Off the northwest coast of peninsular Malaysia in the Straits of Malacca, just a few miles south of the Thai border, lie over a hundred magical islands – some just small outcrops of coral with a few trees and a sandy beach of which Langkawi is the largest.

The main island is known as Pulau Langkawi and 40,000 people live there, mainly Malay. The island is popular as a tourist destination with some excellent beaches.
Langkawi enjoys a vast array of culinary delights, made up of Malay, Thai, Chinese and Indian cuisine. Fish features on every menu as does the exotic fruit. As well as fresh coconuts year round and plenty of Starfruit, there's the soft, sweet Ciku, the Pomelo (Jerunga) Jackfruit, Rambutan and the Mangosteen. The Spiky green Durian fruit which looks nasty, smells horrible but tastes delicious is a national favourite, perhaps not least because of its powerful aphrodisiac qualities.

As Langkawi is a duty free island this is an ideal place to stock up on goods. Good value souvenirs include Silks and Gold.
Langkawi is a small place and relatively new to tourism. To show respect for the Muslim faith we recommend that when in town you dress modestly and leave skimpy clothing for the beaches and when on board!

The population is an estimated 55,000 of which 90% are Malays. The other ethnic groups consist mainly of Chinese, Indians and Thais.