Langkawi island is located at the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia, with lots of interesting attractions to offer. In 2007, Langkawi is awarded as UNESCO global geopark to celebrate the natural landscape. As at August 2022, Malaysia has opened its border with easy access to local and international tourists.
Setting with the Sun
A slow & relaxing holiday begins with a stroll along the beaches on the west of the island, covering the stretch of beach of Pantai Tengah and Pantai Cenang. Find a nice spot along the beach for a rest, listen to the waves splashing towards the sand while slowly wait for the sun to set. The ray of colours from the sunset paints the backdrop of the sea beautifully. Wind blows the ever changing form of clouds, providing all that the mind can imagine – rabbits running, dragons puffing. Anything you can imagine, your mind is the limit. Quite a number of hotels & resorts are dotted along the beach, find one that suits your fancy (and budget).
There are also sunset cruises that you can book for a different outlook. Most cruises come with dinner and opportunities to swim in the sea. Unfortunately on the days that we were in Langkawi, the sea was choppy and we gave these a skip.
Instead, we had dinner along the restaurant at the beach. Beautiful sunset views, with buzz of activities of water sports. Para sailing seems to be a popular activity, even promising you won’t get wet! The bright balloons zooming across the sea with the sun setting behind.
Strolling Downtown Kuah
Kuah town is a small town, but gives the vibes of a bustling town. Coffee shop, seafood restaurants, duty-free shopping. Grab some chocolates along the way, and more importantly, alcohol is dirt-cheap. USD5 for a decent bottle of wine, USD1 for a small bottle of soju or beer.
Dataran Lang is a photo-taking location for tourists. Part of Langkawi’s name comes from “helang”, representing the red eagle that stays in the island.
Visit through the swaps & mangrove
A slightly different experience is to visit the mangrove on northeast of the island. There are a few mangrove jetties including Tanjung Rhu and Kilim whereby many tour operators operate from.
An interesting tour that brings us along the meeting place of the river and the sea. Eagles mainly of two types ie sea eagle and red eagle from nearby hills swoop in for the chicken skin offered. The many monkeys along the swamp travel in groups, but looking forward to food offerings from tourists. A stop at the bat cave gets you off the boat before going to the open sea. Nearing the mouth of the sea, the waves are much stronger and can induce motion sickness.
Others
SkyBridge is a much-anticipated place to visit but the day of visit it was unfortunately closed due to strong winds. Nearby there is also the Telaga Tujuh waterfall (literally Seven Well) for a short hike. Beware of rainy seasons, as the area was flooded on a rainy day and there were people caught in the park for a few hours until the flood subsided.
In the meantime, there is a quaint coffee kiosk at the bottom of the waterfall entrance to sip great coffee, with cute ice bear as well. Coffeenuts!
Pack your beach wear for a roll down the beach in Langkawi!
Cheng's Musings 