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Tourist's A-Z
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The N, O, and P Page
N is for...
Nature - Mother nature has seen to it that the island is blessed with it... and, lots of it. Reportedly, geologists found the oldest trace of fossil in a siltstone bed which could be dated back some 500 million years ago! So, with such an early headstart there is a king's ransom in knowledge awaiting discovery... if only we could somehow get past the gigantomachy-and-storiology mentality!
Oh... gigantomachy is, in Greek mythology, the struggle between giants; storiology is the study of folklore and legends.
Newspaper - The "civilized" habit of reading the newspaper while having breakfast does NOT, regrettably, apply!
It's not that we're UNcivilsed or anything of the sort but it's just that the newspapers are UNavailable until well after 9:00 in the morning.
You see, there aren't any night ferries or, for that matter, early morning flights to Langkawi, so the newspapers can only be transported via the first ferry and by the time the papers get sorted out and delivered, it would be about 10:00 a.m.-- which isn't altogether a bad thing, if you are a tourist, because there's nothing much to read anyway!
However, if you still insist on sticking to this habit... breakfast at 10:00 a.m. or later!
Caution!
If you do not wish to disrupt your routine, please remember that the demand for the 2 English-language dailies outstrips supply on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays! Remember to get your copy early because, if you don't, you'd only be left with the Malay-language dailies. The reason for this?
Ahh, yes... the 3 state-licensed lotto companies have their draws on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays and the results are published the following day, so punters buy the newspapers to check if they've won. Needless to say, the Malay-language dailies do NOT carry the results!
Night Market - As innocent as the name implies, it is a market that enjoys brisk business at night. Quite simple and straightforward really, although the concept isn't! It is much more than a market... it is a social event. An occasion... a gathering of sorts, a social interaction where you get to see and meet a multitude of people living within a localised community. In any case, it is the best alternative for the locals to have a semblance of a night-life.
Pasar Malam, as it's called in Malay, used to have allure and an air of romance. The allure of the "unknown" and the romance of good bargains!
Those were the days when there was a plethora of imitation goods, though quality is "unknown" but at bargain prices, who could resist? So what if the colours ran, the pictures faded, the clockwork jammed, etc... there was always the next pasar malam to look forward to and for more bargains. Alas, those days were the days... now, we have joined the "civilised" world!
Sentiments aside, the usual practice is to have these night-markets at different sites and on different days of the week. In Langkawi you'd find them on: - Sundays - Padang Matsirat
- Mondays - Ulu Melaka
- Tuesdays - Kedawang
- Wednesdays - Kuah
- Thursdays - Temonyong
- Fridays - Padang Lalang
- Saturdays - Kuah
Since it is a collection of individual sellers there is no "official" opening time, but the best time to visit is between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. when the crowd is at its fullest.
Night-life - If you are expecting a pulsating and vibrant night-life like Phuket, or Bali... boyo, are you in for a major DISappointment! Don't despair, as with everything else with life, there is a silver lining.
As moths are attracted to flames, so are the "bad-elements" attracted to the bright city-lights. And the proof is in the pudding... so, the bonus is you get to stroll everywhere and at any time, in peace!
Many seasoned travellers have commented on the fact that Langkawi must be about the only major holiday destination in the world, where you can afford to walk along it's beaches after midnight, and still return to your hotel-room in one piece!
 O is for...
Occupation - Changing jobs within the same sector might be easy, but it is not so simple when the sectors are completely different. The transition isn't always smooth.
Prior to 1987 the main occupations of the islanders were either in agriculture or fishery. But all that changed, dramatically, when Langkawi was turned into a tourist destination thus providing more jobs than all the other sectors combined. The first resort to operate in Pantai Cenang had the dubious honour of having to experience this not-so-smooth transition.
One amusing incident was when a department supervisor found, to his horror, that half of the male workforce didn't turn up for work the day after pay-day! It later transpired that the absentees simply took a few days off, to go spend their money in Satun, Thailand.
Of course, it never did occur to them that a leave of absence had to be sought before such an endeavour could be undertaken. Something some people, unaccustomed to "civilised" laws and contracts of employment, are apt to do. After all, theirs is a simple cycle of events:
1. you work to earn money
2. work is done, so money is earned
3. time to go spend the money earned
4. money is all gone
5. go back to1!
It goes without saying that the Human Resources department had a tough time trying to re-educate the personnel of the finer points in the terms of employment, afterwards!
Over-booking - Its something which you, as the tourist, would NOT like to be involved with, although it has to be said that this happens much too often (either with the airlines or hotels/resorts) than it should!
 P is for...
Paddy field - No!... this is NOT a field named after an Irishman but rather areas filled with plants that yield rice! Paddy, or padi, is rice in the husk before threshing.
As rice is the staple food and consumed (at least) thrice daily, it follows that lots and lots of it have to be produced to satisfy the ever increasing need for carbohydrates. And, for this reason you get to find most of the open, low-lying areas have been cultivated with paddy. In the years before the word "duty-free" entered the vocabulary of the locals, even wild rice was planted on the hillslopes to help optimize the island's rice-producing capability, which was barely enough for its own consumption. For you see, there are only 3 months in the year when the rainfall is sufficient to sustain rice cultivation. So, the shortage of land was never the problem but the shortage of water, was! Faced with just one rice-growing period per year, land had to be maximized.
Para-sailing - If you enjoy hanging around, then you might like to try this. Only, in this instance the "hanging around" is by means of a parachute, rigged to your back with a speed-boat, at full-throttle underneath, pulling you along. Caution!... if suffer from vertigo, give it miss! But, if that is NOT the case then the RM 70.00 per "go" would be worth it.
Passport - Don't leave home without it (as one plastic-card company fondly reminds us, gullible consumers) and, remember, it has to be valid! (which, they don't say and is probably why some people use invalidated credit-cards) This warning, however, is only applicable to foreign tourists. As a matter of interest, residents of Southern Thailand do NOT necessarily require a passport to enter Langkawi, a border-pass sufficing!
Petrol - If you decide to rent a vehicle then, you'd be needing some of this! First, tank-up when you get the chance, as there are NOT many of them around, to begin with. At the last count, there are only 4 petrol-stations outside of Kuah town, where there are 3! Second, please be aware that it costs a few sen more than on the peninsula, which costs RM 1.32 per litre, the extra cost is due to transport charges -- at least that is what "they" say!
Latest... due to the war in Iraq the price has gone up again! Yeah, right! Thanks for the favour, George! Like we need a hole in the head.
Pier - If you were to arrive by a cruise ship, then you'd berth at Porto Tanjung Malai. Also, this is the venue for the "maritime" part of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace, LIMA.
Population - Depending on your source of information, this could range from 42,640 to 64,792 inhabitants. However, they all seem to agree on the composition of 90% Malays, 7% Chinese, 2.8% Indians with "others" making up the rest.
There could be various reasons for the inconsistencies with the numbers, but the simple explanation is that no one is actually doing the counting!
It was rumoured, a couple of years ago, that the Prime Minister visited the L.A.D.A. office and asked it's General Manager, "What is the population of Langkawi?"
"I guess, it's around 50,000," came the reply. To which, the PM quipped, "Just exactly how many would that be, if you don't have to guess?"
In retrospect, it must have only been a rumour because till now the exact number remains... a "legend!"
Postbox - Travelling from the airport to Porto Malai, a distance of about 10 km, it is surprising to find only one of this red-coloured-cast-iron-box standing; it stands next to a rather-large-sundry-shop along Pantai Cenang (not that most people would bother noticing).
Admittedly, there are other far more interesting sights to see, unless of course, you happen to have post-cards to send to wish-you-were-here friends!
Residents of the larger resorts could leave their mail at the Front-Desk, but if you are staying at the cheaper chalets/motels or happen to live on the island, then it could one long trek to the only postbox around.
There used to be another one standing around Pantai Tengah, but it was taken down (to facilitate some construction work) and was never replaced!
It helps to bear in mind that Postmasters are, basically, civil servants!
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