Saturday, 28 September 2013

South-East Asia’s first Geopark


In 2007, UNESCO declared the Langkawi archipelago of ninety-nine islands situated off the north-west coast of Malaysia as South-East Asia’s first Geopark. The densely forested islands of the archipelago feature fascinating landscapes composed of white-sand beaches, intriguing rock formations  and towering pinnacles, all of  which are believed to  date back over half a billion years.
An examination of Langkawi’s various geographical features provides us with vital clues into the structural evolution of Malaysia and its environs. It is for this reason that UNESCO decided to include the Langkawi archipelago in its list of Geoparks scattered around the world. At present, this list includes 64 Geoparks situated in 18 countries all over the globe.

The Geopark on Langkawi consists of impressive rock formations, vast cave systems adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, dense mangrove forests, sea caves and tunnels, sparkling waterfalls and a huge repository of native fauna and flora.  Langkawi  hosts as many as ninety fascinating geo-sites but amongst these many sites there are three which are most significant, namely the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, the Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park and the Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park.

Kilim Karst Geoforest Park

The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park is located on the north-eastern half on Langkawi near the Kilim River. The topography here is made up of fantastic karst formations, cliffs, caves, hills and peaks, all created by the forces over erosion over millions of years. Many of these formations rise out of the sea bed and sport bizarre if not funny names like the Hanging Gardens, the Temple of Borobodur and the Elephant Stone. 

In addition to these karst formations, the area also encompasses pristine white sand beach fronts, deep blue lagoons, dense mangrove forests and flat mudflats. The last mentioned terrains are used as resting points by various species of migratory birds during the months of September and March. The best way to visit the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park is by boat or kayak as parts of it are inaccessible by land. Various tour operators in Langkawi in fact offer organized trips to the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park.

Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park
The Machinchang mountain range located in the northwestern half of Langkawi and the Gunung Raya peak located in the center of Langkawi date back to the Cambrian age. These pinnacles are composed of sedimentary sandstone and granite and present quite an impressive sight. The Machinchang mountain range hosts some of the most ancient rainforest terrain on earth though the oldest section of this particular geopark is Teluk Datai, a prehistoric sandstone formation which features shale on its lower half.

Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park
Pulau Dayang Bunting is the second largest island of the Langkawi archipelago. The island lies to the south of the main island and Langkawi and features an undulating landscape which resembles the belly of a pregnant woman. Hence the island was named Dayang Bunting, a term that translates as ‘pregnant maiden’. This island is renowned for its fresh water lake which lies amongst densely forested hills. This lake is known as the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden and it was formed after a massive limestone cave collapsed. The banks of the lake contain exquisite Permian marble formations, believed to be the finest in the world.

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