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Malaysian Team Wins Inaugural International Le Hunt de Langkawi
Langkawi: Malaysian team Lucky 4 beat more than 60 local and foreign competitors in a mind- and physically-challenging treasure hunt to become the champions of the first international Le Hunt de Langkawi, held on the island, on Saturday, 25th June 2005.
Lucky 4, consisting of Razif Ahmad, Darma Abai, Raja Zaen Raja Hizam and Sam Rahman, brought home the first prize of RM22,040 cash (USD5,800) for their winning efforts.
The motor treasure hunt started off from Kuah, and participants were given seven hours to answer 25 road and 10 walk hunt questions. They also had to break four treasure clues, solve a mystery envelope puzzle and take a kayak challenge within that time, before they completed the hunt in Tanjung Malai. The treasure trail, which took participants round the island in search of clues, included popular tourist spots such as the Langkawi Bird Paradise, Galeria Perdana and the Oriental Village, all locations of the walk hunt part of the event.
While scouring for the answers might pose a cerebral, and no small amount of physical, challenge to participants, the fear factor of the hunt included taking a cable car up the 708-metre Mount Mat Chincang, which has the world's longest free span for a single-rope cable car and one of the world's steepest incline rides, as well as paddling a kayak to the middle of the sea.
"We are working on making Le Hunt de Langkawi one of the annual events and a permanent fixture of the island's tourism calendar, much like (bicycle race) Le Tour de Langkawi and the LIMA Exhibition," said Ir Haji Nawawi bin Haji Ahmad, Cultural, Arts and Tourism Exco of Kedah, at the flag-off's opening ceremony.
Ir Haji Nawawi also added that to make it bigger, next year's treasure hunt may cover a wider area and start from Alor Setar, on the mainland, before participants continue on with the hunt on the island.
Le Hunt de Langkawi 2005 is organised by Intratama Travel Consultant & Tours (M) Sdn Bhd, and supported by Tourism Malaysia and Tourism Langkawi.
Happy Hunters (l-r): Razif, Darma, Isa Saude, Director of Intratama, Ir Haji
Nawawi, Raja Zaen and Sam acknowledge the crowd at the prize-giving ceremony
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