Langkawi Tourism Information
Langkawi is in fact not only one island, as many people think, but an archipelago of 99 islands about 30 km off the coast of northwestern Malaysia. The whole archipelago is officially known as ‘Langkawi. Many of its islands and shores are scattered with a variety of properties, from entertaining and family friendly resorts to hotels offering luxury or elegance. However, it's also an ideal destination for lower budgets, thanks to its chilled and humble atmosphere where the infrastructure is not as developed as other places in Malaysia, yet still offering a good level of services and tourist attractions and things to do.
Langkawi’s principal town Kuah is the busiest place on the island and, although featuring none of the archipelago’s famed beaches, is great for duty free shopping.
Among the island’s top attractions, aside from the beaches, is the Langkawi Cable Car and Sky Bridge.
Langkawi isn’t short on exquisite natural wonders and nature lovers won’t be short changed when it comes to places to explore, sights to see and wildlife to witness, both on land and below the surface of the inviting Andaman waters.
The most popular area, with its beautiful popular and idyllic beaches, is Pantai Cenang. The main beach on the main island of Langkawi which boasts soft sands, inviting waters, island views and a quiet and laid-back atmosphere. The exquisitely secluded Datai Bay plays host to two of the island’s most luxurious resorts – The Datai and The Andaman.
Langkawi is all about nature. If trees, beaches, and sunsets are your thing, then you may wind up visiting this paradise and never leaving. Langkawi was awarded UNESCO World Geopark status in 2007 and is home to lush forests, white sand beaches, waterfalls, caves, limestone cliffs, and mangroves. Apart from its natural beauty, it’s an island rich in folklore. Many of its natural formations are steeped in legend, each story adding to the mystique and allure of the place.
The island offers hot temperatures year round, and travellers coming from the mainland, will find that Langkawi is less hot during the evening, which is also best time to go out, enjoy and relax. However, its climate is generally humid year round so adequate sun protection is recommended. Blue skies are predominant and direct sunlight is more intense. Make sure to apply high sun protection daily, even if its cloudy. Drink plenty of water and wear sunglasses and hats.
The same seasons occur in Langkawi, as the rest of Southeast Asia, so its advised to visit from November to March, when the rainy season finishes and begins a little cooler season with more stable weather. The wettest months are from May to October, though mornings and afternoons are still generally sunny and clear. Temperatures tend to be between 27°C on the coolest nights and 35°C on the hottest days.
Langkawi, has one of the most stable climates among all Malaysian islands. The reason for this is that it’s shielded from major winds and storms by the mainland on one side and Sumatra on the other. Temperatures are fairly consistent – ranging between 30-35°C during the day and 28-29°C at night – making it suitable for tourism year-round.
Travelling to the popular island is very easy by air, but you can also get there by sea. If you’re already in Kuala Lumpur and traveling by air, then you’ll be departing from KLIA or KLIA2. Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia, Malindo Air and FireFly all offer direct services to Langkawi with a flight time of just 50 minutes.
Once you arrive to the airport in Langkawi, there is not much public transport so taking Grab Taxi or arranging a minivan bus transfer to your hotel is the best option.
If you travelling by sea, you can take a ferry into Langkawi from Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, Penang, or Satun (Thailand). If you’re starting from Kuala Lumpur, then you can take the new high-speed KTM ETS train from KL Sentral to Arau. It’s about a 5-hr train ride with fares starting at RM76. TO check the times for the train from KL to Arau you can check: train36.com. From Arau, you can then take a taxi to Kuala Perlis for around RM25. A ferry leaves Kuala Perlis for Langkawi every hour from 7AM-7PM. The ferry ride is slightly over an hour and costs RM18. For timetables and fares check: Langkawiferryline.com
In Langkawi, the easiest way is to move around by taxi and contracting tours by the agencies on the street or at the airport in order to see more of the island.
❗Attention: Public transportation is non existent at the moment in the island as its size and population is not high enough to sustain such services. Instead locals and visitors must rely on taxis or mini vans for transportation. Using the GRAB APP is the best option to travel from A to B. But if you are planning to take tours or day trips its also possible to contract local taxis on the street.
Also take note that if you are away from the city centre and want to get back by Grab Taxi, services might be limited or stop after 8-9pm.
Langkawi has many options to eat from local restaurants and street food stands to more classy international cuisines and elegant restaurants for all budget types. There is also plenty of Thai, Korean or Japanese style of places to cater for the tourism markets. As well, if you like Singaporean and Indonesian food, then you’re going to enjoy Malaysian food as well. Meals consisting of rice topped with a small portion of meats are quite traditional; Nasi lemak, satay, and laksa are national dishes while sambal is a staple condiment enjoyed with many Malaysian meals.
You will be able to find lots of eatery places along the main beaches, which also cater for western cuisines.
Like its neighbours, Malaysian food is also known for its diversity and bold flavours, colours and often spicy!
It's also an ideal place for relaxing, staying away from the hassle and bustle from the big cities and unwind in the many hotels which access direct beach access, resorts and even bungalows not far from the beach!
To keep you entertained, below there is a list of activities and places where you can visit during your stay in Langkawi!
- Beaches: Langkawi has many pristine beaches. It’s biggest and most impressive is Pantai Cenang. Its sands are a soft white colour and very fine. Pantai Cenang is one of the main tourist hubs on the island with a long stretch of hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars. Separated by a small cape, next to Pantai Cenang is Pantai Tengah. Other notable beaches on the island include Tanjung Rhu and Pantai Pasir Tengkorak.
- Mangrove Tour: It's probably the number one tour in Langkawi! You will feel completely swallowed up by the thick and flourishing mangroves. If you were to do just one nature-oriented activity on the island, then this would strongly be recommend. The mangrove tours normally include the pick up/drop off, lunch and kayaking boats with guides. The tours lasts about five hours with lunch at the "Hole in the Wall" fish farm and restaurant, where you will be able to see up closely a wide variety of fish and seafood species, which if you are very hungry, you can also order to cook a la carte!
- Langkawi Cable Car & SkyBridge: It's the best place for a bird’s view of the island. Located on Mt. Machincang, about 650 meters above sea level, the SkyCab is a three-station cable car system covering a distance of over 1,700 meters. Observation decks with 360° panoramic vistas of the island are located at both the middle and top stations. Hanging at about 100 meters above the top of Mt. Machincang, you can also take a walk on the SkyBridge which is one of the world’s longest curved suspension bridges at 125 meters.
- Waterfalls: There are a few waterfalls on the island but Telaga Tujuh (pictured below) is the most impressive. It's said, it's the island’s most beautiful natural attraction, its name means Seven Wells Waterfalls which is in reference to its series of seven connected natural pools. Though cemented and easy to walk on, note that there a quite a number of steps to the top. Other notable falls in Langkawi are Temurun Waterfall and Durian Perangin Waterfall.
- Kuah Town: Langkawi’s most developed area, Kuak Town is a bustling commercial area that’s home to many shops, hotels, and restaurants. It’s also where you’ll find the island’s most prominent landmark, Eagle Square. If you’re traveling to Langkawi by ferry, then you’ll be docking here. It's not the most beautiful area in which to stay but it does offer more convenience and it's cheaper if you are on a budget.
- Langkawi Night Markets: Running from 7-10PM at a different location on the island every night, vendors sell all kinds of food, fresh produce, and locally made items like clothes and souvenirs. Many vendors and villagers set up stalls at these markets and sell all kinds of local items including local food & snacks, fresh produce, fruits & juices, clothes, souvenirs & others. These local markets are great for trying out various types of traditional local food at relatively cheap prices.
The atmosphere is lively and quite friendly. The night market is a great meeting place for the locals and expatriates. The market close to Cenang is on every Thursday, called Temonyong Night Market.
There is not a real nightlife scene as such and Langkawi does not offer the party island experience as other islands like Phuket (Thailand). But if you enjoy a more toned down night and watch the sunset across the beach with a few cocktails or beers, then staying around Cenang Beach, you will find plenty of beach restaurants and bars which transform at night to offer a more vivid atmosphere with music and often you can see street (beach) performances in front of you!
With Langkawi being so much about nature, there is an abundance of places which offer direct access to the beaches or in close proximity. There are as well accommodations suited for all budgets, from top end resorts to budget hotels. You can find more accommodations in the area of Cenang Beach and Kuah Town.
✔️Tip: Remember that there is no public transpiration, so to save costs from getting taxis everyday consider staying closer to the beach or city for convenience.
Langkawi is all about rest and relaxation, disconnecting and enjoying life at an islander’s pace. If you have the time, then plan on spending a week for a relaxed approach and use some days to relax and others to explore the island and take some tours. If not, then around 4 nights should be enough to see the main sights.
Langkawi Photo Slide 📷
.png){kind=spacer}