ELECTRICITY
Voltage is 220 240 volts AC at 50 cycles per
second. Most hotels provide 110 120 volts
adapters as well extension plugs.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Non Malaysians entering Langkawi from abroad
must possess a valid passport or other
internationally recognised travel documents
that are valid for at least six months
beyond the intended visiting period.
HEALTH & INSURANCE
The health standards in Malaysia are one of
the best in Asia and Langkawi is part of it.
Hospitals, private
clinics, medical supplies and pharmacies
are widely available in Langkawi especially
at Kuah Town. However, if you are stationing
yourself a while at
remote areas, please try to stock up on
basic necessities as pharmacies are hard to
come by. Bring along a good supply of
electric mosquito destroyer refills (don't
forget the heating unit), some mosquito
coils if you are camping and insect
repellents. Medicine
for temporary relief of pain can be obtained
from the major pharmacies. The stronger
varieties such as ibuprofen and the like are
controlled and may need prescription,
though. Travellers coming
from yellow fever infected areas on the
African and South American continents have
to produce their yellow fever vaccination certificates for entry into Langkawi.
Travellers are also advised to buy travel
and health insurance before visiting
Langkawi. The
Langkawi Hospital,
provides 24 hour assistance services in
Langkawi. Major emergencies are referred to
the hospitals on the mainland.
PERIODICALS AND
NEWSPAPERS
The main daily newspapers in the country are
available in Bahasa Melayu, English, Chinese
and Tamil. The English dailies that are
available in Langkawi are the News Straits
Times (popularly known as NST and The Star.
Both offer comprehensive coverage of local
and international news. The hard copy
versions for both newspapers are priced at
RM1.20 each. The papers may reach Langkawi
about mid-morning (around 10 a.m.) as they
need to be transported by air or ferry from
the mainland. Both newspapers have
northern editions for northern readership.
The most popular Malay newspapers are Utusan
Malaysia, Berita Harian, Kosmo and Harian
Metro. All the mainstream newspapers have
online versions that can be accessed for
free. However, the day's update may be quite
late for some. The most popular business
newspaper is The Edge Daily. Many foreign
and local magazines, including Newsweek and
Time (Asian edition) are available at the
bookshops in Kuah and at the airport.
RADIO AND TV
Langkawi has its own radio station (Langkawi
FM), which is part of the Government-owned
RTM group. Broadcasting on the
104.8Mhz frequency in both English and
Bahasa Melayu, this is the station that
keeps you in touch with whats happening on
the island. RTM offers two TV channels - TV1
& TV2. There are currently 6 free-to-air TV
channels in Malaysia. The private
free-to-air channels comprising TV3, Channel
9, 8TV and NTV7 are all owned by the Media
Prima Group. All of these channels, except
Channel 9 and 8TV are accessible in Langkawi
although there are areas where coverage may
not be up to the mark, if not impossible. The
satellite television, ASTRO owned by ASTRO
ALL ASIA NETWORKS plc, offers 55 channels,
both local and international including HBO,
CNN, CNBC, BBC, and Al-Jazeera. ASTRO also now
operates eight FM terrestrial radio stations
and several broadcasts via satellite. There
are also other private radio stations
catering for niche markets in Malaysia that
you can tune-in while in Langkawi. You can
also readily tune in to Thai radio
broadcasts while on the island.
POSTAL SERVICES
Pos Malaysia Berhad provides various postal
services for letters, postcards, small
packets, parcels, cash on delivery,
remittances, and philately. For letters and
other items, the mode of delivery can be by
airmail or sea mail to anywhere overseas.
Other than the ordinary delivery services,
there is a courier service called the
Expedited Mail Service (EMS) or locally
known as Pos Laju. The postal rates for the
various postal services vary according to
the respective services, weight and
destinations. Post offices open on Saturday
to Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Public phones are available in Langkawi,
especially at strategic or high traffic
places, such as the airport, villages and towns. The
telephones are coin-operated, using pre-paid
phone cards or both. Phone cards can be
purchased at stores, newsstands or shops.
They are sold in denominations of RM5, RM10
and RM20. Public payphones in Langkawi are
offered by private operators and TM (the
national operator). The phone cards
differ according to operators and are not
interchangeable. Like elsewhere, the use of mobile phones
is common in Langkawi. Many
companies provide cellular phone
services, such as DiGi (016), Maxis
(012 / 017), Celcom (019 / 013) and Tune
Talk. The DiGi Chatz
IDD phone card allows you to make overseas
calls for a very low price. You can use the
card to call from any mobile or touch tone phones, and it
is available at all DiGi Centres and
convenience stores. Overseas calls can be
made from Malaysia by dialling the
international access code (00), followed by
the country code. To call a particular state
in Malaysia from another state, first dial
the area code, followed by the telephone
number. Internet centres are available in Kuah towns as well as
tourist spots.
LANGKAWI TIME
Malaysia is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT) and 16 hours ahead of US Pacific
Standard Time. It shares the same time zone
with Singapore. Muslim prayer times differ.
TIPPING
Tipping is not necessary although
appreciated, as most hotels and restaurants
have already added a 10% service charge.
However, if the services provided are
satisfactory, it is common for guests to
leave some tips. You can also leave behind
the loose change if you want to.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Information on Langkawi can be obtained from
Tourist Information Centre in Kuah Town.
MIND WHAT YOU WEAR
Since Malaysia's is in the tropics, lightweight
clothing, preferably cotton, is ideal. Generally, T-shirts and shorts are
acceptable. However, do dress appropriately
when dining out in restaurants or going for
a night out. Certain establishments
have a dress code. It is important to
dress decently (no skimpy shorts) when visiting
villages and places of worship.
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