I was in Langkawi...

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. According to local folklore, Langkawi derived its name from the eagle or "helang". In old Malay, "kawi" denotes reddish brown, hence, Langkawi means reddish brown eagle!

For 3 days last week, colleagues & I were in Langkawi. That explains my 1 week of 'blog silence' okay... hehehe

After our conference in Holiday Villa, Subang on Monday, we packed our stuff for Langkawi the following day. Thanks to the company, this trip was a memorable one. Weather was beautiful, the air is fresh..the beaches are breathtaking... oh yah.. the ladies.. hmmm... gorgeous of course!

For the whole week, I've shot like almost a thousand three hundred (1300) pics but for now, I'll share some nice capture of the wild life in Langkawi...




1st Day

Langkawi from the sky (Shot these from the plane)








Cable Car
After resting for a bout 2 hours at our hotel, we begin our tour of Langkawi up the cable car to the top of Mount Mat Chinchang. The base station of the cable car line is next to the Oriental Village shopping center. From the base station the cable ascends up past two towers and then up to the middle station. The incline is technically 42° according to the brochure, but the ride from the second tower up to the middle station feels almost like a vertical climb just a few feet away from the vertical rock face of the mountain.


The view from up there was simply breathtaking. My butt didn't really feel the seat coz I was a bit 'dizzy'.



On the way up to the middle station, you get a good view of the Telaga Tujuh ('Seven Wells') waterfall just north of the cable car line. The cable car was built without constructing any roads through the jungle. All the materials were lifted into place using helicopters.






Yup!! I was at 710 Meters Above Sea Level. From the top, you can see much of the island, its surrounding islands, and even Tarutao Island in Thailand to the north.There is a small snack bar at the top station, which has a rather space-age look with its round viewing platforms.

2nd Day

Kilim River
A new tour that is bound to provide plenty of thrills to those who are game is the boat cruise to Kilim Nature Park. An adventure in the wonderland of the park's marine ecosystem with flora and fauna in its natural habitats like the overhanging Bogak Trees, Brown Eagles, Tree Crabs, Iguanas and Macaques (a monkey).


Kilim Geoforest Park








The skies above Langkawi are dominated by magnificent Birds of Prey, the most conspicuous of which are the White-bellied Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster and the Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus. Both these species are adept at swooping down and plucking unwary fish from the shallow, sandy bays. The common, but stunningly attractive Brahminy Kite with its contrasting white head and breast and brown wings lends Langkawi part of its name; in Malay "helang" means "eagle". In the main town of Kuah is a huge statue of this bird about to take flight.


Shots using my 55mm-200mm Nikkor lense













Probably the most successful primate species in Southeast Asia (besides Homo sapiens), the Long-tailed Macaque (the monkey mentioned earlier) is to be found in a wide range of habitats including primary and secondary forest, mangroves, plantations and the outskirts of towns and villages. Its success is largely due to a varied diet of fruits, leaves, small mammals and birds, shellfish and crabs, as well as human leftovers.

It is identified by the length of its tail, by the shape of the muzzle, and its colour, which is generally grey-brown or reddish-brown. It has a noisy, aggressive temperament and travels in large troupes of up to 30.


Shots using my 55mm-200mm Nikkor lense







Bat cave in the mangrove.

Shot using my Nikkor 18mm-55mm lense

After feeding the eagles, our boats moved downstream and soon the Andaman Sea, located in the northern coast, comes into view as they exit the Kilim River through “The Hole in the Wall”. This is a famous passage so named after a narrow opening between formidable walls of limestone cliffs that connect the river to the open sea.

This narrow gap provides a sheltered area for a thriving fish farm and yachts mooring venture. The farm adopts a very hands-on approach, encouraging visitors to hand feed the multitude of marine life such as groupers, bat fish, blue spotted stingrays, lobsters, mantis prawns and snappers. Visitors can choose their own lunch or dinner directly from the 50-odd cages and have it cooked the way they like at the floating restaurant.

One of the sting-ray during feeding.


A kingfisher waiting to strike! (Attached a 52mm Hoya Polariser to the 18mm-55mm lense to remove unwanted water reflection)


One of the many yachts anchored nearby the fish farm.


3rd Day

Langkawi Beach
Langkawi's beaches are legendary in their pristine beauty. Fringed by swaying palms and sloping gently towards azure blue waters,they gently lull you to take things easy and let the world pass you by. All the beaches are gazetted as public areas and accessible to the public. The sea is free from jelly fish. These shots were taken around 7.30am. The sun hasn't fully 'aweken' yet.







After breakfast, we all head for the airport to catch our flight for Kuala Lumpur which was schedule at 11.30am but got delayed to 2.30pm instead. Oh well... it was a fun trip though. Look up for my KL post soon yah! Hope you enjoyed the pics as much as I have enjoyed taking them.

Before I pen down, I'd like to wish all chinese friends & family a Blessed Chinese New Year!