Langkawi is open, baby!

Pardon me, I got too excited there. It’s been almost two years since we got to see the light of...well, we get to see other states, really. Now that Langkawi is open again, and soon more will start reopening, let’s pack our bags and fly to Langkawi!

Langkawi is a district and an archipelago that consists of 99 islands in total found within the Malacca Strait, being part of the state of Kedah. Known officially as Langkawi, the jewel of Kedah, it is located 30 kilometres away from the coast of Peninsular Malaysia. With a total landmass of 47,848 hectares, the coastal areas of the main island are flat, alluvial plains. Yet, forestry, hills, mountains and vegetation would cover the landscape two-thirds of the island.

When then-Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad put on a concentrated effort to transform the island into a major tourism attraction, Langkawi has since then thrived as one of the main tourism destinations in Malaysia. The island already has mesmerising nature and beautiful beaches to boot and now with renowned hospitality and welcomes domestic and international tourists alike.

While the few means of accessing Langkawi is either by air or sea, for domestic travellers, it is in fact pretty easier as you have the options to travel via car if you can drive on your own to the jetties where the ferry services are provided, in addition to the bus services and flight.

There are two main jetties providing access to Langkawi, namely the Kuala Kedah jetty in the state of Kedah and the Kuala Perlis jetty in the state of Perlis.

A one-way ticket to the island typically costs about MYR 23 for adults and MYR 17 for children aged between 3 to 12 years old if you are coming from Kuala Kedah. You will have to purchase a return ticket separately.

On the other hand, ticket fares to the island from Kuala Perlis will cost about MYR18 for adults and MYR13 for children, whereas return tickets will cost twice that. You will be able to find updated information on their official websites as well. Note that you must adhere to the operating hours if you plan to buy the tickets at the counter.

This does not mean it is any harder for you if you are an international traveller coming in because direct flights can access Langkawi either to the airport or at least one stop at the international airports in Kuala Lumpur. Nevertheless, it would be best if you always kept in mind to be careful during the COVID-19 pandemic, as there could be travel restrictions being imposed and specific guidelines to adhere to, which can change from time to time.

There is only one main airport in Langkawi: Langkawi International Airport. If you are travelling from an international country to Malaysia, the best destination airport would be Langkawi International Airport, depending on your place of origin. Still, you may find some flights to transit in Kuala Lumpur International Airport first or purchase local flights from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi instead.

Among the handful of airlines operating at this airport include AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Air India Express, Austrian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Philippine Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Jetstar, and many more.

Given the sizable area of the state, undoubtedly, there are many things to explore in the state of Langkawi either as a solo traveller, a family, or a dynamic duo. Here are short recommendations of places you can visit in Langkawi Darul Aman and what you can do there.

Located within the vicinity of Cenang Beach, which is easily accessible if you are staying at a nearby hotel, Underwater World Langkawi is a vast aquarium that spans about six acres. An attraction that has been in operation since 1995, the aquarium is, in fact, one of the biggest in the country with numerous exhibits of 4,000 different aquatic species with 200 species of freshwater fish and marine life being housed here, including the Amazonian Araipama, the biggest freshwater fish in the world as well as rockhopper penguins.

Upon entering, visitors shall find that the place is divided into three separate sections – Tropical Rainforest, Temperate and Sub-Artantic. There is also an Educational Research Centre, cafeteria and three-dimensional theatre – the staple show is about a little prehistoric fish and its life before turning into a fossil.

Underwater World Langkawi is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, however during public and school holidays, it is open earlier from 9:30 AM. The basic rates for tickets can be seen as below (as of October 19th):

Admission:

Eagle Square is one of the most iconic places in Langkawi that you certainly want to cross off your to-do list when you reach Langkawi, especially if you are on the island for the first time. Then again, it is not the most hidden attraction ever, yet it is still the boldest attraction they ever want.

The most famous landmark here is undoubtedly the massive eagle sculpture that is the most obvious attraction you can see upon reaching this particular square. The statue is built as a celebration of the reddish-brown eagle commonly found in Langkawi. It is said to be part of why Langkawi gets its name.

It is open to the public daily and is easily reachable from when you reach the Kuah jetty. The statue is the biggest one on this island, with a height of 12 meters high.

Mahsuri’s Tomb is the crypt of the legendary Princess Mahsuri. Located in the village of Mawat, 12 kilometres away from the town of Kuah, it is also known as Makam Mahsuri in the Malay language, the word “makam” meaning tomb. The tomb is open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM.

In a sense, it has become thematic for most of the island’s natural attractions to have fables attached in true Malay style, and Mahsuri’s Tomb is probably its most famous legend.

The story begins with the beautiful Mahsuri, a maiden born over 200 years ago, who married the love of her life during a time of conflict with the Siamese. Her husband went off to fight in the war. Her mother-in-law, jealous of her beauty, vengefully accused Mahsuri of adultery.

As a sign of her innocence, the land was cursed for seven generations. Let's not accuse anyone of anything without proof, shall we? We already got a pandemic to deal with.

It is common to make plans when travelling as planning helps ensure that your travel is smooth sailing and does not go off the rails. However, you should take extra steps when it comes to planning to travel in the pandemic era. Some places may not open just like they were before COVID-19.

They may either close shops or even change their way of serving the customers. Be patient when things do not go as you expect. Be creative and open to doing other things that may become available to you when you travel while still keeping it within limits. This way, you can still have an enjoyable holiday regardless.

While you should not bring all the money with you to avoid getting mugged in the middle of your trip, it does not mean you do not need to keep extra money on standby for surprise plans or activities or unexpected situations like breakdowns or having to pay extra for food.

While it is equally important to have some extra cash with you, many places accept payments with cards and electronic wallets to maintain social distance. There are even more options than ever to stash away money at hand if you do not feel like bringing too much cash.

Many places that are famed as tourist destinations are well-developed to cater to travellers outside the state. Undeniably while it is nice to splurge on some niceties, you should try to experience the place similarly as a local would.

This will come in handy when you are travelling to a rural place far from the city or in places where English is not their first, second, or only language at all. Being able to experience the everyday lives of the locals, their food, their language, and their way of living may give you a different perspective on things and allow you to blend better with them.

Having brought fewer things when travelling is always a good idea. It would spare you the lesser hassle of having to account for a long list of items, opening up options to shop to support the local economy, buying souvenirs if you want to and even reducing your carbon footprint as you move.

These days, many things can be done conveniently with your smartphone and with a simple touch of an app, reducing the need to have paper tickets and proof of purchase, among others. Yet you still need to be prepared just in case your phone battery dies or in circumstances like having stomachs from the food you are not used to.

As such, a power bank, extra wires and cables and even medications could also be really useful to be a must-have when travelling. Masks and hand sanitisers are also equally crucial during this pandemic era to keep yourself sanitised and protected most of the time.

This one goes without saying, as travel insurance is beneficial to cover you up for when things go wrong during your travels, for instance, loss of personal belongings and baggage. While it could also be considered part of being prepared during travels, it is so important that it deserves a different point on its own.

With travel insurance, you can travel with less worry as the insurance would be your leverage. Traveloka provides travel insurance from Chubbs for convenience, so you can easily sign up for one when planning for travels with Traveloka.

Things have really improved ever since the COVID-19 has hit the country and the movement control order is put into place, with vaccination rates going well and more and more people are getting vaccinated. While it is now much safer to go around, we should remember that the virus is still around and can still infect groups with high health risks.

As such, it is always a wise move to continue practising 3Ws (Wear, Wash, Warn) and avoiding the 3Cs (Crowded Places, Confined Places, Close Conversations) concept. A high level of hygiene and social distancing must be observed at your best in all situations. Ensure that while we are in the midst of having fun, everyone around us remains safe as well.

There is no need to quarantine after coming from Langkawi as we are travelling locally within the country. However, you do need to conduct a COVID-19 test using the COVID-19 self-test kit before and after travelling.

Before travel, if you have done the test and the results are positive, you need to adjust your travel plans to accommodate ten days of quarantine and the subsequent testing to see if you are still infected.

If you are tested positive after travelling to Langkawi, similarly, you need to self-quarantine at home for ten days. After ten days, you need to get tested again to see if you have recovered. Find out more on travel requirements to Langkawi before you set on your journey.

That is all folks! Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get more fun news on travel! Stay safe and cheers to more holidays in the future!