There is so much about Langkawi that I simply have to divide up all the information I want to share about it into different categories. The following pages provide you one of the riches sources of information on everything to do with Langkawi.
Langkawi is a major beach resort destination in Malaysia. It is often known as the Islands of Legend, because of the many legends associated to the island as well as places within the island. Langkawi is an archipelago comprising Pulau Langkawi, the main island, and 99 satellite islands nestling serenely in the tropical waters some 30 kilometers off the coast of Kedah, in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Langkawi belongs to Kedah state and is administered under the Pulau Langkawi District. It is adjacent to the Tarutao National Park of Thailand. The largest island of the archipelago is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi. Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Dayang Bunting and Pulau Tuba are the only inhabited islands in the archipelago.
Langkawi has been enjoying tax-free status since 1987. This has helped fuel its tourism industry and improve the standard of living of the population, which numbers around 45,000. Numerous hotels of various classes have been built in Langkawi, catering to a wide spectrum of tastes and expectations.
In 2007, the Langkawi Archipelago was declared a Geopark by Unesco. Langkawi Geopark is the only Geopark in Southeast Asia and the 52nd geopark under the Unesco Global Geoparks Network.
Getting to Langkawi
By Air:
Langkawi International Airport has direct links with Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok. The following airlines operate regular flights from Langkawi:
AirAsia has regular services to Kuala Lumpur and to Bangkok.
By Sea:
There are regular ferry services connecting Kuah, the main town on Langkawi, with Kuala Perlis (45 minutes), Kuala Kedah (90 minutes) and Penang (3 hours) in Malaysia, and with Satun and Koh Lipe in the Tarutao archipelago in Thailand.
Getting Around
Perhaps the most convenient way to explore Langkawi is by renting a car or motorcycle. Other forms of transport is quite limited. You can rent a car or motorcycle directly from both the airport as well as the jetty.
Driving in Langkawi
Driving in Langkawi is fun. The roads are often devoid of traffic. The only drawback is that some of the roads allow only two lanes of traffic. Many of the islanders drive at cattle speed. If you get behind one, it may be a while before you have a chance to overtake.
There are just a few main roads on the island. Confusingly, three of them take the route number of 112. These are Jalan Padang Matsirat, which runs from Kuah town to the village of Padang Mat Sirat; Jalan Ayer Hangat, which skirts the eastern part of Langkawi, from Kuah town to Ayer Hangat village; and Jalan Ulu Melaka, which starts at Ayer Hangat Village and ends at the junction with Jalan Padang Mat Sirat. In a way, if you follow 112, you make a loop around the eastern and central portions of Langkawi.
In addition to Route 112, there are a few other main roads which you should explore. Route 113, also known as Jalan Teluk Yu, begins at Ayer Hangat village, crosses the northern part of Langkawi, and ends at Burau Bay. On the southern part of the island, Jalan Bukit Malut, also known as Route 167, joins Jalan Padang Mat Sirat to Jalan Kedawang.
On the western part of Langkawi, there is Jalan Pantai Cenang, which runs along the main beach belt of Langkawi. To the north of it is Jalan Kuala Muda, which runs along the coast next to the Langkawi International Airport.
Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?
The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!
If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.
Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.
AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. You may use the information on this website on your blog or website so long as you place a dofollow link back to the page in AsiaExplorers where it appears. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. To contact Tim, write to the following email address:
