Langkawi is a group of islands in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia offering a diverse range of activities for all. Officially declared as one 94 globally recognised Geoparks by UNESCO in 2007 for its natural beauty, ecological harmony and archaeological, geological and cultural significance, it is a must-visit destination when in Malaysia. Here are some of the things we did which I would highly recommend.
1- Mangrove Tour
You get so much for your money on this trip!
You first board one of these boats above and get taken to the Gua Kelawar (Bat Cave) as your first stop.
Shine your torchlights all around and you can see the thousands of bats hanging on the cave walls. You also get to see some beautiful formation of stalactites and stalagmites.
Beware of the monkeys if you aren’t a fan of these furry animals.
If you have a fun boat driver, he’ll drive the boat really fast and do sharp turns – we loved it!
He then took us through the Crocodile Cave
before paying a visit to the Hole in the Wall.
It is essentially a restaurant that has fish nets in the sea.
We were even allowed to feed them including this hungry stingray!
Of course there was the mandatory snorkeling.
The water was so clear and we had so much fun.
The drive back took us through different parts of the Kilim Geoforest Park which is famous for the vertical karstic hills jutting out towards the Andaman Sea.
2- Skycab and Skybridge
The Langkawi Sky Cab is surprisingly the steepest cable car ride and the longest free span mono-cable car in the world.
The middle station gives you beautiful 360-degree panoramic views of the main island and the surrounding islands at an elevation of 650m above sea level.
Measuring at 125m in length, the world’s longest free span and curved suspension bridge had to be lifted to the top of the mountain by helicopter and was later assembled to its current position.
Bear in mind that you will have to walk down from the Top Station to get there.
To visit the oldest part of South East Asia (550 million years old) with the views of the tropical jungle and the Andaman Sea is surely one not to be missed.
For those daring enough, you can even take a step onto this glass floor on the bridge!
3- Seven Wells Waterfall
Langkawi’s most famous waterfall which has a 91 meter drop is known locally as Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells) because seven natural pools have been formed at different levels.
If you have the stamina, keep climbing all the way up and you can slide down a beautiful natural slide carved out of the rocks by the thundering waterfall.
4- Island Hopping
Our first stop was the beautiful Tasik Dayang Bunting or Pregnant Maiden Island. Legend has it that if you drink the water from this lake, you can get pregnant soon – men, beware!
To swim in this deep green freshwater lake in the middle of all the islands surrounding you is truly magical.
There are different activities you can do whilst there such as kayaking which we thoroughly enjoyed.
We then saw eagles, lots of eagles – the majestic animals synonymous to Langkawi.
Fun fact: Eagle in Malay is he-lang. Hence Lang-kawi…
The last stop was a visit to ‘Beras Basah Island’ – or Wet Rice Island – another beach with crystal clear waters, rivaling the likes of Maldives and Seychelles surely, for a well-deserved swim.
5- Wildlife Park
As we were traveling as a family with kids, a trip to the Wildlife Park was one we couldn’t miss.
It is a 5 acre tropical garden with all kinds of animals from birds (Langkawi’s famous eagles!) to crocodiles and even kasawari.
6- Beach
Langkawi will spoil you with the many choices of stunning beaches. The best we went to was on Pulau Beras Basah – white sandy beach, clear blue waters (picture above).
The sand at Tanjung Rhu Beach just 2 minutes walk from our AirBnb was not as white but just as great , especially with the views of the rock islands and of southern Thailand.
Pantai Pasir Tengkorak (Sand Skulls Beach) is another one we visited.
7- Seafood dinners
I remember being very surprised when reading an article several years ago claiming that Malaysians are among the world’s top fish consumers, eating at least 56.5kg of fish per person each year. “This statistic, said fishery products expert Infofish, was way above the world average of below 20kg per capita and even slightly ahead of Japan.”
Eating out in Langkawi can be VERY cheap. These roadside “restaurants” would typically serve mains such as “nasi goreng” (fried rice), different stir-fried noodles, seafood soups, whole plates of different mains (meat, seafood or vegetable dishes) with rice and more.
One night we ordered 15 main courses and 16 drinks for 7 adults and 4 kids. Total damage to the wallet was 26 USD. Welcome to Langkawi.
One of the best dishes we had was undoubtedly this sea snail locally known as “siput sedut” which was cooked in the most amazing sauce at a Thai Restaurant on the island.
8- Paddy Fields
Langkawi belongs to the state of Kedah which is famous for its paddy fields. We came across a beautiful one when we got lost searching for a friend’s house. You’ll see them everywhere as you drive across the island.
9- Fruits
Not specific to Langkawi but the whole of Malaysia and even Southeast Asia, fruits are a true delight in this part of the world. We had the most delicious mangoes, mangosteens and rambutans when we were there.
Looking for other things to do in Malaysia? Read more here!
