Langkawi, officially known by its sobriquet Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah, is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands located some 30 km off the coast of northwestern Malaysia and a few kilometres south of Ko Tarutao, adjacent to the Thai border. Politically, it is an administrative district of Kedah, with Kuah as its largest town. Pantai Cenang is the island's most popular beach and tourist area.
Eagle Square at Kuah, in Langkawi
Dataran Helang (Eagle Square)
Parasailing at dawn
Islands of Langkawi
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi long and from 40 to 155 mi wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea. As the main shipping channel between the Indian and Pacific oceans, it is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the strait between 1400 and 1511, the center of administration of which was located in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia.
The Strait of Malacca as viewed from the city of Malacca, Malaysia. Pulau Besar ('Big Island') is visible in the distance.
A ship sailing on the Strait of Malacca, as seen from Bukit Melawati in Kuala Selangor.
Yearly haze from the smoke of raging bush fires, limiting visibility.