We spent nearly four months on Langkawi island. After reading this post you will know everything about living on this island, prices, the best things to do, to see and what you can’t miss!
Langkawi is an archipelago of 104 islands! Langkawi is located in the Andaman Sea, on the Northwest of Malaysia (see map here).
HOW TO GET TO LANGKAWI
The first time we came to Langkawi from Penang by ferry, we paid 70 RM per person (14,70 €). There are two boats per day, one at 8 am and the other one at 2 pm. It takes around 2,5 hours to reach the island. See the website of the ferry here.
There are also many ferries coming daily from the mainland of Malaysia (Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis) and from Thailand (Koh Lipe, Satun).
So – the second time we went to Langkawi from Penang – we found a cheaper option. We took a bus from Penang Sentral to Kuala Perlis: 18 RM per person (3,80 €). The journey takes 2h30.
And then we took the ferry from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi, same price: 18 RM per person (3,80 €). Journey: 1h15.
Check the schedule, the prices and buy your buses tickets on this website: www.easybook.com & and the ferry tickets here: www.langkawiferryline.com
If you prefer flying, no worries, there is also an airport on Langkawi, Easy! Check your flights here on AirAsia.
HOW TO GET AROUND LANGKAWI
LANGKAWI doesn’t have public transport. So the only way to go around the island is to take a taxi, Grab (Uber of Malaysia) or rent a scooter.
When you come by boat from Penang to Langkawi, the pier is located in Kuah (see map here). Usually a ride from Kuah to Pantai Cenang with GRAB costs around RM 32 (≃ 6,70€).
We asked 2 girls to join us in the taxi and we split the cost: RM 10 (≃ 2,10€). per person. The driver is getting more and the passengers pay less – Easy! Everybody is happy! Win-Win-Win Situation, so don’t forget to do it like that!
RENTING A SCOOTER
DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THAN US!
First steps in Langkawi, we needed to look for a place to stay long-term and to rent a scooter for one day. We stopped at the first shop we found without checking the prices – mistake!
We paid RM 35 (≃ 7,30€) for 24h, which is a lot! PLUS – the scooter was NOT a good one – PLUS the fuel tank was totally empty!
We had to give RM 50 (10,50€) deposit, and when we brought the scooter back, the guy was checking it like a doctor. And for sure he tried to rip us off! Suddenly a new scratch appeared on the scooter! NO WAY! Luckily I was making a video of the scooter, I could show the proof we didn’t do anything and he had to give our money back! The Shop is called MELATI EASY RIDE. Sorry guys, but that’s not how you do business with us globetrotter.
So avoid this place! Many other shops renting scooters for RM 25 per day (≃ 5,20€)!
From that moment on, we always rented our scooter with “Chief Volvo”. He is a really good guy.
He had a little desk at Amani Cafeteria (the local restaurant we ate nearly every lunch!). He moved now to the Hostel RL Accommodation (Rainbow Lodge) which is really close to Amani Cafetaria. Find RL Accommodation here on booking.
Chief is renting his scooters for RM 25 (≃ 5,20€) per day (with petrol). He is a really nice guy who took his time to guide us around the island, and shared great tips to find cheap and really good food!
Chief doesn’t ask a deposit and doesn’t check the scooters like a doctor – as long as you don’t break it – it’s all good!
Good To Know:
- In Malaysia, you need to wear a helmet or you might get a fine.
- You need to show your driver’s license with the scooter area checked to get a scooter.
- Both driver license work (international or from your country), as long as this little scooter symbol appears on it!
- Some shops still gonna rent you a bike if you don’t have this little “scooter logo” on your international license – the risk is getting a fine if the police would stop you.
DUTY-FREE ISLAND
Langkawi is a tax-free island! Beers, food, cigarettes, everything is CHEAPER than in Penang or on the mainland!
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BEERS – You know we love beers – a lot 😉
In Langkawi’s supermarkets, you can buy a beer for RM 2,30 (≃ 0,50€), 60% cheaper than for example in George Town! After browsing through various Duty-Free Shops, we found the cheapest one!
Zon Duty-Free shop is located right next to Underwater World. See the location here. They sell one Chang 330ml for RM 2 (≃ 0,40€). If you smoke cigarettes, one 10 – pack of BINGO is RM 22 (≃ 4,60€) so 0,46€ per pack!
Langkawi is also a chocolate wonderland! You can find everything you might think of! M&M’s, Riesen, Belgian Chocolates, literally everything that you can think of!
INTERNET IN LANGKAWI
Hotlink
HOTLINK has one of the best connections in Malaysia but it’s also one of the most expensive! CELCOM is also really good – but it’s even more pricey than Hotlink.
Sadly both don’t sell unlimited data.
The “Hack” we found to not “spend too much”, is to recharge twice a day 2 GB for RM 3 (≃ 0,60€). Depends how much GB you need you can choose for how much you recharge. Internet Connection is really good and stable!
We use the SIM card for our Mobile Router to connect our computers and phones.
Since we got our Mobile Router it changed a lot about how we get things done online and how we do not need to rely on other “shitty” hostel wifis. You can get any local sim card, insert it in the mobile router and enjoy reliable and strong internet connection.
Don’t worry about power cuts or crowded wifi spots. Get yourself your own mobile router! The one we use is Netgear Air Card 810, it works like a charm! Adé Internet-Headaches.
U Mobile
Don’t waste your money!
U Mobile is offering unlimited data. It’s RM 30 (≃ 6,30€) for 30 days. We decided to give it a try! And it failed all the way!
SO now we can tell you – there is no signal with U Mobile in Cenang! NOTHING! The signal is so bad, it’s not even possible to open one email! Just our experience!
We tried to get our money back with the 7 eleven (where we bought the Sim card), but obviously, they couldn’t do anything for us!
Let’s keep on rolling with Hotlink! And do not buy U mobile if you head to Langkawi 😉
WHERE TO GET STRONG WIFI AND DRINKS
BAM-BOO-BA LOUNGE BAR
Bam-Boo-Ba Lounge is a nice bar located in Pantai Tengah. There is a pool table, darts, and really good wifi! So if you are looking for a place to get stuff done, this place is worth checking out!
They also organize events at night.
See their location here, their Facebook page, and their TripAdvisor profile.
DRINKING WATER
If your hotel doesn’t provide free water, please do not buy plastic bottles every day. You can refill your bottle in some areas. There is one in the main street of Pantai Cenang, one next to the Cenang Supermarket SDN BHD, and many more all around the island. It’s RM 0,20 (≃ 0,04€) per liter!
I mean there is too much plastic all over the world, right? The solution we found is that we carry everywhere our filter water bottle which contains one piece of active charcoal.
The charcoal releases minerals (calcium, iron, and magnesium) back into the water which improves the taste of the water and enhances health benefits. One stick of charcoal lasts six months. The Bottle we use is a Black + Blum and is also free of BPA (an industrial chemical).
I just love it!
ELECTRICITY
You can buy adaptor plugs everywhere in Langkawi, it shouldn’t cost more than RM 10 (≃ 2€). See here how it looks.
WHERE TO STAY IN LANGKAWI
Pantai Cenang is the main area of Langkawi. You will find plenty of restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, white sandy beaches…
VILA THAI
We stayed two nights in Vila Thai when we arrived in Langkawi. We had a pretty good discount on booking. So we paid RM 45 (≃9,40€) per night, for our own room with a private bathroom, AC, and fridge.
There is free hot and cold water for guests. You can use the kitchen in the community area.
The location is ok IF you don’t get a room on the side of the street! Vila Thai is near the Thursday night market, near a few local restaurants, and 5 to 10 minutes by walk to the beach (depending on your speed 😉).
The wifi wasn’t the best – I mean it’s working well for scrolling Facebook on your phone, but for getting things done online, it’s not strong enough.
Really nice staff though!
Click here to get 13€ off your next Booking back!
Find the location on Google Maps here and their booking page.
DAR YASMINE
We rent a room for nearly two months in Dar Yasmine. As soon as we visited the place, we felt really good. It’s a really quiet place, a 1-minute walk to the beach – perfect location!
Dar Yasmine is offering basic rooms – private and dormitory.
We got our own room with a private bathroom with hot and cold water, AC, Fan, fridge, and the bed is really comfy!
We paid RM 1000 (≃210€) per month, which is RM 33 (≃6,60€) per night. Good Price and we had everything that we need👌 The dormitory rooms starting from as low as RM 18 (≃3,80€) per night!
When you stay for more than a few days you can also use the washing machine for free.
There is a kitchen in the community area, with a toaster, stove, and everything you need to cook a delicious meal! Free water (hot and cold) available for guests, too!
There is also a pool in the garden.
Find their Facebook page here.
HOSTEL 19
We didn’t sleep in this hostel but it’s a good place to meet backpackers – Great Vibes.
The hostel is located near a really good local restaurant: Restoran Nelayan.
It takes about 10 minutes to reach Pantai Cenang beach by walk.
The hostel provides private rooms and dormitories with shared bathrooms. The prices start around RM 20 (≃4,20€) for a bed in a dormitory.
You can also camp in the garden if you have your own tent – I think it’s about RM 8 (≃1,70€) for one tent. You can arrange that with the manager if you’re interested in camping there!
Click here to get 13€ off your next Booking back!
Find their booking page HERE, and the location HERE.
WHAT TO DO IN LANGKAWI
SKY CAB – SKY BRIDGE
The SkyCab is located on the top of the Machinchang Mountain. It’s the second-highest point of Langkawi (708m above sea level) after Gunung Raya (881m).
The ride with the SkyCab offers you a stunning view over the island, and when you reach the top of the mountain, you can enjoy a 360-degree view, it’s gorgeous! You even can see Thailand! So look for it!
The ticket for the SkyCab costs RM 55 (≃ 11,50€) for an adult and RM 40 (≃8,50€) for a child (prices for foreigners).
This ticket doesn’t include the SkyBridge. You need to purchase it when you reach the top station. The ticket for the SkyBridge Nature Walk costs RM 5 (≃1€) per adult and RM 3 per child (≃0,60€).
From the top station to the bridge, you need to walk downstairs for about 10 minutes. If you don’t want to walk, you can also choose to take an elevator to reach the bridge (higher prices and waiting times). Don’t be lazy! Haha
We read online to avoid coming during the weekends because it can get quite crowded – but we went on a Saturday and during the public holidays – no problem for us – I mean there was a lot of people but we didn’t have to wait more than 3 minutes to get our tickets, or to get a SkyCab. So, easy peasy!
PS: you can not access the SkyBridge without buying the SkyCab ticket.
Open Daily from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. See the website of the SkyCab here.
3D ART GALLERY
The ticket for the Sky Cab includes the entrance for the 3D ART GALLERY. This museum features more than one hundred 3D interactive paintings.
If you only buy the ticket for the museum it gonna costs you RM 38 (≃8€) for an adult and RM 28 (≃6€) for a child (prices for foreigners).
After visiting it, I can tell you that we wouldn’t go to the 3D museum if we had to pay RM 38 (≃8€)! For us, it’s not worth it.
So better to combine both Cable Cab and Museum!
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CHASING WATERFALLS
- SEVEN WELLS WATERFALL (Telaga Tujuh Waterfall)
Telaga Tujuh also called Seven Wells Waterfall is located in the North West of Langkawi (see map here). The entrance is free, you just need to pay RM 1 (0,21€) to park your scooter or RM 2 (0,42€) if you have a car.
Seven Wells waterfall has two viewing areas both with natural pools where you can enjoy a refreshing bath.
From the parking area, it takes around 5 to 10 minutes (by walk) to reach the waterfall, and then 10 to 15 minutes (depending on your speed) to reach the pools. There are more than 600 steps to climb. At the top, have a dip to cool off and enjoy the natural slide on the rocks! It’s pretty funny!
During this visit, please look around yourself! Look at the trees! We have seen plenty of Dusky Leaf monkeys here at Seven Wells Waterfall. We had such a great time to observe them.
PS: Do Not feed the monkeys. First, you risk getting a fine of RM 50 (10,50€), and second feeding the monkeys reduce their survival abilities. Thank you.
- DURIAN PERANGIN WATERFALL
Durian Perangin waterfall offers few natural pools in the middle of the rainforest where you can enjoy a refreshing dip. If you haven’t seen waterfalls before, it’s probably nice to go to durian waterfall, but to be honest, we didn’t find the place “really beautiful and the waterfall was pretty small, too”.
Free Entrance & Free Parking. See the location here.
- TEMURUN WATERFALL
We visited Temurun Waterfall in December – and the waterfall was DRY! As you can see in the pictures! So maybe check online before driving up there. It’s probably nicer after the rainy season.
Free Entrance & Free Parking. See the map here.
ISLAND HOPPING
Langkawi is the largest island of 104 in the archipelago.
You can choose between many island-hopping excursions with private boats or jet-ski. For small budget travelers, you can also share a boat with other tourists.
The prices start at RM 550 (≃115€) to explore the islands on a jet-ski. And around RM 25-30 for a shared boat.
In 2018, we didn’t do it because we explored a few islands with our friend Jay, but we heard that islands hopping is pretty amazing, especially on a jetski.
Back in Langkawi in 2019, we finally decided to try the Island hopping.
We paid 30 RM (≃ 6,30 €) per person for this tour, this included the transport from Cenang to the Jetty (return).
First stop: The boat dropped us for one hour at Pulau Dayang Bunting. First impression, really good, the island is beautiful!
There is a freshwater lake on this island. An additional entrance fee is required to access to the lake (not included in the tour): 6 RM (≃ 1,20 €) per person.
I’m wondering why we need to pay a fee when you see how dirty is the island… what are they doing with this money?
You can add 10 RM (≃ 2 €) to rent a kayak or a pedal-boat for about 15 minutes.
The lake is beautiful but the view is ruined by the Shops and Renting areas. We found this stop pretty boring!
There are plenty of sneaky monkeys everywhere. Keep an eye on your bag!
Second quick stop: Eagle feeding… 5 minutes stop to watch the eagles… no comments
Third Stop: The boat dropped us for one hour at Pulau Beras Basah – a white sand beach where you can swim in clear blue water.
The funny part is definitely to observe the monkeys stealing the food and drinks from people!
SO- Rather mixed review of this tour – we really enjoyed the boat rides and the beautiful beach of Pulau Beras Basah – but not the rest! At least it’s not expensive (I wouldn’t pay more for it)!
EXPLORE THE BEACHES
Langkawi offers a few beautiful white sandy beaches. Even though the water isn’t as clear as in Thailand, they are really good for swimming and sunbathing.
- Pantai Cenang
Pantai Cenang is the most popular beach on the island. All along the beach are cafes and restaurants. It’s THE spot to do some water sports like jet skiing and parasailing.
Cenang Beach offers a perfect spot to watch the sunset.
- Pantai Tengah
Located near Pantai Cenang, Tengah beach is lovely. The beach is quieter than Pantai Cenang (no sports activities, no bars 🙂). But from Pantai Cenang, the beginning of Tengah beach isn’t the best. Along the beach, there are some buildings under construction. So walk further, it’s gonna be nicer!
Many sweet dogs are hanging around the beach. Don’t be afraid, they are nice!
Pantai Tengah is also a perfect location to enjoy the sunset.
- Pantai Kok
From Pantai Cenang, Pantai Kok is on the way to the SkyCab. It’s not our favorite beach, but it’s a good spot to have a quick swim after visiting the SkyCab.
Refreshing!
- Datai Bay
Located on the North of Langkawi, Datai Bay is a private beach. So, you can not access to this beach if you are not in this hotel – do not waste your time to drive up there.
- Pasir Tengkorak Beach, Skull Beach
Up North, Pasir Tengkorak beach is really nice. Mainly locals are hanging out there. At high tide, the sandy part is pretty small.
No sun after 4pm
PS: Tengkorak means Skull 💀
- Teluk Yu Beach, Shark Bay
During high tide, there is almost no sand at Teluk Yu beach. There are plenty of trees all along the beach if you are looking for shade.
You can walk along the beach promenade.
- Pantai Pasir Hitam, Black Sand Beach
Because of its name, I was expecting to see black sand everywhere but, it was not really black. It has some black areas though. We didn’t swim at Pantai Pasir Hitam, we just enjoyed the view!
- Tanjung Rhu Beach
Our favorite beach in Langkawi so far. The scenic view is beautiful. The beach is long, white sand, clear water. The clearest water we have seen in Langkawi.
It’s a must-see here in Langkawi! See the map here.
LAMAN PADI, RICE MUSEUM
The rice museum is located in Pantai Cenang (see map here). Wander along the rice paddies, learn about rice cultivation.
The entrance is free.
MANGROVE TOUR
Our host Jay from Dar Yasmine Guesthouse invited us to explore the Kilim Geoforest Park, so nice 😃
We didn’t read anything about this park – and didn’t know what to expect – just go with the flow, right?
During half-day, the boat cruised on Langkawi’s Kilim River, through the Mangrove forests, where you can see an amazing fauna (eagles, monkeys, bats) & flora with stunning geological formations like limestone rocks, caves, beaches…
The cliffs are just stunning!
We had a great day! BUT – sorry there is a BUT – there is a fish farm where hundreds of fishes are captivated in tiny “pounds”, just to show them to tourists… The poor little fellas don’t have any space to swim… people are touching them… it was terrible to see…
PLUS, we are really concerned about feeding the animals… How this area can be named as a UNESCO Geoforest Park if people keep feeding eagles and monkeys every day? And why there are hundreds of fishes in JAIL? 🤔
We aren’t animal experts – but eagles and monkeys are natural hunters – even the fishes. Feeding wild animals diminish their ability to naturally find food in the wild…
At Seven Wells Waterfall, it’s not allowed to feed the monkeys… why is it different in this national park?
When I read that “Geodiversity and biodiversity are preserved in Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park, Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, and Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park. These Geoforest parks also protect biodiversity in diverse habitats”, I’m wondering how they can keep this status…
GUNUNG RAYA
Gunung Raya is the highest mountain of Langkawi, 881m above sea level. On the way to Gunung Raya, you can spot plenty of Dusky Leaf Monkeys! They are so cute!
The view from Gunung Raya over Langkawi is pretty awesome!
There is an abandoned hotel at the top which makes the landscape less beautiful I would say! There is also a tower where apparently, you can pay RM 10 (≃2€) to access, you get a tea and you can enjoy the view – when we have been there, the tower was closed though.
FINISH YOUR DAY WITH A SHISHA AT THE BEACH
The Scuba Cafe offers shisha right on the beach of Cenang. You can get soft drinks, different kinds of coffees, and fresh juices – if you want to drink alcohol, you can grab some from the bar “next door” and bring it over – no problem!
If you feel hungry – Scuba Cafe makes good food such as burgers, wraps, chicken chops and fresh seafood 😋
Let the guys know that you heard about Scuba Cafe from Adrian & Amandine and you get a discount on your shisha!
PS: They open around 8 pm till 2 am.
Scuba Cafe is located at the beach Pantai Cenang, next to Kalut Cafe N Bar (See Map Here). Plus, see their Instagram page here.
SO WHAT ARE THE MUST-SEE IF YOU ONLY STAY 3 DAYS IN LANGKAWI?
- Visit the SkyCab & Seven Wells Waterfall
- Explore the beaches: Cenang, Tengorak and Tanjung Rhu.
- Head to Gunung Raya after Tanjung Rhu
- Explore the islands (by boat or jet-ski, depending on your budget)
- Explore the Mangrove by Boat
Where To Eat GOOD and CHEAP in Langkawi? Click here 😋
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Amandine & Adrian @whynotabroad
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