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The government recently announced that fully vaccinated domestic tourists will soon be able to visit Langkawi
Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri announced that fully vaccinated individuals in Malaysia, except for those from areas under an Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO), will have the option to visit Langkawi starting 16 September, either via flight or land routes, as reported by The Star.
Among the tourism activities allowed are staying at hotels and homestays, and the usage of facilities such as swimming pools, gymnasium, lounge, hall, and business events (MICE).
The minister also noted that beach activities, water sports, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing tours, edutainment centres, recreation parks, and other leisure, recreational, and social activities will also be allowed.
Image via Langkawi by Hotels.com
Meanwhile, BFM News noted that the government is still fine-tuning new rules for tourists in order to protect and conserve Pulau Payar Marine Park.
New rules will be introduced to protect and conserve Pulau Payar Marine Park, near Langkawi.It includes limiting the number of tourists to the island to 100 people a week.The park will also be closed to tourists every Tues and Wed for the period between March and May yearly. pic.twitter.com/x42LthtvhC
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) September 14, 2021
Following the announcement, an island local took to Twitter to list out a few things that people should take note of when visiting the beautiful holiday destination
Alia Ali is a media writer, food enthusiast, and co-founder of Periuk.my.
According to her website, after a lifetime in and around the city, she moved to a rural island in 2019, to begin her dream of living on a farm.
Image via Michelle Yip/Alia Ali
She told SAYS that she first moved to Langkawi right before the pandemic hit.
On 11 September, she wrote on Twitter, “PSA: If there are those who’d like to vacation in Langkawi, here are a few tips from a local.”
1. Make sure to wear your mask at all times
Alia wrote, “Yes, I know you’re vaccinated. Yes, we are vaccinated too. But there are still those who have not been vaccinated or could not be vaccinated like those with illnesses or children. Take care of public health. If cases here rise, where else would you go on holiday?”
1. PAKAI MASK DAN TETAPKAN JARAK. Ya, saya tau hang dah vaksin. Ya, kami pun dah vaksin jugak. Tapi masih ada yang belum/tak boleh vaksin, seperti orang yg ada penyakit lain, atau budak-budak. Jaga kesihatan awam. Kalau kes kat sini naik, hang nak cuti kat mana pulak?
— penjara kan sosial (@thealia) September 11, 2021
2. Bring your vaccine card
Alia also added that tourists should bring their vaccine cards as well as remember to register through the MySejahtera app when entering premises.
“If you don’t register, later the business owners will have to pay a hefty fine. They can’t afford that,” she wrote.
Image via Arisha Rozaidee/SAYS
3. Be polite
“It’s a pity that you haven’t gone on holiday for a long time right? But this doesn’t mean you can act like devils. You’re no king. Always be considerate and kind when interacting with waiters, cashiers, drivers, etc. They’re also human,” Alia tweeted.
Image via Luxury Launches
4. Do not feed the wildlife
“Monkeys are cute, whatever, but monkeys belong in the wild. Monkeys that are used to being fed by humans will start eating trash and also bother other people. It’s happened to me before, it’s traumatising and not funny, okay,” she said.
4. JANGAN BERI MAKANAN KEPADA HIDUPAN LIAR. Monyet tu comel, whatever, tapi monyet sepatutnya duduk di hutan. Monyet yang biasa diberi makan oleh manusia akan mula makan sampah dan juga kacau manusia lain (Saya dah kena, trauma tak kelakar ok).
— penjara kan sosial (@thealia) September 11, 2021
5. Do not support unethical tour operators
“If they offer eagle feeding, do not go. Oftentimes, tour operators will throw chicken fat to attract eagles. This is not good for the health of the eagles. Eagles can find their own food. Just watch them from afar please,” Alia said.
Image via Sutra
6. Do not litter
Alia noted that there is not enough manpower to manage litter on the island in comparison to the mainland.
“Don’t act like monkeys. Dispose of your trash properly. If rubbish bins are full, hold them until you find an empty one. If I see you littering, I will ask you to swallow the trash.”
Image via Malaysianews TV
Besides that, you can also consider helping underprivileged families on the island
Regardless of whether you’re planning to pay a visit to Langkawi or not in the near future, you can contribute to this cause.
It’s run by a collective dubbed Kampung Geographic and they’re looking to supply food and other essentials to families in need.
Every RM100 donated can provide a family with a month’s supply of diapers and baby formula, or two weeks of groceries.
To help, you may deposit some cash to:
MXH Enterprise
8009838347 (CIMB Bank)
Image via @thealia (Twitter)
Check out Alia’s full Twitter thread here:
PSA: Kalau ada yang ingin bercuti ke Langkawi, ini beberapa petua dari seorang lokal (thread)
— penjara kan sosial (@thealia) September 11, 2021