Langkawi archipelago
The 99-island-strong Langkawi archipelago is textbook ‘island paradise’-style beautiful. It’s also one of Malaysia’s best-known holiday destinations, and as such can be prone to over-tourism especially during peak season, so it's worth being canny about when you visit. If you’re longing to relax on a beach and fill up on fresh seafood, then Langkawi fits the bill, but there’s plenty to discover away from the sun loungers too. Take breathtaking panorama shots from the perilous-looking Sky Bridge, travel up Mount Machinchang by cable car and hike the rainforested Gunung Raya (the islands’ highest peak) for glimpses of macaques and eagles.
Three things to do in Langkawi
Obviously there's a lot more, this is just to get you started...
Seafood scene
The dining scene across the Langkawi archipelago is bursting with some of the best seafood you could ever hope to find. From grabbing grilled mackerel and otak-otak next to a secluded beach, to crunching tasty morsels of keropok lekor as you wander through a pasar malam (night market), the tastes of the sea are never far away. In restaurants with a more formal setting you can choose your own crab, oysters and tiger prawns from large aquariums, guaranteeing they’ll be the freshest you’ll ever eat. Make sure you try some pepper crab - one of our absolute favourites.
Cable cars & wild jungle
In the foothills of Mount Machinchang is the boarding point for the ‘SkyCab’ - a 20-minute cable car ride over the jungle-clad mountainside. This is the steepest cable car ride in Asia, covering 1.3 miles and rising 2,320 feet above sea level, affording you fantastic views of the forest and waterfalls as you slowly ascend, plus glimpses of birds and wildlife. Pause at a viewing platform to take in the scenery before continuing to the peak for 360-degree views over the forested slopes and surrounding islands. Take time to really soak up the scene below; on a clear day, you can see as far as Thailand to the north and Indonesia to the south west.
Mangroves and island hopping
If you’re looking for something a little more active than simply luxuriating on a gorgeous beach, the best way to explore Langkawi further is, of course, by boat. The Langkawi Mangrove Forest (also known as the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park) is a fascinating landscape. Twisting trees and waterways have formed around limestone outcrops and caves filled with stalactites, stalagmites and fossils. Boat trips through this otherworldly landscape feel like stepping far back in time. Further afield, if you’re looking to get away from the coves and beaches of the main island, are the archipelago’s 98 smaller islands, many of which are uninhabited; ideal for mooring up beside and enjoying a few hours in your own private island paradise...
