We have just returned from a wonderful holiday trip to Langkawi, one of the best we ever had. Nature wasn’t really part of any of our holiday trips before, but nature is what makes Langkawi different, even for people like me and my family who don’t really have a deep interest in things relating to nature, much less to spend our valuable leisure time watching birds and walking through mangrove trees. Most of us would rather go shopping at the heart of a modern city while enjoying the culture of the local people. And so we were a bit sceptical when we made the decision to go to Langkawi this time around, and that island sure proves us wrong.

I would have to say that the highlights of our holiday this time are the tours we had with the Natural History Expeditions. Wanting to go a bit more nature-ish this time, we contacted the company (by friend’s recommendation) and arranged for a tour that includes morning walk, mangrove tour, and bird watching. It proved easy to deal with the company with their friendly service and flexible arrangements.

The morning walk began at around 7. We didn’t know at that time that the tour guide that brought us on the walk was the director himself, Irshad Mubarak. His good-natured humour and friendliness made the walk very interesting and not a bit boring. The morning walk saw us introduced to many species of plants like the ever famous Tongkat Ali, a local herb used to increase potency in men. There were incidents when tourists come back to take the plant after the morning walk, said Irshad, before adding that taking it raw could potentially lead to kidney failure and possibly death, that instantly eliminates all intention in us of doing the same thing. Apart from that, we spotted the white-bellied sea eagle among other birds, and enjoyed the rest of the walk with Irshad telling us a wealth of information from trees age to bird counts and probable cancer-treating plant. This self-taught naturalist sure knows a lot, and it is little wonder now why people call him the Jungle-Wallah of Langkawi.

Our mangrove tour is no less interesting. We walked along the walkways and through caves and took a boat ride along the Kilim River. The site was officially declared by UNESCO as the world’s 52nd geoforest park, the first in Southeast Asia. The walkway brought us through the extensive network of the mangrove root system, developed uniquely to survive the saline water condition. It surprised us to know how much of life is going on in that area, with birds and crabs and monkeys and God-knows-what-else-is-there, made possible by the existence of the trees that can withstand saline water condition. We saw a lot of that kind of crab (I forgot what it’s called) which males of the species have one oversized claw that is brightly coloured. We went through the cave and saw bats hanging on the cave wall, presumably sleeping (cause it was daytime). The boat ride along the river saw us gaping at ancient rock formation as well as eagles feeding on fishes, among others. The whole trip was very much informative as it is entertaining, as the tour guide really possesses a wealth of knowledge and information and was very friendly. It never struck us city dwellers of how diverse and interesting and beautiful nature is. Seeing them before our eyes and up close just got us gaping in wonder.

For bird watching, the tour brought us up Gunung Raya in the afternoon. We went spotting a lot of birds at the dense jungle, which includes the great hornbill, wreathed hornbill, and other rainforest species. The guide told us that the great hornbill is the largest bird in Langkawi, measuring 1.3 metres (4 feet) from beak to tail. We went up the mountain by MPV, and the tour guide provided a camera with telescopic lens that made the trip even more enjoyable as we can really see the birds up close. We had fun spotting the birds and listening to their sweet sounds. Undoubtedly, the tour guide that brought us was really familiar with the place and the species of birds that make it their habitat. He knows what to look for and where to look at so that we don’t need to go straining our necks scouting around.

The rest of the holiday we went to the beach and go shopping (Langkawi is not all jungle). There’s a lot of other interesting places to visit too, like the Underwater World and the Cable Car that covers a distance of 2.2km from base to the peak.

The bottom line is, the trip was worth it, every single cent that goes into it. If anyone out there wanted to come to Langkawi and experience the nature, I would say a resounding “Go for it!” And if you’re looking for a tour company to have that trip with, Natural History Expeditions is one we’re satisfied with, even recommend. Hope this helps with your decision-making.