Langkawi Island

Langkawi Island is located just off the coast of North Western Malaysia, about 30 km from Kuala Perlis and 51 km from Kuala Kedah and close to Thailand. The archipelago of Langkawi contains 99 islands during high tide whereas during low tide, the number of islands can be as many as 104. Sanctuary of some of the most ancient rainforests in the world, they are teeming with exotic flora and fauna. Langkawi Island itself is the largest among the archipelago, measuring about 478.5 sq km, is the only one with any real settlement. It fringed by lovely beaches scattered along its coast. The island is still very much a rural landscape with villages and paddy fields. Pulau Langkawi - Province : Kedah State - Country : Malaysia - Latitude : 06 19 N - Longitude : 99 50 E The name "Langkawi" is believed to be related to the kingdom of Langkasuka, centred in modern-day Kedah. The historical record is sparse, but a Chinese Liang Dynasty record (c. 500 AD) refers to the kingdom of "Langgasu" as being founded in the 1st century AD. 'Langkawi' means Eagle Island, it may be noted, and indeed there is a great abundance of eagles in the area. In Kuah, the capital, there is a huge eagle monument in Eagle Square which commemorates the origin of Langkawi's name. Langkawi eventually came under the influence of the Sultanate of Kedah, but Kedah was conquered in 1821 by Siam and Langkawi along with it. The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred power to the British, who held the state until independence, except for a brief period of Thai rule under the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II. Thai influences remain visible in the culture and food of Langkawi, while Thai is still understood by many on the island. Langkawi is a cluster of 99 islands separated from mainland Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca, it is a district of the state of Kedah in Northern Malaysia and lies approximately 51km west of Kedah. The location of these tropical islands is where the Straits of Malacca meet the waters of the Andaman Seas. The main tourist attractions of Langkawi Island are its virgin, white, sandy beaches. The beaches have a very gentle continental slope and the water is crystal clear. Langkawi Island has many legends and myths associated with it and is therefore also called Pulau Lagenda Langkawi comprises a group of 104 tropical islands lying off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, about 30 kilometres from Kuala Perlis and 51 kilometres from Kuala Kedah. The main islands are richly blessed with a heritage of fabulous myths and legends: of ogres and gigantic birds, warriors and fairy princesses, battles and romance. As a natural paradise, the island are perhaps unmatched anywhere else in Southeast Asia