Langkawi

A duty-free resort island in Malaysia with the Sky Bridge, mangrove boat tours and Cenang Beach. Resorts offer good value, ideal for families and honeymooners.

Langkawi lies in the Andaman Sea off the state of Kedah at the northwestern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, close to the Thai border. It is made up of 99 islands (104 at low tide), and the main island covers about 320 square kilometers. It was declared a duty-free island in 1987, and in 2007 the whole archipelago became the first UNESCO Global Geopark in Southeast Asia, known for its 550-million-year-old Cambrian rock formations, limestone and mangroves. The main island is divided into several areas. Pantai Cenang on the southwest coast is the densest resort strip of hotels, restaurants and bars, with the slightly quieter Pantai Tengah next to it and the airport nearby. Kuah in the southeast holds the ferry terminal, duty-free shopping centers and Eagle Square. Tanjung Rhu and Datai Bay in the northwest have high-end resorts and the most beautiful secluded beaches, while the Sky Bridge and SkyCab cable car on Mat Cincang Mountain and the Seven Wells Waterfall are in the Oriental Village area of the northwest. The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park in the northeast is where you take boat tours to see eagles and mangroves, and island-hopping tours, including Pulau Dayang Bunting (Island of the Pregnant Maiden) to the south, leave from the Cenang or Kuah jetties. Climate: November to April is the dry season, with clear weather and calm seas, the best time to visit, and December–February is peak season with the highest prices. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings the rainy season, with the heaviest rain in September–October, but rain mostly falls in the afternoon, prices are lower and the island is still enjoyable. Getting there: Langkawi International Airport has flights from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore. Chinese travelers usually transfer via Kuala Lumpur (about 1 hour), or take a ferry from Penang (about 3 hours) or from Kuala Perlis in Kedah (about 1.5 hours) to Kuah. There is no public transport on the island; you rely on rental cars (about RM 60–100 per day, with cheap duty-free fuel, the most recommended option), rental motorbikes (about RM 30–40 per day) and Grab. The airport is about 15 minutes from Cenang. We recommend 3–4 days: 1 day for the Sky Bridge and Seven Wells, half a day for a mangrove boat tour, 1 day for island hopping or snorkeling at Pulau Payar, and 1 day for Cenang Beach and duty-free shopping. Tips: the Sky Bridge closes in high winds and thunderstorms, so go in the morning when there are fewer clouds; for mangrove boat tours, choose a responsible operator that does not feed the eagles; there are limits on how much duty-free alcohol and chocolate you can take out; watch for warning signs during jellyfish season (the rainy season) at Cenang Beach; and drive on the left on the island.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries