Put the soundtrack from “Blue Lagoon” in the CD player, close your eyes and conjure the perfect tropical island. The sky is a powdery azure, the sea the color of young jade, the sand a flawless untouched expanse of powder, its perimeter broken only by seashells and the rhythmic caress of water flecked with foam. In the background, palm trees sway gently and lithesome natives relax beneath thatched huts near the water. Can this be too perfect, a vision unrealized in practice? Perhaps, but the island archipelago on Langkawi comes close.

The ninety-nine islands making up the group, most of them uninhabited, allow the sun-seeker to pursue their own particular ideal, be it experiencing unique wildlife and ecosystems up close and personal or lying beneath a palm matching pictures in the clouds. Occupying a land area of some 420 square kilometers, Langkawi is just over half the size of Singapore. Only 51 kilometers off the coast of Malaysia, it is possible to easily see Thailand from the north end of the island.

The island group itself also suffered its fair share of mishaps. The beautiful daughter of a Siamese family, Mashuri, was unjustly accused of adultery by her mother-in-law who was jealous of her beauty and popularity. Sentenced to death, she was stabbed with a sacred keris dagger (instantly recognizable from its wavy shaped blade and significance in all Malaysian ceremonial customs). Her blood flowed white, signifying her innocence. Before dying dramatically, she placed a curse on the island, denying it prosperity for seven generations. Shortly afterward, the island was invaded and crops destroyed. The island group has apparently shrugged off the curse in recent years and prospers contentedly beneath the tropical sun. Mashuri’s tomb can be visited by following the clearly sign posted road to a grassy field outside of the main town of Kuah.

Covered with a well maintained and easily navigated series of roads, moving around Pulau Langkawi (the largest of the islands and home to most of its population) is easy. The relaxed nature of island life extends to traffic so visitors renting mopeds can putter from one end to the other with little fear of getting lost or stuck in a jam.

The northern end of the island boasts a wide variety of restaurants and hotels. Tour operators abound and popular activities like island hopping, snorkeling, fishing, mangrove tours and eagle feeding can all be arranged for reasonable prices.

My three day visit to the island started with a one hour flight out of the Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Commuter Terminal (LCCT). Serviced by Malaysian Airlines, AirAsia and Firefly, getting to the island can also be accomplished by driving to Alor Star and taking a one hour ferry across to the main town of Kuah.

Day one of the trip was occupied with a tour through the mangroves. The periphery of the northern part of the island is home to an extensive network of them. The plants themselves are actually part of one large organism, with mangroves being the largest living creatures on the planet. Growing in salt water or brackish water, the plants act as filters for the water, catching and removing toxins through their network of stems and roots poking up above the waterline. Puttering through the narrow inlets in the covered boat, our guide Bidden is a fountain of knowledge about the plants and animals that occupy this part of the island. One of a group of naturalists on Langkawi, Bidden hails from Terrenganu but has spent much of his life studying the flora of Langkawi. Beside a mud bank jutting into the water, he calls a stop to the boat and beckons. In the mud, a giant mud skipper is basking in the shallow water. “These are quite rare,” he tells us as we watch the mud skipper parade up and down before us. Moving on, we pause once more to watch monkeys pulling crabs and small fish out of holes in the bank.

Further up, Biddin points out a tree with what looks like a bowling ball hanging from it. “This is the fruit of the cannon ball tree. It has a collection of seeds that fit inside - the children make puzzles from them as they can only go back in the shell in one arrangement”.

Nearer to the sea, the boat emerges into a wide area of water. In the sky above, Langkawi eagles flash their red, brown and white plumage. “The white ones are the sea eagles – they will only come for larger food.” Throwing some chicken meat in the water, the eagles launch themselves down towards it. “There are small fish coming to the surface here, so the red eagles will go for them,” Bidden explains. During the ten minutes of exquisite choreography that follow, eagles dive to the water, extend their talons to grab fish and duck their heads to eat their prey while flapping back to altitude. The much larger sea eagles join the fray, grabbing the biggest pieces of meat before retiring to view proceedings from a tree at the edge of the lake.

The river opens and narrows, as the boatman navigates by landmark and memory. Coming to a particularly narrow section, we pass through the hillside via a cave that just allows the boat to pass. Lining the roof of the cave are hordes of fruit eating bats, their soft chatter reflecting off the water as we pass.

Heading away for lunch, a visit to a fish farm floating beside a small island allows up close viewing of manta rays, spitting fish and barracuda. An excellent lunch with a view of islands and the slow swell of the ocean on a floating platform made the food even more enjoyable. Returning to the main island, a lazy Blue Lagoon afternoon beckoned, capped by a magnificent sunset across the beach at the resort, the small islands on the horizon lit up with oranges, pinks and mauves all reflecting from the ocean.

Watching the sunset over the ocean of Langkawi, it is important to give thanks to the absent Phoenix. Legend has it that the emperors of Rome and China wished to form an alliance by marrying their children. The Phoenix objected to this consolidation of power, abducted the Chinese princess and brought her to a pavilion on Langkawi. Rushing to her side, the Roman prince was attacked at sea by the Phoenix and his boat sunk. Washing ashore on Langkawi, he managed to reunite with the princess. Realizing the union was destined, the Phoenix left the world, providing sunsets and rainbows as memories of this beautiful creature.

Next day took us into the interior of the island. If the standard tropical island palette is dominated with blues from the sky and ocean, the interior is a kaleidoscope of green. Every imaginable tone and hue is present as the canopy closes in overhead and the narrow path moves between ferns, sassafras trees, cinnamon, rattan plants and dangling lianas. Trunks of trees are decorated with orchids and the pathway beneath is littered with torn up wild ginger, termite mounds and the determined trails of soldier ants. Leaf litter covers the ground beneath the canopy with a brown hued carpet, providing relief from the endless green light around.

Rustles through the trees signify the presence of wild hornbills. The smaller of the birds perch in nearby trees, their rattling calls vibrating through the foliage. The broken ground signifies predations from wild boar, searching for roots and grubs in the soft ground. A clatter in the distance welcomes a troop of monkeys hauling through the canopy in search of fruits and young shoots. During our slow journey through the forest, our guide highlights the constant wealth of plants which serve as sources of food and medicine to be found within.

Breaking our trip beside a small stream, the canopy gives way and fresh water flowing from the central spine of the mountain is crisp and cold. “This is fresh and can be drunk,” notes our guide, “since no-one lives upstream from here”. Bathed in sweat from the humid air, a dip in the water is a pleasant pick me up for the walk out. Pausing on the drive back to the hotel, a walk through the symmetrically arranged rubber trees displays the small buckets tapping the rubber sap. Though the growing of rubber is declining generally in Malaysia in place of palm oil, plantations still exist on Langkawi with the farmer’s house strategically located in the midst of the trees. The wood is now being reclaimed for the making of strong, light and weather resistant furniture, most of it being shipped overseas. We stop for lunch at an area know as Pantai Cenang, which boasts a wide variety of restaurants catering for all tastes from local Malaysian to Indian to Mediterranean. A soft rain during the evening washes the hotel and beach front, cooling the air and providing another spectacular slow motion light show as the sun dips down into the ocean.

My final day in Langkawi is all about the surrounding islands, moving off Pulau Langkawi and onto the watery trails of the archipelago. A boatman collects us early and a frothy trail of foam highlights our journey past the steep sides of small islands rising from water the color of aged jade.

A short ride from the jetty, we pause to view the silhouette of the pregnant maiden. Her face in profile, her swollen belly beneath her hands folded across her chest, she looks serenely toward the heavens. Rounding the headland, a jetty precedes a quick walk over the hill to be greeted by the vista of the Dayang Bunting lake. This oval shaped lake is surrounding by towering peaks and contains clean fresh water. An average of fourteen meters deep even at the edge, the lake was formed when a dolmite cave collapsed thousands of years ago. The resulting depression in the middle of the island filled with rainwater and formed the lake.

Legend has it that a celestial princess would come and bathe in the lake. One day, a mortal prince from the region chanced upon her and was smitten with her beauty. Extensive wooing ensued, involving songs and poetry, but all in vain.

A wise man offered that if the prince washed his face in the tears of a mermaid, the princess would fall for him. Having obtained the necessary mermaid through much labour, he succeeded in winning her favour and married the princess. She subsequently gave birth to a baby boy who died shortly after. Her husband revealed to be mortal, she buried the baby in the lake, bestowing it with magical fertility powers and returned to the heavens.

The beauty of the area is unsurpassed. The fresh clear water is welcoming as the heat of the morning develops. The water is buoyant and clear and a variety of small paddle or solar-powered boats allow for exploration by means other than arms and legs. For those so inclined, helicopter tours out of nearby Langkawi airport can be arranged that will provide a stunning view of the lake and island.

Leaving Dayang Bunting, we paused for a picnic on the sands of Beras Basah island. Small, with a wide sandy beach and shallow warm water, it provides another opportunity to soak up the rays and swim before heading back to the main island. A small resort offering a few rooms to lucky travellers and a satay picnic wards off hunger. Mature trees shade the beach and provide respite from the heat. The pulled up boats of travellers from the main island provide a splash of colour on the unspoiled stretch of sand. For those more adventurous, rocks and nearby island beckon. Pausing for only an hour or so, then it’s back on board the boat to head back to Telaga Harbor. On the way in, a cruise ship looms above the dock, serviced by a stream of shuttle buses taking tourists to the duty free shopping and other sights of the island.

Boarding the plane for Kuala Lumpur next morning is a sombre affair. Trying to cram in this magnificent archipelago in three short days only whets the appetite. The variety of vistas and the complexity of the islands call us back. The cable car (closed for maintenance in April), the Seven Wells, the Tujuh Telaga falls, the rice paddies baking in the sun but soon to be planted, parasailing and even a helicopter ride. The book of adventures to be fulfilled has only a few items ticked off and many more to bring us back time and time again.


Getting to Langkawi

Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia service Langkawi direct out of either KLIA or the LCCT. Firefly provides twice daily service out
of Subang airport. Bus or car to Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis to catch a ferry out the island. Ferries run frequently.


Getting around on Langkawi

Rental cars can be arranged for a daily rate either with or without a driver. Mopeds can also be rented for self drive on the island for a minimal amount. Roads are excellent and the network is easy to understand. Taxis are abundant and go to most locations.