Hotmail Founder Sabeer To Marry In Exotic Langkawi

NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Hotmail founder, Indian-born Sabeer Bhatia, who became an overnight millionaire after selling his web-based e-mail service to Microsoft, plans to get hitched in Langkawi Island next month.

Sabeer, 40, chose Langkawi as his preferred venue to wed Tania Sharma, on March 9, and dignitaries from far and wide are expected to bless the marriage at the Taj Rebak Marina Resort located on the world famous island.

"We wanted an exclusive island for the wedding. Sabeer wanted to have it in Hawaii but it would be too far for our guests. We were thinking of Phuket, Bangkok or Koh Samui (Thailand) but decided on Langkawi," R.K. Sharma, the father of the bride-to-be, told Bernama.

About 270 dignitaries including bigwigs like Indian steel king Lakshmi Mittal's brother Pramod Mittal and India's Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel are on the guest list.

"Langkawi is an exclusive island and we have booked the entire hotel for our guests. The event is for two days, the first day is for the sangeet ceremony (pre-wedding ceremony of dance and music) and the wedding is on March 9th," added Sharma.

The Langkawi cable car is also said to have been booked for two hours on March 9 for the wedding party, where the guests will be entertained by musicians, deejays, and singers specially flown in from India.

The computer wizard, who sold Hotmail for a whopping US$400 million in 1997, just before his 30th birthday, was once engaged to a US-based Indian corporate lawyer in 2004 but the three-month engagement fell apart.

Sabeer, the son of a military officer, was born in Chandigarh, Punjab and graduated from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India and later completed his Masters programme in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University.

Sabeer got engaged to Tania, a Mumbai-based businesswoman and the heiress of the Baidyanath Group, one of the largest manufacturers of ayurvedic medicine in India, last December.

-- BERNAMA- February 06, 2008 19:13 PM

Le Tour de Langkawi 2008

9 February 2008 - 17 February 2008

World’s finest cyclists will meet at Asia’s Le Tour de Langkawi. An action packed event that promises thrills and spills. The route starts from the idyllic island of Langkawi to Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, involving spectacular and treacherous terrain.

For further information, click at the official Le Tour de Langkawi Web Site-www.tdl.com.my

Island Hopping at Langkawi-stop by at Tasik Dayang Bunting

Visit Langkawi - An Introduction

Geography

Langkawi lies north of the Strait of Malacca in the southern Andaman Sea near the border between Malaysia and Thailand. A few kilometres to the north lies the neighbouring Thai island of Ko Tarutao. The island group's main town, on the main island, is Kuah.

Langkawi's highest point is Gunung Raya, rising to 890 m above sea level in the main island's central-eastern area.

The archipelago consists of 99 islands with a total land area of 528 km2 (204 sq mi).

Transportation

From the Kuah jetty, there are high-speed ferry connections to Satun in southern Thailand, Pulau Payar, Penang, Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis in the mainland of Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines has daily flights to Langkawi whilst AirAsia flies from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. SilkAir flies to Langkawi from Singapore and there is a Penang-Langkawi flight route operated by Firefly airline. The Langkawi island has a well developed road network. Taxis and car rentals are available at the Langkawi International Airport. Ships dock at the Awana Porto Malai harbour on the west coast of the island.

Tourism

On June 1, 2007, Langkawi Island has been given a World Geopark status by UNESCO.Three of its main Geopark components are Mount Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park, Kilim Geoforest Park and Pulau Tasik Dayang Bunting (Island of the Pregnant Maiden Lake).

Sheltered by the mountainous backbone of Peninsular Malaysia, Langkawi escapes the northeastern winter monsoon entirely and enjoys sunny skies when the eastern provinces are flooded. Coupled with natural white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage and craggy mountain peaks—but hampered by inaccessibility—the island was at one time touted as "Malaysia's best-kept secret".

Langkawi remained a sleepy backwater until 1987, when the island was granted tax-free status with the intention of promoting tourism. Subsequently the island's airport was upgraded and ferry links were increased.

Beginning 1990s, Langkawi competes with nearby Penang for the title of Malaysia's largest tourist draw. Resorts and 5-star hotels line the beaches and in the winter high season, direct flights land from as far as Europe and Japan.

Besides being tax-free, the beach and eagle, another attraction in Langkawi is the Cable Car to the tops of Gunung Mat Cincang at 705 m above sea level. Galeria Perdana a collection of over 2500 gift to the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad.

Langkawi used to be the starting point of the annual international cycling race Tour de Langkawi cycling event. Langkawi also hosts the biennial Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show (LIMA).

And lots more to come...wait for the next post..

Welcome to Langkawi