Hallo hallo hallo!

I’ve barely dusted off from Langkawi and already am already typing as fast as I can before all the memories of Langkawi become a distant blurred picture. Yep, my luggage is literally still on the floor of my living room as I blog this.

So, a short recap, I was in Langkawi for a whole week. With my busy work and family schedule and having just moved to a new house, one week was a real luxury! So the question is, was it all worth it? Well, yes and no. One week is a little too long for this small island, but it was super relaxing to explore the area in our own time. There was no rush. However, to be realistic and practical, I have planned an itinerary of 4 days 3 nights which will work for most people!

(Pic above: Hauntingly beautiful Tanjong Rhu beach taken at pre-dawn.)

Langkawi 4 Days 3 Nights Itinerary

Things to note:

Mosquitoes (plenty and abundant), so bring repellents. I’m not paid to do this but Badger Anti-Bug Balm works wonders!

Weather, tropical style. Don’t be surprised if it is sunny for a moment and raining cats and dogs for 15 mins and sunny again. Bring an umbrella or poncho, but if you’re caught out, just give it time and the weather will change as quickly as 30 minutes. (Unless it is monsoon season, then it will just be rain, rain, and more rain.) I went in July and the weather was quite cooperative.

Day 1

• Get your rental car
• Lunch at Laksa Kaw Ikan Sekoq aka Laksa Power Airport
• Check into hotel
• Walk down Chenang beach

Renting a car is optional but provides so much more convenience and freedom that I highly recommend it. Some hotels offer shuttles to popular tourists areas and taxis/ubers/grabs aren’t that expensive but I like getting around in a car.

When you do rent a car, they will send someone to the airport at the appointed time. Picking up the car is really easy. Langkawi doesn’t have many roads or cars so driving around is actually very relaxing.

For the first day, you would likely reach Langkawi in the afternoon so it’s a great time to grab a bite at Laksa Power which is right by the stretch of beach by the airport. Do get the laksa (of course), and the rojak buah and the chendol. In fact, just get everything else on the menu. It isn’t expensive and the portion is quite small so don’t worry about being too full! Plus, you might want to spend as much time as you can with that million-dollar view in front of you. By the way, that’s the Pantai Tengah Beach.

Address: Jalan Kuala Muda, 07100 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

After the fantastic meal, waste no time and check into your hotel so you can finally get rid of your baggage.

Any hotel near the Chenang area would be great!

Take a walk down the Chenang area. It’s great for the holiday vibes, and littered with shops and minimarts which is great shopping for items you may have forgotten to pack or simply need.

Day 2

• Rice Museum & Laman Padi
• Shopping at Langkawi Handicrafts Center
• Beach hopping
• Dinner at the Pasar Malam

Before you leave the hotel, check with them where the nightly pasar malam is held.

Laman Padi is a place with padi fields and museum that you can explore for free, a restaurant and accomodation. The padi fields are quite beautiful but it does not seem to be a working farm. It looked like it was there as a tourist attraction. That said, because it is free, it is a nice place to just spend an hour or so. You will find real padi fields as you drive around Langkawi and they are absolutely gorgeous. Lunch is an option and the portion is gigantic.

Laman Padi Langkawi Address: Jalan Pantai Cenang, Pantai Cenang, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

There are lots to see at the Handicraft center and it is also a good way to spend an afternoon away from the heat of the day.

Kompleks Kraf Langkawi Address: Jalan Teluk Yu, Mukim Bohor, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

Langkawi are surrounded by beautiful gorgeous beaches and do make sure you visit at least a couple. You would have already been to Chenang and Pantai Tenang beach on day 1, so I would recommend Pasir Hitam aka Black Sand Beach as it is unique and Tanjong Rhu beach for sheer beauty.

Finally, at around 7pm (wait for the amazing sunsets at the beach) make your way to the pasar malam. The night market is an amazing place for good local food all in one small area. I have no special suggestions on what to get except for getting anything that catches your eye. It is bound to be delicious!

Day 3

• Spend your day at Panorama Langkawi.
• Hike to Seven Wells Waterfall.
• Drive up to Gunung Raya
• Dinner and sunset at Seafood Anis

I recommend starting off pretty early for this one. Panorama Langkawi is tourist attractions central of Langkawi. If you go to their website, it is rather confusing and I didn’t think I would spend more than a couple of hours here but I ended up spending 5 hours there simply because there is so much to see and you’ll definitely have lots of instagrammable moments up here. First there is the very steep cable car aka SkyCab. Then you can either hike or take the SkyGlide (just take it cos the hike is really REALLY tiring) to the suspended SkyBridge. After you are done with being up there, your ticket also includes entrance to SkyRex and SkyDome and the 3D Art Langkawi which are all pretty fun. The 3D Art Museum is one of the best I’d been to so far. When you’re hungry, delicious food can be had at Oriental Village.

Next, Seven Wells Waterfall is just a short drive away. The hike is also pretty easy. Hope you brought your swimming stuffs cos the water is great! I only had the chance to get my toes wet but it was nice anyway.

Our next destination is somewhat unique. Gunung Raya is the actual highest peak in Langkawi and the best way to get up there is by car. There used to be a viewing tower but it is under construction. There are some great lookout points along the way so you do not really need it. Another special reason for getting up here is to spot some Great Hornbills. I saw TWO of these amazing enigmatic birds on the drive up but the moment we stopped the car, they flew off before we could take a photo. It was really sad but hope you have better luck than I did!

For dinner, I highly recommend Restoran Seafood Anis at Tanjong Rhu Beach. All the food at Chenang and other touristy areas are what they are, very touristy. However Restoran Seafood Anis is absolutely a gem and a hidden find for us. I’m not sure about their closing hours but do order the Ikan Bakar at around 6pm and they were still open. I discovered this restaurant only on the last night we were there, and if we found out about it earlier, we would have gone EVERYDAY. That’s how fresh and fantastic their food is and there’s an equally delicious view to boot. It is affordable and authentic in the whole of Langkawi. Sorry if I got the address wrong but it is easy to find. It’s nestled within the area where you book all the mangrove tours on Tanjong Rhu Beach.

Address: Mukim Ayer Hangat, 07000, Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia, 07000 Langkawi, Malaysia

Day 4

• Mangrove Tour from Tanjung Rhu jetty
• Selfie at Eagle Square (Dataran Lang)
• Shopping in Kuah

If you are taking AirAsia, well then this is your final day and your flight out of town is really early. If you have just one more day to spend, then do spend the morning and early afternoon on a Mangrove Tour. Due to the weather, I was unable to go on the tour but I have read great reviews about it!

Then if there is still time before your flight, you can go down to Eagle Square and take a photo of the iconic huge eagle on a rock statue, shop at the Jetty Point Mall and other malls like Langkawi Fair in Kuah then get ready for home.

For more shopping tips, scroll down!

A Quick Rundown on Langkawi Hotels

I stayed at a few hotels over my week’s stay and Resorts World Langkawi is a great value for money but have run down rooms or try Tropical Resort if you desperately must have a private beach on a small budget. For the people who are more willing to splurge, I would recommend Tanjung Rhu Resort.

Resorts World Langkawi Review

Pros: Nice large rooms, rather nice resort-style surroundings with lovely pools (especially the infinity pool!). Wonderful breakfast.

Cons: Room is very tired and furniture is old. Bathroom is dingy and shower is barely working. Towels are pretty gross as they are very very old. Tiny sink. Not even a bathroom rug!

Tropical Resort Review

Pros: Bathroom is nice and large and you can get really squeaky clean. Extra towels are provided for the beach, which is rather private and just a short walk away. Conveniently located at the Chenang tourist area so it is pretty close to food, pubs, attractions and shopping.

Cons: Room is very basic and small, but you are not going to stay indoors too much anyway. However there are tons of mosquitoes once you step out so we had to run to the beach to get away. Breakfast is terrible, so just spend a little elsewhere and skip it completely.

Tanjung Rhu Resort Review

Pros: I have not stayed in such a luxurious hotel in a long time. The room was large and spacious, the bathroom was jawdropping and everything was a little too large in real life. The bed was sooo comfortable you really would want to just spend a whole day in it but can’t because the beach is calling! Tanjung Rhu beach is the most beautiful beach with the most fantastic sunsets and sunrise. Breakfast and dining there is, of course, top-notch. And then there are the resort activities which can keep you and your family occupied the whole day! We also went for the spa which hits the spot after a long week in Langkawi.

Cons: Cost. But still more affordable that Four Seasons next door!

Shopping in Langkawi

A common question that we all ask is what can we bring back from Langkawi as a souvenir? I would say, absolutely nothing. Langkawi doesn’t produce anything other than tourism and beaches and you can’t bring those back.

If you really want something Malaysian, then do go to the Handicraft Center (Day 2) and get something handmade and locally malay. You also can get more commercial mass market products like shoes, clothes and toys from the Langkawi Fair Kuah town (Day 4).

Hope you enjoyed my trip to Langkawi as I did!