Nature’s jewels in Langkawi islands

Just the mention of the word “island” instantly brings before us the scenic beaches, clear emerald waters and rich flora and fauna. Langkawi islands are a natural paradise. Called as the ‘Jewel of Kedah’, Langkawi comprises a group of 99 tropical islands lying off the north western coast of peninsular Malaysia.
The main island is known as Pulau Langkawi. It has been accorded the Geopark status by Unesco for its beautiful geoheritage features. True, those stunning landscapes, caves, sea-arches, stacks and glacial drop stones I vouch from my experience that these islands are perhaps unmatched to any in Southeast Asia.
A novel way to holiday in these islands would be to take a cruise either at Klang or Singapore. But we chose to fly to give more time for the real thrilling activities on the island. So we flew to Kuala Lumpur and from there took Air Asia to Langkawi.
Sitting by the window I watched the bluish green waters and the sparsely scattered rich green islands below that looked like a painting on nature’s canvas. It was an awesome experience.
The waves of cold breeze over the sea waters whizzed across our faces as a welcoming sign as we stepped out. The child-like curiosity in me leapt with joy awaiting the fun and frolic that was in store for us during our stay. Soon we picked up our baggage and headed for our hotel The Berjaya Langkawi Beach and Spa Resort. After a quick refresh, we glanced through the tourism brochures and chalked out our plan. These islands offer a host of water sports and recreational activities.
Kuah town is a thriving centre for hotels and shopping-cum-business complexes, fortunately sans the hustle bustle of the maddening crowds of the cities. Eagle square, Langkawi’s most prominent landmark is situated near Kuah Jetty.
The square has a magnificent statue of the reddish brown eagle majestically poised for flight. It is beautifully illuminated at night and presents a dramatic scene when you arrive by sea. Another attractive feature of Kuah town is that it has quite a few nightspots for party animals for pubbing and disco.
The crocodile farms, Langkawi wild life park, the underwater world located at Cenang Beach are not to be given a miss. Oriental village overlooking Burau Bay is a unique shopping, cultural and culinary destination.
The exhilarating car ride to the top of Gunung Machincang left me breathless. I enjoyed the marvellous views of the Andaman Sea and the Langkawi island group from the top.
However, the most thrilling and the most unforgettable experience was the scuba diving on Pulau Payar Island. As we ventured to go for snorkelling after reaching the Pulau Payar we were shifted into a smaller boat and taken to the coral garden, an area covered with bright multi-hued soft corals.
On the last day we just relaxed in the private beach of our resort. Indeed Langkawi is a perfect place for doing everything or nothing at all.