Langkawi filled with tourists
LANGKAWI: The tour boats are cruising out again and the beaches are packed with tourists, as they should be at this time of the year.
A week after the tsunami hit its shores, Langkawi appears to be returning to its normal self.
Apart from certain areas, where cleaning and repairs are being carried out to homes, Langkawi showed little signs that it was severely hit by the tidal waves that killed over 125,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
But fears of another big wave hitting Langkawi’s shores hang in the air.
On Thursday, rumours that the wave had arrived were so strong that even the sounds of an ambulance siren caused panic among the locals and tourists.
The ambulance was in fact rushing a patient with a bad stomach to the hospital.
Association of Hotels Kedah chairman Noel C. Vendawall said rumours about the island being hit by another wave were counter productive and had hurt the industry.
“We have received 20% cancellations for trips to Langkawi this month (January) just one week after the disaster. Our major markets in Europe and Japan have been badly affected,” he said.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Kedah Chapter chairman Pishol Ishak said the government should disseminate accurate information through its various channels to tell everyone that the country was not as badly hit as Indonesia or Thailand.
French tourist Selles Claude, who had arrived at Pelangi Beach Resort last Sunday, recalled the huge waves hitting the shores like geysers.
“My chalet was next to a river and when the waves hit the river mouth, the water shot up in the air like a geyser,” she said.
Despite the incident, she said she would continue her holiday in Langkawi.
Dennis and Joyce Richards, who happened to be at one of the resort’s poolside when the waves came rushing in, said they too would continue their six-week holiday.
“We have been coming back to Langkawi for the past eight years and will continue to do so.
“In fact, we have already booked for next year (2005),” Richards said.
Among the locals who were affected by the tsunami was stall owner Paridah Derani, 47, from Kampung Kuala Melaka.
“I am having sleepless nights. I keep watching the shoreline anxiously,” she said.
Most importantly, there is now a sea of calm and the tourists who stayed on are being rewarded with lots of sun and sea.
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