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 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!

A couple of years ago, it was rumoured that the Prime Minister visited the L.A.D.A. office and asked the then 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! But, 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 ease the frustration if you bear in mind that Postmasters are, after all, civil servants!