Langkawi sandy beaches and tranquil seas are a paradise for boaters and divers

Hollywood stars such as Oscar winner Jodie Foster, kings, queens and world renowned celebrities have come ashore to take well-deserved breaks, reported the Straits Times.

The Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) is however, definitely not basking in the sun, content with the phenomenal success thus far.

The authority is in talks with an investor to build a world-class theme park. The investor is just as bullish about Langkawi's potential to be further developed.

"Langkawi has some 6,000 rooms. Some people say that is enough but this foreign investor feels the island needs at least 30,000 rooms," said Lada's newly-appointed general manager Anwar Abdul Rahman.

Langkawi, which celebrates its second anniversary as Tourism City on March 24, will definitely see more tourism products being added to its attractions.

Besides the proposed theme park, Lada will open its Marina Harbour Park at Pantai Kok towards the later part of the year.

The C$7 million park will have international-class berthing facilities for small and large yachts, Immigration and Customs checkpoints, a jetty and a shopping promenade.

Two small islands have been built close to the park as breakwater.

Since its inception in 1990, Lada has spent more than C$300 million on developing the island. This has helped to woo a steady stream of tourists, with 1.9 million visitors landing on Langkawi over the last two years.

Langkawi means red eagle in Malay

"Tourist arrivals remained strong despite those two incidents. Of the 1.9 miliion visitors, 1.7 million were Malaysians."

"We are learning from two very aggressive states in the tourism sector--Penang and Sarawak--on how to promote Langkawi internationally to make it a premier world-class tourist destination similar to Phuket and Bali or even better."

Anwar said Lada's aim was to ensure a variety of tourism products to attract everyone. Those into eco-tourism could take the cable car ride up to Mount Machinchang to enjoy the flora and fauna, jungle trekking in Mount Raya or simply take a mangrove swamp tour.

Langkawi, a duty-free haven, offers fantastic prices on a wide choice of designer goods, crockery, textile and chocolates.

Sun 'worshippers' are spoilt for choice, the island being home to many resorts by the seaside offering white sandy beaches and pristine waters.

GETTING THERE

Langkawi group comprises 99 tropical islands off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There are daily ferry services from Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis.

A one-way trip takes about an hour. Langkawi is 50 kilometres from Kuala Kedah and 30 kilometres from Kuala Perlis. The Kuala Lumpur-Alor Star and Kuala Lumpur-Arau sectors are well served by express buses. Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia have daily flights from Kuala Lumpur.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

Cable Car: Langkawi, for years, told the story of Mahsuri to all those who visited the island. Now, it has another tale--the story of Gunung Machinchang. Take the cable car ride to know more. From the peak, visitors will have a view of the whole island, Datai Peninsula, Andaman Sea and the southern Thai islands of Ko Terutai and the coastline of the southern Thai province of Satun.

Eagle Square: The square is Langkawi's most prominent landmark for visitors arriving by sea. Situated near Kuah jetty, the main attraction is the magnificent statue of a reddish brown eagle majestically poised for flight. According to folklore, Langkawi derived its named from the eagle or 'helang'. In old Malay, kawi is reddish brown. Langkawi means reddish brown eagle. The square is beautifully landscaped and features scenic ponds, bridges, covered terraces and restaurants.

Galeria Perdana: The gallery houses the awards, souvenirs and gifts received from world leaders, statesmen as well as Malaysians by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Dr Mahathir believes the collection belongs to the people of Malaysia and Government.

Laman Padi Langkawi: The history, heritage and development of padi growing are displayed here. It also functions as the industry's information and knowledge dissemination centre.

More information contact Tourism Malaysia at 1-888-669-6872 or go to www.malaysiatourism.ca