Text and Photos By Mylene C. Orillo

Check out Malaysia’s “Langkawi”, an eco-adventure, island hopping, wildlife sighting, shopping – the historical and cultural experience you surely wouldn’t want to miss

When was the last time you traveled abroad? What was your favorite destination?

For some of us, it’s been nearly two years since we traveled outside the country or even locally due to the pandemic, but now that the borders are slowly opening, where would you like to go first and why?

Twelve years ago, I promised myself to celebrate my birthday every single year by going on a trip internationally and/or locally. My first destination was Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Why there?

Visiting Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur (KL) is the capital and the largest city in Malaysia. It is the cultural, financial, and economic center of Malaysia.

It so happened that one of my best female buddies was working in KL as a private nurse, so I promised her I’d come to see her there. So, I did. We went on a weekend trip, which was a week after my birthday tagging along with my 55-year-old mother who also loved traveling and seeing places.

As my mom loved organized tours versus random trips or backpacking as she hates missing in a foreign country or looking for places, we paid for an organized City Tour. As we arrived, the tour guide picked us up at the airport and showed us around the city and shops.

The most memorable places for me were the Petronas Tower, Little India, Brickfields, Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom, Masjid Negara, the National Mosque Malaysia, branded shops where we got to window shop, and of course, the train ride with my buddy.

Seeing my buddy in KL was so fun that we agreed to meet again in Thailand in 2013 to see another friend who was working as a nurse in Bangkok. But that’s another story.

Langkawi

But if you’re up for another trip to Malaysia hopefully next year and wanted to try a new destination other than KL, Tourism Malaysia Manila has recently conducted a hybrid seminar for various travel agent associations, industry friends and partners, and members of the press to talk about Langkawi.

“Langkawi” derived from the word “helang” (eagle) and “kawi” (reddish-brown) is an archipelago of 104 islands distinctly different and filled with myth and legends. It is an eco-adventure, island hopping, wildlife sighting, shopping, the historical and cultural experience you surely wouldn’t want to miss.

According to a website, the 10 best attractions in Langkawi include the Langkawi Sky Bridge, Dataran Lang (Eagle Square), Langkawi Cable Car, Underwater World Langkawi, Gunung Raya, Langkawi Wildlife Park & Bird Paradise, Pulau Payar Marine Park, Langkawi Arts in Paradise 3D Museum, Taman Lagenda Langkawi, and Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls.

During the seminar, Yazlina Yahya, Director of Tourism Malaysia Manila, presented the Standard Operating Procedures for all tourists entering Malaysia, which includes the following:

• A negative COVID-19 RT PCR swab tests prior departure. This is required for all countries within 72 hours before arrival in Malaysia.
• Upon arrival in KLIA, Malaysia-bound passengers need to undergo an addition swab test.
• Mandatory 7 to 10 days home quarantine (to apply 7010 days prior to travelling to Malaysia)
• Quarantine in hospitals designated by the Ministry of Health (if tested positive).

The seminar was conducted online and in-person at Citadines Bay City Manila on November 24, 2021. Other presenters include Socorro Del Rosario and Alyssa Tinawin of Malaysia Airlines Philippines, Sharmini Violet, Director of Sales and Marketing, Mega Water Sports; Utami Fajar Sari, Marketing Communications Manager of Bayview Hotel Langkawi; Hasniza Suid, Sales Manager, Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa.

The seminar aims to promote greater awareness of Malaysia as an ideal holiday destination, besides fostering greater cooperation between tour operators and members of the tourism fraternity. This is in line with Malaysia’s efforts to boost arrivals from the Philippines once the borders have opened and leisure travel resumes.

For more information, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website. You can also follow and subscribe to Mylene C. Orillo’s website at www.myleneorillo.com