Langkawi Attractions
Langkawi has its own unique tourist attractions. To begin with, the visitor coming in from the Andaman Sea would be welcomed to Langkawi by the statue of a stately reddish brown eagle, getting ready to fly into the sky. By understanding the local dialect one comes to know that the word ‘helang’ refers to the eagle and ‘Kawi’ to the color reddish brown. The giant eagle gives a matching personality to Langkawi. People agree that the eagle apart from taking care of the place is also a symbol of foresight and Langkawi seems to be poised for a bright economic future ahead.
The statue of the eagle is located near the Kuah jetty and is popularly called the Eagle Square. The busy humdrum of life during the daytime makes the statue look all the more beautiful as it distinctly matches with the hustle and bustle of the life around the jetty. The statue is lit up during the night giving the eagle a more powerful presence in the area.
The Underwater World Langkawi is another major attraction in Langkawi. This is one of the biggest aquariums in the Asian subcontinent with nothing less than about 500 different species of aquatic life displayed in tanks of varying sizes. The area covered by the Underwater World Langkawi is close to about 7 acres. Entrance to the Underwater World Langkawi is through a ticket fare, which is different for Malaysians and non-Malaysians. It takes almost one entire day to have a look at all the species in the aquarium.
As you move into Mukim Ulu Melaka you would be drawn to the tomb of Makam Mahsuri. Legend has it that Makam Mahsuri was a young Thai girl married to a man who went off to war leaving her alone. She befriended another man named Deraman and though she was innocent, the wife of the village head spread the rumour that she was in an adulterous relationship with Deraman. This rumour grew in strength and it was decided that Makam Mahsuri should die. She was to be stabbed several times until she bled to death. Though Makam Mahsuri pleaded innocence, no one cared and she bled to death. Surprisingly white blood was oozing out of her wounds and she cursed Langkawi saying that the place will be crippled with bad luck for the next seven generations. People believe strongly in this curse because the prosperity of Langkawi today is due to the last of the seven generations having passed over. The tomb is a 'must – visit' for all tourists in view of the folklore prevalent in Langkawi.
The Langkawi Snake Sanctuary at Langkawi is also another place of interest for the tourist. Getting into the Langkawi Snake Sanctuary is against the purchase of a reasonably priced ticket. Once inside, you will be amazed at the vast collection of venomous and non-venomous snakes that are in the Langkawi Snake Sanctuary. There are special touch and feel sessions too where the visitor is encouraged to touch and feel non-venomous species under strict supervision. There is an auditorium, which has regular shows on snakes, and some of the deadliest snakes are explained in these shows.
The Langkawi cable car is one more of the major attractions in Langkawi. The Langkawi Cable Car is based at the Machincang mountain range and has three stations en route. The cable car takes the visitor to a maximum height of around 800 metres above sea level and en route, the visitor is treated to some of the best natural scenic beauties that he could ever have seen. The foliage of the rain forests below, the green ridges along the mountain slopes, the rock formations and the deep gorges, with the Arabian Sea thundering in the distance are some of the rare sights that the visitor gets to see.
