Two Thousand Feet Above Langkawi
Joe on December 29th, 2009 | Filed under Travel
Given I have a fear of heights, you might think that the Langkawi Sky Bridge would be a disincentive to visit Langkawi, instead of an attraction, but there must be something in human beings to draw them to the very things that, in most cases, they might fear. Call it a challenge, call it coming to terms with the intangible, even irrational, concerns inside oneself, but I believe if I were to take a trip to one of the luxury hotels Langkawi provides, I would soon find myself on a cable car rising above the forests of Guinung Mat Chinchang, and walking out over the curved four hundred foot length of this extraordinary pedestrian bridge. I understand that on a clear day you can see Thailand from the bridge.
After such an experience, though, you can be equally assured that I would be descending as fast as I could to return to the beaches for which Langkawi is famous. Datai Bay, Burau Bay, Pantai Kok, Pantai Cenang, and Pantai Tengah are among the most popular of these beaches. In this tropical island, you’ll find stretches of white sand, beaches lined with tall coconut trees, rocky outcrops and small capes, and so on. You can travel from beach to beach and have a different experience in each one. And, after summoning the courage to go out the Sky Bridge, I’m going to need to relax a great deal. In fact, if I’m daring enough to walk out into the sky over two thousand feet above sea level, what’s to stop me from indulging my other fear? I can go underwater next, scuba diving.
Langkawi is a part of the state of Kedah in Malaysia, and it’s name has been recently changed (in 2008) to make people more aware of this fact. Once known as Langkawi Geopark, it’s now “Langkawi Permata Kedah” (or Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah). Kedah, itself, eighth largest state in Malaysia. If I’m not satisfied with the challneges that the Sky Bridge poses to me, then there’s another challenge elsewhere in Kedah: The tallest tower in Kedah is the Menara Alor Setar. It stands about 541 feet and is a telecommunications tower, but it’s also a destination point for tourists in the town of Alor Setar. It contains restaurants and a gift shop, but, most importantly, it has an observation deck standing about 288 feet above the ground.
On second thought, considering that the Sky Bridge is over 2,200 feet above the sea, I probably should start out with the Menara Alor Setar and work my way up.
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