9..Langkawi,Malaysia

The name “Langkawi” translates into “the land of one’s wishes,” a welcoming concept that somewhat belies the island’s historic origins as a reputed refuge for pirates. Langkawi has since become a modern hideaway for the traveler seeking an escape. If your vacation wishes extend from uncrowded white sands and clear waters to lush green forests, you will find yourself content here. Datai Bay, located on Pulau Langkawi, is a heavenly retreat on the Andaman Sea.

Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah) is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border. On July 15, 2008, Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 64,792, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island.

History of Langkawi

Langkawi was traditionally thought to be cursed. However, in 1986 then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad decided to transform it into a tourist resort, helping to plan many of the islands buildings himself.[3]

PHUKET: In the 1930s, the Thai government used the Andaman island of Tarutao as a prison to incarcerate the country’s most undesirable criminals. When the Japanese Imperial Army brought the Second World War to the footsteps of the kingdom in December of 1941, the Thai government under Field Marshall Phibun Songkram sided with the invaders against the allied forces (click here for article of Thailand’s paradisal prison).

To a certain extent Phibun admired the Japanese and sympathized with their cause. In return for Thailand’s friendship and cooperation, the Japanese had promised to return Thai territories that had been seceded to Britain and France during the late 19th century. When British Malaya fell to the Japanese invaders in 1941, four Malay states, Terenganu, Kedah, Kelantan and Perlis, which used to be under Thai dominion, were returned to Thailand as promised by the Japanese.

Most of the information hereafter is based on a book written by Pongpol Adireksarn, a well-known Thai politician and author of several novels based on Thai history. Better known amongst westerners by his pseudonym Paul Adirex, in 1994 Pongpol wrote a book called The Pirates of Tarutao, based on actual events that happened in the penal colony during the Second World War.

From 1942 onwards many allied prisoners of war were imprisoned on Tarutao Island on orders from the Japanese. Before the war started, food and supplies were regularly shipped to Tarutao from the mainland to sustain the prisoners and the wardens. When war broke out the British navy aggressively blockaded the Malay Peninsula, sinking any ships that dared to deliver supplies to their enemy. As the war dragged on supplies on Tarutao Island began to diminish. Food and medical rations were reduced. Prisoners of war, common criminals and wardens, began to starve alike. The prison system soon began to break down.

During that time there may have been more than 10,000 inmates detained on Tarutao Island. According to Pongpol many high profile political prisoners had already been removed from the island and transferred to Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, for fear that they may be liberated if the British captured Tarutao.

Out of hunger and desperation, the remaining prisoners took to begging from boats that carried supplies past the island. Guards and inmates were on their own fighting for survival. The number of deaths from starvation and malaria continued to grow day by day.

As the situation continued to worsen and it became clear that simply begging from passing boats was not going to sustain them for long, several inmates banded together and turned to piracy. Initially the inmates attacked boats in order to steal food and medical supplies.

But when it became apparent that the naval powers were too busy fighting each other to safeguard the high seas, the pirates became more audacious and violent. Many more inmates and even prison guards took to piracy. Soon they began to attack ships indiscriminately, stealing all the cargo that the vessels carried. The prolonged war had carved out a huge black market for goods that were in short supply all over the region. As they attacked the passing vessels, the pirates would plunder them of their valuable cargo. Often they would murder the passengers and crews. The boats were then set on fire and sunk to the depths of the sea.

The beautiful landscape of the island; coasts, estuaries, creeks, rivers and narrow channels served to conceal the deadly marauders. According to reports from passing vessels, travellers soon began to fear for their own safety when passing the archipelago as vicious rumors of pirate attacks began to spread throughout the region. Ships that traveled between Penang, Satun and Kantang were vulnerable when they came close enough to Tarutao Island. The pirates also began setting up land bases on Langkawi Island, just south of Tarutao, using motorboats as well as sailboats to intercept merchant vessels.

The war in the Pacific ended in September 1945. After Japan surrendered to the allies, peace returned to the high seas and blockades were lifted as Malaya and Singapore returned to British rule. During this time several merchants in Penang began to lodge complaints with the British Navy about the unabated piracy problem in the Andaman Sea.

Between December 1945 and March 1946, the British Navy launched a large-scale operation to clear the Strait of Malacca of its pirate infestation. At first the British simply used patrol boats to accompany merchant ships along the trade route. But they soon began to actively intercept pirates on the high seas and engage them. British efforts soon drove the pirates back to their bases on Tarutao and Langkawi Islands. In March 1946 the Thai and British navies conducted a joint operation and raided the penal colony of Tarutao.

According to Pongpol, three warships and over 300 troops stormed Tarutao Island in order to arrest the inmates and prison guards that were suspected of piracy during the war years. The raid turned violent and many pirates died in the ensuing fight.

When the joint British-Thai forces managed to secure the island again, order was restored and the inmates were returned to their former prison conditions. A new prison governor was also appointed to manage the prison. The penal colony would survive for another year or so.

In 1947, the Tarutao penal colony was formally closed down. For decades after that the island would remain deserted. The thick tropical forest soon grew to assimilate the prison facilities, the cells, the offices and the kitchens. It would be years before backpackers would venture out to find Tarutao Island again, and put it on the tourist map. By then most of the physical evidence of its horrific past had been erased by nature, leaving behind a clean slate to start over for what would become a very different future for Tarutao Island.

10 activity that u can do in here

1. Visit Dataran Lang

Dataran Lang which means ‘Eagle Square’ epitomizes the very significance of Langkawi. Here is where you can see and enjoy the monumental 12-meter sea eagle ready to take flight on a square located within Kuah Town. It is just beside the Kuah Jetty which means that if you are coming to Langkawi Island through the ferry service, the gigantic eagle is the first to ‘welcome’ you. Around here, you will also be able to take photos of the surrounding ponds, bridges and others. From here, you will also be able to go around the retail shops and outlets where you will be able to enjoy some duty-free shopping.

2. Find out the stories of Mahsuri’s Tomb

Located at Padang Matsirat, the Mahsuri’s Tomb is perhaps the most illustrious place to visit as the legend of Mahsuri is very much synonymous with Langkawi Island. Here, you will find a complex that very much narrates the story and holds the shrine of Mahsuri whose story goes that she was wrongly accused for committing adultery and was subsequently sentenced to death. It was told that white blood poured out of her body that signified her innocence where she then cursed the island for 7 generations before her death. This is where you can get a pictorial understanding of the story and make your own judgements on whether the stories are true or merely legends.

3. Visit the Underwater World Langkawi

The Underwater World Langkawi in Pantai Cenang is perhaps one of the best places to go if you are visiting Langkawi Island with your family. A great place for the children and everyone, it is an award winning complex where you can be ‘close’ up with the many types of fishes and sea life around here. There are more than 100 specially designed tanks that offer the almost natural habitat for the over 500 species of sea creatures respectively. On top of that, there is also an underwater tunnel tank which you will be wandering through a 15 meters, 6 million liter water tank which will be a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

4. Learn about Galleria Perdana

The Galleria Perdana is located in Pantai Kok where it is essentially the place that houses and exhibits all the gifts and presents which have been presented to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former and longest serving prime minister of Malaysia. The museum is where you will find some of the most interesting mementos and memorabilia offered to Dr Mahathir when he was in office which will give you a clear picture of the political accomplishments of the country throughout history especially on the bilateral ties with other countries.

5. Experience the Cable Car & Skybridge

This is where you will enjoy the spectacular sights and sounds of Langkawi Island through a bird’s eye view elevated from the ground. The Cable Car will take you through about 15 minutes to the peak of Mount Machinchang in the island. Throughout the ride, you will be able to experience some of the most beautiful sights of the island and its rich vegetation around. To take the ride, you will have to get your tickets at the Oriental Village and then when you reach the peak, you can take the amazing suspension Skybridge which will accord you with yet another elevated experience.

6. Visit Lagenda Langkawi Dalam Taman

The Lagenda Langkawi Dalam Taman is a theme park which is located in Kuah Town just next to the main jetty. Here is where you will be able to appreciate the rich folklore of Langkawi Island which essentially is an open air garden museum. It houses several statues and sculptures of the legends and folklore of the island that will allow you to see for yourselves how the likes of the mythical birds and beautiful princesses of the stories look like. You will also be able to appreciate the beauty of the gardens here while taking a walk along the gardens in its vicinity.

7. Take the Sunset Dinner Cruise

A luxurious and truly unforgettable experience when visiting Langkawi Island is to take the Sunset Dinner Cruise. There are better ways to see the waters and enjoy the sunset then through the Jacuzzi-style cruise as well as enjoying great food on a boat. Here is where you can take in the spectacular and amazing sights of the island while drinking cocktail at the bar of the boat that swerves through the pristine waters of Langkawi Island and the surrounding Andaman Sea.

8. Take a tour into Sungai Kilim Nature Park

One of the best places you can go to enjoy the nature and sights of Langkawi is to head out to Sungai Kilim Nature Park which essentially is a protected mangrove swamp area. Here is where you can find some of the most beautiful sceneries of the mangrove forests as well as inhabited beaches and lagoons. There is thousands of flora and fauna that you will be able to enjoy as you work your way up the river banks while you can also bask in the sights of the rich vegetation along the tour or just appreciate the quietness and peace of the surroundings.

9. Mingle with wildlife at the Langkawi Bird Paradise And Wildlife Park

The Langkawi Bird Paradise is the first fully covered wildlife park in Asia and it is where you will be able to see and experience some of the most beautiful wildlife sceneries in Langkawi Island. There are more than 2,500 birds here like eagles, canaries, hornbills and such, all of which come from the 150 species roaming around here. Inside the park, you will also be able to visit a man-made waterfall and as the park is covered, you can visit the Langkawi Bird Paradise and Wildlife Park at any time of the day during its operational hours.

10. Visit the Al-Hana Mosque

Located within the busy town of Kuah, the Al-Hana Mosque is one of the architectural wonders in Langkawi Island. Here is where you can find some of the most interesting motifs and designs which are topped with a golden dome on top inspired through the Moorish culture. Despite being in the town centre, it offers a place of peace and tranquillity where Muslims come and worship and say their prayers. The Al-Hana Mosque is also known for exuding some of the most beautiful Uzbekistan-inspired carvings.

4 season resort

I'm proud to be a citizen of Malaysia becuz when i notice that Langkawi beaches is also one of the beaches in the top 10 list ^^