Layang Layang Island

This island was formerly an atoll and was cunningly transformed to become a beautiful island in the wilderness of the South China Sea. My visit to this island was way back many many years ago and this island was then in the process of building up.

I came to this island from Labuan in Sabah by helicopter. That too was a long flight and it took us about 40 minutes to arrive. Once on the island, I was indeed amazed to see all the buildings that came up and the beauty of the island itself. The air-strip was then near completion and very soon fixed-wing aircraft can land on the island.

I was on this island with few friends and we stayed here for four days. In the lodging house we met several tourists from overseas like Japan and the USA. Most of them were writers from favourite magazines and they came to write about the island.

Since the island was formerly the crater of a volcanoe, the shores were therefore very short and an immediate drop to the bottom of the sea, presumably tens of thousands feet deep. The water around us was deep blue and the wind was continuosly blowing and of course very windy to us. At one corner of the island we came across several species of birds which has adopted the island as their homes. Saw them laying their eggs on the sand itself without any nest. They were so friendly and they flew around us like we were friends too. I was told about 25 species were found on that island.

Now this island is fully developed and became one of the many favourite holiday destinations in Malaysia. From just an atoll it has transformed into a beautiful island and the experience to stay in this island is just a dream comes true.