Langkawi is an island off the west coast of the Malaysian Peninsula that draws in foreign and Malaysian tourists alike for its beaches and fun water sports. Although I didn’t partake in any water sports, I did find the beaches to be beautiful, the nightlife to be fun, and the views of the island from above to be breathtaking. In this guide to Langkawi, find out my favorite things to do, best places to stay, and how to get to this Malaysian paradise!

WHAT TO DO

Relax on Pasir Tengkorak Beach

35 minutes north of Cenang Beach, you will find a little mini slice of Malaysian paradise at Tengkorak Beach. The best part? We didn’t even know this beach existed, we just kind of stumbled upon it during our mini tour of the western side of the island! If you’re looking for a relaxing beach surrounded by jungle, perfect white sand, pristine swimming water and very few people – this is your beach!

Take the steepest cable car ride on earth

The Langkawi SkyCab takes visitors 708m above sea level on an exhilarating ride up to one of the highest peaks of Mt. Machinchang. The ride both up and down was so fun and scenic; it was incredible how high up we were!

From here, take in breathtaking panoramic views of Langkawi and the surrounding islands. It’s a bit expensive (for Southeast Asia) at RM55 ($12USD), but to me, that’s so worth it for those views!

 If you’re daring enough, you can also walk across the world’s longest free span and curved bridge for RM5 extra (okay now, they’re really starting to nickel & dime you here…) haha

Just a warning: the SkyCab is located inside of the Oriental Village, which is like a really tacky theme-park. It’s a shame they’ve turned this into such an unnatural area offering things like a simulated dinosaur ride, 3-D art exhibit and 5-D cinemotion theater, but what can ya do.

Island hop, parasail, jet ski or just relax on Cenang beach

Cengang Beach is the main beach on the west coast of the island, full of bars, restaurants and hotels/hostel. On the beach you will find vendors selling 15-30 min jetski rides for RM80-180, banana boat rides for 25RM, parasailing for RM120-200, and other water sport activities as well as island dropping options. An island drop ride to one of the nearby smaller islands (round trip) for 1-4 people costs RM180 and 4-8 people costs RM260. Not a bad option if you can find some travel buddies to split a boat ride with you! I chose to relax in the warm sand, swim in the clear water, and enjoy the views of the surrounding islands!

Watch the sunset from Yellow Beach Café

Order a Tiger beer from the bar then park your tush on a beanbag chair to watch a gorgeous sunset from Cenang Beach. Each evening, this beach bar offers live music which makes your sunset viewing experience event that much more relaxing. Alcohol in general is pretty pricey in Malaysia, as it is a Muslim country, but you can still grab a pint for around RM8 ($1.50). I guess when you’re used to 30 cent pints in Vietnam, it’s hard to adjust! Loved the vibe of this place so much, I went twice!

Have your own party on Cenang Beach

Another option is to pick up your own drinks from the duty free shop on the main road, grab some street food (I recommend nearby Warung Jamggus – great food for super cheap) and have yourselves a night picnic on the beach. We setup our little shindig close enough to Yellow Beach Cafe that we could enjoy the music, but far enough away so that we weren’t encroaching on their property. I did this with a group of about 10 travelers and it was one of my favorite nights out in Malaysia! (It also cost a total of RM15 – $4USD – between beers and food, so that’s pretty sweet.) Just a few meters down from our spot on the beach there was a fire spinning performance that was pretty cool to watch, as well.

Visit Temurun Waterfall

I heard there was some pretty great waterfalls on Langkawi, so I was eager to have a look at Temurun Waterfall, about 35 minutes north of Cenang Beach by car. After a very short walk on a man-made path, we made it to where Temurun Waterfall should be – however, there wasn’t a drop of water flowing down it! Although a little disappointed we didn’t get to see a roaring waterfall, I can imagine that during rainy season it is quite the site to see. Please go see this if there’s been some rain and send me the pictures!

Some other activities I didn’t get to, but may have done if I had more time:

Kayak through the Langkawi mangroves

 This tour is advertised around RM240, but I had a few friends rent motorbikes and head over by themselves, and found someone to take them by boat for around RM60 per person. I didn’t have the chance to do this, but my trusted travel buddy Jeroen Schmeetz (check out his blog here) said it was a great experience and would recommend it. Next time!

Pulau Payar Marine Park Snorkeling trip

 This trip cost RM140 to snorkel from the beach of Pulau Payar or RM275 snorkel from the reef platform. The reason I didn’t go on this trip was because it seemed like more of a family trip, and the price didn’t really include any island hopping or exploration outside of snorkeling in one area. But hey, if you’re feigning for a little sea-life action maybe this would be something that would interest you! I just prefer snorkeling trips that take you to multiple different sites, so you’re not stuck in one place for the entire day (not that this is a bad place to be stuck at…).

WHERE TO STAY

Budget accommodation – dorm style

He & She Mixed Dorm

 Priced at around RM30 per night ($7ish USD) this place offers clean and comfortable dorm style rooms with just a 2 minute walk to the beach, and is very close to all the restaurants and shops of the main road. The property was unfortunately sold out for the dates I wanted to go, but if it were available, I would have probably stayed here.

Budget accommodation – private room

Cenang View Hotel

Priced at 80RM per night ($18) you can get a clean, quiet room with AC at this new hotel on the Cenang Beach strip. They are still doing some construction on the hotel, as it is only 6 months old, but overall we liked our stay here. When I say “we” I mean that myself and another solo female traveler I met in Georgetown, Penang, teamed up and split the room. (Yay for only spending $9 on a private room!) The location is great, just a few minutes walk to the beach, and is also nearby all sorts of restaurants and street food offerings. It’s a super basic, no frills hotel, but if you’re looking for an inexpensive clean room with AC, this was great!

HOW TO GET TO LANGKAWI

From Georgetown, Penang

Take the ferry from Swettenham Pier in Georgetown (near Fort Cornwallis) to Kuah Ferry Terminal in Langkawi. The ferry ride costs RM70 one way ($16) and takes about 3 hours. You can buy this ticket near the pier or at almost any hostel in town. They sell out pretty fast, so try to get yours at least the day before. Warning: This is NOT a luxurious ferry ride. It’s a relatively small, dingy boat, and they really pack you in there!

From Kuala Lumpur

I flew from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur for $17USD including a checked bag on Malindo Airways! The airport is about a 15 minute drive from Cenang beach and the taxi costs RM20 to get there. I tried to negotiate down, but they seem to have fixed taxi prices here. The flight only takes an hour, and it’s quite pleasant for being so cheap! If you’re pressed for time this may be a good option for you.

HOW TO GET AROUND LANGKAWI

From Kuah Ferry Terminal to Cenanag Beach

 Once you arrive to Kuah Ferry Terminal in Langkawi, you will need to take a taxi to Cenang Beach across the island (if you plan on staying in the backpacker friendly area, which I recommend ). The taxi costs RM30 ($7) and takes about 35 minutes. If you’re a solo traveler like me, try to look out for other backpackers who may want to share the cost of a taxi with you. Chances are, they are going to the same area of the island. I overheard three Australian girls and asked if they wanted to share a taxi – we ended up hitting it off and spending most of the next few days together! (Also, brought the taxi ride down to RM 7.5 per person – $1.70USD!)

From Cenang Beach to anywhere else on Langkawi

If you want to see past Cenang Beach (and I advise that you do) it’s imperative that you rent a car or a scooter to see the island at your leisure. You could hire a taxi to take you around, but that will start to get pretty pricey. I befriended 4 other travelers (the Australian girls + the British solo female traveler I shared a room with!) and we hired a car for the day (including petrol) for RM85 ($3.80 per person). It gave us the freedom to spend the day however we liked at a crazy cheap price!

Do you have any recommendations for Langkawi that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments below!

Wander On,

Wanderluluu xx