Far above the beaches of a Maylaysian island, it’s possible to literally walk in the sky on a cable-stayed bridge known as the Langkawi Sky Bridge, off of the peak of Gunung Mat Chinchang. The bridge is for pedestrians only and runs a curved length of four hundred feet and seems to float far above sea level at the height of two thousand two hundred feet. The technology for these bridges goes back to C.T. Loescher’s design for a timber bridge in 1784, but, of course, there’s been lots of improvements since then. Early examples of this type of construction include Dryburgh Abbey’s footbridge (built in 1817), and (in 1872), the Albert Bridge, followed by the Brooklyn Bridge (in 1883). But nothing quite beats the ability to walk out over a forested mountain in Langkawi.
Everyone has some small fear of heights; it’s what keeps us from wandering off cliffs and chasms, and that may be what gives some of us the thrill in walking out hundreds of feet above the ground. To reach the Sky Bridge after checking into one of the
luxury hotels Langkawi offers its guests, all you need to do is find the
Langkawi Cable Car, the only way up. And, if you like both of these experiences, you might want to investigate other high bridges people have built.
For instance, in British Columbia, in North Vancouver, you’ll find the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which is a bit longer than the Langkawi Sky Bridge, but not as high; it’s suspended just two hundred and thirty feet above the Capilano River. If you want something a little lower to test out your reaction to heights, you might try the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in Antrim over in North Ireland. This is a hundred foot high rope bridge and just sixty feet long, connecting Carrick Island to Ireland. It seems, though, that the Langkawi Sky Bridge is much sturdier; at least it’s not made out of rope! There’s also another advantage to experiencing the Langkawi Sky Bridge. Once you’re done, you’ll return to sea level and Langkawi’s beautiful white sand beaches.
Related posts:
- Exploring Molokai
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