An island where jungle, beaches, street food, and adventure effortlessly come together
Langkawi is one of those islands you arrive at without many expectations—only to be completely surprised. You can relax on white, tropical beaches, but there’s also plenty to do. From one of the steepest cable cars in the world to stunning waterfalls, and from cozy cafés to some of the best food at local night markets. Jungle, beaches, wildlife, and street food all come together here. Curious about what to do in Langkawi, Malaysia? Keep reading.
SkyBridge & Cable Car Langkawi
Temurun Waterfall
Looking for Waterfalls in Langkawi
Jetski Tour Around Langkawi
Beaches & Beach Clubs
Wildlife and nature
Our favorite hotels in Langkawi
Langkawi Night Markets
Splash Out Langkawi
How to Get to Langkawi
Our Favorite Restaurants in Langkawi
Gym in Langkawi
SkyBridge & Cable Car Langkawi
We start with Langkawi’s most iconic attraction: the SkyBridge and Cable Car. The ride up alone is already an experience. You glide over rainforest, steep cliffs, and bright turquoise water in one of the steepest cable cars in the world. Not ideal if you’re afraid of heights—but absolutely worth it.
At the top, you’ll find the famous SkyBridge: a curved suspension bridge measuring 125 meters long, suspended about 660 meters above sea level between two mountain peaks. From here, you’ll have panoramic views over the island’s mountains and jungle, as well as the open sea. On clear days, you can even spot Thailand in the distance.
FactAt the entrance of the cable car, entire families of dusky leaf monkeys roam freely around the area.
TipVisit early in the morning or later in the afternoon for fewer crowds and the best light.
At the base of the cable car, you’ll find several small buildings with restaurants and shops where you can grab food and drinks before heading up. At the top, there’s also a gift shop and places to buy snacks. Downstairs, there’s a large parking lot where you can park your car or scooter.
PriceCombo tickets for the Cable Car and SkyBridge start from around €9. Prices vary depending on options like the express lane or gondola type. You can easily book your tickets and time slot here in advance.
Temurun Waterfall
Temurun Waterfall is often considered the most beautiful waterfall in Langkawi—and for good reason. This waterfall, around 200 meters high, is hidden deep in the island’s jungle, so you’ll need to drive there by scooter or car.
From the parking area, it’s a short and scenic walk along a green path to the waterfall. At the bottom, you’ll find natural pools where you can cool off. On weekends, many locals come here to relax, swim, and have lunch.
Tip: Visit early in the morning, especially on weekends. Bring swimwear and water shoes if you want to take a refreshing dip.
Keep an eye on your snacks—the macaques here are anything but shy. Don’t bring too much food and never leave anything loose in your scooter unless it’s securely closed.
Update: According to Google Maps, this waterfall has been permanently closed since November 2025, but you can still visit it. There is no supervision, and the path and surroundings are no longer maintained.
Looking for Waterfalls in Langkawi
Can’t get enough of waterfalls? Then Langkawi is the place to be. The island is home to several beautiful waterfalls worth visiting.
Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh)
Located along the route to the Langkawi Cable Car, this waterfall consists of seven natural pools fed by cascading waterfalls. The start of the hike is hard to find on Google Maps, but it’s located right next to the cable car. The hike is quite challenging, with around 2,000 steps. Expect about an hour of climbing to reach the top.
Durian Waterfall
Located more centrally on the island, Durian Waterfall is smaller compared to the others but easy to reach and perfect for families with children.
Jetski Tour Around Langkawi
Without a doubt one of our absolute highlights in Langkawi: a jetski tour around the island. Pure freedom, speed, and nature all in one.
During the tour, you’ll ride past impressive islands and discover places you wouldn’t see otherwise:
- Limestone Cliffs: Cruise along stunning limestone cliffs of nearby islands.
- Singa Besar Island: Watch sea eagles soaring above your head—sometimes the guide even feeds them.
- Maiden Lake (Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park): A small island with a massive freshwater lake in the center. You’ll stop here to explore and swim, and optionally kayak across the lake.
- Beras Basah Island: White sand, calm and crystal-clear water—the perfect tropical island vibe to end the day before heading back to Langkawi.
Price: Expect to pay around 650 MYR (~€140) per jetski. And yes—we thought it was worth every ringgit. You can find all jetski tour options in Langkawi here .
NB: Swimming is not allowed everywhere during the tour. Marlo accidentally knocked us off the jetski at a spot where barracudas were present… Cue a small panic attack when the guide told us swimming there was not allowed due to “very dangerous fish.”
Beaches & Beach Clubs
As a tropical island, Langkawi is surrounded by stunning beaches. From quiet, natural beaches to lively spots where people gather for sunset.
Our favorites:
- Tanjung Rhu Beach: The most beautiful beach on the island with white sand and turquoise water.
- Black Beach: A unique beach with volcanic sand—interesting to see.
- Kok Beach: A small but long beach on the west coast of the island.
- Cenang Beach: Perfect for beach clubs, cocktails, sunsets, and fire shows.
Wildlife and nature
Langkawi surprised us most when it comes to nature and wildlife. We weren’t actively looking for it, yet we encountered animals everywhere. From dusky leaf monkeys and cheeky macaques to snakes, monitor lizards, and even eagles. Surprisingly, we saw more wildlife here than in Taman Negara.
Exploring Langkawi by scooter really shows how green the island is. Drive through nature areas, leave the main roads, and take small side paths—especially toward the center and west side of the island. Stopping occasionally, looking around, or doing a short hike increases your chances of spotting wildlife up close.
Langkawi is so much more than just beaches. For such a compact island, it’s filled with jungle, rice fields, and quiet backroads where local life unfolds. Driving around without a plan often leads to the most beautiful discoveries.
Want to see the island from a different perspective? A mangrove tour is a great addition. Slowly cruising through narrow rivers shows just how diverse Langkawi really is.
Langkawi Night Markets
For the best food on the island, head to the night markets . They move to a different location every evening, but we tried to visit them almost every night. Think fresh juices, grilled meats, local snacks—all for just a few ringgit. Our favorite: mini coconut pancakes with Nutella.
Not every night market has the same stalls. Some popular ones include:
- Kuah Night Market (Apohlembang): Typically Malaysian
- Ayer Hangat Night Market: A mix of Thai, traditional, and local flavors
Tip: Search for “night market Langkawi” on Google Maps to see all locations and which day they take place.
Splash Out Langkawi
Looking for some cooling off and fun? Langkawi also has a water park. At Splash Out Langkawi , you’ll find water slides, pools, and a lazy river. Fun for families with kids, but also great for couples or groups of friends.
Price: Tickets cost around €10 per person. You can book a ticket here online in advance.
How to Get to Langkawi
Since Langkawi sits on the border between Thailand and Malaysia, you can reach the island by boat from either country.
Travelling from Penang to Langkawi is straightforward: take the ferry from Penang island to Butterworth (0.25 MYR), then a bus to either Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis. From Kuala Perlis, the ferry takes about an hour (±34 MYR p.p.). From Kuala Kedah it's a 1.5 to 2 hour crossing (±34 MYR p.p.). You can easily book ferry tickets online at cuticutilangkawi.com..
Once on the island, you can get around by Grab or by renting a scooter or car. Exploring by scooter is cheaper than using Grab, but unlike many other countries in Asia, you do need a valid driving licence.
Haven't been to Penang yet? It's well worth a stop along the way. Check out our tips on what to do in Penang: from street food to sights.
Our Favorite Restaurants in Langkawi
- Old Town White Coffee: Great coffee and air conditioning.
- Food trucks bij Pantai Cenang: Delicious local food.
- Kalut Beach Bar n Cafe: Drinks and bites right on the beach.
- Indiana cafe & dorm: Excellent breakfasts and coffee.
- Desserts Adventure by Happy museum: Great desserts combined with a fun neon-light museum.
And of course—the night markets remain our number one.
Gym in Langkawi
For fitness lovers, Langkawi is a great destination too. Langkawi Gym & Fitness is a solid gym where you can work out for just RM5 per session—perfect during a longer trip. RM5 per keer kunt trainen. Ideaal tijdens een langere reis.
Not done with Malaysia after Langkawi yet? Cameron Highlands is the perfect next stop: tea fields, hikes and a surprisingly cool climate.
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About us
Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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About us
Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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