Things to do in Pulau Langkawi
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Langkawi Cable Car
Heading inland from Pantai Kok you’ll come across the station for Langkawi Cable Car, which will take you on a vertiginous 20-minute trip to the top of the majestic Gunung Machinchang (708m). There are some incredible views along the way.
reviewed
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Pulau Payar Marine Park Snorkeling Tour from Langkawi
by Viator
Catch a glimpse of the wonders of the deep and sail on a catamaran to West Malaysia's only Marine Park, located South of Langkawi Island. Discover the beautiful…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$110.67 -
Tomato
There are some great tomatoes along Cenang beach. This one serves excellent rotis and a standard curry-rice Indian/Malay menu at all hours – take note, nighthawks.
reviewed
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Fat Mum’s
Fat Mum’s serves up Chinese dishes. It’s cheap, cheerful and can get pretty boisterous come the evening.
reviewed
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Kota Mahsuri
Back around 1819 (the date is debated), the Malay princess Mahsuri was unjustly accused of adultery and executed by stabbing. With her dying breath she cursed Langkawi with seven generations of bad luck and expired, supposedly bleeding white blood, a sign of her innocence. Not long after, the Siamese invaded the island, and some 160 years later, in 1987 (that’s about seven generations) Langkawi took off as a tourism destination. That’s the story anyways, and its been commemorated by Kota Mahsuri, a historical complex that includes Mahsuri’s Shrine (a fenced-in slab of white stone) as well as a re-creation of a traditional house, a theatre, a ‘diorama museum’ and some …
reviewed
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Air Hangat Village
This village is towards the north of the island, not far from the turn-off to Tanjung Rhu, and is known for its hot springs. Apart from watching the water gush along artificial channels and buying souvenirs, there’s not much to do, although ‘cultural shows’ take place occasionally – contact the tourist office to see if anything is lined up. As with so many places on Langkawi, the springs are associated with an intriguing legend.
reviewed
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Laman Padi
At the northern end opposite Casa del Mar hotel is Laman Padi, an ‘ecotourism’ complex with picturesque rice paddies populated by water buffaloes and ducks. There’s also a museum dedicated to rice cultivation, some restaurants, a post office and Nawa Sari Spa, where you can contently watch rice paddies sway under the breeze while you’re pummelled and oiled by Thai masseurs (massages RM45 to RM100).
reviewed
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Champor-Champor
Serves up imaginative regional cuisine such as pan-fried bamakoise (a local fish) with banana, tofu satay and coconut-crusted calamari. The menu descriptions are particularly intriguing – such as the Thai green curry ‘with an exotic taste that makes you kinky’ – and the tranquil, open-air garden filled with sweet incense and surrounded with plants and native carvings provides a romantic setting to while away a tropical evening.
reviewed
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Galeria Perdana
If you’ve been wondering what to get former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his birthday, you could see what everyone else bought at Galeria Perdana. Established by Mahathir himself, the museum displays the sort of weird gifts that get passed between foreign nations and heads of state (F-1 racers, Ming vases painted with Mahathir’s face – that sort of thing).
reviewed
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Ishan Spa
For the traveller in need of some spoiling, the six spa suites at Ishan Spa offer some pretty posh pampering – air treatments, body scrubs, herbal baths and the like – in a space that screams traditional setting (dark wood, frangipani and the like), but also boasts all sorts of modern accents. Rates run from around RM100 to RM350, more for multiday treatments.
reviewed
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Indian Ayurvedic Massage
If Thai massage isn’t your thing, get a different oily rubdown at Indian Ayurvedic Massage, in an unassuming hut 200m off the main road. Customers rave about treatments like shirodhara, where a continual flow of warm herbal oil is poured over your forehead as your head and shoulders are massaged. Treatments cost around RM65 to RM195.
reviewed
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Underwater World
At the southern end of Pantai Cenang is the Underwater World, Malaysia’s largest aquarium, featuring 200 different species of marine and freshwater creatures. Some exhibits (especially the rainforest walk) are well executed; some feel like a tropical aquarium in need of a cleaning, but in general it’s a great place for the kids.
reviewed
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Lagenda Langkawi Dalam Taman
Next to the jetty, the Lagenda Langkawi Dalam Taman is a landscaped ‘folklore theme park’ that stretches along the waterfront. Bright statues dotted amid the lakes illustrate several Langkawi legends – with signboards in English – and there’s a narrow, mediocre strip of beach. It’s a popular spot for joggers.
reviewed
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Kantan
Supposedly the country’s largest restaurant built in traditional Malay style, Kantan looks like a kampung house on steroids. Inside, the menu focuses on upscale executions of traditional Malay food like rendang, fish cooked in coconut milk and such, but the spice is very much toned down for foreigners.
reviewed
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Langkawi Crocodile Farm
On the way to Teluk Datai is Langkawi Crocodile Farm. If you’re not a kid or sympathetic to reptiles you may enjoy the twice-daily ‘stunt’ shows and hourly feedings, but the small, dirty pools and the fact that many of the farm’s residents are turned into meat is a turn-off for many.
reviewed
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Kompleks Kraf Langkawi
The Kompleks Kraf Langkawi is an enormous handicrafts centre where you can watch demonstrations of traditional crafts and buy any traditional Malaysian product or craft you can imagine. There are also a couple of on-site exhibitions devoted to local legends and wedding ceremonies.
reviewed
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Barn Thai
On the island’s east coast, 9km north of Kuah, is this upmarket Thai restaurant with live jazz on some nights (reservations advisable). The setting, at the end of a raised walkway through a mangrove forest reserve, is actually better than the food.
reviewed
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Langkawi Cable Car Ride and Oriental Village Morning Tour
3 hours (Departs Langkawi, Malaysia)
by Viator
Take a cable car ride to the top of Mount Mat Chinchang for breathtaking views of Langkawi and visit the Oriental Village which is a shopping zone built around …
Not LP reviewed
from USD$36.00 -
Putumayo
Excellent service (the waiter folds your napkin in your lap) amid a beautiful open-air courtyard. The cuisine ranges from across Asia, looping from Malaysia through Thailand to China; we highly recommend the fish cooked Nonya style.
reviewed
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Nam
At Bon Ton Resort, Nam boasts a well-executed menu of fusion goodness, from pistachio-encrusted haloumi to a nine-course sampler of Straits Chinese cuisine, and at night, amid Bon Ton’s starry jungle grounds, the setting is superb.
reviewed
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Langkawi Sunset Luxury Yacht Cruise with Cocktails or BBQ Dinner
by Viator
Sail off into the tropical sunset on the Andaman Sea from Langkawi Island on this luxury cruise, witness a spectacular tropical sunset while you enjoy either co…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$89.33 -
Langkawi Bird Paradise
The Langkawi Bird Paradise touts itself as Asia’s first fully covered wildlife park. There are plenty of animals around (with an emphasis on exotic birds), but we can’t say all of them look well cared for.
reviewed
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Ibrahim Hussein Foundation Museum
The Ibrahim Hussein Foundation Museum displays the abstract and multimedia works of its founder and namesake. It’s good art, especially if you need a break from traditional batik-work and the like.
reviewed
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Langkawi Mangrove Forest and Eagle Watching Tour
by Viator
Appreciate the wonders of nature and its attributes towards the eco system on this Langkawi Mangrove Forest and Eagle Watching Tour.
Tanjung Rhu is home to one …
Not LP reviewed
from USD$81.25 -
Gunung Raya Golf Resort
The international-standard Gunung Raya Golf Resort, designed by golf guru Max Wexler, is about 8km north of town in a spectacular location in the foothills of Langkawi’s highest mountain.
reviewed
