Langkawi Trip: Langkawi's Beaches

Langkawi Island boasts of some of Malaysia's best beaches. From white sandy beaches the likes of  Pantai Cenang and Tanjung Rhu Beach to the black beach of Pantai Pasir Hitam Black Sand Beach, visitors come in droves to swim and bask. On a hot afternoon when we were armed with packed lunch, our guide took us to a beach that seemed far from town to lunch. It was definitely not the crowded Pantai Cenang where the Underwater World Langkawi is located; not Tanjung Rhu beach definitely where there were supposed to be lots of Casuarina trees. Here at the esplanade where we landed, there were palm trees swaying in the breeze and each of us found our spot to lunch. Our guide told us we could see a Thai island in the distance; South Thailand's Tarutao Islands.  We probably were at Teluk Yu Shark Bay, some 19 kilometers away from Kuah town. Shark Bay Beach, by the way, has no sharks and is located between Black Sand Beach to the east and Pantai Pasir Tengkorak Skull Sand Beach beach to the west. Rumours had it that the latter got its name after bodies of sailors who were victims of a sea monster had been swept to its shore.