Chasing Giants in Langkawi

Legends, myths and history – it is difficult to know where one ends and the other begins. But it’s these stories that bring a place alive and make it more real. The stunning archipelago of Langkawi in Malaysia has its fair share of imaginative stories. Starting from its name, which is supposed to mean “island of the reddish-brown eagle”, it’s no wonder that a 40-feet tall eagle greets you at Dataran Lang in the port town of Kuah.

Kuah is the largest town on Langkawi and of course there is an interesting legend surrounding how it got its name, which involves warring families, some broken pots and seeping gravy! Langkawi’s most famous mountains Gunung Macinchang and Gunung Raya are said to be the rival families of the giants Mat Cinchang and Mat Raya. Setting aside their rivalry, Mat Raya’s son wanted to marry Mat Cinchang’s daughter and a grand wedding feast was organised. In true Bollywood style, a fight broke out between the families because the groom was caught flirting with another woman. In a Chaplinesque sequence, pots and pans were thrown and a whole cauldron of gravy (kuah) was smashed into the ground. Hence the name Kuah; a colourful legend for a colourful town…

Langkawi has been deemed a UNESCO World Geopark thanks to its stunning natural beauty. Despite its obvious charms, tourism in Langkawi has only spurted in the past decade or so and Malaysian folklore has another legend that tells why. In 1819 a beautiful maiden Mahsuri was falsely accused of adultery and put to death. However, her blood ran white thus proving her innocence. She, of course, cursed the island with bad luck for seven generations, which has only recently been lifted!

How can you resist visiting an island with such alluring stories? Choose a Malaysia package from MakeMyTrip and book your flight tickets today.