Langkawi

Langkawi Travel Guide

• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

Langkawi, a holiday paradise that combines a tranquil setting from the natural world and luxury from the modern accommodation facilities offering opulence and scenery all at once.

The island of Langkawi, Malaysia is an exotic holiday destination that offers accommodation of all kinds (from budget beach chalets to the most sybaritic five star resorts) and amenities sitting side by side with idyllic beaches, ancient rainforests and quaint villages. Langkawi Malaysia is an archipelago of 99 tropical islands (or 104, depending on tide) off the north-western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, about 30km from Kuala Perlis on the mainland. The island was named after two Malay words – ‘lang’ (eagle) and ‘kawi’ (reddish brown), hence the imposing eagle statue at Dataran Lang (Eagle Square), welcoming visitors who arrive on the island through the Kuah Jetty.

The archipelago has some of the world’s most pristine rainforests, limestone and karst formations, caves with stunning stalactites and stalagmites, and among the world’s most beautiful beaches washed by clear emerald waters teeming with marine life.

ATMs and Money Exchange booths are available at the Langkawi Airport, at Langkawi Parade Shopping Complex and next to Underwater World at Pantai Cenang.

Langkawi is a duty-free island, and alcohol is significantly cheaper here than in the rest of Malaysia. Hotel tariffs and retail goods are exempt from government duty. Visitors with more than 48 hr stay in Langkawi are exempt on items like wines and liquor (1 liter), tobacco (200 cigarettes), apparel, cosmetics, souvenirs and gifts, food and food preparations and portable electronic items (one item).

Best Time to Visit

Langkawi, Malaysia is warm and sunny all-year-round. Humidity is high and the annual average temperature is 25C – 32C. Even during rainy season, the mornings are usually filled with sunshine, with the rain coming during overcast afternoons. The mid-season (neither dry nor rainy) is from mid April until August. The mornings are again sunny, but the afternoons can be overcast. The dry season is from mid November until mid April, during which time there is very little rain.

Where to Stay

Casa Del Mar Hotel
Jalan Pantai Cenang, Mukim Kedawang, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi, Malaysia 07000
A 4 star 34 room boutique resort located on the beach at Pantai Cenang. Offering all sea view accommodation in the tourist area of Langkawi, you are just 10 minutes or 7km’s (4miles) from the airport. read more …

The Danna Langkawi Hotel
Telaga Harbour Park, Pantai Kok, Langkawi, Malaysia 07000
Resting peacefully on the west coast of Langkawi Island, this property is surrounded by 2.8 acres of greenery. Capturing a breath taking viw of the green mountains and the marina, The Danna Langkawi Hotel is a few steps away from the white sandy beach. read more …

Tanjung Sanctuary Langkawi Resort
Pantai Kok, Langkawi, Malaysia 07100
Featuring 67 acres of land and private beach, this romantic hotel presents 30 spacious and airy bungalows that provides magnificent views. read more …

Tanjung Rhu Resort
Tanjung Rhu, Mukim Ayer Hangat, Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi, Malaysia
Nestled amidst 1100 acres of rainforest, this eco-friendly resort captures a spectacular view of of the Andaman Sea. Tanjung Rhu Resort boasts 136 tastefully designed rooms and suites that incorporate all five star amenities to ensure utmost comfort. read more …

The Andaman
Jalan Teluk Datai, Datai Bay Area, Langkawi, Malaysia
Bordered by an archaic tropical forest, this property is ideal for an eco-vacation. Nestled between the Cincang Mountain and the untouched Andaman Sea, this property combines a tranquil setting from the natural world and luxury from the resort, offering opulence and scenery all at once. read more …

Where & What to Eat

There’s a huge variety of food available on Pulau Langkawi, ranging from cheap and good hawker food to a splurge for gourmet food in the restaurants. The famous laksa is not to be missed.

Nightlife

Because of Langkawi’s tax-free status, alcohol is much cheaper than in the rest of Malaysia. Religious Muslims do not consume alcoholic drinks, and while they do tolerate non Muslims who do, try not to behave in a rowdy imbibed manner near them, their houses, mosques, and please respect local culture and communal sensitivities. For those living on a budget, you can obtain alcohol at cheap prices from the local duty free shops – the larger the outlets, the lower the prices. Expect to pay RM25 for 1L Absolut, RM45 for 1L Kahlua, RM60 for 1L Bailey’s, and RM5-12for 330 ml can beer.

Despite low alcohol prices, Langkawi is predominantly popular with couples and families. Single travellers and backpackers may therefore be disappointed with the lack of nightlife. Most bars remain empty, particularly in the low season, and the 1-2 nightclubs may only seem worthwhile in the peak season, and even then only on Friday or Saturday nights. Overall, Langkawi provides a family-friendly alternative to Thai locations such as Phuket and Koh Samui.

My to do List

There’s so much to see and to do in Langkawi; diving and snorkeling in the pristine water filled with rich marine life tops the list for most people. You can also take a cable car ride up the mountain that offers a breathtaking 360 degrees panoramic view of the islands, the rural lowlands and the seas as far as Thailand. For nature lovers, you can explore the lush forests and appreciate the unique wildlife of the islands from a different perspective.

Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls aka Seven Wells, (Gunung Mat Cincang, Northwest corner of the island, 45 kms from Kuah, walking distance from Oriental village and cable car (10 min)), This waterfall is named after the seven natural pools along its path. Legend has it that fairies used to come down to the pools to bathe and frolic. There are 2 viewing areas at Telaga Tujuh. The lower area is at the base of the waterfall and the higher area is where the 7 pools are. You can bathe in the pools and even slide down the slick rock between them. Be warned, to get to the 7 pools, you have to climb 300+ steps which can get quite slippery when wet. As with most Malaysian tourist sites, the toilet facilities are not maintained and rubbish is strewn everywhere. There is also a jungle trekking course available at the site which will lead you through a trail of up to 2,500 m, up 2 different mountains. This trail is achievable with slippers, but it is best to wear comfortable hiking shoes or boots as some segments of the trail are nearly vertical. Be warned that these trails are not recommended for family trips.

Gunung Raya, (take the snaking paved road through the jungle). The tallest mountain on the island, at 881m. Spectacular views from the lookout point on the top. There is a resort hotel serving meals and indifferent coffee at the summit. There is a lookout tower which one may climb for RM 10.

Pantai Cenang - The most popular beach in Langkawi, features fine powdery sand and many beachfront restaurants and bars. Located at the south-western tip of the island, 2 km long.

Stay Away From

Langkawi can have a lot of mosquitoes depending on the time of year and location (ie Mangrove areas), so don’t forget to use mosquito repellent.

Be careful driving around Langkawi at night. Although main roads are well-lit, some of the more minor roads are not very well lit and may pass through Kampungs (traditional Malay villages) or rural areas where the locals seem to take a very casual approach to road safety.

Beware of smart wild monkeys. Those at Tengkorak beach attack humans who have food.

Jelly fishes are also becoming increasingly prevalent and have caused at least one death – a Swedish tourist in early 2010. Do not swim at night or when you have been drinking.

Don’t participate in certain activities such as eagle feeding and monkey feeding as this harms the animals by encouranging them to become reliant on tourists and you may give them the wrong food.

Beware of restaurants telling you that they only have the bigger size lobsters or crabs available, as that is what they tell everyone. When your lobster or crab is served, you will discover that you will definitely be paying for 900g of shell instead of meat!

Getting There

The island of Langkawi can be reached through sea and air.

The Langkawi International Airport is one of the 7 international airports in Malaysia is 25 minutes’ drive from Kuah city center and is the point of entry for most tourists, and connects the island to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Penang, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Phuket and also Subang. The following airlines offer service to/from Langkawi: AirAsia , Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, Happy Airways, and SilkAir.

Malaysia Airlines
Local: 1300 88 3000
International: +60 (0)3 7846 3000

Air Asia
Local: 1300 88 99 33
International: +60 03 7884 9000

Silk Air Singapore
+65 (0)6 223 8888

Langkawi Ferry operates fast A/C boats from Kuala Perlis (RM18, 75 min), Kuala Kedah (RM23, 105 min), Penang (RM60, 165 min), and Satun(RM30 or THB300, 75 min), (Satun ferry to Langkawi: last boat departs Satun at 4PM. Telaga Harbour operates ferries from Ko Lipe, Thailand twice per day during the high season, at 9:30AM and 2:30PM (RM128 1-way, RM248 return, 75 min). These boats dock at the south end of Pattaya Beach. Bookings can be made online.

The Express Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur promises a comfortable and economical journey up to Alor Setar (Kedah) and/or Arau(Perlis). From Alor Setar or Arau, buses and taxis are available to Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis respectively, from where the Ferry Services take you to the island.

Malaysia Islands and Beaches

• Malaysia Islands and Beaches Guide
• Penang Beaches
• Pangkor Island
• Port Dickson
• Johor Islands and Beaches
• Desaru
• Tioman
• Cherating
• Terengganu Islands and Beaches
• Sabah Islands and Beaches
• Sarawak Islands and Beaches

There are several jungle trails that take you down to the peaceful Datai Bay beach. There is also a crocodile farm on the way to Datai Bay where you can watch the crocodiles as part of entertaining shows in the mornings and afternoons.

Getting There

By Road
Teluk Datai is about 30km or 30 minutes’ drive north of the Langkawi International Airport.

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Situated close enough to the natural beaches (15 min walk) with the subtle nightlife of restaurants and shops at Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah, the retreat of Pondok Keladi offers peace and tranquility on this beautiful island.

Set in an acre of coconut trees, adjacent to the wooded hillside, it is ideally suited to those who wish to unwind and enjoy the atmosphere of a small kampung. At the beginning of the drive there are picturesque views of padi fields and distant hilly horizon.

Pondok Keladi has a unit of six bedroom rooms, complete with open sided, centrally located covered area called the Balai and communal kitchen for guests to cook up a storm.

The garden has been planted with various tropical species of flora, and there are several lily ponds. In the adjacent woodland there are often monkeys in the coconut and rubber trees, including the Dusky Leaf monkeys. We also have hornbills, eagles, squirrels, flying foxes, butterflies and other exotic birds who come to observe us at times.

From the entrance of Pondok Keladi, a left turn will take you to the main road, left at this point takes you to the beach and restaurants/shops and airport (15 min drive), a right turn takes you to Kuah town (20 min drive).

Turn right from Pondok Keladi entrance and the undulating road takes you, bordering the padi fields, to a small inlet mooring point for some local fishing boats at the edge of mangrove swamp (20 min walk).

Each tastefully decorated room is measured 14′ x 14′. They are all with:

1. twin or double beds
2. ensuite bathroom with hot/cold shower
3. split air conditioning
4. ceiling fan
5. mini fridge
6. veranda area with tables and chairs
7. unlimited tea and coffee facilities
8. Maximum of 2 persons in a room

Prices are from RM45 per room per night to RM85 per room per night.

Then, pack your bags and head for the Oriental Inn tucked near the base of the imposing Gunung Mat Cincang (also known as Machinchang) and set within the self-contained Malaysian and Asian-styled tourist attraction called the Oriental Village.

This village is the take-off point for the Langkawi Cable Car ride that affords a commanding view of Langkawi‘s Teluk Burau area and beyond.

The Oriental Inn is a cosy, family-oriented place and secluded for those who want to spend quiet romantic holidays.

For a honeymoon or wedding reception, it‘s a dream place.

The hotel was the venue for a grand and beautiful garden wedding recently. The couple, Ahmad Humaizi Mohd Nor and Yuniza Yazid, daughter of Lada Eco-Tourism Sdn Bhd managing director Yazid Jais, looked resplendent in their wedding finery.

More than 1,000 guests attended the ceremony held in the evening. By nightfall, the landscape had turned into a fairyland, complete with dazzling lights and decorative paraphernalia.

“The garden wedding is a new concept here in Langkawi. We want to encourage courting couples, both foreign and local, to come to Langkawi and have a truly memorable wedding,” says Lada Eco-Tourism Sdn Bhd manager Nor Diana Low Abdullah.

Lada Eco-Tourism Sdn Bhd owns and manages the hotel and the Oriental Village as well as other properties in Langkawi, including the Mutiara Burau Bay Resort and the Summer Palace which was one of the locations for the Hollywood movie, Anna and the King.

“The rules pertaining to foreigners marrying in Langkawi have been relaxed recently and it is much easier now to tie the knot on the island. We hope to attract more foreigners to have traditional garden weddings here,” adds Nor Diana.

Couples can choose from four wedding packages: Western, Malay, Indian and Chinese, with prices for the wedding reception starting from RM70 to RM150 per guest. The Garden Wedding concept can be tailor-made according to individual budgets.

The package includes the theme and concept of the wedding reception, wedding invitation card design, and itinerary for the evening (with entertainment and master of ceremony), consultation on make-up, hairdo and attire for the ceremony and other services.

For the honeymoon, the hotel has a choice of three suites and 30 rooms, all air-conditioned and tastefully furnished.

“The small number of rooms gives our guests assured privacy,” says the hotel sales and events management executive Marzuki Abdul Rahman.

All rooms were recently upgraded. They have contemporary furnishings and facilities, including a minibar, television with cable channels, piped-in music and complimentary coffee and tea-making facilities.

Guests with children below 12 years old are allowed to share rooms with their parents with no additional charge, up to a maximum of two children per couple.

“Besides enjoying a quiet holiday by the lakeside and mountain terrain, and not too far away the lovely beach, guests can shop at the village which is practically at the doorstep of their hotel room. This is really a value-for-money location,” says Nor Diana.

Free daily transfers to Mutiara Burau Bay Resort are available to guests who want to escape to the beach.

Dining is also hassle-free. Oriental Inn guests need only walk across the Prosperity Bridge, or suspended bridge, to get to the Oriental Bistro and Restaurant.

Guests can opt to dine in the outdoors at the terrace with a view of the garden village or have a nice dinner indoors while being serenaded by a live band.

There‘s also a spacious bar serving drinks and cocktails. This is a popular place to chill out.

Equally popular is the karaoke room on the first floor of the restaurant. Here, you can sing your heart out as there are more than 15,000 songs in six different languages (English, Bahasa Malaysia, Thai, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean).

Although Langkawi has lost some of its natural habitat to development, it still has several isolated sanctuaries that have remained untouched including the Gunung Matcincang (also called Machinchang) forest reserve, Gunung Raya forest reserve, Bukit Sawak forest reserve, Itau River-Kilim River-Kisap River mangrove and limestone forest reserve, Kubang Badak River mangrove reserve and Bukit Malut forest reserve. To reach Sungai Kilim’s ecologically rich area, visitors can either take a 90-minute scenic boat ride from Kuah town or charter a taxi from town and get to Kilim pier, located just behind Galeria Perdana. Galeria Perdana is a magnificent building which houses the gifts that former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad received from foreign dignitaries when he held office.

Right across the pier, a troop of resident long tailed macaques gathers to greet outsiders to their humble abode. Boat rides are easily available either through private charter or tour groups which have counters located at the pier. One of the area’s interesting attractions is Gua Kelawar or Bat Cave, located about 10 minutes from the pier. Visitors have to disembark at a jetty and walk a short distance to the cave entrance. Gua Kelawar consists of two caves. The smaller western cave has a floor area of approximately 270 square metres and low roof (one to three metres) extending northeast by southwest. Ancient seashells can be seen stuck to the roof and walls, testimony that this was originally the sandy bottom of an ancient river that was pushed up by powerful tectonic processes millions of years ago. Studies have revealed that the sea level about 5,000 years ago was two metres higher that that of present day. The second cave is bigger, encompassing a total area of 750 square metres and has a 10-metre high roof. This cave takes the shape of a long tunnel of approximately 60 metres long, with both north and south openings. It is so named because of its inhabitants — both fruit and insectivorous bats. Malaysia has a high species diversity of bats with 117 species (20 species of fruit bats and 97 species of insect bats). Three species of insectivorous bats, the great round leaf bat (Hipposideros armiger), the intermediate round leaf bat (Hipposideros larvatus) and the Southeast Asian bent-winged bat (Miniopterus medius) make their home in the cave.

A wooden platform runs right through the cave, allowing visitors easy and safe access but a powerful torch is recommended if you want to view the cave’s natural treasures which include breathtaking stalactites and stalagmites. The best time to visit is either in the early morning or late evening when the sun’s golden rays enhances Mother Nature’s beauty. Lush mangrove swamps hug both sides of the river. Residents here as well as nature lovers realise the importance of these brackish mangroves which protect the coastline from erosion and provide a suitable nursery for the teeming marine life within the Kilim estuary. According to local tour guide operator Vickneswaran Saminathan, 35, local boat operators team up together occasionally during the lull periods to help clean up the Kilim estuary of debris and rubbish brought in by the tide. “Apart from that, they have also initiated a mangrove rehabilitation programme by helping to propagate the mature seeds in sparsely grown areas,” he said. Tour operators usually take tourists in for a closer look at the protruding adventitious roots of the Soneratia sp. and Rhizophora sp., two most commonly found mangrove species, and to view the shrimp and fish larvae scurrying in and out through the labyrinth of mangrove roots, seeking food as well as protection from predators.

As the boats venture out towards the open sea, tourists can view various types of wildlife indigenous to the area such as white belly sea eagles, brahminy kites, kingfishers, monitor lizards, small clawed otters and on very rare occasions, even dolphins which sometimes love to play tag by following the bow-wave of the boat. Another attraction at Kilim is eagle feeding where boat operators leave small amounts of chicken gut on the water surface for the predatory birds. “We turn up the boat engines to signal to the birds,” said boatman Adli Abdul Halim, 22. Almost on cue, flocks of carnivorous birds like white belly sea eagles and brahminy kites swoop down from the cliffs. They take turns to snatch the food with amazing agility. “Monitor lizards are also attracted to the food,” he added.

After feeding the eagles, the boats will move downstream and soon the Andaman Sea, located in the northern coast, comes into view as they exit the Kilim River through “The Hole in the Wall”. This is a famous passage so named after a narrow opening between formidable walls of limestone cliffs that connect the river to the open sea.

This narrow gap provides a sheltered area for a thriving fish farm and yachts mooring venture owned by Rahmad Md. Din, 45. His farm, aptly named “Hole in the Wall Sdn. Bhd.” is a six-year-old venture aimed at providing tourists with an insight into Langkawi’s rich aquatic life. The farm adopts a very hands-on approach, encouraging visitors to hand feed the multitude of marine life such as groupers, bat fish, blue spotted stingrays, lobsters, mantis prawns and snappers. The farm does not indulge in fish breeding; instead, it buys live fish from the local fishermen, thus helping to support the local fishing industry.

Visitors can choose their own lunch or dinner directly from the 50-odd cages and have it cooked the way they like at the floating restaurant. “We try and accommodate to our customers tastes. Our chefs can cook seafood in a wide variety of ways,” Rahmad said, pointing to his extensive menu.

The farm also provides simple, back-to-nature type of accommodation for tourists who would like to a taste of traditional Malay living. At RM45 per night, the simple yet tastefully equipped rooms are a bargain. “You have to book early to ensure that you get a room,” he advises.

According to Rahmad, most of his repeat customers are foreign tourists who moor their yachts at his farm when they have to return to their own country. He charges them a modest fee of RM200 a month which ensures the boats are well taken care of until their owners can return to once again enjoy Kilim’s treasures!

Langkawi is paradise for beach lovers. Pantai Cenang, the liveliest of Langkawi beaches, makes a perfect spot for you to escape and unwind. You can choose to swim, jet ski, water ski, wind surf or go catamaran sailing and boating. Another popular langkawi beach that is next to Pantai Cenang is Pantai Tengah, there’s only a small cape that separates both beaches.

Pantai Kok and Burau Bay are two beautiful Langkawi beaches located next to each other. They offer clean beaches and tranquil waters. The two beaches are lined with holiday resorts of very good quality and standard. Tanjung Rhu offers another magnificent beach in a cape in the northern most tip of the island. It is a scenic and unspoiled enclave nestled in the shade of swaying casuarinas trees. You can hire a boat from Tanjung Rhu, which will take you to Gua Cerita, a cave worth exploring.

Will you build sandcastles, take a romantic sunset stroll, or perfect your tan?

Here’s a list of Langkawi beaches:

#1Pantai Pasir Hitam
This beach is noted for its black sand, although it is not a real black-sand beach – it only has streaks of black caused by a spring that deposits mineral oxides.

#2Pantai Teluk Yu
This wide, sandy beach is actually a continuation of Pantai Pasir Hitam but without the the black mineral deposits.

#3Pantai Chenang
A 2Km- long beach strip, 20km from Kuah. This is where almost all of Langkawi’s beach chalets are concentrated. It is the favourite of those who prefer a more lively pace of beach life.

#4Pantai Tengah
This is a smaller, quieter beach just south of Pantai Cenang after the road skirts around a small rocky point.

#5Pantai Datai
The beaches and jungle around Datai are some distance off the main road around the island. Characterised by boulders at both ends of the beach and dense forest in the background, Pantai Datai slopes gently into clear blue waters.

#6Pantai Tanjung Rhu
This is one of Langkawi’s wider and better beaches. The water is shallow, and at low tide you can walk across the sandbank to the neighboring islands.

#7Pantai Kok
This beach fronts a beautiful bay surrounded by limestone mountains and jungle. However the water here isn’t necessarily clearer than at any other beaches.

#8Pantai Batu Hampar
Fronting the Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort at Teluk Nibung, this little stretch of beach is almost hidden.

Most flights are with one of these four airlines:

Daily direct air services from KL to Langkawi operated by Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia.

• Malaysia Airlines fly several times a day from/to Penang and Kuala Lumpur. They are not the cheapest, but prices are still normally reasonable. Direct flights to London have been terminated.
• Air Asia operates three flights a week between Langkawi and Bangkok on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Excellent for both domestic and international flights. Flight delays are not uncommon. Be prepared for mind-numbing waiting games even during off peak season.

FireFly Air (from Penang only). Firefly is a newly launched airline which flies from/to Penang twice daily. This is a short-haul, lower service version of Malaysia Airlines. The prices starts from RM9 (excluding tax).

Singapore’s Silk Air serves the Singapore route four times a week. This is a short-haul, lower service version of Singapore Airlines. The prices are reasonable.