News

LANGKAWI, 25 June 2025: Langkawi isn’t just about beaches, duty-free shops, or seafood dinners with a view. Look up or, better yet, pause for a moment, and you’ll notice a quieter, wilder rhythm unfolding above and around you: birdsong in the trees, silhouettes gliding between branches, flashes of colour darting across the sky. Welcome to Langkawi’s hidden world of birds. Langkawi lies just six degrees north of the Equator, where the equatorial and tropical climate zones overlap. This unique position creates an ecological crossroads that supports a remarkable diversity of birdlife, especially for an island its size. Best of all, you don’t need to be an expert or own expensive gear to enjoy it, even your smartphone camera will do the trick. Forget the myth that birdwatching is only for the seasoned or the thoughtfully equipped. As the locals might say, your “Mark II eyeballs” will do just fine. Even a modest pair of binoculars can open up a whole new layer of Langkawi’s natural magic. Start with the raptors that command the skies above Langkawi. These birds of prey are a common sight in the mangroves, coastlines, and hillsides, often spotted gliding effortlessly on rising thermals. Look out for the White-bellied Sea Eagle, the Crested Serpent Eagle, and the unmistakable Brahminy Kite, with its striking chestnut plumage and white head, often seen circling above fishing boats or perched near the water’s edge. Deeper inland, in the island’s forested highlands, hornbills add a touch of prehistoric drama to the treetops. The Great Hornbill, in particular, is a majestic presence on Mount Raya. With its heavy, curved bill and unmistakable barking call, it’s often seen gliding between fruiting trees in the early hours. A sunrise walk or drive up Gunung Raya offers one of the best chances to spot this iconic species in action. In the cooler months, Langkawi welcomes migratory visitors. Herons, egrets, and other wetland birds fill the paddy fields in search of fish and grubs, turning these landscapes into seasonal theatres of activity. Meanwhile, colourful residents like kingfishers and sunbirds dazzle with their plumage, if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse before they vanish into the foliage. Sunbirds, in particular, are small, shimmering nectar-lovers often spotted near flowering plants. Though not quite hummingbirds, they belong to the same dazzling family tree. The best way to start is to keep it simple. A local bird guidebook, a pair of binoculars (or none at all), and maybe a local guide with a good eye. And yes, your smartphone can be an excellent companion for birding. With a decent zoom, a steady hand, and a little patience, it can turn into a surprisingly effective birdwatching tool. Langkawi’s birds are storytellers, characters, and companions for those who take the time to notice. So on your next visit, tune your senses skyward. You might leave with more than just great photos, you might just catch a new hobby taking flight. Source : https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2025/06/langkawis-hidden-world-of-birds/ Picture Great Hornbill male with the red figs by https://www.wendynatureguide.com/2023/01/strangling-figs-hornbills-and-blessings.html

LANGKAWI, 17 June 2025 – Malaysia Airlines, in strategic collaboration with the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MYCEB) and the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), successfully hosted the second edition of its flagship Trade Elevation Summit (TES) from 10 to 12 June 2025. As the largest airline trade event in Malaysia, TES 2025 brought together key industry stakeholders on the stunning island of Langkawi – the jewel of Kedah and a UNESCO Global Geopark. Following the resounding success of the inaugural summit in Kuala Lumpur last year, TES 2025 continued its momentum with over 300 delegates in attendance, including airline representatives, trade partners and key stakeholders from 68 cities across the globe, creating an exceptional platform for collaboration, innovation, and strategic dialogue. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Langkawi, attendees were immersed in curated experiences that celebrated the best of Malaysian culture, tourism offerings, and the national airline’s latest products and services. The summit also serves as a timely and strategic catalyst in the lead-up to Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026), reinforcing Malaysia Airlines’ role as a national flagbearer and global connector. Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines, Malaysia Aviation Group said, “Malaysia is more than a destination—it is a story of rich culture, warm hospitality, and global potential. As the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines carries this story across continents, serving as a bridge between nations and a proud ambassador of everything Malaysia stands for. Langkawi has long been a cornerstone of our network—one of our earliest and most iconic leisure destinations. With 56 weekly flights connecting the island to key cities across Malaysia and beyond, we continue to champion Langkawi’s role as a vital tourism gateway and catalyst for regional growth. Hosting the Trade Elevation Summit here reflects our long-standing commitment to uplifting Malaysia’s key tourism hubs and aligning our efforts with national goals. Through initiatives like the Bonus Side Trip, and ongoing investments in connectivity, product innovation, digital platforms, and customer experience, we are strengthening our foundations and positioning Malaysia Airlines as the top-of-mind carrier in the region. This summit is a strategic milestone in our journey towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026—where we will continue to champion Malaysia as premier global destination.”  As an annual flagship initiative by Malaysia Airlines, TES reinforces the airline’s mission to champion Malaysia as a preferred travel destination, drive innovation in aviation, and foster closer cooperation between international stakeholders and local industry players. Delegates engaged in curated business-to-business (B2B) sessions, immersive product showcases, and strategic forums focusing on aviation growth, regional connectivity, and destination marketing. This year’s edition in Langkawi not only reinforced Malaysia’s position as a premier travel destination in Asia but also underscored the airline’s commitment to supporting state-level tourism through strategic alignment with the nation’s tourism goals. The summit also featured product showcases, business-to-business sessions, and forward-looking discussions on aviation growth, connectivity, and destination marketing. It was a testament to the strong alignment between Malaysia’s tourism strategy and the airline’s global network ambitions. With strong support from MYCEB and LADA, TES 2025 underscores a unified national effort to strengthen Malaysia’s tourism and aviation industry —driven by strategic collaboration and shared ambition. With Malaysia Year 2026 on the horizon, the TES 2025 served as a timely and strategic move to energise the tourism ecosystem, build lasting partnerships, and reaffirm Malaysia Airlines’ role as the nation’s proud flagbearer.

LANGKAWI, 12 June 2025: Long before Langkawi became a name whispered among travellers seeking beaches and sunsets before the first fisherman ever cast a net here — this land held a deeper story. A geological one: A story etched not in memory but in stone. Gunung Machincang, one of Langkawi’s most iconic peaks, is more than a backdrop to sweeping cable car views — it’s a time capsule. Its origins stretch back some 550 million years to when the earth was reshaping itself with titanic force as the Australian tectonic plate collided with the Asian landmass. An immense geological ballet evolved, slowly sculpting the face of Southeast Asia.

Langkawi, then part of a vast ancient river delta, lay submerged under shallow seas and sediment-rich waters. Sand settled swiftly in the faster shallows; mud and silt drifted deeper, forming distinct layers. Over unfathomable epochs, these sediments were compressed into the sandstone and mudstone we see today — some of the oldest exposed rocks in all of Malaysia. And there are moments, preserved in rock, that still take the breath away. One such fossilised wonder rests quietly between the upper observation decks of the Langkawi SkyBridge — ancient ripple marks in fine sandstone, likely caused by dust or volcanic ash settling on a beach long, long ago. It’s like time, caught mid-whisper. Then there’s the stonework that may have inspired the mountain’s original name — Gunung Mat Cincang. In Malay, ‘cincang’ (pronounced chin-chung) means to chop meat into cubes. And when you peer down from the viewing decks, you’ll see weathered sandstone breaking naturally into square, almost hand-carved-looking blocks — as if some giant spirit had been preparing a feast.

But the island’s geological drama didn’t stop with sandstone. As tectonic pressures folded and warped the Earth’s crust, magma surged upward beneath what is now Gunung Raya. Though it never erupted — the surface tension wasn’t quite enough — the molten rock cooled underground, forming a massive granite dome. This natural plug sealed the vent and, over centuries, became the heart of Langkawi’s highlands. Some of this ancient granite was quarried in more recent decades to build the roads that now connect the island’s towns and beaches — a small, human echo of a grand, geological past. Today, visitors to Gunung Machincang may come for the view — but those who linger learn that the real story lies beneath their feet. Every stone, every ridge, every fault line is a chapter in Earth’s deep history, laid bare in Langkawi like a library carved in stone. And in that knowledge, a deeper connection emerges — between the land, its people, and the vast arc of time that brought them here.

LANGKAWI, 6 JUNE 2025: Mention Africa’s Big Five and images of lions and elephants come to mind. But tucked away in Malaysia’s mystical Langkawi archipelago is another set of marvels — smaller, stranger, and just as captivating. Welcome to the world of Langkawi’s Flying Five. Here, on this island where rainforest meets reef and ancient legends float on sea mist, nature has evolved to defy gravity. On islands like Langkawi, where resources are limited, and survival often means staying off the ground, many creatures have found astonishing ways to take to the air — or, at least, glide through it. The result? A cast of five airborne residents: the Flying Fox, the Colugo, the Flying Snake, the Flying Squirrel, and the Flying Lizard.

Of the five, only one truly flies: the Flying Fox, Langkawi’s majestic fruit bat and one of the largest bats in the world. With leathery wings stretching nearly a metre across, they take to the skies each dusk from Pulau Dangli, a small island near Teluk Yu. At twilight, hundreds rise like smoke into the orange sky, gliding in search of ripe island fruits. By dawn, they return to roost — silent, upside down, and otherworldly — in their coastal tree havens.

Then there’s the Colugo, an elusive nocturnal glider that looks like something between a lemur and a hang-glider. Often clinging to tree trunks in the island’s denser jungle interiors, this gentle herbivore stretches a web of skin called a patagium—the most expansive of any gliding mammal — to coast silently from branch to branch. Its closest relatives? Not rodents, but primates. Its movements are so smooth. You’ll likely never see it unless you know what you’re looking for — a shadow melting from bark, drifting on air. Even stranger is the Flying Snake, part of the Chrysopelea family — the only snake on earth capable of gliding. Native to Southeast Asia’s tropical forests, Langkawi’s variety flattens its ribcage mid-leap, transforming its body into a serpentine wing. The result is a graceful undulation that lets it “swim” through the canopy. Despite its acrobatics, it’s harmless to humans — though perhaps not to the frogs and lizards it stalks in the trees.

If you find yourself hiking at twilight, you might glimpse a blur that seems to levitate between trees. These are Langkawi’s Flying Squirrels — including the striking Giant Red Flying Squirrel and the pale-bellied Red-cheeked Flying Squirrel. Silent, crepuscular, and ghostly, they glide effortlessly through the dusk, often mistaken for jungle spirits. For generations, locals have whispered stories about these gliders — a blend of biology and folklore. Finally, the smallest aerial wonder: the Flying Lizard, or Draco volans — also known as the Flying Dragon. These tiny reptiles deploy rib-extended wings, like miniature parachutes, allowing them to glide distances of up to 60 metres. Spotted most often clinging to tree trunks or zipping through gaps in the forest canopy, they descend to the ground only to lay eggs in shallow hollows, vanishing again into the treetops just as quickly.

Together, these five creatures aren’t just biological curiosities. They’re part of a living, breathing ecosystem — one that has adapted, survived, and soared, quite literally, in harmony with the island’s ancient rhythms. Langkawi’s “Flying Five” might not roar or charge like their African counterparts. But in the stillness of its jungles and the quiet awe of those lucky enough to spot them, they offer something just as stirring: a glimpse into evolution’s most graceful answers to the challenge of survival.   Source : https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2025/06/langkawis-flying-five-natures-aerial-oddities/

Bersempena dengan penganjuran Langkawi International Maritime dan Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2025, Balai Seni Negara Cawangan Langkawi bersama Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi (LADA) telah merasmikan Program Pengindahan dan Keceriaan Jambatan Sungai Kuala Melaka. Program yang bermula dari 7 Mei hingga 23 Mei 2025 ini menyaksikan transformasi menyeluruh terhadap Jambatan Sungai Kuala Melaka melalui penghasilan mural berskala besar yang mengetengahkan tema Geopark Langkawi.

Jambatan Sungai Kuala Melaka ‘bertukar wajah’, kini jadi tarikan baharu Langkawi

Jambatan Sungai Kuala Melaka dipilih sebagai lokasi transformasi atas kedudukannya yang strategik sebagai laluan utama pelancong dan nadi komuniti, di samping potensinya untuk diangkat sebagai ruang seni awam yang mampu memperkaya pengalaman budaya serta visual pengunjung. Timbalan Menteri Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya (MOTAC) Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan yang telah menyempurnakan perasmian program ini turut mengucapkan tahniah kepada semua pihak yang terlibat menjayakan program tersebut.

“Saya ucapkan tahniah kepada semua pihak. Tanpa kerjasama dan usaha setiap pihak yang terlibat, tidak mungkin kita dapat melihat hasil pada petang ini.

“Sudah semestinya, ada sebab pihak LADA memilih Jambatan Sungai Melaka. Yang pertama, lokasi ini menyediakan ruangan yang luas untuk meluangkan masa. Mereka boleh meletak kereta dan berhenti untuk ambil gambar.

“Mereka bukan sahaja boleh mengambil gambar jambatan yang unik ini, tapi ada tarikan lain juga di sini seperti sungai dan pemandangan yang indah.

“Jambatan ini adalah lokasi yang cukup baik kerana dia merangkumi aspek yang menarik untuk pengunjung,” katanya ketika ditemui pada majlis perasmian pada Isnin.

Sementara itu, program ini merangkumi beberapa fasa penting termasuk kerja-kerja pembersihan, pengecatan serta penghasilan mural yang melibatkan penyertaan 12 artis mural tempatan. Artikel lain: Kem Ilustrasi Botani: Rasa Alam telusuri keindahan biodiversiti Pulau Langkawi Artis-artis ini termasuk Dhiyaul Mohamad Ashraf Dawari, Muhammad Firdaus Musa, Muhammad Riduan Raja Yunus, Muhammad Syafiq Mohd Adib, Muhammad Izwan Rahimi, Norafandi Rosli, Hardiana Hidayah Azni, Abdul Qoyyum Mohd Nadzri, Mohammed Nabil Sohaini, Fauzan Adzima Pangestu Padzli, Mohamad Fakhri Mohd Salleh dan Muhammad Izharuddin Mohd Salleh. Pada masa yang sama, pendekatan ini bukan sahaja mampu memperkukuh kefahaman masyarakat terhadap seni visual, tetapi juga memupuk rasa tanggungjawab untuk memeliharan dan menghargai ruang awam sebagai khazanah. Usaha ini mencerminkan komitmen berterusan Balai Seni Negara dalam mendekatkan seni kepada masyarakat serta memartabatkan warisan budaya dengan pendekatan yang inklusif, kontemporari dan mendidik. Ketua Pengarah Balai Seni Negara, Amerrudin Ahmad berkata program ini menghubungkan kreativiti pelukis-pelukis mural sebagai jambatan imaginasi kepada orang ramai.

“Menariknya program ini kerana ia dilaksanakan di Jambatan Sungai Melaka. Jambatan fungsinya menghubungkan dua daratan. Dengan kerjasama Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan LADA dan Balai Seni Negara, kita menghubungkan kreativiti pelukis-pelukis mural sebagai jambatan imaginasi kepada orang ramai.

“Pihak kami juga sentiasa terbuka untuk melaksanakan pelbagai program. Kami juga mempunyai berbagai rancangan untuk mengisi program dan aktiviti yang berkaitan terutama aktiviti sendiri di luar galeri,” ujarnya.

Dalam pada itu, melalui pelaksanaan program ini, ia diharapkan dapat menyemarakkan suasana Sambutan LIMA 2025 sekaligus memperkenalkan Langkawi sebagai pualu yang kaya dengan nilai seni serta budaya, sejajar dengan kempen Tahun Melawat Kedah 2025 dan Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2026. Untuk maklumat lanjut, ikuti media sosial rasmi Balai Seni Negara dan Balai Seni Negara Langkawi atau layari laman sesawang www.artgallery.gov.my. https://www.malay.news/cipta-tarikan-baharu-jambatan-sungai-kuala-melaka-bertukar-wajah-sempena-lima25/  

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has launched its 56th National MATTA Fair, highlighting initiatives to boost domestic and international travel, sports tourism, and sustainability. MATTA President Nigel Wong emphasised their commitment as a strategic partner for Visit Malaysia 2026, focusing on developing Malaysia's tourism ecosystem. "Tourism is a fundamental driver of Malaysia’s economic growth and strengthens local communities," Wong said, adding that the association is exploring niche markets like sports and ecotourism to elevate Malaysia's global profile. In a significant move towards sustainability, MATTA introduced the MATTA Eco-Sustainable Tourism Initiative (MESTI), focusing on wildlife and marine conservation and cultural preservation. This initiative will guide MATTA’s activities and aims to align with global sustainability standards, providing members with the tools and knowledge to implement responsible practices. Wong highlighted MATTA's role in promoting sports tourism, featuring two dedicated pickleball courts at the fair. "Pickleball is a fast-growing sport that connects people globally. We see this as an opportunity to position Malaysia as a premier sports tourism destination," he said. Kedah has been spotlighted as Malaysia’s favourite destination at the upcoming MATTA Fair 2025, which Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor believes will reshape perceptions of the northern state as a thriving hub for tourism. Sanusi said Kedah’s rich blend of culture, history, and natural beauty makes it an ideal location for travellers seeking meaningful experiences. “What we need are stories that haven’t reached the public, like Sungai Batu in Merbok, an ancient archaeological site recognised as one of the oldest in Southeast Asia,” he said. Kedah’s presence at the MATTA Fair features 70 booths, including 22 major exhibitors, as part of a joint effort with MATTA to drive tourism through collaboration and innovation. The state also launched a new brand identity for Naturally Langkawi, centred on Nature, Culture, and Experience, to reflect its unique geological heritage as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Sanusi stressed that while Langkawi remains a key draw, the Kedah mainland offers its own charms—from scenic paddy landscapes and agro-tourism to historical trails and cultural heritage. He also noted that, despite being a popular transit point to Thailand, many travellers bypass Kedah altogether. To change that, the state is preparing for Visit Kedah Year 2025, themed ‘Experience Kedah’, to attract more Malaysians to discover the state’s hidden gems. “Come and experience Kedah for yourself—a place where stories come alive,” Sanusi said. The MATTA Fair, running from Friday (April 18) to Sunday (April 20), at MITEC, features a record 1,754 booths across eight halls, surpassing the 1,590 booths from September 2024. This edition aims to attract over 210,000 visitors and generate RM270mil in sales, exceeding the previous fair's 190,000 visitors and RM250mil in sales. Visitors to this 56th edition can expect several new features, including two dedicated pickleball courts at Level 1, a move to promote sports tourism within the country. To ensure a smooth experience, MATTA Fair offers free entry and runs from 10am to 9pm, Friday to Sunday. Complimentary shuttle services are available from KL Sentral and Sunway Putra Mall to MITEC. Visitors driving can park at MITEC South Entrance Basement, MITI Basement, or the MATRADE Open Car Park. Source : https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/04/19/matta-fair-launches-focus-on-sustainability-sports-tourism