AYER HANGAT HOT SPRING GEOSITE

This site is located at Ayer Hangat in the northern part of Langkawi. Hot springs occur here due to the Kisap Fault (a cut in the rock). Hot springs are produced when seawater that enters into limestone cavities and fractures in the rock undergoes hydrothermal heating (heat from a granite body some km below the surface of the earth). This hot saltwater that collects in the cavities and fractures is heated, moves upwards through the fault, and appears as a hot spring. Seawater hot springs are rarely found in the world. The hot water temperature here is 38-40°C with slow water flow (less than one m3/min).

According to a myth, the water here is hot because it was spilt, in an Earth-shattering quarrel between two giants during their children’s wedding. Many people believe that hot springs can help stimulate blood flow, cure skin disease, relieve joint pain and body ache. This site is developed as a modern complex of hot spring recreation in a Malay traditional village setting.