If you’re travelling to Malaysia during this summer holiday, you don’t want to miss visiting some of the most beautiful islands in South East Asia located in Malaysia itself. Those sandy beaches and palm trees that you would normally dream of can become a reality once you set your foot on the paradise islands.

Visiting these beautiful islands can be a perfect breakaway from your daily hectic office life. If you want to move away from visiting big cities and watching skyscrapers, Malaysia has more than enough islands to complete your dream vacation.

One of the top islands that you don’t want to miss is the Tioman island located in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is rated as one of the world’s most beautiful islands and the biggest and most impressive one in the east coast. The west section of the island is covered with a brisk jungle filled with many kinds of flora and fauna, waiting to be explored by visitors from all around the world.

There are quite a number of villages in Tioman island, each offers different kind of activities for tourists and the likes. Snorkelling in the island’s crystal clear water is the most popular activity, together with diving and exploring the underwater world. If you fancy playing golf on the island, you should book a room in Berjaya Tioman Beach Resort where it has its own 18-hole golf course for you to enjoy your time there.

Langkawi Island is another great destination, popularly known for not just its beauty and charm but also its legendary myths and stories. Talk to the locals and they can tell you all the legends you need to know. What more, the island is full of places said to be related to these mythical stories for you to check out and see for yourself.

If you instead fancy for a bit of shopping, you’d be happy to know that Langkawi is a duty-free island, which means that most of the items in your shopping list would be cheaper than when you buy them outside the island. There are so many things to do in Langkawi as well other than the usual stuff such as snorkelling or scuba diving.

Its Geopark status means that there are plenty of wildlife attractions that you can explore such as its waterfalls and caves. Art and craft activities can be seen a lot in Langkawi island too so if you’re into it, it’s a nice place to admire the beauty of the locals’ masterpiece.

Other great islands in Malaysia including Pangkor Island on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Redang Island on the east coast. Pangkor has the advantage of not being affected by the north-eastern monsoon, generally occuring between November and March each year in Malaysia. There are also a lot of fishing settlements in the island where you can watch the fishermen bringing back their catch which includes cuttlefish and anchovies.

Redang Island is well known for its marine parks and marine sports such as wind surfing. The pearly white sandy beaches along the coast is one of the main attractions but there are more that Redang Island can offer that makes your trip a worthwhile visit.

These are just some of the paradise islands that Malaysia can offer. Visiting these islands will surely make your visit to Malaysia the most memorable one. If you have the time to spend, move away for a while from a typical trip to city full of skyscrapers and enjoy the breathtaking experience at these beautiful islands of Malaysia.

Langkawi is a picturesque archipelago consisting of more than 100 islands on the Andaman Sea. Tucked away into the north-western corner of Peninsular Malaysia and located on the Thai-Malaysian border, Langkawi is one of the 12 regions of the state of Kedah, and is about 50 km west of Kedah. Langkawi is only 32 km from Kuala Perlis and can be easily reached from Penang through a few hours boat drive.

Langkawi has been categorized into six mukims: Ayer Hangat, Padang Matsirat, Kuah, Bohor, Kedawang, and Ulu Melaka. With Pulau Langkawi as its main island, Langkawi boasts of some of the world’s best white sandy beaches, brilliant turquoise waters, stunning caves with stalactites and stalagmites, karst and limestone formations, unspoiled rainforests, dense forested mountains, and lush green rice paddies. In short, Langkawi is truly a tropical island and undoubtedly its prime draw is its rustic beauty.

With a geological history dating back to more than 500 million years ago, the island is strewn with several legends and folklores. Of which an interesting is the legend associated with Mahsuri, a pretty maiden who lived here 200 years ago. She was unjustly accused of treachery, and during her execution Mahsuri bled white blood. Taking her last breath, Mahsuri laid a curse on the island that it will remain barren for seven generation, which has eventually now been lifted. Mahsuri Mausoleum or the area where Mahsuri has been buried has now become a popular tourist spot.

Also, interesting as well as mysterious is the legend associated with Tasik Dayang Bunting, a fresh water lake on the Dayang Bunting Island. Legend has it that a fairy princess and genie fell in love and the princess gave birth to a child near the lake. Unfortunately, the child was dead and unable to overcome the grief, the princess threw the child into the lake. This action in turn blessed the waters of the lake and it is now believed to have mystical powers to help infertile women to conceive. Additionally, according to certain legends, Garuda, the giant mythical eagle, rested in these islands.

Langkawi is home to a number of surprising as well as incredible attractions, which among many others, are

Dataran Square – Situated to the left of the new Jetty Mall complex in Kuah, this is perhaps the most significant attraction for tourists arriving by sea. The focal point of the square is an incredible statue of the reddish brown eagle, which is magnificently illuminated during night.

Langkawi Cable Car – This is a station whose route connects the Base Station in Oriental Village with the Peak Station atop the mountain. It would be an invigorating experience to take a 20 minutes journey in a four-seated cable car. This allows you to have a 360 degree panoramic view of the islands, seas, and beaches not only in the island but also as far as Thailand.

Crocodile Farm – It has to its credit one of the world’s largest collection of alligator and crocodile species. The major draw of the farm is the boxing match between crocodile and man. The farm also provides opportunities to ride in rickshaw drawn by a crocodile.

Langkawi has some thing for everyone. For bird lovers, a visit to Langkawi Bird Paradise boasting of some rare and beautiful species of birds would be a great experience. Likewise, a tour to Laman Padi, which displays the history, heritage and development of the rice growing industry in the country, would be interesting for agro-tourist lovers.

Additionally, some not to miss attractions for animal and nature lovers would be Snake Sanctuary with an amazing selection of venomous as well as non-venomous snakes; Pulau Payar Marine Park – the oldest as well as the only marine park in west Malaysia with rich as well as varied species of marine life. Seven Wells in Burau Bay whose centerpiece is seven spectacular waterfalls; and Durian Perangin, a stunning waterfall that is close to Padang Lalang and which can be easily reached through a short trek via the rainforest. Other must-see attractions in Langkawi are Summer Palace, Galeria Perdana, Pasar Malam or Night Market, and Air Hangat.

Above all, fabulous is the wonderful beaches of Langkawi like Pantai Cenang and Pantai Kok. Each of the beaches found here is calm and serene, and provides options to enjoy a continuum of activities such as snorkeling, yachting, diving, and sea canoeing. Further, visitors to Langkawi can also enjoy activities including golf and trekking.

Today, a plethora of hotels and resorts are here to provide superb accommodation to visitors touring Langkawi. Many of them render excellent spa treatments for weary travelers. Additionally, majority of them offer facilities to make booking online.