10 THINGS TO DO IN LANGKAWI IN MALAYSIA
Here are tips on ten things to do at Langkawi in Malaysia! Langkawi offers sun and swimming, but also lots of activities such as sailing, scouter trips and boat trips in the mangrove swamp. It has been a few years since we were there and we have already blogged about the trip, but now we want to gather all our tips in a single post. Have you also been to Langkawi? Do you have more tips?
TO DO ON LANGKAWI
Langkawi is an island, or an island group, that belongs to Malaysia and is off the northwestern coast of Malaysia, near the border with Thailand. The largest island is called Pulau Langkawi and here many tourists come every year to sunbathe and swim. Today we will talk about ten things to do at Langkawi!
1. SUNBATHING AND SWIMMING
Most people who travel to Langkawi probably have the sun and ocean in mind. Beach is called Pantai in Malay and the two most famous beaches on Pulau Langkawi are called Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah. Cenang is the most visited beach, and here you will find plenty of restaurants, bars, and accommodation in different price ranges. To the south of Cenang is Tengah, which is a bit quieter with slightly fewer but larger hotels.
Other beaches are Pantai Kok, which is a family-friendly beach near the cableway, as well as Teluk Datai and Tanjung Rhu on the north side, where you will find occasional exclusive hotels. We lived at Patai Tengah and felt very satisfied with this.
2. EAT GOOD ASIAN FOOD
When you are at Langkawi you should take the opportunity to eat good Asian food. We write “Asian” food and not Malaysian because, in addition to Malaysian food, you will find lots of restaurants serving Thai, Chinese and Indian food, for example. Almost all food tastes good, but if you want that little extra you should do some research.
3. VISIT UNDERWATER WORLD
At the southern end of Pantai Cenang Beach is one of Langkawi’s most popular attractions: Underwater World. At this attraction, you can see lots of animals from the marine world such as stingrays and clownfish, but also many other animals such as monkeys, seals, penguins, and birds from different climate zones. Visiting here is perfect if you want a moment of relaxation from the Asian heat.
4. SHOPPING
If you want, you can walk up and down the shops near Pantai Cenang, and shop for things like T-shirts, summer dresses, sunglasses, and jewelry. There is also a large duty-free shop right next to Underwater World, where you can buy alcohol and cigarettes.
5. MAKE A SCOOTER TOUR ON THE ISLAND
A good way to look around the island is to rent a scooter. Renting a scooter is not difficult. There are many places to rent, it is relatively cheap and it was excellent to bring a helmet.
6. SAILING TRIP WITH A CATAMARAN
One of the excursions we went on was a sailing trip with a catamaran. This tour was truly amazing! Onboard the boat we were served drinks and Asian lunch. After a while, the boat docked on a small island where we could sunbathe, swim and do a “jungle walk”. We do not think that the company that arranged our tour is still there, but we recommend similar tours!
7. EXPERIENCE MANGROVE
Another fantastic excursion we went on was a boat trip through the mangrove swamp. We were picked up on a small bus that took us to a river, where we got to hop in a boat with a guide. Then we slowly glided through the swamp while the guide pointed to all the animals around us: birds, fish, snakes, bats, and monkeys.
The tour ended with lunch at a floating restaurant where we also got the chance to hold a living horseshoe crab. The horseshoe crab is said to be an ancient animal whose relatives are 450 million years old. Fascinating!
8. RIDE THE CABLEWAY AND GO ON THE SKYBRIDGE
Langkawi cableway is known in English as Langkawi Cable Car or Langkawi Skycab and is one of the main attractions of the island along with the breathtaking Langkawi Skybridge. These attractions happened to be closed when we were there but should be an experience. Also nearby is the Telaga Tujuh waterfall.
9. RELAX IN A COZY HOTEL
Of course, the type of hotel you like is different from person to person, and depending on your wallet. We found a small cozy and affordable hotel with small cottages, which we were extremely pleased with. The cabins were relatively simple but very modern and fresh.
We did not have direct access to the beach, but it was only a short distance to walk. Best of all, the staff was fantastic. We got very personal and professional service, and it is fantastic that we still remember the different people who worked there!
10. TEST THE FRUIT DURIAN
Durian is a fruit that is widely used in Southeast Asia and is sometimes called the “king of fruits”. The special thing about this fruit is that the pulp has a very special and pervasive scent.
Some people like this scent, while others think it is so disgusting that in many places they have been forced to put up signs for the use of durian. Have we tried? No, we only tried durian popcorn, and it was not a hit … Next time, we promise!
TRAVEL TO LANGKAWI
To travel to Langkawi, it is best to fly to Kuala Lumpur, from here you can fly on to Langkawi. Another option is to take a ferry from Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis on the mainland.
