Langkawi,(Jawi:لانكاوي ) officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah) is an archipelago of 99 islands (an extra 5 temporary islands are revealed at low tide) in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia.
What to see:
- Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls aka Seven Wells.
- Cable Car. A cable car which goes to the top of a hill with a good view of Pantai Cenang.
- Gunung Raya, (take the snaking paved road through the jungle). The tallest mountain on the island, at 881m. Spectacular views from the lookout point on the top. There is a resort hotel serving meals and indifferent coffee at the summit. There is a lookout tower which one may climb for RM 10.
- Crocodile Adventureland, Jalan Datai, Mk. Ayer Hangat (on the way to Teluk Datai), ☎ +60 4 9592559, Daily, 9AM-6PM, Show Time: Daily at 11.15am & 2:45PM, hourly feedings. Over 1,000 crocodiles and alligators. Witness a boxing match of man vs crocodile, or take a ride in a rickshaw drawn by a crocodile. this attraction will not be enjoyed by some visitors, the crocodiles are inbred and deformed. Adult RM15, child RM10 (below 12 yrs).
- Underwater World, (Pantai Cenang), ☎ +60 4 9556100, [13]. 9:30AM-6:30PM on weekdays and 9:30AM-8:30PM on weekends. An indoor aquarium. Try to catch the feeding times (see website for details). RM38 for adults and RM28 for children.
- Eagle Square, The square, featuring a giant eagle statue, is beautifully landscaped with scenic ponds, bridges and coverd terraces, and is specially beautiful when illuminated at night
- Oriental Village, Asian-themed village featuring restaurants, an exotic snake charmer, jugglers, silat displays, traditional music, kite flying demonstrations, palmistry, portrait painting and ZON free duty shop. An elephant offers rides to tourists. Rent a segway to scoot around Oriental Village.
What to do:
- Pulau Payar Marine Park Tour: Pulau Payar is Malaysia’s only Marine Park in the west coast, and is well-known for its multitude of marine life and corals. The crystal clear water is ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving (optional). Other options include an underwater observatory and glass-bottom boat. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes each way by high-speed catamaran.
- Island Hopping Tours, You will be brought to several islands around Langkawi, usually the Pregnant Maiden Island and Pulau Beras Basah. A dive into the cool deep Pregnant Maiden Lake is a must. The tours take 4 hours and leave at 9.30AM and 2.30PM. They have pick-up service and can be booked from any hostel/motel at lower rates but it is better to book directly from tour company (RM5-10 less) and they will pick and drop you at your hotel RM25-40.
- Scuba Diving & Snorkeling. Best around Pulau Payar Marine Park (20km south of Langkawi). There is a viewing platform for relaxation between underwater adventures. While Pulau Payar Marine Park does boast healthy coral and a good variety of fish, you will not be issued fins with your snorkel and the lunch the various tour operators supply is well below par. 120-200 RM.
Where to Eat:
Practically all resorts have their own restaurants and some tourists choose to eat in, but there are a many other options as well. Be adventurous and strike out on your own to savour the numerous foods at the stalls and restaurants all over Langkawi. Try one of the many seafood restaurants. Having said that, beware of certain restaurants advertised in the brochures targeting tourists. An example of such restaurant is the ‘Coco Beach Restaurant’, close to the airport.
If you choose order seafood or fish, take note if the price is by weight or by a set price for the dish. The unwary can be hit with a much larger bill than expected. Also, beware of restaurants telling you that they only have the bigger size lobsters available, as that is what they tell everyone (a common practice at Coco Beach Restaurant and Palm View Restaurant, at Pantai Cenang). When your lobster or crab is served, you will discover that you will definitely be paying for 900g of shell instead of meat! To counter this, order fish, squid and prawns to be safe
Where to shop:
Langkawi is a duty-free island, and alcohol and chocolates is significantly cheaper (almost half) here than in the rest of Malaysia. Airport prices are higher (2 times) than buying in the department stores around the island. It is highly recommended to buy alcohol and chocolates from here rather than buying from Airports. There are many duty free shops and price vary (~10-15%) so make sure you check price first.
- Langkawi Parade Megamall (Langkawi Parade Shopping Complex), A-14-15 Pokok Asam, Kuah (In Kuah, 10 min ride from the Kuah Jetty), ☎ +60 4 9667528, [30]. Daily, 10AM-10PM. One of the largest duty-free shopping complexes in Langkawi. A one-stop shopping location for wines & liquors, chocolates, local souvenirs, clothing & beachwear, luggage, home decor, electronics and much more. Grocery store on bottom level offering fresh and frozen foods.
- The Zon Duty-Free Shopping Complex, (Pantai Cenang, next to Underwater World), ☎ +60 4 9555300. Daily, 9AM-9PM. Cheap place to buy cigars, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, clothing, electronics, chocolates, and biscuits.
- The Zon Duty-Free Shopping Complex, (Jalan Pandak Mayah, next to BayView Hotel). Daily, 9AM-9PM. Great place to buy, cheap price to buy cigars, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, clothing, electronics, chocolates, and biscuits.
- Cenang Mall, (Pantai Cenang, North from The Zon and Underwater World). In December 2012 it included, e.g., KFC, Old White Coffee, Starbucks, and Canon shops, in addition shops to buy alcoholic beverages, clothing, electronics, and chocolates. Clean toilets on the second floor which cost 1RM.
- Langkawi Saga duty free Shopping Centre. address= No. 12-21B, Pekan Baru Kuah, 07000 Pulau Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia. T: 60-4-969 8001 F: 60-4-969 8000 E: info@langkawisaga.com website: www.langkawisaga.com. You can get wide range of wines, liquors, cigarettes, chocolates, kitchenwares, etc.
