7 Places to Visit in Langkawi That Must Be on Your Itinerary

Langkawi is the jewel of Kedah, and a national treasure too. This cluster of islands sits about 30 km off the northwest coast of the Peninsula, close to the Thai border. For this guide, we picked seven places that give you the full picture of the island: nature, marine life, mountaintop views, craft culture and fishing village life.

We started at Kilim Geoforest Park. Taking a boat through the mangroves and limestone hills here is a Langkawi essential, and along the way we spotted all kinds of flora and fauna. Next up was Underwater World Langkawi in Pantai Cenang, one of the oldest aquariums in the country, open since 1995. It looks small from the outside, but inside there are penguins, penguin feeding sessions, a chance to touch starfish and plenty of fish and bird species.

For the views, ride the SkyCab from Oriental Village. This 2.2 km cable car climbs Gunung Mat Cincang up to the top station at 708 metres, with one of the steepest gradients in the world. From there, the SkyGlide takes visitors down to the SkyBridge.

At night, Dream Forest takes you deep into the legends of Langkawi. It only opens at night so the experience feels more immersive, and it's perfect for the kids. By day, Kompleks Kraf Langkawi is a one-stop centre for handicrafts like batik and paintings, complete with a museum and craft demonstrations.

For a different angle, cross the sea to Pulau Tuba, one of the four inhabited islands in Langkawi. Its fishing village gives you a glimpse of what Langkawi was like 10 to 20 years ago. Finally, go island hopping to Pulau Dayang Bunting, which now has a floating playground on Tasik Dayang Bunting.

These days you can also bring your own car over on the RoRo ferry from Kuala Perlis. Plan at least two to three days so you can visit all these places without rushing.