Incentive travel
In the Langkawi rain forests , something stirs for incentives
OUR INTREPID CONTRIBUTOR RICHARD JOHN GETS IN TOUCH WITH NATURE ON LANGKAWI ISLAND AND CHECKS OUT THE MICE HABITAT TOO
I n case you ’ re not sure of the location , Langkawi – officially known by its sobriquet ‘ Langkawi , the Jewel of Kedah ’ – is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands located 30km off the coast of north-western Malaysia and a few kilometres south the Thai border . The name allegedly comes from the reddish-brown eagle that can be seen across the island .
Two-thirds of the land is dominated by forest-covered mountains , hills , and natural vegetation . In 2007 , Langkawi Island was given a World Geopark status by UNESCO , one of which is the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park , a mangrove forest park which consists of limestone caves and interconnected three river estuaries that stretch from Kisap village approximately10km to Tanjung Rhu .
For a tiny island , Langkawi is blessed with some remarkable MICE facilities . Adjacent to the international airport is the purpose-built Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre ( MIEC ), created for the biennial Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition ( LIMA ). Offering over 70,000sqm of event space , it can hold 3,000 delegates with ringside seats of the runway . A few kilometres away ( well , nowhere is far here ) is the Langkawi International Convention Centre ( LICC ), set amid a lush tropical rainforest , overlooking the pristine beaches of Langkawi Island . The main ballroom can hold up to 1,200 , with a host of other meeting rooms . Impressive ; but even more so considering the island stretches just 25km north to south and east to west , with a population of less than 100,000 .
“ The Berjana offers 400 apartments and villas hidden in the dense forest or along the coastline , with monkeys . dancing across the tiles and eco-friendly golf buggies for those who don ’ t want to walk ”
Despite the ‘ international ’ status of the airport , a trip here from Europe will invariably involve a change and short hop from Kuala Lumpur , Singapore or Bangkok , although Fly Dubai has launched direct flights from the UAE . However , Langkawi can also be reached by sea , with ferries running to destinations such as Kuala Perlis , Penang and Tamalang . There ’ s also a ferry service to Satun town and Ko Lipe island in Thailand , making a two destination incentive trip feasible .
Activities for groups can include day or night walks or boat tours through mangrove swamps , island tours by boat or jet ski , fishing and hiking . One of the world ’ s longest cable cars will take groups to the top of the Gunung Mat Chinchang where options then include forest hikes , the smooth Skyglide railway and then a breathtaking and windy walk over the Langkawi Sky Bridge , with glimpses of Thailand coast in the distance .
There ’ s a good choice of luxury hotel accommodation available for the meetings and incentive markets . The Berjana offers 400 studio and onebedroom apartments and a couple of larger villas hidden in the dense forest or along the coastline , with monkeys dancing across the tiles and eco-friendly
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ISSUE 130 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 53