Langkawi Island Waits to Bounce Back
When international tourism returns to Malaysia, the tropical island of Langkawi will surely be high on many a traveller’s list.
The country’s battle against Covid-19 has been long and hard, with no signs of ending soon. It has seen a series of lockdowns and the imposition of a state of emergency.
During this time, Malaysia’s tourist destinations have been badly hit, particularly those that normally attract many foreign visitors.
Langkawi is a case in point. In recent years it has drawn large visitor numbers – nearly four million in 2019. While most of these were local, recent years have seen an increase in foreign visitors and a decline in Malaysians.
Some of the many islands that make up Langkawi. Image: © Elena Ermakova
Langkawi lies in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of peninsular Malaysia. Strictly speaking, it’s a cluster of about 100 islands. But it’s also the name of the largest and most-visited, Langkawi Island. This is the one most people mean when they speak of Langkawi.
It’s not hard to see why it attracts foreign travellers, including older visitors in search of a slower pace. It has excellent hotels and its natural beauty is a big drawcard.
If you just want to chill – as many visitors do – a couple of days are probably enough. If you want to do a bit of exploring, consider setting aside three or four days.
Top-end Hotels
Perhaps more than any other Malaysian island, Langkawi has long catered to those in search of a bit of luxury.
To be sure, it also draws backpackers and other budget-conscious visitors. But its high-end resort hotels, which dot the island like pearls in a necklace, are firmly aimed at more affluent travellers.
Drinks time on the terrace at a resort hotel. Image: © Alan Williams
And it’s these resorts that are likely to be in great demand when international tourism does return. Tucked away on secluded beaches and surrounded by greenery, they are surely just what many a traveller will be looking for in a post-pandemic world.
As a resident of Malaysia, I was able to visit Langkawi in late 2020 during a window between lockdowns, when domestic travel was considered safe.
While the havoc caused by the pandemic was clear to see, so was the island’s enduring tropical beauty.
The hotel I stayed at, on the southeast coast outside the capital, Kuah, was all you’d expect of a tropical resort. It had spacious grounds and a private beach, with hills on three sides covered in dense forest. Its restaurants were excellent.
The hotel restaurant and a bar on stilts. Image: © Alan Williams
On my first evening there, my large balcony provided a wonderful view of sunset over the smaller islands nearby. The cloud patterns shifted slowly and the vivid colours – reds, oranges and purples – changed subtly as dark set in. It was a reminder of the wonders of nature in far-off places and of how much I’d missed travel.
Langkawi offers a choice of many such top-end hotels. Here’s a look at some of them. Here’s another list.
Natural Attractions
It was only in the mid-1980s that Langkawi was developed as a tourist destination and much of its natural beauty remains unspoiled. In 2007, it was awarded UNESCO Global Geopark status for the range of its natural diversity.
The large Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park on the island’s northwest and even larger Kilim Karst Geoforest Park in the northeast contain plenty of interest for visitors in search of nature, from mountains and mangrove swamps to monkeys and monitor lizards.
Tropical greenery on the hillsides near the coast. Image: © Alan Williams
Many hiking trails are available, some difficult, some easy. Do bear in mind that Langkawi is always hot and sticky, so take plenty of water.
You can explore the mangroves by motorboat. And several impressive waterfalls can be reached by road. Seven Wells Waterfalls is probably the best known.
Cable Car and Sky Bridge
The Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park also contains two of Langkawi’s best human-made attractions: a cable car and a sky bridge.
The two are interconnected. The Langkawi Cable Car takes you to the top of Machinchang mountain, more than 700 metres above sea level. The Langkawi Sky Bridge is located here. From the top cable car station, an inclined lift – a sort of funicular railway - takes you down to the start of the bridge.
The Langkawi Sky Bridge and surrounding mountains. Image: © Sinseeho
No steep climbing is involved in the outing and most older visitors will find the two attractions easy enough to tackle. Again, though, remember how hot it can get.
Both are genuinely exciting. The cable car offers wonderful views of Langkawi and surrounding islands. And the 125-metre Sky Bridge, a curved suspension bridge, hangs about 100 metres above the ground in places and provides a thrilling walk. It can be challenging for anyone with a fear of heights.
Perdana Quay
At the southern edge of Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park is Perdana Quay, a popular eating spot. You can also charter yachts here for trips around the islands.
The quay is lined with posh shops, restaurants and bars. It overlooks a marina where many boats are moored.
A deserted Perdana Quay during Covid times. Image: © Alan Williams
When I visited it in September 2020 in search of a lunch spot, all the restaurants and shops were closed and the yachts were mothballed. Hardly anyone was about. I longed for a bit of pre-pandemic bustle. I had to go elsewhere on the island to eat.
The Popular Beach Strips
Pantai Cenang is the busiest beach strip in Langkawi. It lies on the southwest coast of the island, near the airport. It’s popular with backpackers, families and older visitors alike.
The accommodation ranges from upmarket hotels to guesthouses and homestays. The main road is lined with places to eat, drink and shop. In normal times, it has a constant buzz.
Deserted private beaches were all over the island. Image: © Alan Williams
When I saw it, the place was taking a hammering from the coronavirus. It was largely deserted and felt lifeless and sad. My Grab driver assured me it was livelier in the evenings and I hoped he was right.
I wondered how many jobs had been lost in Langkawi since the lockdown started in March 2020. In normal times, close to 70 percent of people living on the island are said to depend on tourist-related jobs for their livelihood.
Another empty beach on Langkawi island. Image: © Alan Williams
Just south of Pantai Cenang is another popular beach resort, Pantai Tengah. It claims to have the longest beach on the island, and its resort hotels are popular with young families.
Both resorts offer a range of water sports including diving, banana boating, parasailing and jet-skiing.
The Capital, Kuah
Langkawi’s capital and largest town, Kuah, lies in the southeast corner of the island. It probably won’t be high on the list of visitors seeking an escape from urban life. But it’s an attractive, medium-sized town set amid tropical greenery.
Some of the older buildings, including traditional shophouses, look as if they pre-date Langkawi’s development as a major tourist destination in the 1980s.
An aerial view of Kuah’s Eagle Square and harbour. Image: © Toshio Chan
The town’s best-known attraction is Eagle Square, which features a large sculpture of an eagle with its wings outstretched as if about to take flight.
Langkawi is a duty-free zone and Kuah offers some of the best duty-free shopping on the island, along with Pantai Cenang.
How to get there
Most international travellers arrive by air. Before the pandemic, several airlines offered direct flights to Langkawi. Ferries normally operate to and from Penang and several other Malaysian towns, although these too have been affected by Covid. The ferry terminal is in Kuah, near Eagle Square. You can’t reach Langkawi by road as there’s no bridge linking it to the mainland.
Once on the island, you can rent a car or get around by taxi or Grab car.
When to go
Like Malaysia in general, Langkawi is hot and humid. But it’s worth visiting at any time of year. Even during the wettest months you’re likely to get up to 12 hours of sunshine a day.
The dry season lasts from November to March. This is when the island is busiest. On most days the sunshine lasts well into the late afternoon. February and March are the hottest months, with temperatures reaching an average high of 35°C.
Malaysian-style dessert at a resort hotel. Image: © Alan Williams
It’s wetter during the mid-season from April to August, with rain often falling in late afternoon or evening. The island remains popular but is less crowded and hotels often offer discounts.
The main rainy season is September to October. Some travellers avoid this time of year, but others love it. Langkawi is at its least crowded. And there’s something special about relaxing in your hotel late in the day and listening to the rain beating down on the forests.
Header image: © Alan Williams
