Ever since I was a child, entranced by pirate stories, I’ve wanted to explore a tropical island, so when I had an opportunity to visit Langkawi Island, in Malaysia it was a dream come true.

Langkawi is the largest in a group of 99 islands nestled off the north-west coast of Malaysia just south of Thailand. Once the island attracted seafarers and traders bringing spices and silks from China and India. Pirates also plied the turquoise waters of the Adaman sea and while Penang, Malacca and Singapore became significant trading centres, Langkawi lay forgotten, ignored by the passing merchant ships. Was it because they feared that pirates lurked in Langkawi’s secluded coves? Or was it because of the curse that a beautiful maiden had put on the island when she was executed for a crime she did not commit. The story of Makam Mahsuri is just one of Langkawi’s many legends.

Part of Langkawi’s charm are the myths and legends which reflect a strong tradition of storytelling by the locals. Fairies are said to reside at Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells). And you can visit caves where the limestone forms mystical shapes and there are ancient inscriptions on the walls.

Island Hopping

Pulau Dayan Bunting is an island steeped in myths. As the boat approaches, its mountainous form takes the shape of a sleeping maiden. As I step ashore, I am greeted by swarms of long-tailed macaques: whole monkey families: -- grumpy grandpas, over-protective dads, mothers with new babies held securely against their breasts and mischievous youngsters. Don’t leave your bags unattended or the monkeys will rummage through them like pirates searching for booty.

The jade green Lake of the Pregnant Maiden is a fifteen minute walk through the jungle. Legend has it that a celestial princess married a mortal prince and gave birth to a baby which died soon after. Heartbroken she buried the baby in the lake, and before returning to her celestial home, blessed the lake so that any maiden who wishes to conceive who bathes there would become pregnant. It didn’t deter me from enjoying a leisurely swim in the warm crystal-clear water.

Leaving the island we cruised to a place where flocks of majestic bronze-coloured eagles surrounded our boat, diving and soaring around us. These birds give Langkawi its name: Brown Eagle. Continuing past many small, jungle-covered islands we reach Pulau Beras Basah, “the Isle of Wet Rice” deserted except for the ubiquitous monkeys.

The main town on the island is Kuah (Kwa). In Malay this means “gravy” and is associated with the legend of two giants who spilled a pot of gravy at this spot. The island’s two highest mountains - Mat Cincang and Mat Raya, are named after the giants. An impressive eagle sculpture guards the harbour. Next to Eagle Square is Taman Lagenda (Park of Legends) exhibiting the myths and legends of the island.

A good place to find bargains is in the small shopping mall that has a duty free shop or at the out-door market where you must bargain for goods. At the Batik Craft bazaar we are shown the technique of creating batiks with wax and paint and I even got to try painting one myself. Traditional crafts of Langkawi are displayed at the Craft and Cultural Complex nearby.

A place that has great significance in the island’s history and legends is the Mausoleum of Makam Mahsuri. This beautiful young maiden came from Thailand (Siam) in the 1800s and married the son of the tribal chief. She was respected and loved by everyone. But her mother-in-law who jealous and accused the girl of adultery. Mahsuri was sentenced to death despite her pleas of innocence. As she died, she cursed the island. For seven generations Langkawi did not prosper, until 1987 after the movie “Anna and the King” starring Jodie Foster was filmed here.

Whether fact or fiction, the museum at the site shows proof in the form of English newspaper clippings decrying her wrongful execution and a genealogy chart with photos tracing her history. There is also a movie re-enactment of the tragedy.

An adventurous boat trip from a Malay fishing village took us up the Kilim River through the dense and swampy mangrove forest passing by rocky Flying Fox Island to observe the hundreds of huge bats that hang from the trees. These “flying foxes” or “flying dogs” have wing spans that can reach 1.2 meters. As the boat plied its way to the mangrove forest, we spotted some ‘mangrove’dogs (Malay dingos), a small russet-coloured dog that can run about in the muck and mire without sinking. The mangrove forest is home to many species of wild life such as pythons, monitor lizards, and crocodiles. Many shades of green reflect in the water from the jungle. Mangrove trees are used for the production of charcoal and are protected by the ecologists and forestry service.

In the heart of the mangrove forest, the boat ties up at the mouth of a bat cave, the Gua Kelewar (Cave of Bats) habitat of hundreds of fruit bats which cling to the ceiling among the colourful spikes of stalactites.

Sailing back to sea, we stop at another deserted beach where we enjoyed a most refreshing swim observed, of course, by a family of curious macaques.

It has been a memorable holiday, fulfilling my life’s dream of lazing on a tropical island but the only legendary ‘pirates’ I encountered were those pesky monkeys.

Food and Lodging

When my friend and I arrived on the island by plane from Kuala Lumpur we were whisked by taxi to the Langkawi Lagoon Resort, a short drive along a roadway lined with palms and rice padis where lazy water buffalo wallow against a backdrop of forested hills. The resort is located by a wide blue lagoon. Part of its charm are the traditional wooden kampung houses built on stilts over the water.

Langkawi is a culinary paradise with an impressive selection of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai restaurants. One first-class choice is the Matahari Malay Restaurant, a little compound of traditional Malay buildings surrounded by gardens, palms, flowering shrubs and cobbled pathways lit by little lamps. Absolutely charming! A bevy of lovely young Malay women graciously escorted us to our table. The menu offered Sayur Masaic Loder, vegetables cooked in coconut milk, vermicelli and bean curd, Ayam Gulai Kampung, chicken cooked in a clay pot with shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry and lemon leaf, turmeric and coconut milk served with a plate of rice, each dish attractively garnished with a darling little red pepper cut into flower petals with green leaves. Traditional Malay music played while we dined.. After dinner we browsed around the lamp-lit gardens inspecting the bird baths full of flowers and tiny green frogs. Even a visit to the washroom was a delight. Sprays of fragrant plumeria were scattered around the counters and floated in the toilet bowls!