Eagle Square

Dataran Lang was laid out in the 1990s on reclaimed ground beside the Kuah ferry terminal, and the reason for it is a piece of etymology: Langkawi is generally read as combining helang, eagle, with kawi, reddish-brown, giving the reddish-brown eagle - the brahminy kite, which is genuinely common over the island. The statue is a stylised eagle about twelve metres high on a plinth, wings raised, facing the harbour, and because it is the first thing arriving ferry passengers see it has become the island's standard image and the place everyone photographs on arrival or departure. Around it are terraces, fountains, ponds and a covered walkway, plus the usual stalls. It works best at sunset with the harbour behind, and it is otherwise a functional square rather than a destination.

What you actually see

• A twelve-metre eagle - the stylised brahminy kite that names the island.
• The Kuah harbour front - ferries and boats behind the plinth.
• Terraces and fountains - the landscaped square around the statue.
• A first-and-last stop - what arriving and departing passengers see.

When to go

All year; sunset for the light over the harbour. An hour.

Honest expectations

It is a statue on a plaza and takes fifteen minutes. Very exposed and hot in the middle of the day. Crowded when ferries dock. Nothing else in the square itself.

Nearby

Kuah town, the ferry terminal and the duty-free shops are all adjacent.