Tourists have ruined many of Asia’s best islands, but not this one

We have so many wonderful islands within a few hours of the Australian mainland, including our own local holiday spots, so we’re spoiled for choice.

But it is not so easy to find an island where the culture hasn’t been compromised to chase the tourist dollar, one that balances the advantages of tourism with a good quality of life for locals.

Some of our favourite spots have clearly failed in this.

A few weeks ago, I travelled to Langkawi, an archipelago of 99 islands off the north-western coast of mainland Malaysia.

The main island, which is a duty-free destination, received 3 million visitors last year, while Bali attracted 6.94 million international tourists and Phuket more than 10.5 million in the same period.

Only four of the islands are inhabited. In 2007, a swathe of Langkawi was given Global Geopark status by UNESCO to protect the 550-million-year-old rock formations and rainforest that covers it and to preserve its rich biodiversity and culture.

The climate can be steamy, but the waters are clear, and many beaches are almost deserted. Datai Bay is celebrated as one of the world’s top 10 beaches by National Geographic.

The Datai, a five-star resort, has the curve of this famous beach almost to itself. The resort’s “back garden” is the 750-hectare rainforest and its abundance of wildlife, including the world’s cutest monkey, the dusky langur.

But the beauty of the setting is not the only thing that makes The Datai and Langkawi special.

Five years ago, Datai chief executive Arnaud Girodon and naturalist Irshad Mobarak, in consultation with local community and international sustainability experts, drew up the pioneering Datai Pledge, a far-reaching manifesto that commits to preserving the environment, regenerating the surrounding ecosystems, protecting biodiversity and operating a sustainable business.

One important mission of the Pledge is to empower the local community to become passionate guardians of their own surroundings.

The resort works with local NGOs and communities to assist farmers in cultivating organic produce, to encourage sustainable fishing, support local artists and artisans and educate guests and the youth of Langkawi on environmental issues.

The highlight of my stay was not swimming in the warm waters of Datai Bay – although that was pretty nice – but visiting some of the projects the resort sponsors and learning about the difference they’ve made to the lives of local people.

One of these is the Kanshalife Project, a social enterprise that transforms island waste into useable products.

It was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic by artist Skaii de Vega, who grew up in Kuala Lumpur. After 17 years in Europe, she was dismayed by the mountains of waste everywhere and was determined to find a solution.

Supported by The Datai, Kanshalife hires local people to produce and sell products such as beanbags, glass coasters and coconut oil.

Those disposable hotel slippers I wrote about in this column a couple of weeks ago? The Kanshalife Project upcycles these into stylish stools and cushions.

Another project is candle making. I visited Mak Tok, a mother of four, who has perfected the art of making pillar candles. Kanshalife provides her with a home and big, airy workshop. The Datai sends what’s left of their candles for recycling and buys back the new candles she makes. Her daughter now works with her, and they make 1600 candles a month.

The Datai Pledge also supports the work of the remarkable Zuraidah Zainal Abidin (known as Kak Zu) who founded Geng Bersih Kampung, a community centre and social space for local children.

Set in a budding herb and vegetable garden, the centre provides children with language skills, nature classes and extracurricular activities such as cooking classes and silat, a traditional martial art. Kak Zu says such activities bolster self-esteem.“The children think, ‘I can cook. I can draw. I can do anything’,” she tells me.

Kanshalife offers workshops at The Lab creative space at The Datai, has an Artisans Collective retail hub in town and works with other four- and five-star properties on waste recycling ideas.

The Datai encourages and facilitates visits to all these projects for guests. But you don’t need to stay at the Datai to appreciate the work of the many projects joining forces to enrich the lives of people on Langkawi.

The writer was a guest of The Datai Langkawi. See thedatai.com