Sekilas Pandang - Langkawi

Sekilas pandang @ info tentang Langkawi yg kadang-kadang kita lupa @ tak tahu. Moga bermanfaat.

Unesco extends Langkawi's status as geopark

LANGKAWI, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has given its approval to extend Langkawi's status as a geopark, until 2015.

Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) public relations officer Ramizi Hasan said the approval followed, after a review by two UNESCO officers in July.

He said the Langkawi Geopark was declared by the UNESCO Global Geopark Network as the 52nd geopark on June 1, 2007.

"Many achievements have been recorded, including an increase in tourist arrivals since the declaration of the Langkawi geopark.

"We appreciate UNESCO for the approval," he told Bernama here.

-- BERNAMA

AL :-

Alhamdulillah. UNESCO extended the approval as status of GEOPARK.

Hope LADA more sensitive on eco-tourism. 

Please email me if you need any info with regards to your travel to Langkawi & also if you need any advertising enquiry. ( anaklangkawi@gmail.com )

Geocaching Sites In Langkawi

I've found an interesting hobby that existed. Its geocaching. In wikipedia it says :-


SOURCE WIKIPEDIA


Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device^[2] and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world.
A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook where the geocacher enters the date they found it and signs it with their established code name. Larger containers such as plastic storage containers (tupperware or similar) or ammunition boxes can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value. Geocaching is often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek", sharing many aspects with benchmarking, trigpointing, orienteering, treasure-hunting, letterboxing, and waymarking.
Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica.^[3] After 10 years of activity there are over 1,532,000 active geocaches published on various websites. There are over 5 million geocachers worldwide.

FAQ about Geocaching.
--
Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online. Geocaching are more concentrating on geological sites around the world.

In Langkawi at the moment there's already several Geocache sites such in Langkawi such as :-

1. Gunung Raya 

2. Kuari Sungai Itau 

3. Pinakel Kubang Baduk

4. Pantai Pasir Tengkorak 

5. Air Terjun Temurun

6. Seven Wells

7. Gua Kelawar

8. Tanjung Burau
    
Its an interesting activity but you need to have a GPS to play. Well to be part of the geochaching please log in here. If you're a geocaching member i'll give you a site which you may register in your geochaching. Please find a place called Black Sand Beach or Pantai Pasir Hitam. Its sand are mixed with natural minerals such as Zircon, etc2. ( which makes the sand black (mix of black & typical sand color).

This should be a site you can register as a Geocache site.  Pictures of Black Sand Beach or Pantai Pasir Hitam here.

Please email me if you need any info with regards to your travel to Langkawi & also if you need any advertising enquiry. ( anaklangkawi@gmail.com )

Evaluation On Extension Of Langkawi's Geopark Status

LANGKAWI, July 22 (Bernama) -- Two Unesco officials will be in Langkawi for four days from Monday for an evaluation to determine the extension of its geopark status to 2015.

Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) public relations officer Ramizi Hasan said they would visit several places such as the cable car and Sungai Kilim and attend a briefing on Langkawi Geopark.

They would also evaluate the socio-economic, tourism and beauty aspects of Langkawi, he told Bernama.

Unesco's Global Geoparks Network declared Langkawi a geopark on June 1, 2007.

-- BERNAMA 

AL : 

Good Luck,... Do the best.. 

Unesco Re-evaluates Langkawi Geopark For Extension Until 2015

LANGKAWI, June 24 (Bernama) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) will re-evaluate the Langkawi Geopark in July to extend its status until 2015.

Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) public relations officer Ramizi Hasan said the Langkawi Geopark was declared by the Unesco Global Geopark Network as the 52nd Geopark on June 1, 2007.

"We are prepared for the re-evaluation by Unesco officials, the date has yet to be determined," he told Bernama, here.

Ramizi said several aspects such as the socio-economy, tourism and environmental protection would be evaluated.

He said many achievements had been recorded including an increase in tourist arrivals since the declaration of the Langkawi geopark.

Lada also held the Langkawi Geopark anniversary carnival with 20 programmes recently.

-- BERNAMA

AL :-

Be prepared for the auditors..

 

More Than 10 Events Planned For Langkawi Geopark Carnival 2011

ANGKAWI, May 17 (Bernama) -- More than 10 events are planned for the Langkawi Geopark Carnival 2011 from May 31 to June 4.

The carnival is organised in conjunction with the fourth anniversary of the listing of Langkawi in the Global Geopark Network by Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Langkawi Development Authority Public Relations Officer Ramizi Hassan said on Tuesday the carnival, with the theme "Savoring the Nature, Nurturing the Culture", would included a "kenduri rakyat" (feast for the people), a puppet show, a geohunt photorace, a guided walk and a cultural performance by children.

The geopark, which is the first in Southeast Asia, covers much of Langkawi, from Kilim River to Matcincang Mountain.

-- BERNAMA

Timbermad :-

For place & location of the event please refer this LADA official website. 
 

Langkawi Cambrian- Final Part

Picture & article by LADA

From then,during the Jurassic age of the dinosaours, this newly exposed land experianced severe alterrations due to chemical reactions and erosions and a series of  uplifting eruptions. The land was carved and gouged and hills were formed and valleys drained. Later during the extreme climatic conditions coinciding with the last ice ages(1.8 million to 10 thounsand years ago),sea levels were pushed up and down drastically as a result of glacial melting and global cooling. So now above the rainforest we find caves full of sea life : Shells, corals and ancient fossils some hundreds of feet above sea level. 

Also among the island of marble,shale and limestone, we find caches of semi precious stones and crystals and even odd, cold water Brachiopod clam fossils. We see amzing towers of limestone soaring hundreds of feet above the sea at Tanjong Rhu, inland lakes as on Dayang Bunting where the roofs of huge caves have collapsed and strange mudstone boulders, which look like layered cakes, lie baking in the sun. This is the land that has been proved to be the oldest in the peninsular Malaysia the “Birthplace of the Nation” so to speak and the cradle of ancient life form which have evolved to some of the world’s most rare and unique species. But first came the jungle. Main Article Here.

AL :-

Langkawi Cambrian by LADA. 

400 sertai sidang Geopark di Langkawi

LANGKAWI 8 April - Seramai 400 peserta dari luar negara serta 100 peserta dari Malaysia akan menghadiri Persidangan Antarabangsa Pertubuhan Pendidikan, Saintifik dan Kebudayaan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (UNESCO) berkaitan Geopark kali ke-4 di Awana Porto Malai di sini bermula esok hingga 15 April ini.

Persidangan bertemakan Globalisasi Geopark - Menuju ke Hadapan Bersama Alam Semulajadi itu bakal menyaksikan sebanyak 120 kertas kerja dibentangkan sepanjang seminar lima hari itu.
China merupakan negara paling banyak membentangkan kertas kerja daripada seramai 200 pesertanya.

Langkawi telah dipilih sebagai tuan rumah bagi persidangan tersebut selepas persidangan ketiga yang telah diadakan di Jerman. Persidangan ini berlangsung selama dua tahun sekali dan negara yang ingin menjadi penganjur akan membuat bidaan untuk melayakkannya menjadi tuan rumah.

Timbalan Pengarah Institut Alam Sekitar dan Pembangunan (LESTARI) Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Prof. Dr. Mohd. Shafeea Leman berkata, negara-negara peserta akan membentangkan kertas kerja berkaitan pembangunan dan penyelarasan yang dilakukan supaya dapat dinilai oleh badan penilai UNESCO untuk menjadi sebuah Geopark.
Kata beliau, setiap Geopark juga akan dinilai dua tahun sekali sebelum tarafnya disambung semula dengan Geopark di Langkawi dinilai semula pada 2011 untuk memastikan semua ciri-ciri Geopark dikekalkan.

Menurut beliau, persidangan itu akan dimulakan dengan pelancaran Pesta Geopark yang bermula Sabtu hingga Ahad ini, antaranya sebanyak 64 gerai disediakan untuk mempamerkan maklumat tentang Geopark di seluruh dunia selain acara kebudayaan.
Sementara itu, Pengurus Besar Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi (LADA), Azman Umar, berkata, sejak Langkawi mendapat pengiktirafan sebagai sebuah Geopark, pelbagai faedah dapat dirasai oleh semua masyarakat di Langkawi.

"Sebagai contoh, kawasan Sungai Kilim kini menjadi destinasi utama dengan sejumlah 100,000 pengunjung membuat lawatan ke Kilim Geoforest Park setahun."

"LADA juga akan terus membangunkan tapak-tapak Geopark lain kerana manfaat yang diperoleh akan meningkatkan sektor pelancongan dipulau legenda ini," kata beliau. - Utusan Malaysia

Anaklangkawi :-
Bersidangla elok2. Tambah nilai pada Program Geopark di Langkawi. BUkan takat bersidang aja..

Langkawi Geopark, the jewel of Kedah

ON June 1, 2007, Langkawi, a group of 99 islands in Kedah, was accorded National Geopark status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). It is the first geopark in Southeast Asia and the 52nd in the UNESCO Global Network of National Geoparks.

The concept of geoparks is in line with the 1991 Digne Declaration of the Rights of the Memory of the Earth, which called on national and international authorities to protect the unique and inseparable cultural and geological heritage of Earth, whose origins are our origins, whose history is our history, and whose future will be our future for generations to come. Langkawi has been studied since 1975, initially from the aspect of its geological formation. When the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (Lestari) was established in 1996, research in the biodiversity of the flora and fauna in the permanent forests as well as the rich cultural heritage was intensified.Aware of the need to preserve our cultural and natural heritage, and recognising the unique association among rock formations, soil, landscapes and biodiversity, researchers from the multidisciplinary Lestari partnered colleagues from the Malaysian Geological Heritage Group and the Forestry Department, Peninsular Malaysia, to carry out expeditions and build a geoforest park concept for Langkawi.

The researchers had absolute support from the Langkawi Development Authority whose chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, then Prime Minister, was the source of ideas, driver and inspiration for the path to the geopark status and ecotourism, and remains to this day its chief champion.

With the international attraction of a geopark, Langkawi has emerged as a premier tourist destination in Peninsular Malaysia.

Mahathir also approved the establishment of the UKM Langkawi Research Station at Pantai Kok, Mukim Padang Matsirat. When completed, it will not only house research and postgraduate facilities but also training programmes to promote ecotourism.Over the years, the researchers have compiled extensive knowledge of Langkawi, describing the beauty and charm of its islands of various shapes and sizes, pristine forests and mangroves flanking the waterways, spectacular mountain ranges, sandy beaches and shoreline beautifully carved with black slate and gravel of all hues, enriched by the historical and cultural heritage such as the legends of Mahsuri, Machinchang Range and the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. Langkawi has one of the oldest rock formations in Malaysia, from the early Cambrian period, or about 550 million years ago.

From these ancient rocks called the Machinchang Formation, complex geological processes over the ages gave rise to other rock formations of Peninsular Malaysia. Upon the spectrum of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks, with their minerals, fossils and geological structures, forests took root and creatures thrived.Geoforests comprise geological and biological resources of intrinsic aesthetic, cultural, scientific and recreational value. These natural hanging gardens are amazingly diverse: tree-carpeted hills with soaring eagles, bat-shrouded caves, crevices with gnarled roots, emerald lakes, dramatic cliffs, arches through which thunderous waves crash and razor-sharp pinnacles.

With the international attraction of a geopark, it is no wonder that Langkawi has emerged as a premier tourist destination in Peninsular Malaysia, with arrivals reaching 2,303,157 in 2008 and 2,461,455 in 2009. The local impact has been an improving quality of life of the people through various economic activities related to tourism.The meticulous research has been passionately captured in the book Geoforest Parks: The Hanging Gardens of Langkawi, which also commemorates the 50th year of the reign of the Sultan of Kedah Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah. As Deputy King of Malaysia, the Sultan launched the book on Feb 12 at UKM, witnessed by Tun Dr Mahathir, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and the Royal Patron of Langkawi Geopark Tunku Panglima Besar Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz.

Out of the book came another idea to use the Internet and communications technology to make Langkawi more widely known and accessible to tourists.

The application Malaysia Knowledge Tours can be downloaded from www.MyKTours.com to mobile devices and can be used as a tour guide.The Langkawi Geopark initiative is an example of a university's contribution to the development of a region through teaching and research. Apart from training human capital and generating scientific and technological innovations, universities, according to a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, are increasingly being called upon to become active agents in business innovation, socio-cultural promotion and environmental development.

Although such activities are more difficult to quantify than inventions, publications and patents for wealth creation, it is imperative to value them for the positive impact that they have on local communities. We need to become better at devising incentives, indicators and methods for assessing and monitoring the impact universities have on a region's economy and social well-being.Nothing could be more satisfying than the words penned by the Sultan of Kedah in the book: "We celebrate not only knowledge gained from painstaking research, but also the beauty and mystery of God's creation. Sculpted and planted by Mother Nature, they are a wonder of the world, to be treasured, highly regarded, and cared for as an invaluable part of our past, present and future.

"The writer is vice-chancellor of UKM. - NST

Timbalan Agong Lancar Buku "Geoforest Parks: Hanging Gardens Of Langkawi"

BANGI, 12 Feb (Bernama) -- Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah pada Jumaat berkenan melancarkan buku Geoforest Parks: Hanging Gardens Of Langkawi terbitan Institut Alam Sekitar dan Pembangunan (Lestari) Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).Turut berangkat hadir pada majlis itu permaisuri baginda, Sultanah Kedah, Sultanah Haminah Hamidun.Buku yang menghimpunkan repositori sejarah, lagenda, ilmu dan aspirasi alam semula jadi Pulau Langkawi itu dihasilkan oleh sekumpulan penyelidik UKM yang diketuai Felo Utama Datuk Shaharuddin Mohd Ismail dan Professor Datuk Ibrahim Komoo.Dijual pada harga RM100 sebuah dan ia hanya boleh didapati di Lestari UKM.

Pada majlis sama Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong turut melancarkan Malaysia Knowledge Tour (MyKTours) iaitu satu aplikasi yang mentransformasikan pengetahuan daripada buku kepada satu format yang mudah dicapai dan dimuat turun.Hadir sama pada majlis itu bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan Menteri Besar Kedah Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak.-- BERNAMA

More Tourists To Visit Langkawi With Charter Flight Service

LANGKAWI, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- More tourists from Denmark, Finland and Sweden are expected to visit this resort island next year following the availability of direct charter flights from the three European countries.

Kedah Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) chairman Pishol Ishak said the weekly charter flight was expected to start from December this year to March next year.

"We are confident that the charter flights will increase the number of arrivals from the three countries," he told reporters here on Friday.

According to the Langkawi Development Authority's (LADA) statistics, a total of 18,519 tourists from Sweden visited the duty-free island last year, followed by Denmark (5,172) and Finland (6,270).

For the first five months this year, the number of tourists from Sweden reached 10,891, while from Denmark (2,963) and Finland (3,429).

-- BERNAMA

Anaklangkawi :- Those statistic shows there's an increase number of tourist in Langkawi. I wonder if LADA have done enough to promote Langkawi as a tourist destination by geo-Park status. By right LADA should have a statistic how many tourist had come due to the geo-Park status looking at the funds used by this status. Who can provide the figure?