The island of Langkawi is pretty small, barely having an area of 470sq km, but within it are a large and interesting array of scenery, including tropical jungle, rainforest, time-untouched beaches and exotic Mangrove. It really is the type of place that must be seen to be believed.

The name Langkawi means Strong Eagle and legend has it that this is the final resting place of Garuda, the Eagle that was the Hindu Gods vehicle. Indeed, many of the towns and places in Langkawi are named based on the stories that were written about them many centuries ago.

Another interesting fact about Langkawi is that it represents more of a Malay influence than the cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur the island also borrows a lot of influence from Thailand (indeed, you can see certain parts of Thailand from points in Langkawi on a clear day).

Places To Stay In Langkawi Langkawi Hotels, B&Bs & Accommodation

There are no shortage of both top end luxury resorts and budget-basic accommodation choices in Langkawi. Obviously, the setting and service varies tremendously at these extremes but if you really want a piece of Malaysian paradise, you can afford it whatever your economic situation.

Some places are perfect for honeymoons, others fit a nice family holiday while many cater to the backpacking masses that flock here each here. We look at the various accommodation types for all these.

Kuah is Langkawis biggest and most commercial town the main street has a couple of good eateries such as Thailand Restaurant and Charlies Place. Sofea Caf is also quite a good place to enjoy some light snacks including burgers and French fries if youre looking for a meal thats a little more designed for the Western palette.

In Langkawi Mall theres the highly popular Annaseem which offers a wide selection of Moghul food. If youre in the mood for Oriental grub, Restoran Wan Thai is also situated in Langkawi Mall

In Pantai Kok one of the best eateries is the impressive Telaga Arabic Restaurant & Caf you can try out a number of exotic Arabian dishes, as well as some of the more traditional western meals if you prefer. Also in Pantai Kok, the interesting USSR Restaurant serves up unique Russian dishes that are prepared by a real Russian chef.

Eating At The Five Star Resorts Its quite possible to dine in one of the many luxury resorts located throughout the island. You can usually book, but be warned that some of these are extremely expensive and you should expect to pay $70 per head for a basic meal with drinks.

If youre looking for a place to eat at Pantai Tengah, theres noi shortage of eateries including LOsteria (Italian), Lighthouse (Malay) and Fat Mums (Oriental).

Most Interesting Things To See & Do During Your Holiday To Langkawi

For an island that is largely known for its unspoilt beaches and relaxation opportunities, there certainly is a lot to see in Langkawi. While there may not be much in the way of bustling cities, Langkawi offers one or two bustling little shopping towns as well as many places to enjoy natural beauty. Here are the main things to check out:
Pantai Cenang Beach While the picture perfect beaches that are home to some of the five star resorts in Langkawi may be the ones you see in brochures, its the beach in Cenang that plays host to the majority. Here in Pantai Cenang there are numerous places to stay and to eat, its the most visited public beach in Langkawi. Its along the Pantai Cenang region that the interesting aquarium (Underwater World) is based, and is well worth a trip to see some of the marine life to be found in the seas & oceans in South East Asia.
Near by to underwater world, the Zon Duty Free Shop houses a huge selection of tax free merchandise youll not only find the usual handicrafts and keepsakes, but more sophisticated articles of clothing and more. Its worth a visit.

Pantai Cenang is also where youll find the largest grouping of establishments offering spa treatments and massages. Typically, these vary in style and substance, and while they are certainly cheaper than most of the five star spa offerings, they are nowhere near as luxurious.

Of these, Thai Spa is one of the most popular, with basic treatments starting for as little as 40RM the establishment offers a free pick up service from your hotel (ideal if youre staying at one of the five star offerings where spa treatments can set you back 300RM and more).

Seven Wells Waterfalls Hidden within a rainforest its a short but steep hike to get to the Seven Wells Waterfalls. Here you can bathe in the clear waters at the base of the falls be wary as some of the monkeys here can be quite cheeky. Superb vistas and opportunity for photographs are available here.

Kuah This is the capital of Langkawi and here youll find many duty free shops as well as the majority of the banks and money changers in Langkawi. There are also a sprinkling of hotels here, as well as a couple of monuments and places to visit.
The impressive Golden Eagle sits at the very edge of the Kuah Port and also in Kuah is the cultural theme park of Lagenda Langkawi a well laid out garden that recreates the most famous legends of Langkawi.

Also located at the port is the Jid Al-Hana, a huge building with a golden dome and the Bird Paradise where you can see over a hundred species of local bird life.
If youre staying at one of the more upscale resorts and are put off by the high prices of tours and day-trips, you can get something of a bargain by booking at one of the tour agencies in Kuah. Similarly, you can find comparatively cheap car hire companies in Kuah.

Langkawi Cable Car The cable car really is a must-see, and possibly offers the best views to be found in Langkawi (and possibly even Malaysia). A cable car takes you to the mountain top and there are various vista points to click photographs. The mountain itself is called Gunung Mat Chinchang, and at the top you can enjoy some snacks and drinks at the snack shop. Many of the views are labelled so you know exactly what youre looking out over.

Interestingly, the Langkawi cable car has the longest suspension in the world between two cable car stations, and the distance from the bottom to the top is over 2km. The steepness of angle can be as high as 42 degrees incline and the highest point that tourists can get to is an impressive 705 metres. The total time taken to get from the base to the very top is around 20 minutes, and aside from the lush uninterrupted jungle (all you see down is thick jungle no roads at all), and the Seven Wells Waterfall is also visible from here. Certain islands belonging to Thailand can also be seen from the viewing points these are marked clearly for tourists from the vista points (of which there are two).
Its commonly touted that the temperature at the very top of the cable car is notably cooler (by about 5 degrees) than at the bottom so you may wish to take along a sweater if you get cold easily. At the top there is a small snack shack where you can enjoy some basic drinks and sweet/savoury snacks.

Once you finish the cable car experience you can explore the Oriental Village which is a neat mini-town consisting of several quaint souvenir stalls, restaurants and general shops.

Visit Langkawis Best Beaches Its unthinkable to visit Langkawi without dropping in to some of the islands most picture perfect beaches. Here are some of the best beaches youll want to stroll along while you visit the island:

Datai Beach The islands most terrific beach is here, though Datai bay is occupied by the five star hotels The Andaman and Datai so you may need to visit the hotels beach club for a snack to get a glimpse of it.

Pantai Pasir Tengkorak A really secluded beach that is ideal for swimmers.
Pantai Kok – Superb beach area, as good a public swimming place as anywhere on the island

Dayang Bunting Lake Also known as the Lake Of The Pregnant Maiden, this is an ideal lake for swimming or enjoying some watersports. The water is extremely clear.
Galeria Perdana This house contains a large collection of awards given to the ex prime minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamed).

Gunung Raya Langkawis highest hill point, it takes a bit of a trek to get to the very top but the spectacular scenic views of the island when you get there makes it worthwhile.
Lagenda Park This extensive garden area displays the various legends and folklore of Langkawi.

Kota Mahsuri The tomb of the maiden (Mashuri) is the attraction here. She is one of the many legends of Langkawi and is remembered because she was sentenced to death here for committing adultery (a crime of which she was innocent).

Kota Mahsuri The tomb of the maiden (Mashuri) is the a Crocodile Adventureland Situated within Teluk Datai, Crocodile Adventureland enables you to see live shows including crocodile stunts as well as feeding. Teluk Datai is also the region where the five star resorts of Andaman and Datai are situated, and its within this area that youll find the Temurun Waterfall.

Pantai Kok Most famously known for the Langkawi cable car experience, Pantai Kok also houses the Telaga Harbour Park where you can sit alongside a waterside caf amidst a sea of yatchs.

Air Hangat Village Very near the luxury Tanjung Rhu resort, the main attraction of the Air Hangat Village are the incredible how water natural springs. There are plans afoot to turn this region into a world class spa, till then the springs are free to visit.

If you do not want to do any of the driving yourself (and why should you, youre on holiday after all!) then you can hire a car with driver for either a few hours or for the day. Be warned however, this is a far more expensive option than if you choose to drive around yourself and unless you have a considerable budget this may not be a long term option for your stay in Langkawi.

Prices generally are about 40RM per hour, and be warned that if you choose to hire a car plus driver from one of the more upmarket hotels in Langkawi, this amount rises to about 60RM per hour (a heavyweight $20 per hour or so). Most services will offer one free hour for every three you take out, and remember that there is usually scope to bargain to lower this amount.

Movie: Emperor (2008)

“The Malaysian underworld is at war with the Hong Kong Triads, an invisible feud kept from public eyes. But when a young girl gets murdered, the case blows up in the headlines. Everyone is a suspect. The Malaysian Police, and their long-time understanding with the underworld, gets dragged into public scrutiny. What follows is a trail drenched in blood, suspense and betrayal. Written by A”

• Director: Juliane Block
• Run Time: 96 min
• Country: Malaysia , Germany
• Genre: Crime , Thriller

Be warned, there is no real public transport in Langkawi to speak of, so youll need to figure out how best to explore the island for yourself. Luckily, the roads are well laid out, very well structured and easy to navigate so you can easily hire a car or motorcycle and get around without any real problems.

Many holiday makers to Langkawi choose to hire a car, and you can do this from the airport or one of the car hire firms in Kuah. Make sure that you barter because most car hire companies will lower their fees if you bargain. In fact, hiring a car for the day can be quite cheap (expect to pay about $25/15 per day). If you do decide to go down this route remember to bring your drivers licence as the reputable operators will not hire you a vehicle unless you show proof that you hold a valid licence.

A reliable place to hire any sort of vehicle is the Tshoppe situated in Pantai Tengah aside from vehicles, you can find out more about day tours and stock up on some souvenirs here.

You should also note that many of the more grand five star hotels will rent out cars, but at a far bigger premium than what you can get elsewhere. If youre lucky enough to stay at one of these premium accommodations, make sure you look round before committing to a car.
If you can ride a motor-cycle, you can get around for even less, with a decent bike costing about $10 per day or less. You can hire very cheap motor cycles inside Pantai Cenang (which is where much of the budge hotels and accommodation within Langkawi is located). Also an option is to cycle around the town which is the cheapest mode of transport again, its very cheap to do this.

Eating & Drinking In Langkawi Where To Find The Best Restaurants

Depending on where you stay, and on what board basis, you may be interested in eating at one of the many good restaurants and eateries that the island has to offer. One thing is for sure, similar to Kuala Lumpur, there is some fabulous food and drink to be had just about everywhere, and often at very good prices.

Be warned, if youre staying at one of the more exclusive and remote five star resorts such as the Datai or Andaman, it can be quite a trek to the nearest restaurants so bare this in mind if you insist upon sampling a wide range of the eateries available within Langkawi.

Many of the best restaurants are clustered within the Pantai Cenang region:
Rasa Restaurant This is a good place to try out a good selection of both Malay and western cuisine, and there is also accommodation available here.

If youre in the mood for Italian, then T.Jays is a fair bistro & pizzeria, and claims to be Langkawis most authentic Italian outfit. The pizzas are certainly thin and crispy.
The exotic beach setting of the Red Tomato Garden Caf is worth a visit for the experience of snacking on the beach alone.

Papadam is certainly one of the best Indian restaurants in Pantai Cenang. The food is simply exquisite and is our top pick for eateries in the area.
Putumayo is also a good choice for sea food lovers, and a lot of the locals and tourists all flock here for fresh seafood.

The interestingly titled Sandy Souvenir Shop is actually an eatery serving up everything from curry to kebab.

Coco Beach has a nice sea front setting and is a sea food themed restaurant, and Tang Lung is another choice for sea food lovers, and the restaurant offers a local pick up service for guests.

Some of the five star hotel offerings in Langkawi really rival anything to be found in any country. For example, the five star Andaman Hotel is nestled in between a dense rainforest and stunning fine powdery beach, but of course it can cost $350 per night or more to stay here.

On the other hand, you can grab a slice of Langkawi paradise for a small fraction of that just by renting out one of the no-frills beach huts/apartments that are to be found along bustling Pantai Cenang. Alternatively, there are several offerings that are a halfway compromise between these two ends of the holiday spectrum.

An Introduction To Langkawi Malaysias Most Beautiful Holiday Island Destination
Langkawi is located in the state of Kedah, and it is this green and tropical island that countless travellers to Malaysia flock to year after year. If Kuala Lumpur is famous for its wonderful city atmosphere, shop-till-you-drop malls and a never-ending, vibrant nightlifeits all very different in Langkawi which is known more for its stunning beaches, tropical rain forest and five star, laid back relaxation.

Visitors to Langkawi often come to be pampered, to laze among the many world class beaches the island offers and to enjoy the rich Malay food and hospitality that are synonymous with practically all the Langkawi hotel resorts. If you come here for a holiday, chances are you wont want to leave.

Because Langkawi is an island that is separate from Kuala Lumpur, most holiday makers to Langkawi tend to fly in, mostly from Kuala Lumpur. Aside from spectacular beaches and jungle (some of which merges together quite spectacularly), Langkawi is also known for being a duty free island. This means that if youre staying here, youll be able to pick up a quite wonderful bargain or two on the cheap in fact, if youre doing both Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi, youre well advised to do the bulk of your shopping in Langkawi as the same souvenir & craft products are available for upto 50% less.

There are a couple of towns that most tourists visit during their stay in Langkawi Kuah (the island capital) and Pantai Cenang (a bustling town with tiny markets and stalled sprawling as far as the eye can see). Most facilities such as money changers and banks tend to be located in Kuah, though aside from the Golden Eagle there is not too much to interest the visitor to Malaysia here. Other than that, the remarkable beauty and nature is what draws the throngs of tourists to Langkawi year after year.