Before you arrive in Langkawi make sure you have a think about where you want to stay. Personally I wouldn’t stay in Kuah, even though it’s near the ferry terminal and has lots of shops, it doesn’t have a beach! I stayed in Pentai Cenang which had a nice long beach with loads of activities around, plus lots of restaurants/bars and not too far from the airport – it also had a fair amount of budget accommodation.
There is no public transport on the island and it’s quite expensive to get a taxi if you wish to visit the whole island (Kuah to Penati Cenang was 30RM). For around 60RM or 25RM you can hire a car or scooter for 12 hours (you can hire for longer if you wish – 1 day for a car was 100RM). I found that one day to drive around the island is more than enough.
6) Kuah
Langkawi is a duty free island so the perfect place to do some shopping! Kuah is one of the biggest towns on the island so the perfect place to find what you need.
This is also where the famous Langkawi eagle is located so make sure you head out to the seafront to take your photo in front of him! (Sort of like the Hollywood sign in LA!)
5) ?Visit the black sand beaches
To the north of the island are some gorgeous (and practically deserted) black sand beaches. With fishing boats docked on the shore, little islands scattered about in the distance and the contrast of the black sand mixed in with the yellow it’s very peaceful!
4) Mangrove tour
To the east of the island lie the beautiful mangroves. For 250RM per boat you can sail through the dramatic limestone landscape that is populated by thousands of mangroves and admire the various wildlife. You can chose to have the boat private or share it with others to bring down the price.
The price includes a guide and also a visit to a fish farm and bat cave and a stop to see the eagles feeding.
Expect to see weird land crawling fish, snakes, monkeys and lots of eagles!
3) Ride in the cable car and walk along the worlds highest curved suspension bridge.
It’s quite expensive at 55RM for just the cable car (plus a few entertainment museums) but the views are incredible! Each cable car takes a maximum of 6 people so you don’t have to worry about being packed in.
When you reach the top of the mountain you can choose to pay an additional 5RM to walk on the bridge.
Make sure you go on a day that isn’t too overcast for better views and so that the bridge isn’t shrouded in cloud!
2) Go chasing waterfalls
There are a few waterfalls on the island but the one that you cannot miss is the glorious Termurun waterfall!
With its sheer black cliff covered in green moss and tropical plants and the sun poking his head over the top it looked like something from a fairytale!
Don’t forget your swimwear as you can swim in the idyllic pool at the bottom of the waterfall, paradise!
1) Island hopping
For a lot cheaper than the mangrove tour you can go island hopping! This is either a morning or afternoon tour and costs around 30RM per person. Be careful on which boat you choose as some were huge and packed full of people! We were lucky to only have 8 other people with us.
If you have a more flexible budget you could also choose to do this by jet ski for around 500RM for 2 people.
The tour includes a 1 hour stop on Pulau Dayang Bunting where you can swim in the lake (you can only do this if you have a life jacket on though…) or even hire a pedalo. Take note that you’ll need 6RM to enter the island. Also make sure you check out the playful monkeys on the jetty!
You will then speed along (hang on tight and expect to get a bit wet!) admiring the many little islands coated in dense forest to watch a whole load of soaring eagles swooping down to catch their supper!
Finally you will finish on an island with a gorgeous beach and lots of cheeky monkeys (so keep an eye on your belonging whilst you swim!)
As this activity left from Pentai Cenang I did this on my second day on the island and didn’t need to hire a car or scooter for it – the tour company will pick you up from you hotel and drive you to the jetty.
If you’re on less of a budget and love activities then Langkawi is the perfect island for you! From paragliding to banana boating there’s something for everyone!
If you head through Kuala Lumpur make sure to check out my blog packed full of tips on how to spend 48 hours there!
If you’re interested in learning more about my spendings for my 7 month trip, check out my blog “How to Travel on a Budget in Asia“.
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48 Hours in Kuala Lumpur – The Ginger Wanderlust
December 13, 2017 at 2:51 pm[…] If you’re planning on travelling a bit in Malaysia make sure you check out my Top 6 things to do in Langkawi blog! […]