THE Langkawi archipelago is Malaysia’s largest cluster of islands. Located off the north-west coast of the peninsula, the archipelago is made up of 99 islands at high tide and another five islets at low tide — all occupying a total land area of 528 square kilometres.

The nearest islet is 22km from the Perlis coast and the furthest 54km away, close to the Thai border. However, the archipelago belongs to the state of Kedah.

The islands are surrounded by different waters — the Andaman Sea on the western side, Straits of Malacca on the eastern sides, and Straits of Chinchin on the northern side. The five islands that appear during low tide are located in the open Andaman Sea.

The Langkawi archipelago is also a sanctuary for some of the world’s most ancient rainforests, teeming with exotic and rare flora and fauna.

Recognising this heritage, Unesco has awarded the World Geopark status to Langkawi. The status includes three main Geopark components, namely Mount Mat Chincang Geoforest Park, Kilim Geoforest Park and Pulau Tasik Dayang Bunting.

Langkawi Island itself is the largest, covering 478.5 square kilometres, and is the only one which is well settled, with a population of 50,000. The other inhabited island is nearby Pulau Tuba.

Langkawi is also an administrative district with its own municipal council and Kuah is the largest town on the island.

Besides its natural beauty and wonders, Langkawi is also known for its duty-free status since 1987.

It has carved its name as one of the country’s preferred holiday destinations, offering a string of highly-acclaimed resorts and hotels, and world-class facilities like the Langkawi Cable Car and the Underwater World.