10 things to do in Langkawi in Malaysia

Here are ten things to do in Langkawi, Malaysia! Langkawi offers sun and swimming, but also lots of activities such as sailing, carpet rides and boat trips in the mangrove swamps. It's been a few years since we were there and we've already blogged about the trip, but now we want to gather all our tips in one post. Have you been to Langkawi too? Do you have more tips?

Things to do in Langkawi

Langkawi is an island, or rather a group of islands, belonging to Malaysia, located off the north-west coast of Malaysia, near the border with Thailand. The largest island is called Pulau Langkawi and many tourists come here every year to sunbathe and swim and... well, what? Today we're sharing ten things to do in Langkawi!

1. sunbathing and swimming

Most people travelling to Langkawi probably have sun and swimming in mind. Beach is called pantai in Malay and the two most famous beaches on Pulau Langkawi are Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah. Cenang is the most popular beach, and here you'll find plenty of restaurants, bars and accommodation in various price ranges. South of Cenang is Tengah, which is a little quieter with slightly fewer but larger hotels.

Other beaches are Pantai Kok, which is a family-friendly beach near the cable car, and Teluk Datai and Tanjung Rhu on the north side, where you can find a few exclusive hotels. We stayed at Patai Tengah, and felt very happy with this.

2. Eat good Asian food

When you're in Langkawi, it's important to eat good Asian food. We write "Asian" food and not Malaysian, because in addition to Malaysian food, there are plenty of restaurants that serve Thai, Chinese and Indian food, for example. Almost all food tastes good, but if you want that extra something, you should do some research.

3. Visit Underwater World

At the southern end of Pantai Cenang beach is one of Langkawi's most popular attractions: Underwater World. At this attraction you can see lots of animals from the marine world such as stingrays and clownfish, but also many other animals such as monkeys, seals, penguins and birds from different climate zones. A visit here is perfect if you want to take a break from the Asian heat.

4. shopping

If you want to, you can walk up and down the shops in the neighbourhood of Pantai Cenang, and you'll find that shop such as T-shirts, summer dresses, sunglasses and jewellery. There is also a large duty-free shop right next to Underwater World, where you can buy alcohol and cigarettes. However, what Peter "shopped" was mainly two things tattoos …

5. Take a carpet ride on the island

A good way to get around the island is to rent a scooter. Renting a moped is not difficult. There are many places that rent, it's relatively cheap and (as you can see) it was great to get a helmet.

It's exciting to look around, of course, although we did get a interesting experience when we realised that in some parts of the island there were only exclusive hotels, and that it was difficult to get down to the beaches...

6. join a sailing trip on a catamaran

One of the excursions we went on was a sailing trip with a catamaran. This tour was truly amazing! On board the boat, we were served drinks and Asian lunch, and there was also the possibility to follow the sailboat in a net. After a while the boat docked at a small island where we could sunbathe, swim and do a "jungle walk". We don't think the company that organised our tour is still around, but we highly recommend similar tours!

7. Experience the Mangrove Swamp

Another amazing excursion we went on was a boat ride through the mangrove swamp. We were picked up in a small bus that took us to a river, where we got into a boat with a guide. Then we slowly glided through the swamp while the guide pointed out all the animals around us: birds, fish, snakes, bats and monkeys.

The tour ended with lunch at a floating restaurant where we also had the chance to hold a live dagger tail. The dorsal tail can be said to be an ancient animal, whose relatives are 450 million years old. Fascinating!

8. Ride the cable car and walk on the Skybridge

The Langkawi Cable Car or Langkawi Skycab is one of the biggest attractions on the island along with the breathtaking Langkawi Skybridge. These attractions happened to be closed when we were there, but should be an experience. Nearby is also the waterfall Telaga Tujuh. You can read more at Panorama Langkawi.

9. Relax in a cosy hotel

What kind of hotel you like is of course different from person to person, and depending on your wallet. We found a small cosy and affordable hotel with small cabins, which we were extremely happy with. The cottages were relatively simple, but very modern and fresh.

We didn't have direct access to the beach, but it was only a short distance to walk. Best of all, the staff was fantastic. We got a very personalised treatment, and in fact we still remember the different people who worked there!

10. Try the fruit Durian

This is a bubbler, we admit! Durian is a fruit widely used in Southeast Asia and sometimes referred to as the 'king of fruits'. What is special about this fruit is that the flesh of the fruit emits a very special and penetrating odour.

Some people like this scent, while others find it so disgusting that many places have had to put up signs against the use of durian. Did we try it? No, we actually only tried durian popcorn, and it wasn't a hit... Next time, we promise!

Travelling to Langkawi

For travelling to Langkawi, it is best to fly to Kuala Lumpurfrom where you can fly on to Langkawi. Another option is to take a ferry from Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis on the mainland.