The beautiful coastline in Langkawi.
LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA • BY JOHN AMODEA
Langkawi, home of the 2015 PALS World Cup Asia, is located 30 kilometers off
the coast of mainland northwestern Malaysia. To give you a very rough idea of
where Malaysia is located, it is just north of Singapore, a few hundred miles south
of Vietnam and Thailand and southwest of the Philippines. Mainland Malaysia is
where you will find the major metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, its Petronas Towers and
1.5 million residents. And a short 45 minute flight brings you to the picturesque
Langkawi, with its mountains, beautiful beaches, palm trees, much slower pace
of life… and the PALS World Cup.
Mahsuri International Exhibition Center, the site for the World Cup, is literally
walking distance from the airport and main hotel, so no rental car is necessary.
For just about $50 US Dollars you could rent a motorbike/scooter for a week—
and hundreds of players did just that. A ten minute ride to Kuah Town, the island’s
commercial district is where most of the players spent their evenings during the
event. Clubs, bars, restaurants and shopping are all located in Kuah Town, as well
as the island’s best beach - Cenang Beach.
Once you’re away from the commercial district and airport area, Langkawi
becomes mountainous, lush , green and very Hawaii-like. One of the popular
things to do on this side of Langkawi is ride the Cable Car—which just happens
to be the world’s longest free-span cable car ride. I did it and it was amazing—
almost as amazing as hanging out with monkeys, which are everywhere once
you’re away from the commercial areas.
Another plus for those traveling from the western part of the globe to Langkawi
is most people speak English and most signs, menus and ads are printed in
Malay and English. It’s easy to get around and the people are very welcoming.
So if you’re looking for a paintball adventure for 2016, you might want to think
about the World Cup Asia event. It’s an event you will never forget.
The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.