Beautiful Langkawi, Malaysia is both a district and an archipelago of 99 islands known as the Jewel of Kedah. It is located only 30 km from mainland Malaysia and opposite the Thai border. Surrounded by turquoise blue water, plenty of sunshine and limestone formations, it isn’t hard to see why it is called the jewel. Here’s what not to miss when visiting.
©MDHarding Voyager of the Seas docked in Langkawi, MalaysiaExploring Langkawi, Malaysia
There are some fabulous places to visit and explore. If you’re visiting via cruise ship like we did, you have a few options to visit some of the many highlights. You could take a pre-organised shore excursion or take a private taxi to explore the island.
Upon arrival, the pre-organised shore excursion buses are out on the port, as are buses to the other side of the quay. You also have the option to walk, which will take around 15 minutes. On arrival, there is an abundance of taxis waiting to assist you and take you to where you would like to go. We opted to take the bus and then a private taxi. Upon our return we enjoyed a leisurely walk across the quay to the ship.
Oriental Village
The home of the Langkawi Cable Car and Sky Bridge, Oriental Village, is located in Pantai Kok on the west side of the island. While there you can explore the 3D experience, museum, shops and cafes, too.
Top Tip: Have a back up plan if there are high winds. After the cable car was cancelled there was no alternative to reach the sky bridge. We went on to the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park instead.
©MDHarding Oriental Village, Langkawi, MalaysiaKilim Karst Geoforest Park
The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park is built on the oldest limestone in Malaysia, called Setul Formation. The UNESCO Heritage site is said to date back over 500 million years, and is home to the most unique mangrove ecosystem in the world.
There are a number of different options available to explore the park, with a few of these being by boat. You can take a motorised boat for one hour, two hours or three hours. Each option allows you time to enjoy seeing the sea eagles, mangroves and caves. You can also visit the fish farm, where you can hand feed stingrays. The price varies from RM200 and RM500.
There is also the option to rent a kayak and get up close to the mangroves.
Top Tip: Remember your hat, sunscreen and water. It can get very hot!
©MDHarding Sea Eagle at Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Langkawi, MalaysiaWe thoroughly enjoyed visiting and can’t wait to visit by cruise ship again. Haven’t taken your first cruise holiday yet? What are you waiting for? Highly recommend it.
I hope you have enjoyed reading and are inspired to visit the beautiful island of Langkawi. Until next time … Happy Travels 🙂 x