seen eagles flying clutching the
manganese stones! A giant monument of a brown
eagle clutching the manganese stone greets
all visitors to Langkawi near the Kuah Jetty.
The main tourist attractions
of Langkawi Island is its virgin white sandy
beaches.The beaches have very gentle continental
slope and the water is crystal clear. This
island is unique in the sense that it has
so many legendsand myths associated with it.Langkawi
Island is therefore also called Pulau Lagenda
or Legendary Island.
The most talked about legend
is that of Mahsuri who is said to have laid
a curse on this island for seven generations.Luckily
the period of this curse is over now and Langkawi
Island is fast becoming an internationally
recognised tourist destination.
The government of Malaysia
has declared the entire Langkawi Island as
a duty free zone. Hence this island is also
termed Duty Free Island.All goods sold in
this island are exempted from government tax.Therefore
this Legendary Island is a haven for the shoppers.You
only need to stay in Langkawi for a minimum
of 48 hours to take back home a reasonable
amount of tax free goods. |
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World Langkawi
Underwater World Langkawi is one of the largest
marine and fresh water aquaria in South East
Asia. Since the start of its operation on
26 August 1995, it has become one of the must
visit tourist destinations in Langkawi and
has attracted a large number of foreign as
well as local tourists.
The concept and theme of Underwater World
Langkawi are geared towards Knowledge, Education
and Entertainment. It is built to raise awareness
on the importance of conserving our precious
aquatic life forms, thus creating understanding
of the deep and inseparable bond between man
and nature.
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Unique to Underwater
World Langkawi is the gigantic 15-meter long
walk-through tunnel consisting of 500,000
liter seawater which houses many big fishes
and sea creatures including the Giant Green
Turtle. Other attractions include the Freshwater
Fish Section, the Seashell Display, the Koi
Pond, the Mini Reptilian and Invertebrate
Section, the Coral Reef Section and the Poisonous
and Venomous Creatures Section.
The 34,701 square foot oceanarium
is located adjacent to a shopping centre and
the Neptune Caf?Visitors are thus provided
with a one-stop shopping, eating and entertainment
package, all of which are available within
one area. A new building (with 60,000 sq.
ft built-up area) which displays Tropical
Rainforest, Temperate and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems,
and a three-dimensional (3D) theatre with
a 200-seating capacity will be opened to the
public in early 2005. The Sub-Antarctic Ecosystem
Display includes a spectacular ?penguinarium?
with an underwater tunnel for visitors to
view swimming penguins.
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Langkawi Cable Car
Also located inside the Oriental Village,
the clear bubble shaped cable car takes
the 2.2km ride up the mountainside on a
42 degree incline. Gunung Macincang at 708
metres offers a spectacular view. Starting
from about sea level, the Cable Car rises
from about sea level to an altitude of over
700 metres. Along the near vertical lift,
tourists are presented with the towering
cliff face named 'Matahari Face'.
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To fully appreciate the stunning views, a
lot has to do with the prevailing weather
conditions, so if it is overcast or raining,
it may be best to wait for a clearer day.
There are two viewing stations and it is possible
to get off and rejoin the cable car at station
one. A walking trek from Station one, uphill
to Station two has been carved through the
vegetation allowing a refreshing walk through
the forest.
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