Beaches, rainforests, waterfalls, and jungles with a wide variety of wildlife are just a few of the reasons why you should visit Langkawi. Also known as the jewel of Kedahh, this island in the Andaman Sea is a tropical paradise. With an archipelago of 99 islands, Langkawi is a beautiful and easy place to be for a small getaway. As one of Malaysia's best-known and most popular beach destinations, the massive island is home to historical attractions and dirt-cheap shopping.
HOW TO GET TO LANGKAWI
The easiest is via plane. From Kuala Lumpur it's a 1 hour flight. There are several airlines for this route. Besides this there are lots of ships and ferries which can be taken.
WHERE TO STAY-
While Langkawi has a bit of a reputation as a resort island, it still has plenty of budget and mid-range options. We stayed at Wu Senses located near the airport. Booked through Airbnb Wu Senses is is located in the middle of lush paddy fields without some beautiful view all around. Owned by Pei Pei this traditional wooden Malay house has three spacious bedrooms, a huge veranda with hammocks, kitchen, and dining room. Pei Pei is a great hosts and helps you out to explore the town too with her tips and things one can do.
THINGS TO DO
- Island Hopping- There are dozens of opportunities to explore the small islands scattered around the main inhabited island. It's easy to book a day tour on a catamaran or speed boat and visit a few islands paired with beautiful beaches. Take some time and go exploring the islands, jungle trekking and having a swim in a fresh water lake.
- Langkawi Sky Bridge- A 125 metre-long curved pedestrian bridge that offers an exhilarating view of the verdant Gunung Mat Cincang, Telaja Tujuh waterfalls, and several islets surrounding Langkawi, the Sky Bridge is one of the premier attractions of Langkawi. Set 700 metres above sea level, it is only accessible via the final station of the Langkawi Cable Car ride. One can enjoy a 360 degree view of the islands and the flora around, it's absolutely stunning! Remember you will have to pay for the Cable Car ride & The Sky Bridge separately. The Cable Car company smartly pushes its package deal to earn money even if one doesn't want it. BE careful and ask for just cable car ride and nothing else.
- Street food at the Night Market- Since I am allergic to sea food I can't share first hand experience but my friend who hogged on almost everything. And according to her the food is super delicious and is cheap!! There is no better place to try local food than these Night Markets which happen daily at various places around the island throughout the week. Just ask around for the day when the market is nearby and visit it for some delicious chicken or seafood, fresh juices, homemade ice tea, fresh fruits, salads, satay, samosas and many different sweets such as cookies, pancakes.
- Sunset Cruise- We took a three hour sunset cruise on a beautiful yacht to watch the sunset. This includes dinner and drinks (including alcohol) and costs around RM 330. The cruise departed from the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club and one can enjoy beautiful scenery with lots of islands and limestone cliffs.
- The Beaches- Langkawi offers some pretty lovely beaches. Though the sea is not crystal clear still these beaches are definitely good for an afternoon picnic or just chilling. These are our favorites:
- Tanjung Rhu - Situated at the far north eastern end of the island this beach has many islands forming the scenic backdrop and lots of eateries and stalls around.
- Pantai Cenang is the most popular beach in the touristic center of the island, at the south-western tip of Langkawi. Towards the west side of the beach you can catch a pretty sunset.
- Tengkorak Beach- Our favourite of the beaches, this is one of those beaches in the island that has virtually everything for the beach lovers- soft white sands, crystal clear blue waters great for swimming, rock formations at its ends and all the basic amenities around.
- Kilim Geopark Kayak Tour- Situated at the famous Kilim River in Eastern Langkawi Island, Kilim is outstanding land-form with dramatically landscape surrounding the hidden lagoon of Geo-Forest Park. Here the largest mangroves area in this region is located. Kayaking trough the channel and waterways is an exciting experience to see the virgin mangrove jungles. One can also see a Cave full of bats, local fishermen area, pure mangroves and abandon islander villages.
While Langkawi doesn't have a big party scene, there surely are couple of bars around where one can drink and be merry. Since alcohol is cheaper there one can pick up from the duty free shops.
There are many ways to get around the island.
- By motorcycle. From RM40 per day. You need to pay for the gasoline, though.
- By taxi. Cabs in Langkawi use the fixed rate system and not the meter. Short distances can cost up to RM15 and longer distances RM30. You can also strike a deal with a cab driver to take you on a tour around the island. It is usually at RM120 for 4 hours. That's what we did and we were able to visit the destinations listed above within 5 hours
- By Car- Hiring a car makes a lot of sense. One can easily hire a car from RM 60 onwards.
Next time when you planning a quick trip nearby, then Langkawi can be a good option. Unlike the buzzing Thailand, Langkawi is laid-back and it may be small but it is packed with all kinds of natural wonders.
This blog was orginally published on 'CHASING THE EXPERIENCE'