Langkawi Trip Report
At the end of July 2019, my wife and I spent 5 nights in the beautiful island of Langkawi in Malaysia. It had been a long time since our last international trip (Oct 2018) and we wanted a short break. We chose Langkawi as it was one of the few destinations in Asia that had decent weather in July.
Best time to visit
The peak season in Langkawi is from January to March. Shoulder season runs from April to August and during this time, you get smaller crowds and cheaper prices in exchange for the occasional shower. It rained slightly on one afternoon but we had great weather otherwise. The maximum temperature was around 31c on most days, hence the afternoons were slightly hot.
Getting there
Malaysia has made it easy for Indians to get a visa through the eNTRI program. You submit the relevant details online and get a note which entitles you to a visit of 14 days or less. For longer stays, you can apply for an e-visa.
We flew into KL and took a one hour connecting flight into Langkawi airport. We flew on Air Asia which is not my favorite airline (they charge for food, water, even blankets), but we got a great deal so it was worth it. On our way back we realized that KL airport is not the best place to buy chocolates, prices on Langkawi were far cheaper.
On the island, the cheapest way to get around was using Grab Taxi. We had no problem getting taxis at the resort we stayed at. The official taxis were much more expensive, so we used them only if there were no alternatives.
Where we stayed
The main tourist areas are around the beaches of Pantai Cenang and Pentai Tengah. Since we wanted more peace and quiet, we stayed north of the airport in an area of Langkawi called Datai Bay.
We stayed at the Berjaya Langkawi, a huge resort that has hundreds of villas located in the forest and even on the water. At the last moment we decided to splurge and stay at an over water bungalow. The room is called Premier Chalet on Water. I had read mixed reviews about the bungalows online but we absolutely loved our room. The breakfast buffet was quite good as well.
The only downside of the place is that because of it’s size, you have to rely on shuttles to get you from the room to the lobby. For the most part, this is fine, but you do spend quite a bit of time waiting and traveling on the shuttle. Also, there are relatively few dining options near the resort, so that may be an issue for some.
Things to see and do
Since we wanted a leisurely trip, we did not pack our schedules but instead spent a lot of time lazing around. We did see a few places though.
Cable Car and Sky Bridge: We took the famously steep cable car and walked on the sky bridge. A bit touristy but worth it for the amazing views of the island. Tickets can be purchased at the entrance which is located at the Oriental Village. The ticket can also be used to enter the 3D museum where you can take some cheesy photos.
Night market: Every day of the week, a night market is setup at a different location on the island. The largest one is at Kuah town. We went on Sunday night to the market at Padang Matsirat. We were unimpressed by the size of the market and the taste of the food. It was pretty cheap though.
Beaches: On our last day in Langkawi, we hired a taxi for a few hours and visited the Black sand beach and Tanjung Rhu beach. Tanjung Rhu is considered the best looking beach at Langkawi. It was nice, but too hot in the afternoon when we were there. Personally I thought the beach at the Berjaya was just as good. We also went down to Pentai Cenang beach which was the biggest crowds of the all the beaches we saw.
Mardi Agro Technology Park: We went on tour of this farm where we got to see different fruits being grown and got to taste some of them as well. It was not worth the price in my opinion.
Water sports: All the usual options such as jet skis, banana boats, parasailing were available. We did not partake as we found it too hot.
Mangrove tour: We had booked a tour with Dev’s adventures but they cancelled the trip the night before. Will probably do this on our next trip.
Where to eat
Scarborough Fish and Chips: This was the best meal I had in Langkawi. The restaurant is quite small and is right on the beach. The fish was crisp on the outside and tender inside and the calamari was good as well. The ice cold beer was refreshing on a hot afternoon and was a great accompaniment.
Thirstday: At Pentai Cenang beach, we happened upon this beach side bar and had a couple of drinks while we watched the beautiful sunset. It had a chill ambience and I loved the way they chilled the beer in a large jug with ice.
Seafood Dinner: Also at Pentai Cenang, we found a lot of restaurants where you could choose the fish and they would prepare it in your preferred style. We sat down at one where the prices looked reasonable and had deep fried crab with chilli sauce and grilled fish.
Oriental Village: The closest place to Berjaya that had a few restaurants and a food court. We ate at the food court on a couple of days and had mixed luck.
Summary
We had a great time relaxing in Langkawi. It is a beautiful island that is easy to get to from India, the visa process is painless, and flights are reasonable priced. We definitely plan to return.
