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Isles of Legends & Mystiques
Langkawi:
K
nown
as the ‘Jewel of Kedah’, Langkawi is a postcard-perfect
destination in Malaysia that comprises of 99 magical islands.
With its sandy white beaches, island-hopping and water sport
activities, exciting nightlife, duty-free shopping and secluded
beach resorts that offers you the utmost privacy and relaxation,
Langkawi is definitely the paradise of Malaysia. But besides
all these attributes, it is an island like no other—one where
age-old myths and legends co-exist with the modern world today. From the
wrongly persecuted fair maiden to chilling vampires, here are some of the
anecdotal accounts of famous mythical stories that give the island its unmistak-
able mysterious allure.
ALL IN A NAME
Where did Langkawi get its magnificent
name from? Some locals believe that the
name originates from the abundance of
two things on the island— eagles and
marble. The Brahminy Kite, a species
of eagle that’s fondly known as ‘Lang
Merah’ in Malay is unique to the island,
and marble is incidentally known as
‘Kawi’ in Sanskrit. Others believe that the
island gets its name from a combination
of two Sanskrit words: ‘Langka’ (beauty)
and ‘Wi’ (innumerable), which means
‘The Place of Immense Beauty’. True
enough, this island was also once known
as the ‘Land of Bliss’ dating back 2,000
years ago.
Brahminy Kite eagles
are unique to the island
W o r d s :
E s t h e r C h e w
THE FIREFLY OPTION:
Fireflyflies toLangkawi fromSubangandPenang. Information
on routes and schedules canbe found atwww.fireflyz.com.my