Malaysia Weekend Getaway on Langkawi Island

Langkawi Island is a perfect weekend getaway during your travels in Malaysia! I visited Langkawi on a long weekend while staying several weeks in Kuala Lumpur, and it was an excellent place to recharge and get some much needed Vitamin Sea.

Langkawi is one of the easiest islands in the area to get to, which was my primary reason for choosing it. There’s a small airport on the island with regular, inexpensive flights from Kuala Lumpur. On the island, Grab (Uber of Southeast Asia) is also easily available to get around. There is a huge variety of accommodations from hostels to five star resorts, so there truly is something for everyone.

I chose to stay at the Aloft (got to get those points), a new hotel just across the street from the quiet Pentah Tengah beach. If you’re looking for more nightlife or lively activity, I’d recommend staying in Cenang beach. The Aloft was the perfect home base, with beautiful balconies looking out over the ocean, and tons of nature right out the back.

There are a lot of activities to do on the island, and two days was not enough to accomplish them all! One of my highlights was just hanging out and sitting on the beach, enjoying the ocean which was warm but still refreshing, and soaking up the sun! Be careful when swimming and stay in the netted areas if available as there were some jellies on the shore!

Another highlight was the cable car and suspended bridge! The Cable Car is the steepest in the world, and the bridge has been voted the most spectacular pedestrian bridge in the world. This is not for those who don’t like heights, but definitely worth it if you don’t mind them! It gets super crowded – it was worth it to me to pay for the fast pass to cut the lines and keep my day moving!

I also ended up spending a lot of time at the hotel next door, the Ambong Ambong. Here they partner with Langkawi Yoga for retreats and also just regular classes! This is hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever practiced with monkeys and birds roaming around and the sound of nature and smell of the ocean, it was magical. Dorothy was a lovely instructor as well; reach out in advance to find out what their schedule is! Ambong Ambong also has a lovely spa where I got a great massage, and a Japanese restaurant called Unkaizan! Unkaizan was voted one of the best restaurants in Malaysia, and I understood why after a meal here. I ate more sushi than I can handle, and the fish was of an incredibly high quality. The staff here too were so friendly and welcoming! After a few days alone on the island, I appreciated their energy.

Langkawi is home to a huge population of eagles! Check out the giant sculpture in Eagle Square, and you’ll see them flying high throughout your time here. There are also tours to the nearby islands that may include viewings of the eagles feeding, however I ran out of time to go on one of these adventures!

I really used my time on Langkawi to recharge and relax. I had great weather, great food, and met incredibly kind people. It’s so easy to access and get around on the island, I would add it to the must do list for a visit in Malaysia!

---