Scuba Diving in Langkawi

This web page was written for India section of YourAsianVacations.com

Langkawi Scuba Diving means diving in Pulau Payar Marine Park, located south east of Langkawi. Scuba diving in Langkawi is the best way to explore the rich marine life of the region. Seasoned divers who have enjoyed diving activity in the Andaman Sea can relate to the greenish hues of the ocean around Pulau Payar.

It is an ideal place to introduce the uninitiated to the real, natural marine habitat. There is a Langkawi Corals reef platform that caters to non-divers. You would feel as if you are watching a colossal aquarium.

Marine Life
Thanks to strict conservation laws enforced here, prolific marine life can be seen here. Jacks, Fusiliers, black tip sharks, barracudas and giant groupers could be regularly sighted. Abundance of fish makes the tour of Pulau Payar Marine Park delightful. Coral life is rich and it consists of both soft and hard corals. You could touch and feel coral but you should not pluck them. This tiny speck of land is the home of such incredible number of corals.

Dive Operators
A number of dive operators operate in Langkawi. Divers and snorkelers are taken from their hotels to any of the jetty, either at the main Kuah jetty or the Royal Yacht Club. Usually, the trip includes a packed lunch.

Scuba Diving in Langkawi
Pulau Segantang
Located towards the west of Pulau Payar, Pulau Segantang features rocky outcrops plunging into the sea. Nurse shark, lobsters, moral eels, barracudas and jacks are common here. The depth is 20 metres.

Pulau Kaca
Located on the eastern side of Pulau Payar, it is known for artificial reef. Scores of sunken fishing trawlers found around Pulau Kaca have created an artificial reef. Depth is about 18 meters. Abundance of fish life, mollusks and nudibranchs makes diving or snorkeling here delightful.

Grouper Farm
Situated at the southern end of Pulau Payar, the scuba diving site is home to small schools fish darting around in water. Under water, you would get mainly hard corals. The depth is 15 metres.

Hong Kong Shopping Hubs

I wrote this web page for Hong Kong section of Tourism-Asia.net in December 2006.

Shopping is a favorite pastime of Hong Kongers. Almost all visitors to Hong Kong go on a shopping binge and always leave with few extra bags. Few places in Asia can compete with Hong Kong in the field of shopping. Popular shopping centres in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories, three regions of Hong Kong are as given:

Hong Kong Isnlad
Central District
Foremost shopping area in Hong Kong Island is Central District, which is the heart of all commercial activities in Hong Kong. It is admired for fantastic fusion of old markets and designer boutiques. Financial and banking houses throng the area, and interspersed between them are glittering malls of international standard. Most prominent among Central District shopping spots are Bonham Strand West, Hollywood Road and Cat Street. The last two are particularly famous for antique shops. High-end shopping malls like the Landmark, the Galleria, Prince's Building and IFC Mall.

Causeway Bay
This area, which is always brimming with hectic activities, is home to an array on high-end shops. Most prominent among Causeway Bay shopping spots are Windsor House and Times Square. Between them, one can discover Fashion Island, World Trade Centre, Sogo, Mitsukoshi and Causeway Bay Plaza. The region is particularly known for Hong Kong and Japanese style shopping malls and arcades.

Admirality
Two malls, Queensway Plaza and Pacific Place make the tourists head towards Admirality. Moreover, Hong Kong Island's MTR Line and the Kowloon Tsuen Wan Line are linked by Admirality stations. Moving between both shopping hubs, people tend to stop at Admiralty.

Kowloon
Mong Kok
Mong Kok is particularly good for electronic and bargain shopping. People who are fond of talking the things out of the shops should visit Mong Kok. One can easily find stuff like CDs, televisions, computer and mobile phones accessories here. Mong Kok also has some streets devoted to some particular things such as Sports Shoe Street, Women's Street, Bird's Market and Flower Market.

Tsim Sha Tsui
Most shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui is concentrated in Canton Road and Peking Road. The area is specially visited for high class fashion shops. Other than these two alleys, Ashley Road, Hankey Road, Lock Road and Haiphong Road are also famous. Apart from shopping, these areas also provide pubs and restaurants, where the visitors can soothe their frenzied nerves.

Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard is a famous entity on Nathan Road. Boulevard has 50 plus shops and to shop here is an experience to remember.

Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong is a major station in the local train network, and what makes it attractive for the tourists is the mall Festival Walk, which is located right above Kowloon Tong Station. The stylish, elegant mall, having more than 200 shops, is ever ready to fascinate the visitors.

New Territories
Tsing Yi
New Territories, the upcoming shopping destination in Hong Kong, has some glitzy malls. Most well-known among these is the Maritime Square. The Mall is designed as a large cruise ship, with sails and other necessary adornments. The Mall holds more than 200 shops and restaurants.