LANGKAWI NATURE TOURS

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Meet the jungle people of
Langkawi!

Temp 34°C/93°F
Humidity 44% Wind 15mph

In the Newe

Love is in the air

The rainforest of Langkawi is slightly different to the rainforest on most of Mainland Malaysia. This is because here on Langkawi we go through a distinct dry season that usually starts in the beginning or the middle of the month of December. This dry season is very stressful for a rainforest and when a rainforest does not get enough rain it begins to flower.

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The Magnificent Great Hornbills

Peering through my monocular, I can see its eyes are red a sure indicator that it’s a male and on the branch above it his mate for life the female with her yellow eyes and slighter built. (having to see a bird through a binocular or monocular makes for a whole lot of difference.) For this is the only way one can tell the difference between the male and female Great Hornbill.

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Langkawi Geopark

May 2007. For over 35 years, academicians and naturalist have studied the Langkawi archipelago, which is part of the Gondwana Range, Ample data and information have been gathered on its biodiversity (flora and fauna) from both land and sea, Its geological information has been vast and comprehensive arising from 90 geological research sites or geosites registered.

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Langkawi's New Groove

Langkawi's leading naturalist, Irshad Mobarak, has teamed up with 100 choolchildren, under DiGi's Amazing Malaysians project, to save the island's natural treasures. As a young boy, Irshad Mobarak often accompanied his father into the wilderness. “Those were the best times of my life, and the love for nature became ingrained in me,’’ says Irshad, the ninth child in a family of 10.

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A true-blue naturalist

Langkawi’s wildlife is now in danger of extinction due to habitat segmentation and in-breeding. A man dubbed ‘The Jungle-Wallah’ by DiGi’s Amazing Malaysian 2007 project is helping to arrest this problem. The crowd of primary and secondary school children gathered on a recent weekend at the Berjaya Resort and Spa Langkawi for a nature adventure had a true-blue naturalist as their guide.

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Enjoying the Wild

One of Malaysia’s most accessible and beautiful tropical islands, Pulau Langkawi’s sun-drenched tropical climate, white powdered and black volcanic beaches, and welcoming people make it a popular tourist destination. However, there’s more to Langkawi life than beach-bumming, as Rowena Forbes discovered...

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Amazing Malaysian Awards

The five Amazing Malaysians selected for their brilliant heritage programmes are Irshad, Pak Saad, Joan, Judeth and Voon Fee. Be amazed at what they do. DEBRA CHONG and SU AZIZ write on the aspirations of five outstanding individuals.

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Tourism can Soar with Birds

It’s time the tourism industry cast an eagle eye on the northern frontier to promote bird-watching. While Taman Negara, Pahang, and Fraser’s Hill are popular havens for bird watchers, several spots in the northern states have equally good potential for such activities. These places include Ulu Muda, Pedu and Langkawi, all in Kedah, Kenyir in Terengganu, the Belum-Temenggor forest complex in Perak, and the Kuala Muda-Teluk Air Tawar coast near Butterworth.

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Dedicated Custodians

Individuals who come from diverse backgrounds but share a common bond in being guardians of the nation’s heritage are this year’s Amazing Malaysians. An architect, a farmer and a nature conservationist are among those named as “Amazing Malaysians” by DIGI Telecommunications Sdn Bhd. Another two are dedicated to preserving the culture of communities – one in historic Malacca and the other, Sabah.

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What the Experience Guide Said

November 2006. By LEONG SIOK HUI. WHAT THE EXPERIENCE GUIDE SAID. So, does a two-week nature guide crash course prepare one to take on the job?

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The Staunch Disbelievers.

Saturday April 22, 2006.The Staunch Disbelievers.IRSHAD MOBARAK – Naturalist. Glossary of Malaysian ghosts: Pontianak or kuntilanak – A type of vampire in Malay folklore. Langsuir – A version of pontianak but said to be the deadliest banshee in Malay folklore.

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Jobs of Joy

Features Tuesday January 17, 2006.Jobs of joy By LEONG SIOK HUI Relish a life of adventure, help change the world and . . . get paid for it! StarWeekend looks into dream jobs. YOU’VE got a dream job!” friends exclaim.

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All walks of Life

August – 2005. SENSES LANGKAWI MAGAZINEAll walks of Life. By Lina. He's been on TV and works out of an exclusive resort area. He also set up the first eco tourism programme for Langkawi together with the late Miles Baddeley. Irshad Mobarak really is committed to Langkawi and sharing an appreciation for its natural wonders.

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A Walk to Remember

The Guardian. 14 May 2005. A Walk to Remember. by Andrew Catchpole. "Langkawi is one of the most ravishing places in southeast Asia and is already being talked of as a rising star, yet it is still a hideaway where insiders come to revel in the ecological diversity and to drop out of sight in a handful of five–star hotels.

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The Plight of Sea Eagle.

The Plight of Sea Eagle.March 2004.By Sandra King/Nigel Carter Guernsey Memories of the holiday we took in February have to jogged by some out of focus snaps, souvenirs skulking in drawers, having never found a suitable shelf or wall to display them on.

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Naturalist Par Excellence.

Virtual Malaysia- July/august 2003 By Richard F. Dorall Irshad Mobarak: Naturalist Par Excellence. Built like an American football player, Irshad Mobarak has commanding presence, but is really a gentle giant.

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Steering Langkawi.

27 June 2003.Steering Langkawi.By Deepak Gill.NATURE guide Irshad Mobarak pointed out a plant growing on a limestone rock by the mangrove river in Langkawi, as we cruised by in a speed boat.

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The Arden Naturalist.

News Strait Times. Saturday MAY 24, 2003. Irshad the Arden Naturalist. Rose Ismail. Meet Irshad Mobarak, a consummate naturalist at the Datai, Langkawi, who delights in passing on his knowledge and skill to nature lovers.

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Forest Trump.

Weekend ft. HOW TO SPEND IT. FEBRUARY 2003. By Steven Cole. Forest Trump. The brigadier's eyebrows went up and a smile crept across his face when I told him I was thinking of visiting the Langkawi archipelago, a group of more than 100 mainly uninhabited islands off the north western coast of the Malaysian peninsula.

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Banking on Eco Tourism.

The Sun Daily. Wednesday 14th March 2001. Banking on Eco Tourism. By Ian McIntyre. Nature is not just a catch word conjured up when it comes to, Mutiara Burau Bay Resort; it is an all‑out effort to showcase the often overlook gift from Mother Nature.

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Jungle Odyssey

Daily mail UK. 14 May 2000. Jungle Odyssey by: Lucinda BredinThere’s much more to Langkawi than duty-free shopping, discover Lucinda Bredin and family, here on a recent holiday from England. My elder son was halfway along a plank when our guide dropped the bombshell: 'Don't fall in,' he said.

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Malaysian eco warrior.

London Evening Standard – Friday, 5th February 1999 PAUL MANSFEELD awards five Stars to a Malaysian eco warrior. The Malaysian island of Langkawi needs all the eco help it can get, as new hotels spring up along the coastline and the mass tourism descends. Enter Irshad Mobarak, 39 a sort of one man band in the cause of conservation on Langkawi.

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Edge of Darkness

THE SUNDAY TIMES TRAVEL 24 JANUARY 1999 By: STUART WAVELL Edge of Darkness A forbidden cave, a childhood prank, a sudden death; STUART WAVELL returned to Malaysia and retraced events that had haunted him for 40 years.

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Adventure into Nature.

Adventure into Nature. Borneo Bulletin. Sat/Sun 24/25 January 1998 . Irshad Mobarak speaks to Maria. A rapidly growing aspect of tourism is nature. Dubbed ecotourism, it is a timely effort towards preserving the natural heritage and environment of tourist destinations. It is also a smart move as more and more major tourist destinations are losing their appeal along with the attractions they advertise.

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My Very Own Swamp.

My Very Own Swamp. Weekend Telegraph.April 1997. Deep in the Malaysian rainforest, Paul Mansfield does his bit for nature conservation-by planting mangrove.

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Reserve Psychology.

Reserve Psychology. Malaysian Tattler April 1995. Sina Maran Tadun. These days, Langkawi has been given the green light for some dramatic restructuring of the environment. In the corner of the island, however, Sina Maran Tadun finds that it is still possible to take a walk on the wild side.

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Forest Hideaway

BELVEDERE, July/August 1994.By Martin WeslakeThe Datai Forest Hideaway A fusion of eco‘tourism and luxury make The Datai Resort, situated in 1800 acres of primary rain forest on North‘west Langkawi, the most talked about resort development in Southeast Asia. Sceptical of the developer's claims I joined six other guests on an early morning forest walk led by the Datai's resident naturalist, Irshad.

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Bond with Nature

Sunday Style. 20 March 1994. Bond With Nature. Irshad Mubarak doesn't look quite like what an “evangelist" should. Tall, tanned and hunky, he would probably be more at home in a Steven Seagal type movie than waxing lyrical about the lush greenery which surrounds The Datai.

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