Island is a fantasy come true

he Malaysians call it a fantasy island and, for many foreigners, it comes as close as they are ever likely to find. Langkawi is emerging as a rival to Indonesia’s Bali or Thailand’s Phuket, but strict planning regulations will ensure that the island is never over-developed.
Langkawi is the largest of a cluster of nearly 100 islands off the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula, north of the island of Penang. For most of its existence, Langkawi has languished as an undeveloped island, its inhabitants working on rubber plantations or farms.
It is only relatively recently that the island’s economy has been turned around by the development of hotels, restaurants and facilities for tourists. There are now 6,500 hotel rooms, a fifth of them in the five-star category, and around two million tourists visit annually.

ZAINAL KARIB RAHIM, general manager of the Langkawi Development Authority, wants to turn Langkawi into a major regional attraction

Zainal Karib bin Abdul Rahim, general manager of the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada), says the aim is to increase the number of hotel rooms to 7,500 by 2005. The authority is targeting the more upmarket tourist who can afford a four- or five-star hotel and can spend longer on the island.
Britain has had a long association with Malaysia, and British visitors have been going to Langkawi for years, drawn by the pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters. Some have bought property there, as have Australians and South Africans.
Lada’s main focus for the promotion of Langkawi is Western Europe. Mr Rahim says it will also target Eastern Europe
and China, both of which have a growing number of travellers.

Many people are happy just to have a relaxing beach holiday and, in this respect, Langkawi is perfect. There are dozens of excellent beaches, two of the more notable being Pantai Genang, where watersports enthusiasts are well-catered for, and Pantai Tengah.
On the western coast of Langkawi, 25km from the town of Kuah, are the two idyllic beaches of Pantai Kok and Burau Bay. A good 18-hole golf course overlooks the emerald sea at Datai Bay, and Pantai Tanjung Rhu beach in the northwest of Langkawi is delightful, with its swaying casuarinas and gentle atmosphere.
Island-hoppers can take their pick from nearly 100 nearby, including Pulau Singar Besar (Island of the Big Lion) and Pulau Dayan Bunting (Island of the Pregnant Maiden). Both are rich in flora and fauna, and on the former visitors can hike on trails through tropical jungle.

Langkawi itself boasts a crocodile farm where you can watch wrestling matches between employees and the crocodiles, as well as hot springs and waterfalls. There are daily flights to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. Alternatively, there are 45-minute ferry rides from Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis. Ferries also depart from Penang.
Mr Rahim adds: “Our objective is to turn Langkawi into a main tourist centre in this part of the world. Although we are new, we are doing quite well and we are working hard to achieve our objective.”