The above mentioned development concept does not contradict with the present Langkawi development agenda, particularly as Langkawi is geared towards daylight tourism as its trademark. In adopting this kind of nature tourism, Langkawi would create its own niche in this highly competitive industry instead of having to compete on the same basis with other neighboring tourist destinations such Phuket or Bali.

In order to sustain nature tourism, Langkawi shall go along with various initiatives of nature conservation that has symbiotic kind of relationship with nature tourism.

A kind of integrative and more holistic concept such as that of geopark would definitely suit its necessity. At the same time, eradicating poverty and improving the quality of life of the local community which is also the main concern for the  Langkawi Development Authority and Langkawi District Council, should be addressed. These show that the present  Langkawi development and the geopark agenda could very well work hand in hand as they could supplement one another very nicely. For this matter, the local community stands to better benefit from the inception of LANGKAWI AS A GEOPARK.

Why Langkawi?

1. A complete geological history of the region….cambrian 550 million years
2. Most complete study on geology…..complete geological records.
3. Features the most beautiful heritage of geological landscapes, karsts, caves, sea-arches, stacks, glacial dropstones, fossils
4. First time ever, a geopark encompass 99 islands in the sun
5. Include attractions in both geology biodiversity and culture heritage
6. Has long been a prominent tourist destination-domestic and internatioanal
7. Duty free Geopark

Langkawi Geopark
Langkawi Geopark is Malaysia’s first geopark and is located in the far northern corner of peninsular Malaysia. Located in northern State of Kedah, it is unique in the sense that it was formed on 99 islands that made up the legendary Langkawi Archipelago.

The total land area of Langkawi geopark is about 478km².

It is accessible by sea from Kuala perlis, Kuala Kedah and Penang or by air from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore and Bangkok.

Langkawi has been dubbed as the birthplace or fetus land of region. The various natural landscapes of Langkawi reflects the island’s geodiversity and its complex geological history. It has the best-exposed and most complete Palaeozoic sedimentary sequence in Malaysia beginning from Cambrian to the Permian period. Later during the Mesozoic, the islands underwent a major tectonic event that resulted in the emplacement of its numerous granitic igneous bodies. This incredible power generated by nature from the deep mantle beneath the earth has driven up huge blocks of order rocks and somehow placed them above a very much younger terrain.

In Langkawi’s geological history, much of its geological development were linked to what had happened in the old supercontinent Pangea and southern hemispheric Gondwanaland since more than 550 million years ago. It started in the deposition of Machinchang sandstone in a lacustrine environment during much of the Cambrian time, followed by the submergence of the land during late Cambrian time (~500m.y) which allowed the invasion of shallow marine fauna into the proto-Langkawi sea. The continuous subsidence of the sea floor resulted in the formation of thick limestone of Setul Formation during the Ordovician. At the end of Ordovician time (~440m.y), the sea become to deep to eventually stop the limestone deposition temporarily.

Setul limestone continued to develop during Silurian until the Middle Devonian (~370m.y), followed by the deposition of sandstone and mudstone which sometimes are related to the rafted ice due to the global melting of Gondwana ice cap.

The dropstone bearing black sandstone and mudstone of Singa Formation during the Early Permian (~280m.y) before the sea was slowly brought up by a complicated tectonic process.

The Chuping limestone is believed to have stopped depositing before the end of Permian (~245m.y) by this tectonic event that among others brought up a large block of earth crust in the eastern part of Langkawi overlapping the much younger block in the west. The tectonic event ended up with the emplacement of granite beneath Langkawi’s crust at the end of Triassic (~220m.y).

What we have in Langkawi today is a combined result of these various processes and the prolonged that took place ever since the Langkawi land was brought to the surface around 220 milion years ago. As a result, we have a beautiful mountainous range of Machinchang sanstone at the northwestern corner of Langkawi island, the conical Gunung Raya granite at the center and arugged karst terrain of Setul Limestone in the eastern part of Langkawi.

In the southwest of Langkawi islands, the Singa formation dominated while the Chuping Limestone dominates the western part of Dayang Bunting Island. Some of the landcapes a truly outstanding, particularly those of the Machinchang and the karstic limestone in the eastern part of Langkawi.

Based on its outstanding geological landscape, geological history and various other geological features such as sedimentary structures, fossil and erosional features, Langkawi Geopark certainly is the best geopark in the region.

Langkawi’s rich geological heritage are mainly protected under the jurisdiction of the Permanent Forest Reserve Recreational Forest or geoforest Park managed by Forestry Department.

GEOFOREST PARK

The Machinchang Cambrian
Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park hosts the oldest geological formation in Malaysia known as the Machinchang Formation (550 milion years old). Among the important geosites in the park are Teluk Datai (where the oldest grains of sand rest), Pantai Tengkorak (where old continent has been submerged-exhibiting text book examples of sedimentary structures). Tanjung Buta/Pulau Jemuruk (graveyards of the oldest life forms in the country) and Tanjung Sabung (where the limestone succeeds sandstone). Also located within this park are some natural wonders resulted from recent geological process such as the Temurun and Telaga Tujuh Waterfall, remnant islands of Anak Burau and Anak Datai, and beautiful beaches in Teluk datai and Pantai Kok. The Machinchang peak exhibits peculiarly chopped sandstone that has often been related to the old folk myth of the brawl between two giants, the Matchinchang and Mat Raya. The Machinchang ridges can be classified as one of the most beautiful landscape in the islands.

Kilim Karst
The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park in the eastern part of the main Langkawi Island features magnificently formed landscape of nearly vertical to subrounded limestone hills with pinnacles of various shapes and sizes can be viewed on limestone Setul Formation.

The northeast region of Langkawi, encompassing the three river basins of Kilim, Air Hangat and Kisap and the neighbouring islands of  Langgun and Tanjung Dendang are spectacular in its beauty with the  geological and landscape resources, the seas, the mudflats, beaches, the wetland mangrove and the unique fauna and flora that have long coexisted in these ecosystems.

The eagle and the cave system found in this area have also contributed to the myths and legends of the Island. The name ‘Langkawi’ is said to have been derived from the Brahminy Kite bird which is the most dominant faunal species in the area. Gua Cherita or in English, Cave of Stories, which lies in the northern tip of the park,has many legends and beliefs associated with it the giant bird Garuda, the epic fight between Rama and Rawana and Sang Gededembai- a humanlike giant female creature with a power to curse anything to turn into stone !

The Dayang Bunting Marble
The Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park is mainly made of Permian marble overthrusted by the older Setul Formation limestone. These wold finest marbles were resulted from the baking of Chuping Limestone by Triassic (220-200m.y) granite intrusion underneath. There are a  number of caves within the park. One of the most unique features of the park is the fresh water lake of Tasik Dayang Bunting, formerly a dry doline resulted from the collapse of a very large underground limestone cave.

This lake is believed to have some magic ‘mystical power’ to improve fertility among those who dip into it and drink its water. A large mangrove forest flourish along the Selat Dayang Bunting (Dayang Bunting Straits). The combination of landscapes from marble and granite bedrocks formed a figure resembling a pregnant woman on her back, hence the name Tasik Dayang Bunting or Lake of Pregnant Maiden.

The ecosystems of the old limestone rock formation, the caves, the mudflats and the seas that surround it have three main elements: the mangroves, the vegetation of the limestone hills and the fauna of the mudflats and beaches.

A mangrove forest promotes a unique root system and with a physiology of the plant species that are capable of preventing soil erosion and cleaning the water from contamination of possible metallic pollutants. The mangroves also serve as the breeding ground to many species of fishes, prawns and other sea life. The mangrove vegetation in this area is quite diverse and includes many important species, some with medicinal properties.

The limestone hills of Langkawi have a rich diversity of species of ornamental plants such as the cycsds and orchids. The limestone rock also support many bryophytic flora, lichens and macro fungi.

Forty-five species of birds have so far been recorded in the area, including ten migratory species. The most prominent among the raptor species found along the sea coast and the rivers of the northeast region are the Bahminy Kite and white-bellied sea-eagle. The two raptor species are in fact, one of the attractions of the popular mangrove forest.

Other biodiversity which live on the mudflats, the beaches and the sea include mudskippers and phytoplankton. At least seven species of mudskippers were found and 129 species of marine and 55 of freshwater phytoplankton were reported to exist in Langkawi.

Bat are the other fauna prominent in Langkawi. Three species were identified that roost in the well know Gua Kelawar. The limestone forest are also the home of myriads of small and tiny faunal species, of which the beetles have attracted special interest. Many species were collected from the forests of the Pulau Tanjung Dendang, Pulau Langgun and Gua Cherita including smallest beetle in the world collected in Pulau Tanjung Dendang. Some of these beetle species are rare and some yet to be identified.

The Langkawi archipelago is rich in fossils of ancient extinct sea creatures from the Paleozoic era spanning between 542 million years and 257 million years ago.

Among the fossil found are of trilobite, gastropod, cephalopod, bryozoa and coral.

An alien granite dropstone that is 1 billion years old can be found in sandstone and mudstone at Pulau Tepor southwest of Langkawi and it was the oldest dropstone ever found in this region.

These dropstones once drifted by a glacier before it was dropped in Langkawi that was still submerged underwater hundreds of million years ago. Another geological treasure in Langkawi comes in the form of ancient seabed located in Pulau Ular.

Within these parks there are many caves for exploring activities. Among them are gua Tok Jangkit, Gua Teluk Dedap, Gua Cherita, Gua Teluk Udang, Gua Siam, Gua Buaya, Gua Tanjung Dendang, Gua Kelawar and Gua Wang Buluh.