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Malaysia Travel Guide

SARAWAK SPREADS HER “PROMOTIONAL WINGS” TO ASIA

Kuching – August 13th: The Sarawak Tourism Board (‘STB’) has added another milestone in her efforts to boost Sarawak’s tourism through a collaborative effort with AirAsia and Laduni Services Sdn Bhd. to ensure that Sarawak’s brand will be widely seen on selected aircrafts flying in the region.

Minister thumb up sarawak tourism board air asia cabin ad panel

YB Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak giving thumbs up to one of Sarawak Ad Panel on AirAsia aircraft witness by Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, CEO of STB and Dato Aziz Bakar, AirAsia Board of Director.

Through this collaboration, the overhead cabin compartments of 5 AirAsia planes will be prominently adorned with visuals depicting Sarawak as a destination full of life, vibrancy and excitement, showcasing various attractions of Sarawak’s culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals.

The collaboration was officiated by the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak, YB Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at a signing ceremony held at the Kuching International Airport today.

This promotional effort on the 5 aircrafts involves AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia Thailand, reaching out to 6 countries around Asian countries for duration of one year. Some of the key destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Miri, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Johor Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Alor Setar, Penang and Kuching in Malaysia, Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata in India, Ho Chi Min City, Danang, Hanoi in Vietnam, Medan and Jakarta in Indonesia, Phnom Penh and Siam Rep in Cambodia, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Kunming and Shenzhen in China, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Singapore.

In addition, Sarawak will also be featured in the coveted 360 inflight magazine and other digital platforms at KLIA2.

YB Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said: “We hope that this promotional initiative will be able to give Sarawak greater brand visibility in the region targeting the correct audience among travellers. It serves to convey not only our promotional messages but a chance to showcase our State’s iconic visuals including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Mulu National Park, Sarawak Laksa, Tusan beach, Rainforest World Music Festivals and the Rafflesia flower amongst others.”

Flight connectivity has always been a key structural challenge for the State. It is hoped that promotional efforts such as this will enhance visibility in prime catchment areas within the region.

Echoing the Minister, STB’s CEO Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor said, “Sarawak tourism sees this private-public sector collaboration as a good synergy and consolidated initiative to promote Sarawak to its key target markets. Sarawak has many hidden gems that are waiting to be discovered and aircrafts are certainly one of the best platforms to boost visibility and capture tourists travelling around the Asian countries mentioned.”

Sharzede added that STB is also going strongly on promotions in the digital media realm to capture air travellers who are IT savvy, many of whom tend to use Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), for their travels.

This latest collaboration follows the earlier ‘Visit Sarawak Campaign’ AirAsia aircraft livery, which was launched on February 2, this year. These are among STB’s promotional strategy to create visibility for Sarawak in the domestic and International markets.

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Malaysia Travel Guide

Langkawi, Malaysia Guide

Langkawi

Langkawi, a holiday paradise that combines a tranquil setting from the natural world and luxury from the modern accommodation facilities offering opulence and scenery all at once.

The island of Langkawi, Malaysia is an exotic holiday destination that offers accommodation of all kinds (from budget beach chalets to the most sybaritic five star resorts) and amenities sitting side by side with idyllic beaches, ancient rainforests and quaint villages. Langkawi Malaysia is an archipelago of 99 tropical islands (or 104, depending on tide) off the north-western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, about 30km from Kuala Perlis on the mainland. The island was named after two Malay words – ‘lang’ (eagle) and ‘kawi’ (reddish brown), hence the imposing eagle statue at Dataran Lang (Eagle Square), welcoming visitors who arrive on the island through the Kuah Jetty.

Langkawi Fun Map

The archipelago has some of the world’s most pristine rainforests, limestone and karst formations, caves with stunning stalactites and stalagmites, and among the world’s most beautiful beaches washed by clear emerald waters teeming with marine life.

ATMs and Money Exchange booths are available at the Langkawi Airport, at Langkawi Parade Shopping Complex and next to Underwater World at Pantai Cenang.

Langkawi is a duty-free island, and alcohol is significantly cheaper here than in the rest of Malaysia. Hotel tariffs and retail goods are exempt from government duty. Visitors with more than 48 hr stay in Langkawi are exempt on items like wines and liquor (1 liter), tobacco (200 cigarettes), apparel, cosmetics, souvenirs and gifts, food and food preparations and portable electronic items (one item).

Best Time to Visit


Langkawi, Malaysia is warm and sunny all-year-round. Humidity is high and the annual average temperature is 25C – 32C. Even during rainy season, the mornings are usually filled with sunshine, with the rain coming during overcast afternoons. The mid-season (neither dry nor rainy) is from mid April until August. The mornings are again sunny, but the afternoons can be overcast. The dry season is from mid November until mid April, during which time there is very little rain.

Where to Stay


Casa Del Mar Hotel
Jalan Pantai Cenang, Mukim Kedawang, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi, Malaysia 07000
A 4 star 34 room boutique resort located on the beach at Pantai Cenang. Offering all sea view accommodation in the tourist area of Langkawi, you are just 10 minutes or 7km’s (4miles) from the airport. read more …

The Danna Langkawi Hotel
Telaga Harbour Park, Pantai Kok, Langkawi, Malaysia 07000
Resting peacefully on the west coast of Langkawi Island, this property is surrounded by 2.8 acres of greenery. Capturing a breath taking viw of the green mountains and the marina, The Danna Langkawi Hotel is a few steps away from the white sandy beach. read more …

Tanjung Sanctuary Langkawi Resort
Pantai Kok, Langkawi, Malaysia 07100
Featuring 67 acres of land and private beach, this romantic hotel presents 30 spacious and airy bungalows that provides magnificent views. read more …

Tanjung Rhu Resort
Tanjung Rhu, Mukim Ayer Hangat, Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi, Malaysia
Nestled amidst 1100 acres of rainforest, this eco-friendly resort captures a spectacular view of of the Andaman Sea. Tanjung Rhu Resort boasts 136 tastefully designed rooms and suites that incorporate all five star amenities to ensure utmost comfort. read more …

The Andaman
Jalan Teluk Datai, Datai Bay Area, Langkawi, Malaysia
Bordered by an archaic tropical forest, this property is ideal for an eco-vacation. Nestled between the Cincang Mountain and the untouched Andaman Sea, this property combines a tranquil setting from the natural world and luxury from the resort, offering opulence and scenery all at once. read more …

Where What to Eat


There’s a huge variety of food available on Pulau Langkawi, ranging from cheap and good hawker food to a splurge for gourmet food in the restaurants. The famous laksa is not to be missed.

Nightlife


Because of Langkawi’s tax-free status, alcohol is much cheaper than in the rest of Malaysia. Religious Muslims do not consume alcoholic drinks, and while they do tolerate non Muslims who do, try not to behave in a rowdy imbibed manner near them, their houses, mosques, and please respect local culture and communal sensitivities. For those living on a budget, you can obtain alcohol at cheap prices from the local duty free shops – the larger the outlets, the lower the prices. Expect to pay RM25 for 1L Absolut, RM45 for 1L Kahlua, RM60 for 1L Bailey’s, and RM5-12for 330 ml can beer.

Despite low alcohol prices, Langkawi is predominantly popular with couples and families. Single travellers and backpackers may therefore be disappointed with the lack of nightlife. Most bars remain empty, particularly in the low season, and the 1-2 nightclubs may only seem worthwhile in the peak season, and even then only on Friday or Saturday nights. Overall, Langkawi provides a family-friendly alternative to Thai locations such as Phuket and Koh Samui.

My to do List


There’s so much to see and to do in Langkawi; diving and snorkeling in the pristine water filled with rich marine life tops the list for most people. You can also take a cable car ride up the mountain that offers a breathtaking 360 degrees panoramic view of the islands, the rural lowlands and the seas as far as Thailand. For nature lovers, you can explore the lush forests and appreciate the unique wildlife of the islands from a different perspective.

Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls aka Seven Wells, (Gunung Mat Cincang, Northwest corner of the island, 45 kms from Kuah, walking distance from Oriental village and cable car (10 min)), This waterfall is named after the seven natural pools along its path. Legend has it that fairies used to come down to the pools to bathe and frolic. There are 2 viewing areas at Telaga Tujuh. The lower area is at the base of the waterfall and the higher area is where the 7 pools are. You can bathe in the pools and even slide down the slick rock between them. Be warned, to get to the 7 pools, you have to climb 300+ steps which can get quite slippery when wet. As with most Malaysian tourist sites, the toilet facilities are not maintained and rubbish is strewn everywhere. There is also a jungle trekking course available at the site which will lead you through a trail of up to 2,500 m, up 2 different mountains. This trail is achievable with slippers, but it is best to wear comfortable hiking shoes or boots as some segments of the trail are nearly vertical. Be warned that these trails are not recommended for family trips.

Gunung Raya, (take the snaking paved road through the jungle). The tallest mountain on the island, at 881m. Spectacular views from the lookout point on the top. There is a resort hotel serving meals and indifferent coffee at the summit. There is a lookout tower which one may climb for RM 10.

Pantai Cenang – The most popular beach in Langkawi, features fine powdery sand and many beachfront restaurants and bars. Located at the south-western tip of the island, 2 km long.

Stay Away From


Langkawi can have a lot of mosquitoes depending on the time of year and location (ie Mangrove areas), so don’t forget to use mosquito repellent.

Be careful driving around Langkawi at night. Although main roads are well-lit, some of the more minor roads are not very well lit and may pass through Kampungs (traditional Malay villages) or rural areas where the locals seem to take a very casual approach to road safety.

Beware of smart wild monkeys. Those at Tengkorak beach attack humans who have food.

Jelly fishes are also becoming increasingly prevalent and have caused at least one death – a Swedish tourist in early 2010. Do not swim at night or when you have been drinking.

Don’t participate in certain activities such as eagle feeding and monkey feeding as this harms the animals by encouranging them to become reliant on tourists and you may give them the wrong food.

Beware of restaurants telling you that they only have the bigger size lobsters or crabs available, as that is what they tell everyone. When your lobster or crab is served, you will discover that you will definitely be paying for 900g of shell instead of meat!

Getting There


The island of Langkawi can be reached through sea and air.

The Langkawi International Airport is one of the 7 international airports in Malaysia is 25 minutes’ drive from Kuah city center and is the point of entry for most tourists, and connects the island to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Penang, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Phuket and also Subang. The following airlines offer service to/from Langkawi: AirAsia , Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, Happy Airways, and SilkAir.

Malaysia Airlines
Local: 1300 88 3000
International: +60 (0)3 7846 3000

Air Asia
Local: 1300 88 99 33
International: +60 03 7884 9000

Silk Air Singapore
+65 (0)6 223 8888

Langkawi Ferry operates fast A/C boats from Kuala Perlis (RM18, 75 min), Kuala Kedah (RM23, 105 min), Penang (RM60, 165 min), and Satun(RM30 or THB300, 75 min), (Satun ferry to Langkawi: last boat departs Satun at 4PM. Telaga Harbour operates ferries from Ko Lipe, Thailand twice per day during the high season, at 9:30AM and 2:30PM (RM128 1-way, RM248 return, 75 min). These boats dock at the south end of Pattaya Beach. Bookings can be made online.

The Express Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur promises a comfortable and economical journey up to Alor Setar (Kedah) and/or Arau(Perlis). From Alor Setar or Arau, buses and taxis are available to Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis respectively, from where the Ferry Services take you to the island.

Malaysia Islands and Beaches

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Tourism Malaysia

Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2012

January 9, 2012 at 12:30 pm

It is that time of the year again where fans of yacht racing flock to Langkawi in Kedah to catch the premier sailing event of Asia, the Royal Langkawi International Regatta. This event will begin on 9th January and will go on until 14th January 2012. This year marks the 10th regatta to be organised by the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club since it started in 2003. Langkawi will also be the host once again for the many different classes of competition, including the Racing Class, IRC Class, Sports Boat, Multihull, Club Cruising and Ocean Rover.

Langkawi is set to host Asia’s premier sailing event – the Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2012

This year’s race will be preceded by a curtain-raiser, the Ao Chalong – Langkawi ‘Champagne Run’ which will kick off on 7th January 2012 from Ao Chalong Yacht Club, Ao Chalong Bay in Phuket, Thailand to Telaga Harbour in Langkawi, Kedah. The teams that will be competing in this year’s regatta will be vying for the Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy (for participants of internationally registered yachts), the Commodore’s Challenge Cup (for participants of club-registered cruisers), the LADA-IRC Challenge Trophy (for participants of the IRC 1 Class), the Langkawi Sports Trophy (for participants in the Sports Boat Class) and the Malaysian Multihull Challenge Cup (for participants under the Multihull category).

For more information on racing schedules and also about the Royal Langkawi International Regatta, please log on to the main website here.

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