penang in malaysia, once a trading post of the east india company, was virtually unknown as a touristyears ago, but with the advent of cheap air travel and the package holiday, what was known as the far east is now a very familiar tourist destination. today there's a building boom to cater for the millions of tourists who visit yearly. penang's neighboring island, langkawi, near the northeast corner of malaysia, close to thailand, is the latest to be drawn into southeast asia's expanding network of paradise islands, but here they are targeting a much more selective market far away from the world of mass tourism. it's called niche marketing-- designing hotels to fit into a particular niche. exclusive golf courses are an increasingly essential part of these resort developments. the problem is they are disastrous environmentally. not only do they destroy the natural vegetation, but they use an enormous amount of water and pesticides. the datai on the northwest coast of langkawi is aimed at the wealthy international traveler with its tranquillity and its get-away-from-it-all amenities. th