what ohsem about langkawi...
Langkawi is an island of legends. Its name is believed to have originated from the abundance of eagles on the island: helang (eagle in Malay) and the word 'kawi' stands for 'reddish brown'.In the book named The Legends of Langkawi by Tun Mohamed Zahir is another reference of the island's. It says that the term 'Langkawi' is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Langka (beauty) and Wi (innumerable), with mean that Langkawi is the place of immense beauty. Particularly if you take a river cruise through the mangroves and limestone rocks, you can see plenty of reddish brown eagles in the island, where you can even feed the eagles that swoop in as you throw small dead fish into the water. The Eagle Square that stand in Kuah town facing the waters is the huge majestic structure of reddish brown eagle that clearly can be seen, symbolizing langkawi's deep connection with the birds.
When the island was granted tax-free status on 1987 after remain a sleepy backwater with the intention of promoting tourism and improve the lives of the islanders.The main settlement of locals is in Kuah, a dusty town noticeably beloved for its array of duty-free stores. Other popular areas include the beaches such as Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah, the quite strips of Pantai Kok and Padang Matsirat and the exclusive beaches of Datai Bay and Tanjung Rhu. it can be say no matter where you go on Langkawi you will find that legents and myths permeate its culture and history, so you can improve your knowledge and familiarise yourself with the island’s most popular stories.
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Of course there are many perspective on Langkawi’s origin, including those from legends & folklore, but officially (and according to history books) we can surmise that the island was under the rule of the Sultanate of Kedah for a very long time. Eventually, it came under British rule during the colonial century and then, but it was controlled by the Thai monarchy for a brief period during World War II. Evident by the number of Thai restaurants and Siamese-inspired sights clearly show the influence of Thai on Langkawi's culture.
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On 15 Jul 2008, sultan Kedah that is Sultan Abdul Halim, in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration, he consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah. "Mahsuri's Curse," which was lifted with the birth of her 7th generation descendant was one of the history that popular in Langkawi. On 2007 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) declared that 10,000 hectares of langkawi and its 99 islands as a Geopark.
Today, Langkawi is the second island after Penang that probably the busiest island of Malaysia. With the increment number of visitors every year the landscape has change dramatically.
