Monday, 5 November 2007


langkawi



Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of Malaysia's Kedah state, but are adjacent to the Thai border. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 45,000, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is a duty-free island.The name Langkawi is a combination of 'Lang' and 'Kawi'. 'Lang' means 'Helang' eagle in Malay. In the past days the land was a home to innumerable eagles. 'Kawi' is the Sanskrit word for marble, which is found in excess in this part of Malaysia. Both these words together joined to form the word 'Helangkawi' which ultimately became as Langkawi.

Another reference found in the book of Tun Mohamed Zahir's named 'The Legends of Langkawi' which says its a mix of two sanskrit words 'Langka' (beauty) and 'Wi' (innumerable).










Cameron Highlands

Cameron Highlands is a highland region located about 20 km east of Ipoh and about 150 km north of Kuala Lumpur in Pahang, Malaysia. At 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above sea level it is the highest area on the mainland, and enjoys a cool climate, with temperatures no higher than 25 °C and rarely falling below 12 °C year round.The Highlands were named after William Cameron, a British colonial government surveyor who discovered the plateau during a mapping expedition in 1885. The fame of Cameron Highlands then grew during the colonial era when British planters realised the potential of its fertile mountain slopes for growing tea, then a prized commodity. The Cameron Highlands are still home to many tea plantations, being Malaysia's largest tea-producing region. The area is also known as a major supplier of legumes and vegetables to both Malaysia and Singapore with its many farms, and is one of Malaysia's prime tourist destinations.
























cameron highlands map