Now it’s time to tell you about a best kept secret for a
tropical paradise. Langkawi, Malaysia is a group of islands in the Andaman Sea
in Malaysia close to the border with Thailand. These are 104 islands with 2 of
them inhabited. Relatively it is not
that far from Phuket, Thailand but doesn’t get the traffic. In 2007 Langkawi
was designated a World Geopark by UNESCO. The main island is Palau Langkawi; Palau
means island, and Palau Tuba which is far less inhabited. The rest of the
islands are small and uninhabited. One more fact is that Langkawi means Reddish
Brown Eagle which you will see a lot of eagles on the islands.
I have been going to Malaysia for over 16 years now and on
most of my trips I make it a point to go to Langkawi to relax. The water is
warm and the beaches have sand so fine that it reminds me of powdered sugar.
You can go sailing around the islands or you can have someone drop you off on
an island for the day where you have the entire island to yourself. There is a
tram that takes you to the top of a mountain and a sky bridge with incredible
views. Wildlife is abundant with the
eagles the island was named after. You will also find wild monkeys and flying
lemurs. Until you get used to the flying lemurs they will scare the hell out of
you at night when they fly above your head. There are a lot of monkeys and they
can be aggressive if they think you have food. You’ll also see all kinds of
reptiles and insects. Malaysia built up the island to be a tourist destination.
It never really caught on. Not because of the experience, I think it wasn’t
marketed right. Anyway, it’s to the people’s advantage that find this gem. If
you are looking for a place to relax that also has outdoor activities, wildlife
and a nightlife this is the destination for you.
One more thing: The entire island is duty free.
Places to Stay:
Hotels are scattered around the main island along the coast.
The hotels come in all price ranges from the local brands to chains like
Sheraton and Four Seasons. I have stayed at the Sheraton and a local hotel
called the Holiday Villa Resort. The Holiday Villa Resort is a beautiful local
hotel with a huge pool and swim up bar. It also sits on the largest beach on
the island. Offshore there is a view of some of the smaller islands. The
Sheraton is more secluded and sits on many acres. The resort is spread out
among rolling hills and they have shuttles to take you around the resort. They
have 3 options for dining and all 3 have views of the Andaman Sea. The Captains
Grill has a beautiful outdoor seating area. (I haven’t stayed at the Four
Seasons but check out the pictures on their website.)
Activities:
The Oriental Village
is on the far side of the island from the port. There are shops, restaurants,
lakes with fountains and even an elephant ride.
The tram is next
to the Oriental Village. Take the tram to the top of the mountain. From there
you can walk the sky bridge and take in the beautiful views of the Andaman Sea.
The Telaga Tujua
Waterfalls or Seven Wells is also near the Oriental Village. Take a hike up
the river and view the different waterfalls.
In the center of the island you will find the Mangrove Tours. You can take a ride by
boat to see the mangroves with the different wildlife.
There are beaches all around the island. Most of the hotels
will have their own beach. Panta Cenang
is a very long beach with sand like powdered sugar. You can rent jet skis or go
parasailing. The Holiday Villa Resort is on this beach.
There is wildlife almost everywhere you go. Monkeys are
everywhere and sometimes travel in what they call monkey gangs. They are not
afraid of humans and if they think you have food will get pretty close. Be
careful as they are wild. You can see the flying lemurs gliding from tree to
tree. If you are not prepared they may startle you as they are pretty big.
Lizards, eagles, and big insects are also found. The vegetation is very
beautiful. Take time to enjoy the scenery.
Also, from the Sheraton you can watch the boats go out in the evening. The stop not too far out and fish for tiger prawns. You can see them at night as they have a light on board. These boats are small and usually have one person on board.
Other activities include diving, snorkeling, sunset cruises,
tennis, bicycle riding, hiking, scooter rentals, fishing, shopping.
How to Get There:
I have been there from Penang so I’ll comment on that. From
Penang you can take a ferry directly to Langkawi. The trip takes about 3 hours.
You can also fly from Penang or from other locations. Air Asia, Silk Air are
some of the airlines. I know you can also fly directly from Singapore. Since I
have been traveling to Malaysia for over 16 years I am used to driving.
Remember you are driving on the other side of the road due to the British
influence so driving may not be for everyone. Anyway, I drive from Penang to
Kedah. The highways in Malaysia are very well maintained and the scenery is
beautiful. From Kedah I take the ferry and the ferry ride is less than an hour.
For those of you with the means, Langkawi has a beautiful yacht harbor.
Getting Around:
I would say there are 2 options. It is very easy to find a
taxi that will take you anywhere on the island. To drive all around the island
takes about 1.5 hours. It’s not that big. The other option is more adventurous.
If you are ok with driving on the other
side of the road you can rent a car. The driving may not be the most
adventurous part. When you get off the ferry you will be hit up for both taxis
and rental cars. The car rental office could be in a building or just a table
under a small tent in a field. The cars in either case leave a lot to be
desired. Some are rusted out. And you’re lucky if you have more gas than you
need to get to the closet petrol station. The good thing is the price matches
the quality of the cars and you can get one real cheap. I would choose that
option so you can drive around the island. Even if you are unsure about driving
there is very little traffic and it would be a good place to practice for that
trip to Ireland or England and you want to drive.
This is one of my favorite places on earth.
As always, please contact me with any question. My website
is www.popsipedia.com , drop me an
email.
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