Slightly more hair raising if equally fascinating was flight up the side of a mountain.
Organised by the Four Seasons Resort in Langkawi we were able to ride the longest free span mono-cable car in the world.
Not only is it the longest but it is also the steepest. For those who enjoy being suspended in a glass sided box by a wire and dangled hundreds of feet in the air, the ride is thrilling.
For others the swaying of the gondola and the fact that our hosts had thoughtfully paid extra so we could ride in one of the Crystal Glass gondola with its own transparent floor the experience was an even more; (how shall we put this nicely?) exhilarating experience.
The 35 standard gondola each accommodates up to 6 persons and the trip to the first station takes about 15 minutes
The Base Station is conveniently located at the foothill of the Machincang mountain in what is called the Asia Village.
From here, visitors will be taken up to the cool Machincang mountain via the cable car system. The ride proved to be an exhilarating experience that gave us an insightful glimpse of the flora and fauna that surrounds the area.
An intermediate cable car station on the eastern ridges provides the much desired access to the eastern cliffs with its 3 vertical chimneys and the beautiful 360-degree views
The journey from the Base Station to Middle Station covers 1,700 metres in distance and upon reaching the Middle Station at an elevation of 650m above sea level, we were able to alight and walk up to the viewing platforms.
From here we enjoyed panoramic view of the main island as well as the many surrounding islands. We were also able to observe at a close range the unique flora on the ridges and the forested valley between the Middle Station and the Top Station.
A short walk up the stairs from the Top Station at an elevation of 708m above sea level took us to the two viewing platforms at the top of Machincang mountain.
The dramatic views from these platforms, provide spectacular 360 degrees panoramic views of the Langkawi islands and Southern Thailand as well as dramatic views of the deep chasms, overhangs cliff walls and isolated pinnacles.