Dayang Bunting Island

Pulau Dayang Bunting is the second largest island in the Langkawi archipelago, and the thing on it is Tasik Dayang Bunting, the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden - a freshwater lake in a collapsed limestone cavern, separated from the sea by a ridge of rock only a few dozen metres wide, so you climb over from a saltwater jetty and are immediately at fresh water. The geology is why it is part of the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark: the lake sits in Devonian and Carboniferous limestone and the cave collapse that formed it is legible in the walls. The legend gives it the name - a childless couple who drank from it are said to have conceived, and the island's outline is read as a reclining pregnant woman - and it draws people accordingly. Swimming is allowed in a marked area. Dusky leaf monkeys and macaques are around the boardwalk.

What you actually see

• Fresh water beside the sea - a lake separated from salt water by a narrow rock ridge.
• A collapsed limestone cavern - the geology visible in the surrounding walls.
• The pregnant maiden legend - the fertility story and the island's read outline.
• A UNESCO geopark island - part of the Langkawi geological designation.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Reached only by boat, usually on a packed island-hopping tour with a fixed short stop. Macaques take bags and food aggressively. The lake is crowded in the middle of the day; early trips are better.

Nearby

Langkawi's main island is north; the geopark boat routes link the islands.