beaches of Malaysia

Since my first visit to Malaysia in 1994, I've always been curious about Langkawi; an island very close to the border of Kingdom of Thailand. Back than my friends told me it would be empty because of rain season. So I've never been there. Than suddenly, a phone call while I was in Bangkok opened an opportunity to live in Langkawi.

I've arrived there in October, 2006 which was almost the beginning of high season. I've flew to Kuala Lumpur with Gulf Air and than to Langkawi with Air Asia. The airport is small, few shops and cafes, lots of car rental benches and taxis. It's clever to rent a car in Langkawi because taxi is more expensive than big cities. Also there are no public transports, if you want to go around, you always need a taxi. It's very easy to find a good deal for a small car or with a little more budget a Perodua jeep. More expensive cars are available but I don't think it's necessary.

There are lots of hotels and resorts in Langkawi. Most of them are stationed around Pantai Cenang area. But if you want to live there, you don't have many choices.

If you want to live in Langkawi, you might prefer a condo. There are 5 choices; Century Surya which is close to the west Kuah Town, almost in the middle of the town; Kondo Istana, Chogm Villa which is what I've chosen back than, Sri Lagenda is right at the opposite of Chogm Villa and in a very remote place between Pantai Cenang and Pantai Kok; Perdana Beach Resort. Also you can find Malay houses around Pantai Cenang or other areas. It's really hard to find a decent one and usually most of them need lots of repairs.

Prices vary between 1000rm (~$290) and 3500rm (~$1000). Kondo Istana and Century Suria looks very nice but they have poor pools and prices are high compared to others. I strongly recommend Chogm Villa which is a very beautiful place. Apartment quality is same as the other condos and it has a very big beautiful pool.

For shopping there are not much choices. You can go to Langkawi Fair which is the biggest shopping mall now. You can find a good supermarket here and lots of shops where you can buy nice souvenirs, furniture etc. Most of the good quality and brand shops are here. There is also Langkawi Parade at the west entrance of the town. It's the poorer version of Langkawi Fair. But it has a large supermarket at the bottom floor where you can find lots of goods. Other than these malls you can go to Trimula to buy mobile phones, some electronics and house accessories like curtains, window blinds.

Food in Langkawi is really good. There are lots of choices. You can find almost any type of cousine here; Thai, Japanese, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Italian and even Russian. Because of its touristic state, island has very good high quality restaurants. But for long term, you need to learn where to buy goods to cook by yourself. Other than buying from markets, there is a wet market in Padang Matsirat which is close to Langkawi International Airport. Here you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables as well as fish, crabs and lobster.

Going in and out of island is a little problem. Penang is quite close, you can go there by ferry but ferry hours for a round trip to Penang is not useful at all. From airport, you can fly to almost anywhere. Like any other Southeast Asia country, flights are really cheap. If you want to go to mainland by car, you must send your car one day before with freight service than take it there. If you bought your car in Langkawi, because of its duty free status, you can use it in mainland not more than one month.

Once you get your own car or bike, it's really easy to find your way around in Langkawi. People are quite friendly and most of them speak English. Also the foreign community of the island is really large and they are really willing to help.

Malaysia is a fantastic destination, situated right in the heart of South-east Asia. Bestowed with rich bio-diversity of marine life, sandy beaches, and clear sparkling water - Malaysia's each of the more than 200 islands is a much favored spot for enjoying scuba diving, along with a range of other such activities as swimming, snorkelling, water-skiing, cruising, boating, and fishing.

The coral ecosystem in Malaysia is reported to be one of the best in the world, boasting of more than 500 species of corals and over 3000 species of fish. Its clear water coupled with warm salubrious weather throughout the year allows to sustain magnificent millions-of-year-old marine life. In short, scuba diving in the incredible islands of Malaysia would be a mesmerizing experience, and enable divers to swim along with a diverse range of marine life including hammered sharks, manta rays, ghost pipefish, barracudas, bizarre frogfish, rare turtles, and unique whales.

Situated off Semporana town on the east coast of Sabah, Sipadan Island is perhaps the most popular diving destination in Malaysia. With 12 interesting diving sites, Sipadan is rated among the top five beach dives in the world. What that set apart this island from other Malaysian islands is that it is the only oceanic island in the nation, rising about 2000 feet from the seabed on a limestone summit. Sipadan is not only home to magnificent coral structure but also to some unique marine caves. Additionally, the island has to its credit the largest variety of soft corals in the world.

Acknowledged as the 'Marine Paradise,' Redang Island, located about 45 km off Kuala Terangganu, is another popular diving site in Malaysia. Redang's marine life is truly bewildering, and allows divers to come through more than 500 species of live corals, thousand plus species of invertebrates and about 2500 species of fish such as manta rays, stingrays, sharks and whale sharks. Since it is blessed with such a unique ecosystem, the Redang archipelago has been declared the 'Pulau Redang Marine Parks, Malaysia.' With more than 20 diving spots, Redang really provides feasts for the eyes of diving enthusiasts and photographers.

Also, a great diving destination in Malaysia is Layang Layang Island, which is made up of more than 10 coral reefs. Situated about 300 km northwest of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Layang Layang is a remote island with more than 12 superb spectacular diving spots, each of which is home to a diverse marine life, from macro animals to huge pelagic animals.

No diving vacation in Malaysia would be complete without taking a tour to Mabul Island, located approximately 15 minutes drive from Sipadan. Surrounded by white sandy beaches, Mabul is much famed as one of the best muck diving spots in the world. Nearby Mabul is Kapalai Island, providing a unique diving experience.

Other popular diving spots in Malaysia are Tioman Island - the largest of 64 volcanic islands; Perhentian group of islands with limitless stretch of palm-fringed beaches, coral reefs, and sparkling water sea; Besar Island with unparalleled tranquility and stunning beaches; Pangkor Island, a short drive from Kuala Lumpur; Langkawi archipelago with 99 islands; and Payar Island, covered with tropical forest comprising mangroves and sandy beaches.

No matter you want to enjoy open water diving, cave diving, drift diving, deep diving, or high altitude diving, Malaysia's exotic islands provide excellent options. Even superb facilities are available for most advanced types of scuba diving such as industrial or technical scuba diving, with equipments such as portable emergency oxygen kits, tank refilling items, and other required equipments.

A plethora of dive centers functions here, many of which are certified by some of the reputable agencies from across the world. For those diving enthusiast who don't know how to dive, majority of these dive center conduct scuba diving courses and that too endorsed by such agencies as PADI, BSAC, SSI, and NAUI. Among the diving courses are open water course, diver instructor course, adventure diving courses, PADI master scuba diving course, and re-breather course. On completion of the course, you are given opportunity to outfit with the most modern scuba equipment to dive along the mesmerizing islands of Malaysia.

Apart from these, many of the high-end hotels and resorts located across the Malaysian islands render world-class facilities for scuba diving. Some of them even provide packages inclusive of scuba diving in some of the most favored destinations in the nation, along with diving equipments, accommodation, and dining options.