Destination: Langkawi (Part 2)

Image by ApanY2K

Some of Langkawi's best attractions include their "Geosites" as declared by UNESCO, and duty-free shopping! Here are some spots to check out.

Langkawi Geopark

Actually, all of Langkawi is considered a Global Geopark site by UNESCO but there are sites you can visit to witness for yourself what exactly warrants this. The best way to enjoy these geosites without exacting yourself is via boat tours. Such a tour will bring you around the islands of Langkawi to visit key conservation areas such as the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park and Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park.

Image by Jin Han Tan

Some additional info: Karst formations are formed through dissolution of bedrocks over thousands of years; Cambrian rocks are some of the oldest in the world, dating back to at least some 450 million years ago, so the Machincang area is very old indeed; meanwhile, Marble refers to metamorphosed limestone in this instance, instead of the ones we associate with buildings and sculptures.

Depending on the tour you choose, you could be visiting any of these places: wetland mangroves along the Kilim river where there are many opportunities to spot various wildlife from mud crab to monkeys to monitor lizards; the Floating Fish Farm where you can feed stingrays and shooting archer fish; do some rock-trekking at Fossil Island; Gua Langsir, or Hidden Cave, obscured behind some mangrove roots but overlooking a beautiful lake; and Bat Cave, where large colonies of bats live amid the stalactites and stalagmites formed naturally through thousands of years of erosion.

Duty-Free Shopping

Image by Khalzuri Yazid

While most visitors don't go to Langkawi primarily for shopping, nothing wrong with a bit of bargain-hunting whilst on the island as the goods are duty-free. Some complexes to check out are Jetty Point Duty Free Complex, Langkawi Saga Shopping Centre and Cote de Parfume for lower-priced branded perfumes in Kuah Town; the main Pantai Cenang beach road for batik prints, souvenirs and knick knacks, Zon Duty Free Shopping Complex and Coco Valley for chocolates in the Pantai Cenang area (these last two are near the Underwater World Langkawi); and the Oriental Village, which has many souvenir and handicraft stores as well as duty-free shops, in the Pantai Kok area, which is more relaxed and provides a chance to take a breather while yacht-watching (and pretend you're in Nice, France or Monaco LOL ;) )

Looks like I have my list of things to do in Langkawi all set. Now to get the best deals on flight tickets and hotels!