DAY 3
Third day in Langkawi also marked our last day here, but we still had a lot of time to be spent as our return flight to KL was scheduled at 10:50pm. We started our day by taking the complimentary breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast, we went back to our room and packed all our stuffs. We did an early check-out, so we can maximize the time that we had to visit many other attractions available in the island. After check-out, we left the hotel for the last time and got ourselves into the car.
The 1st attraction that we visited on that day was Dataran Lang, which probably the best-known man-made attraction in the island.
Driving through the small town of Kuah.
Dataran Lang or "Eagle Square" is located at the end of Kuah and just next to Langkawi Jetty or commonly known as "Kuah Jetty" among locals. It features a beautiful artificial lake, parks, terraces, bridges and a 12-meter tall Eagle statue as its main attraction. It is open to visitors 24 hours daily without an entrance fee.
Kuah Jetty.
The main entrance to Dataran Lang.
The Eagle statue as seen from the distance.
Some shops selling souvenirs, drinks and light snacks are located in the middle between the main entrance and the Eagle statue.
The magnificent Eagle statue was built in the form of flying and facing the Kuah Bay.
Beautiful view of Kuah Bay.
According to the legend, the name of the island was derived from the word "Lang" which means Eagle and "Kawi" which means reddish brown, thus "Langkawi" means Reddish Brown Eagle.
Since its inception, this picturesque Eagle statue has become the most prominent symbol and identity of Langkawi Island. It is visited regularly by both locals and visitors during the day and night. Your visit to Langkawi is not complete without visiting the Dataran Lang!
After we visited the Dataran Lang, my parents wanted to do some shopping. Langkawi received a duty-free status since 1987 which resulted most of the imported items available in the island are cheaper than elsewhere in Malaysia. The most popular duty-free items among shoppers are chocolates, perfumes, kitchenware, liquor and cigarettes.
The first shopping mall that we went was the Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall which located close to Dataran Lang. My parents bought some chocolates and a new luggage bag from here.
From that mall, we went to another famous shopping place in the island, the Haji Ismail Group store. This is 1 of the most commonly visited places for shopping among local Malaysian and the company has several different outlets located at various locations in the island.
We bought more imported chocolates and my mum bought a high quality tableware from here. We then decided that we had enough of shopping imported stuffs, so it was the time for us to shop something that more authentic and locally-made.
1 of the unique Langkawian products that famous among locals is the "Minyak Gamat" or Gamat Oil. There are many factories, shops and stores that sell Gamat products in all over the island with the most well-established is Nusantara Maju Enterprise. From Kuah, the Nusantara Gamat factory is located on the left side of the road that heading towards Cenang.
The main landmark of Nusantara Gamat factory is this big bottle of Gamat Oil.
The Nusantara Maju Enteprise or simply known as "Nusantara Gamat" is currently the largest Gamat manufacturing factory in Langkawi. It acts as an educational center and live gallery where visitors will able to learn the process of making Gamat and purchase more than 40 different Gamat products available at the factory's showroom.
Gamat or the "Sea Cucumber" is a a soft body invertebrate sea animal from the class of Holothuroidea which can be found on the seabed of the ocean in Malaysia and in many other countries. It is called a "Sea Cucumber" due to its cylindrical shape that resembles a cucumber. A Gamat that processed into an oil known as "Minyak Gamat" has been used by most Malaysian since many generations as a traditional medicine and an alternative form of healer. The Gamat Oil is considered as a magic potion that can heal ailments and small injuries such as ulcers, aches, small wounds and swelling. Gamat also can be eaten as a health tonic and applied on body and face to beautify the skin.
This precious marine creature was featured as the main theme in Malaysia Airlines' ads that promoting its short-lived Langkawi to London Heathrow non-stop flight service:
Nowadays, the Gamat industry has been commercialized and varieties of Gamat product other than Gamat Oil has been produced such as Gamat facial cleanser, soap, shampoo and even toothpaste. Some restaurants in the island also served a Gamat Soup as an exotic delicacy.
Dried Gamat on display.
A variety of traditional herbs and wild plants are on display. These herbs and plants are commonly mixed together with the Gamat and Coconut Oil to form a Gamat Oil (Minyak Gamat). If the Gamat is used in pure form without mixing with any other substances, then it will be known as "Ayer Gamat" or Gamat Water.
There is also a dedicated area where visitors can observe the Gamat mixture being cooked and boiled for days. It is believed that a person can dip his or her hand into the boiling Gamat without getting burnt. But it has to be done quickly!
We didnt miss our chance to buy some great Gamat products here. If you are no interested in buying any Gamat-based products (some people do not like the smell), there are many other products that used local plants and fruits as main ingredient available for purchase.
Looking for something memorable from Langkawi? Well, these Gamat products could be the perfect gifts and souvenirs for you!
Look what we bought from the Nusantara Gamat factory; A Gamat facial cleanser, Gamat moisturizing soap and a Papaya soap.
