The breathtaking Langkawi Island (Malaysia)

Overflowing with culture, beaches, and loads of natural scenery, Langkawi is undoubtedly the perfect getaway for anyone looking for a pleasant holiday.

Details of my visit:
Period of visit: July-August 2009
Duration of stay: 4 days (wasn’t enough!!!)

Assuming that you are comfortable with making the travel and hotel booking… I would fast forward to landing in Langkawi. After a lot of research on trip advisor and other resources, we decided on trying out a different hotel experience… by booking to stay in chalets at the Berjaya Beach & Spa Resort. Unlike other higher star-rated hotels which have the usual concrete hotel buildings facing the sea, this resort had only chalets spread out from deep within the forest and extending to the sea… with lovely views of the forest and the waters depending on the choice of chalets. The resort property was kept as natural as possible with no significant concrete setup anywhere inside.

Plus points of the resort:
1. Very different kind of accomodation in the chalets
2. Prompt room service
3. Good sumptuous breakfast at the Dayang Cafe
4. Close to major attractions of Langkawi
5. In case of early check-out, a spare chalet is provided as a shower room to freshen up before leaving.
6. The in-house spa, Ayura Spa, is one of the best in Langkawi

Minus points of the resort:
1. Premier chalets have far better interiors than Superior chalets esp. for the incremental rate charged
2. In-house restaurants aren’t so great but doable (esp. for people who don’t like much of sea food like me)

However, on the whole, it was a resort I would love to go back to.

Places to visit during the trip:
1. Ayura Spa
- Their signature massage is just amazing
- You get to use the natural jacuzzi, sauna and other spa facilities for free when you book for a massage
- It is within the resort and hence very accessible
- Need to make a booking 1-2 days in advance esp. in peak tourist season
Time taken is approx. 3 hours (2 hours for the massage and 1 hour for the pre-massage indulgence)
Best time of the day: Early evening before sunset

2. Cable Car
- 10min walk from the resort in the Oriental Village
- Cable car reaches a maximum height of over 750mtrs above the sea level from the ground
- Breathtaking view of the rain forest, the mountains and the sea
- Option to get off the cable car and spend time at the landing stations (both middle and top)
- Is operational only when the weather is good so need to plan accordingly
Time taken is approx. 1 hour
Best time of the day: Sunny morning or afternoon (day-time only)

3. Oriental Village
- Regular shops selling souvenirs and local handicrafts
- Food court serving cheap food (indian, arabic, malay, and chinese cuisines) but only till sunset
Time taken is approx. 2 hours (at the max)
Best time of the day: To be done along with the cable car ride

4. Mangrove Boat Tour
- The only tour operator one should go for is Dev’s Mangrove Boat Tour since it has an extended tour which actually includes the fun and educational part of the mangrove forest tour
- An experienced guide takes you on a speed boat to the cave across the river (very crowded since all tour operators bring tourists there)… explains the science behind it; takes you inside to look at the thousands of bats and the calcium fossil deposits; shows the mangrove trees and their peculiarity; physical face-off with the monkeys roaming around
- From there, while all other tour operators go back up the river to the fish farm (details on this later), the Dev’s Tour Guide heads down the river towards the sea… sailing silently through the river for over an hour with just mangrove forests on either side; moves closer to the bank to show snakes, lizards, otters etc; passes through the fisherman’s village (explains the history); reaches the Andaman Sea and the boat picks up speed to counter the tide and add to the fun (it was raining in the sea and that added to the excitement and adventure); reaches an isolated island locked between two mountains with absolutely no one there; get to spend some time alone with your partner; then go further into the sea and then turn back towards the river from the other side (the whole trip is a full circle); reach the fish farm to enjoy a sea-food lunch; watch the fishes being feeded in the fish farm and then return back to the starting point.
- This tour leaves you tired for the rest of the day so don’t plan anything that is physically strenous for the rest of the day
Time taken is approx. 6 hours (starts at 9AM from the hotel and ends around 3PM)
Best time of the day: -

5. Dev’s Nature Walk
- Dev is a very renowned naturalist in Langkawi (owner of the Dev’s Adventure Tours mentioned above) and undertakes morning and evening nature walks across the mangrove forest.
- It happens only on select days and hence has to be planned in advance
Time taken is approx. 2 hours
Best time of the day: Morning

Some other attractions:
6. Underwater World (takes approx. 3 hours)
7. The 3 Waterfalls (Temuran, Seven Wells, Durian)
8. Chenang Beach for all water sports

There are lot more tourist attractions that can be explored but since our trip was short, we just managed to cover these… So, if you do not want to miss out on the best attractions, plan in advance and include all the above in your itinerary.

Some important links to visit:
1. Dev’s Adventure Tours
2. Trip Advisor – Langkawi Review