The Langkawi, Malaysia yacht charter area contains a hundred or so small islands and offers an outstanding natural landscape with beautiful beaches, spectacular caves, lakes, limestone hills and amazing wildlife in lush, tropical jungles. Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states in Southeast Asia. The yacht charter area lies off the northwest coast of peninsular Malaysia in the Straits of Malacca, just a few miles south of the Thai border. There are over a hundred magical islands, some just small outcrops of coral with a few trees and a sandy beach. Langkawi is the largest island in the archipelago.
The Malay Peninsula thrived from its central position in the maritime trade routes between China, India and the Middle East. The first evidence of Islam in the Malay Peninsula dates from the 14th. In the early 15th century, the Sultanate of Malacca was established under a dynasty founded by Parameswara. He decided to establish his kingdom in Malacca after witnessing an astonishing incident where a white mouse deer kicked one of his hunting dogs. He took it as a sign of good luck and named his kingdom "Melaka" after the tree he was resting under.
In 1511, Malacca was conquered by Portugal and a colony was established. The sons of the last sultan of Malacca established two sultanates elsewhere in the peninsula - the Sultanate of Perak to the north, and the Sultanate of Johor to the south. After the fall of Malacca, three nations struggled for the control of Malacca Strait; the Portuguese, the Sultanate of Johor, and the Sultanate of Aceh. This conflict went on till 1641, when the Dutch, allied to the Sultanate of Johor, gained control of Malacca.
Britain established its first colony in the Malay Peninsula in 1786, with the lease of the island of Penang to the British East India Company by the Sultan of Kedah. In 1824, the British took control of Malacca following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 that divided the Malaya archipelago between Britain and the Netherlands, with Malaya in the British zone. In 1826, Britain established the crown colony of the Straits Settlements, uniting its three possessions in Malaya: Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The Straits Settlements were administered under the East India Company in Calcutta until 1867, when they were transferred to the Colonial Office in London.
The Malayan Union, established in 1946 and consisting of all the British possessions in Malaya with the exception of Singapore, was dissolved in 1948 and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection. During this time, rebels under the leadership of the Communist Party of Malaya launched guerrilla operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency, as it was known, lasted from 1948 to 1960. Against this backdrop, independence for the Federation within the Commonwealth was granted on 31 August 1957.
Between the 1980s and the mid 1990s, Malaysia experienced significant economic . The period saw a shift from an agriculture-based economy to one based on manufacturing and industry in areas such as computers and consumer electronics.
The closest airport is at Kuala Muda is 20 kilometres west of Kuah. The airport sees the arrival of domestic flights from the main cities in Malaysia, like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru and Ipoh.
The official language is Bahasa Malaysia. English is widely spoken. The official religion is Islam. Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and other religions are practiced freely. The currency is the Malaysia Ringgit. US Dollars can be used and major credit cards may be accepted in hotels, restaurants and some shops. There are many places throughout the yacht charter area to obtain cash.
Time Zone: GMT+7.
Electricity: 220V, 50hz.
The climate in Malaysia is tropical and always warm. There are 2 distinct seasons. The dry season, which runs from November to April. The winds blow predominately from the north east and the weather is generally fine with nice sailing breezes. During the wet season that runs from May to October you can expect rain, although showers tend to be over very quickly. The winds at this time are predominately from the west/south west. Langkawi tends to be much drier than other parts of Malaysia. All year round the average temperatures ranges from 25°C - 32°C
Langkawi enjoys a vast array of culinary delights, made up of Malay, Thai, Chinese and Indian cuisine. Fish features on every menu as well as the exotic local fruits. As well as fresh coconuts year round and plenty of starfruit, there's the soft, sweet ciku, the pomelo, jackfruit, rambutan and the mangosteen. The spiky green durian fruit that looks nasty, smells horrible but tastes delicious is a national favourite, perhaps not least because of its powerful aphrodisiac qualities.
Those on a yacht charter can choose from plenty of modern marinas and it's the perfect place to explore. Sail the river between two towering pillars to The Hole in the Wall. This eight to ten metre channel running between Langkawi and Pulo Langgun is a breathtaking sight not to be missed.
Many yacht charters embark from the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. From here you can explore some of the 99 islands that make up the Langkawi group. Or you can take the charter yacht to the southern islands of Thailand including the famous Tarutao and the crystal clear waters of the Butangs.
Diving in Malaysia is very popular. The waters of Malaysia are filled with a wonderful diversity of marine life including coral. In addition there are a variety of old shipwrecks for diving enthusiasts to discover. There are lots of diving centres around the Islands with boats equipped with scuba diving equipment.
