White sand beaches, turquoise waters, and thick jungle with waterfalls … Langkawi feels like it was dreamt up by someone seeking both pure bliss and adventure. This is your Langkawi travel guide, from someone who spent five weeks there.
Known as the ‘Jewel of Kedah’, Langkawi is an island set off the coast of northwest Malaysia. Famous for its lush, dense rainforests, distinctive geological formations, postcard-perfect coastlines, and duty-free shopping. Yep! Along with Labuan and Pangkor, Langkawi is designated as a free trade zone in Malaysia.
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Although I spent over a month in Langkawi as a nomad, it’s also the perfect spot for a shorter holiday. You can have the best of both relaxing and intrepid travel right here.
Whether you’re interested in exploring the natural scenery or blowing your travel budget on imported goods, there are lots of unique things to do in Langkawi. This guide to Langkawi covers everything from where to stay, and what to see, do and eat!
Best Time To Go to Langkawi
The dry season is from November to March, which is the best time to go to Langkawi. You’ll have mostly dry days for maximum beach time.
However, visiting Langkawi during the rainy season (May to October) is still very doable. Average temperatures are pretty similar year-round, usually between 24°C/75°F and 32°C/90°F. It’s always humid, too!
Just expect the occasional heavy downpour. If you are travelling in the rainy season, stay for longer than three days to ensure your whole trip isn’t a washout.
How To Get To Langkawi, Malaysia
By Flight
One of the easiest ways to reach Langkawi is by flying into Langkawi International Airport. Airlines like AirAsia, Firefly, and Malaysia Airlines fly there directly from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Singapore.
Flights are only 75 minutes, and the airport is small and easy to navigate.
By Bus and Boat
Intrepid travellers with more time on their hands might like to reach Langkawi over land and sea. It’s totally doable, especially from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Wherever you’re starting your journey, book a bus to a port town. Kuala Kedah on Malaysia’s mainland is one of the best options, but ferries also depart from Kuala Perlis, Penang, and Koh Lipe (in Thailand).
Then book a ferry to Kuah Jetty on Langkawi. Top tip: make sure you check the ferry travel time before booking your tickets. Fast ferries take around 90 minutes, but slow ones can take up to three hours.
Look out for Eagle Square as you sail into Kuah. It has a large 39 m (12 ft) statue of the bird it is named for!
12Go Asia is a great platform for booking public transport, including buses and ferries, throughout this part of Asia.
How To Get Around the Island
Langkawi is part of a 99-island archipelago and is the largest island in that group. It’s 18 miles (29 km) long and 10 miles (16 km) wide. It’s also bigger than Singapore and Penang.
All that is to say, you will need some form of transportation!
Download the Grab app, the popular rideshare app in Southeast Asia. It works really well around the island and is super affordable.
You can also get around by bicycle, which I’ll be talking more about soon…
8 Things To Do in Langkawi
1. Ride the SkyCab Cable Car
Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Langkawi is to ride the Skycab up to 360-degree panoramic views of the island. This gondola-style cable car is one of the steepest in the world and will take you from Oriental Village up to the top of Machincang Mountain.
There are many different types of cable car tickets. Some include glass-bottomed cars and express entry, but the normal ones cost between RM33 and RM135.
Combination tickets are available with a range of extras, including the SkyBridge Nature Walk. The Cable Car operates from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM every day, except Saturdays and Sundays when it closes at 6:30 PM.
2. Take a Mangrove Forest Kayaking Tour
The island’s northeastern coast is a spider web of rivers and mangrove forests. No trip to Langkawi is complete without a Mangrove tour! We booked this highly recommended Kayaking Mangrove Tour, and it was the perfect way to spend half a day.
You’ll paddle through the Mangrove forests on a two-person kayak. Learn about the ecology of the area and, if you’re lucky, spot sea eagles and kites, kingfishers, and herons. The tour also includes a visit to a local fish farm and a bat cave (nothing like the one from Batman).
3. Relax on Tanjung Rhu Beach
Langkawi has so many beautiful beaches, but our personal favourite is Tanjung Rhu Beach. It might be one of the most popular on the island, but for good reason. It’s a long, tranquil stretch of white sand with views of the mangroves and limestone karsts.
Some other beaches on Langkawi are Pantai Kok Beach, Pantai Cenang, and Sandy Skulls Beach.
4. Join a Bicycle Tour through the villages
Ride along narrow roads with a local guide and see lesser-visited spots in Langkawi on this Countryside Biking Tour. I absolutely loved riding past rice paddies, farm fields, and orchards and seeing a different side to Langkawi.
The trails on the tour are mostly flat, but it’s a 2.5-hour tour, so bring lots of water!
5. Swim at Seven Wells Waterfall
A must-do on any Langkawi itinerary is Seven Wells Waterfall. Also known as Telaga Tujah Waterfalls, this 91 m (300 ft) waterfall cascades into several pools, perfect for soaking on a hot day.
This picturesque place is also a UNESCO site. Note that there are a lot of stairs up to the waterfall, but it’s absolutely worth it.
6. Cool off at Durian Perangin Waterfall
With so many rainforests, Langkawi has lots of spectacular waterfalls. Try and visit more than one! My next choice would be Durian Perangin Waterfall, which is a stop on the biking tour I recommended. It’s in such a scenic area surrounded by lush trees and gently flowing water.
Durian Perangin Waterfall is close to Kilim Geoforest Park and the Gunung Raya peak (Langkawi’s tallest mountain). It’s an uneven yet short walk to the waterfall, and there is a small fee.
7. Spend an Evening at the Night Market
If you want to know where to go in Langkawi at night, the Night Market should be at the top of your list. But there isn’t just one market in one location; there are several night markets around the island!
Currently, they rotate on this schedule:
- Monday: Ulu Melaka (5:00 PM-9:00 PM)
- Tuesday: Kedawang (5:00 PM-10:00 PM)
- Wednesday: Kuah Town (4:00 PM-10:00 PM)
- Thursday: Temonyong (6:00 PM-11:00 PM)
- Friday: Ayer Hangat (5:00 PM-10:00 PM)
- Saturday: Kuah Town (4:00 PM-10:00 PM)
- Sunday: Padang Matsirat (6:00 PM-10:00 PM)
They’re such vibrant places with lots of cheap eats, with lots of locals and tourists.
8. Jet Ski Island-Hopping Tour
Aside from kayaking through the Mangroves, the other water sports tour to do on your Langkawi trip is jetskiing around the nearby islands. We chose this 4 to 5-hour jet ski tour and it was so much fun!
Tear through the water on your jet ski (your local Langkawi tour guide provides the gear). Visit places like the serene Lake of Pregnant Maiden, also known as Tasik Dayang Bunting, and the Fjords on Pulau Dayang Bunting island. You’ll also visit Pulau Singa Besar island.
Don’t worry if this is your first time riding a jet ski! Your guide will make sure you’ve got the hang of it. Our tour also includes a really cool drone video of our island-hopping trip.
Where To Stay in Langkawi, Malaysia
It’s pretty easy to write a Langkawi travel guide for different types of travellers because Langkawi truly has something for every type of traveller! That also includes accommodation.
Whether you’re looking for barefoot luxury or budget-friendly charm, Langkawi has it all.
We stayed in Pantai Cenang, a town near the southern tip of the island. With many restaurants, it is a bustling place with great nightlife. Plus, Pantai Cenang Beach and Pantai Tengah Beach next door are great places to watch the sunset.
For those wanting to stay in a more secluded area, opt for Datai Bay. It’s nestled on the northern coast, surrounded by thick rainforest. There are mostly high-end hotels and restaurants here.
Where To Eat in Langkawi (Pantai Cenang)
If you are based in Pantai Cenang, you are not going to go hungry. Most of our regular spots were within walking distance of the beach, which made life very easy.
For slow mornings, Smiling Buffalo Cafe is the place to go. Think leafy garden setting, good coffee, and big brunch plates that keep you full until late afternoon. It feels a little tucked away from the main road, which I loved.
Golden Bamboo Cafe became one of our go tos for simple, tasty Malaysian dishes. It is casual, affordable, and great when you just want a comforting plate of noodles or rice after a day in the sun.
If you are craving Middle Eastern food, head to Yasmin Syrian Restaurant. Their grills, mezze and fresh bread are ideal for sharing, and it is a nice change of flavour if you have been in Southeast Asia for a while.
Seafood fans should make time for Pai Kin C Food. It has that classic no frills, plastic chair energy, with super fresh seafood that you pick and choose, then they cook it up for you. Perfect for a relaxed dinner.
And for sunset, Kalut Beach Bar is hard to beat. Grab a drink, sink into a beanbag on the sand, and watch the sky change colour over Pantai Cenang. It is one of those spots where you arrive for one drink and end up staying for the whole evening.
Follow This Langkawi Travel Guide
Langkawi serves up tonnes of beauty in its varied landscapes and lots of spicy flavours in its dishes. Whether your trip is for one week or one month, this Langkawi guide will help you plan your itinerary and make the most of your adventure.
FAQs
- Is Langkawi cheap or expensive?
- With budget and luxury accommodation and restaurants, Langkawi can be both cheap and expensive. Alcohol and car rentals are cheap due to their duty-free status.
- How many days should I spend in Langkawi?
- Spend at least three to seven days in Langkawi to see the top sights.
- What to avoid in Langkawi?
- Jellyfish, mosquitoes, dehydration, sunburn, bad drivers and monkeys!
- Can I swim in the sea in Langkawi?
- Yes, you can swim in Langkawi’s seas! The water is usually clean and calm.
- Is Langkawi a Muslim island?
- Yes, the official religion of the Kedah region of Malaysia is Islam. But don’t worry about drinking alcohol or wearing swim gear; it’s a very tourist-friendly island.
