Sara Lemos is an avid traveler whose primary region of travel is South East Asia. She has been there three times. Currently she is in Thailand and recently was in Langawki, Malaysia. Sara is from the UK, but does not spend much time in her homeland as she is on the road most of the time. she started her blog "The Ninja Travels in order to archive her travels and keep a log of her experiences. You can see The Ninja Travels at
http://www.theninjatravels.com/
The article featured in this post is one she wrote for the Langawki Gazette and is about the Langawki Geopark. If you're not sure what Geopark is please read the following blog post. It's really quite interesting.
- Randall Webb
Langawki Geopark the Jewel of Kedah by Sara Lemos
In 2007 UNESCO declared Langkawi and its surrounds, one of 64 globally recognised Geoparks.
What is a Geopark I hear you say?
Well you could stab a guess and break down the word to something like
geological park. But as per UNESCO’s definition it is so much more.
They define it as
‘A territory encompassing one
or more sites of scientific importance, not only for geological reasons
but also by virtue of its archaeological, ecological or cultural value.’
( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geopark )
Essentially, this means that as well as geological heritage, a
Geopark also comprises recognised conservational efforts, local
community support and ecotourism. Geoparks are nationally protected
areas but, by and large, accessible for visitors to take in their wonder
while still upholding the notion of sustainable development.
Langkawi’s branding as a Geopark is obvious in its array of
impressive rock formations surrounded by ancient jungle, vast caves with
stalactites and stalagmites, winding mangrove rivers, sea caves and
tunnels, wildlife and waterfalls. As well as these impressive features,
environmentally, eco-tourism is promoted in the community with areas
such as Laman Padi in Cenang. Here you will find a rice garden museum
with an 8.6 acres paddy field, educating visitors on the traditional and
modern ways rice is harvested. The cable car ride up to the top of
Machinchang Mountain, allows visitors the chance to explore the
waterfalls and fauna in the pristine forest below whilst still
preserving its natural beauty.
The
99 islands in this region, which cover 10,000 hectares, make Langkawi
one of Malaysia’s top destinations to visit for natural beauty,
ecological harmony and geological significance. You will also
find here
the most exposed and complete Palaeozoic sedimentary sequence in
Malaysia.
Over 90 geosites have been found in the region but there are three
distinct areas that form the Langkawi Geopark, each with its own unique
geological makeup. The MaChinchang Mountain Ranges are renowned for
their Cambrian (first geological period of the Paleozoic Era) rock
formations; the Kilim Geopark for its Karst landscape; and the Dayang
Bunting Geopark for its marble formations.
The MaChinchang Mountain RangesGeologically,
the sandstone mountain range of MaChinchang, in the north western
corner of Langkawi, and Gunung Raya, a granite mountain at the centre,
are a great testament to its classification as a Geopark. Gunung Raya is
the tallest mountain range on the island standing at 881m. Machinchang
is the oldest rock formation on Langkawi, and stands 800m above sea
level. It was created over half a billion years ago and was the first
part of South East Asia to rise from the seabed during the Cambrian
period. The oldest part of this mountain range is Teluk Datai. This is where the oldest
grains of sand rest, its history displayed in the exposed surface of
sandstone in the upper part and mudstone/shale in the lower part.
The Kilim Geoforest ParkThe
Kilim Geoforest Park in the north east corner, a rugged karstic
limestone terrain, offers an array of winding mangrove rivers to
explore. These are surrounded by pinnacles of various shapes, near
vertical karstic hills and caves formed from millions of years of
erosion. Within these caves you will see amazing limestone formations.
Here you can find plenty of marine life in the emerald green waters
below as well as spot birds, including the islands famous eagles, up
high.
Dayang Bunting GeoparkSouth
of Langkawi you will find the second largest island of the archipelago,
Pulau Dayang Bunting. Famous for the fresh water lake found nestled
amongst hills of rugged forest, it is also known as Lake of the Pregnant
Maiden. The lake originated as a massive limestone cave which
collapsed. There you will also find the finest Permian marble formations
in the world.
As well as its geological beauty, Dayang Bunting also contains a deep spirituality. Legend tells of a heavenly maiden, married to an earthly prince, who loses a child shortly after the birth. She is
said to have buried the child in the lake then blessed the waters with
fertility before parting earth for heaven. Nowadays it is populated by
tourists and locals who come to swim and admire the surrounding
landscape. From a certain angle, the shape of the island resembles a
pregnant maiden laying on her back. This magical quality as well as the
area’s overall astounding beauty is what many believe make Langkawi the
number one Geopark in the world.
Things to consider when visiting Langkawi Geopark:• Don’t leave your rubbish behind, and be considerate if you see any laying around – pick it up and put it in the bin
• Please
do not feed the wildlife. You are not only disrupting their ecological
cycle but, especially the monkeys, they become accustomed to human
contact and may become aggressive if approached with food.
• Be careful when swimming around the coral reefs. Standing on them is damaging and harmful to the ecology of marine wildlife.
Be considerate to Mother Nature; she was here long before you!
You can see this original article at the Langawki Gazzette @
http://www.langkawi-gazette.com/langkawi-geopark
Thank you very much Sara for lending this fantastic article to The Guest Writer Blog
