Well, I must tell you that this post was originally written for a journo friend of mine who was doing a piece on travel for a newspaper. She was asked to club a couple of travel experiences and she insisted on including one of my experiences, knowing my love for travel. I later decided to detail it out further over here so it could help anyone interested in exploring Langkawi the fun way. So here goes...
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| At Cenang beach, Langkawi |
Destination: Langkawi Island
Duration of my stay: 3 nights, 2 days
Month of visit: October
What to see in Langkawi: Even though Langkawi is a small island, it manages to offer visitors more than a few options. The island has something for everyone!- whether you are the sort who wishes to simply soak in the sun on the beautiful turquoise coloured beaches and enjoy the inactivity or you are the kind who would join in the fun by indulging in a number of activities.
Looking back, I feel my stay at Langkawi was rather short considering how much one could explore on this island. Since my trip to Malaysia was an official one, I inadvertently ended up focusing more on the first 3 days of my trip which were spent in Kuala Lumpur and was unable to research much on what I should be doing once I land in Langkawi. This lapse, believe it or not, made my trip all the more exciting.
I reached Langkawi at around 9 in the evening and so couldn’t do anything that evening except head to my hotel and crash. The sight of the island however was beyond breathtaking from the plane just before it landed at the Langkawi Airport. Thankfully, I had booked my hotel room in advance else I would have had to fly back with perhaps just another glimpse of the same "breathtaking sight" during the take off, considering how flooded it was with tourists.
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| The lake inside the Eagle Bay Park |
Well I was staying at one of the hotels in the Eagle Bay area of Langkawi and believe it or not, the sight of the blue waters and yachts from the room itself was so beautiful that I thought to myself- irrespective of whether I step out or not of my room, this visit was already worth it. Anyway, one of the few good things that I did in hindsight, was buying an extensive map of Langkawi. So the next morning after consulting a few locals employed at the hotel, I figured out the “not to miss” list of Langkawi and that renting a car and driving it yourself was not only the cheapest but also the best way to explore the beauty of the Island. And so, I along with my folks went to the nearest authorised taxi hiring place and rented a car for ourselves for two days, which was one of the coolest decisions we made on that trip. Going to a foreign land- a totally unfamiliar territory, renting out a car and driving it yourself on the very first day of your trip, not having a clue about what the traffic rules were, except that it was not even remotely similar to India was way too adventurous and exciting for us. Oh yes, before I forget, please do not, yes, DO NOT forget to carry your driving license, if at all you are interested in trying out this adventure. Just in case you are interested in knowing, we obviously did break some minor traffic rules but managed to stay clear from getting into any trouble. Lucky us!- thankfully Langkawi is not all that strict with tourists. The island is quite thinly populated for an Indian. You rarely find people walking on the roads to assist you with directions (which most of us are used to, in India) so all you have is the map and the sign boards to rely on. And while it is slightly unusual for us, Indians to explore a destination like this, let me tell you that it is by all means far more reliable.
While we were loving the drive on the roads of Langkawi, (once you are out of the city, you are mostly driving by the coast which is ecstatic), we were also confused every now and then as to whether we were headed in the right direction and whether we would be able to cover the “not to miss list of Langkawi” considering the paucity of time. Sooner than later we figured out that no matter which route you take you would end up covering most attractions of Langkawi when you are driving because of the shape of the island.
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| At the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club with my map |
Time to talk about the "must sees & do's" of Langkawi now. Apart from some of the gorgeous beaches like Rhu beach, Cenang beach, Kok and Tengah Beach, there are ample activities to try your hands on in Langkawi such as, parasailing, jet skiing, eagle feeding, island hopping, boating/yachting, snorkelling and scuba diving. I personally found cable car ride to Oriental Village as one the best things to do in Langkawi. It’s crazy, it ‘scary and yet it’s fun and gives you a big kick when you realize you are at a height from where you can practically see the whole island- the sea, the forests, the roads and everything else! Well this is also where DON 1 was shot, not that it is the USP of Oriental Village but I guess it deserves a mention here. Jet skiing, parasailing and eagle feeding were again a lot of fun. Since we were living in the Eagle Bay area, we obviously happened to explore bits of that area as well and the time spent at Eagle Bay Park which has a calm and clear lake inside was quite nice actually. The next day we again drove to Cenang beach and chilled out in the sun there, after which we went to the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club and saw some of the finest yachts ever. Trust me this is one place you could sit for hours together brooding into nothingness. By then we were left only with our last evening in Langkawi and were more than willing to explore the local markets for some shopping. We did pick up a few T-shirts, chocolates and so on but to tell you the truth, Langkawi is not the best of places to shop except alcohol of course which is duty free. Kuala Lumpur was a lot cheaper for other stuff and had a huge variety too when it came to shopping.
So yeah to sum up, Langkawi is a great island…perhaps one of the best places to unwind!
Recommendations:
- Carry your driving license for sure unless you plan to hire a driver.
- Buy a good map with directions.
- Be prepared to experiment with your taste buds, the food is very different, especially the Malay food. I did not enjoy the cuisine much and stuck to Thai food instead, which again is authentic Thai and hence way too spicy. It’s easier for Non vegetarians to survive though.
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| All smiles after discovering a Thai restaurant in Langkawi |
- You could pick up goodies like chocolates, souvenirs etc. if you really wish to, however shopping in Langkawi isn't a very good idea. You could instead spend that money on adventure and water sports.
