One of the things I love about Malaysia is the number of holidays they have. With the coronation of the new king, plus Labor Day and Wesak Day, this allowed hubby to have some vacation days so we jet-set off to the famed Langkawi for a long weekend. We stayed at Langkawi from April 28 to May 1, 2007.
When I compared prices for our flights to Langkawi, I was surprised to find out that Malaysian Airlines had good rates compared to Air Asia. What's even better is that MAS provided instant confirmation (meaning their website was working better than AirAsia when I was trying to book) so we took MAS to Langakawi. There were no problems encountered in our flight going and coming back. (For 2 pax, our flight KL-Langkawi-KL was RM1,100 in total).
Planning ahead always has its benefits. I did my Langkawi research at the start of April, and was able to compare prices, read reviews & the must-do things in the island. I booked our stay at Pelangi Beach Resort and Spa through langkawi-resorts.com (they use Asia Web Direct to secure the booking). In the past, I usually use AsiaRooms.com for all my hotel bookings, but when I compared prices, I got a better deal at the site I used (which included free breakfast).
When we arrived at the hotel and saw our room, we were quite happy with the choice we made. I know there are many hotels, ranging from RM200/night up to RM1,700/night. We spent roughly RM1,870.00 for 3 nights stay with breakfast. Not cheap, yet not overly expensive. If only we had more time, we would have loved to stay longer. After our 4-days trip in Langkawi, we realized it is definitely not enough to see the beautiful sites of the island.
To find out "what-to-do" when we get to the island, I browsed through a number of sites. One can easily find different sites offering tours, activities, cruise, and more. I tried checking the prices, comparing and trying to book online ... but my tip to those out there : NO NEED to rush into booking and paying ahead unless you are going during the peak season. When you arrive at the Langkawi Airport, there are many, many tour operators who can offer services -- and all at the same price! The beauty of Langkawi is there controlled tourism. I think foreigners will appreciate the fact that all taxi fares are standard (meaning taxi fare from airport to Pelangi is RM16- whichever cab you take). No cabbie will try to con you out of paying more. Also, the tour operators offer almost the same prices, so you can actually just choose the best one who can give good service.
One of the best part of our trip was due to the research I made on the internet... we took a day cruise via the Stardust yacht. The cost is roughly RM300 per person, and it was definitely worth every ringgit! Lunch and all-day drinks were included in the fee, so we were not short of water, wine, Coke and beer. They only take a max of 20 person on board. That day, we were only 13 people, coming from different countries. It was nice meeting those nice people and spending the day together. There was a European family who lived in Egypt but moved to KL recently. An elderly German couple from Northern Europe. 2 girls from Germany but they are living in Singapore now. Hmm, now that I think of it, I was the only Chinese on board! We also had 2 Malaysians : the captain and his side-kick called "Jack Sparrow". They surely provided great service all day. I would recommend this day trip as part of one's Langkawi getaway.
On the last day of our stay, we checked out from the hotel and left our bags with the concierge. We took a cab to the Cable Car (RM22- from Pelangi to Cable Car). The view was breathtaking. It is a MUST SEE MUST GO to place!!! They charge Rm25- per adult and it was super worth it! I cannot believe they built such a high cable car, and with a beautiful hanging bridge at the top. You can see a great view of the island and it will definitely take your breath away. We almost forgot about that cable car activity because we enjoyed the beach, thr cruise and hanging around the hotel... but please, take time to go to that cable car bec it is worth your time!
Well, actually we almost forgot about it only because we didn't have enough time. Like I mentioned, 4 days is not enough. We actually took an afternoon off to visit a friend who was staying at Four Seasons hotel. Oh my, if I thought our Pelangi accomodation was "nice and great", the rooms and facilities of Four Seasons truly deserve a "WOW! OH MY GOD!" For couples or families whose purpose of going to Langkawi is to have peace and quiet, not going anywhere else (not even the cable car nor cruise), then it's worth it to stay at the Four Seasons. You get to maximize your stay for the beauty you pay for. But for others who want to roam around Langkawi and check out the activities the island can offer, well, maybe it's better to save those Ringgits and just stay in a less extravagant hotel.
Food is not a problem. Depending on where you go, it can be pricey! We experimented with different restaurants. One common thing about all of them -- they have great fresh juices! Me and hubby enjoyed fresh apple, pineapple, and honeydew for all 4 days! A quick run-down of some the restaurants we triedR:
1. Coco beach restaurant - the first meal we took after landing in the island. This is a very pricey place, yet the ambience is not all that great. They boast of their beautiful sunset (which we didn't get to see) but overall, I the food didn't strike us as "great or yummy". So maybe you guys can skip this place. We spent almost RM180-- (or more if I'm not mistaken) because of the seafood we ordered.
2. Rasa Restaurant - a short walk from our hotel and we stumbled upon this local restaurant which had a lot of customers. Sadly, we discovered this place only on our last dinner. I would highly recommend to people. Cheap food, great taste, good juices, friendly waiters. I cannot remember the exact price but we paid below RM60- and we were very, very surprised. Our typical meal in Langkawi always averaged from RM100-Rm190 per meal for 2 persons, so we were pleasantly surprised to see our bill!
3. Beach Garden Restaurant - walking distance from Pelangi, take the beach route. As you walk on the beach at night, you will discover a lighted area with tables and chairs outdoor. Hubby had a nice kebab meal for RM55- and it was a huge platter. Luckily I just ordered soup that evening because I wasn't hungry, so I helped him finish the food. I would say this is a good place which you can check out.
4. There was a local restaurant at the Cable Car place which boasted they had the best chicken curry in town. I think it was called Rasa also, but it's not the same as the one I mentioned earlier. The serving was small. The roti was ugly. I would recommend you to pass and just find another restaurant to go to if you are in the cable car area!
Overall, it was a super, super holiday. 4 days of beautiful island fun. I am sure we will head back to Langkawi one day. I never thought that island would hold such many surprises!
When I compared prices for our flights to Langkawi, I was surprised to find out that Malaysian Airlines had good rates compared to Air Asia. What's even better is that MAS provided instant confirmation (meaning their website was working better than AirAsia when I was trying to book) so we took MAS to Langakawi. There were no problems encountered in our flight going and coming back. (For 2 pax, our flight KL-Langkawi-KL was RM1,100 in total).
Planning ahead always has its benefits. I did my Langkawi research at the start of April, and was able to compare prices, read reviews & the must-do things in the island. I booked our stay at Pelangi Beach Resort and Spa through langkawi-resorts.com (they use Asia Web Direct to secure the booking). In the past, I usually use AsiaRooms.com for all my hotel bookings, but when I compared prices, I got a better deal at the site I used (which included free breakfast).
When we arrived at the hotel and saw our room, we were quite happy with the choice we made. I know there are many hotels, ranging from RM200/night up to RM1,700/night. We spent roughly RM1,870.00 for 3 nights stay with breakfast. Not cheap, yet not overly expensive. If only we had more time, we would have loved to stay longer. After our 4-days trip in Langkawi, we realized it is definitely not enough to see the beautiful sites of the island.
To find out "what-to-do" when we get to the island, I browsed through a number of sites. One can easily find different sites offering tours, activities, cruise, and more. I tried checking the prices, comparing and trying to book online ... but my tip to those out there : NO NEED to rush into booking and paying ahead unless you are going during the peak season. When you arrive at the Langkawi Airport, there are many, many tour operators who can offer services -- and all at the same price! The beauty of Langkawi is there controlled tourism. I think foreigners will appreciate the fact that all taxi fares are standard (meaning taxi fare from airport to Pelangi is RM16- whichever cab you take). No cabbie will try to con you out of paying more. Also, the tour operators offer almost the same prices, so you can actually just choose the best one who can give good service.
One of the best part of our trip was due to the research I made on the internet... we took a day cruise via the Stardust yacht. The cost is roughly RM300 per person, and it was definitely worth every ringgit! Lunch and all-day drinks were included in the fee, so we were not short of water, wine, Coke and beer. They only take a max of 20 person on board. That day, we were only 13 people, coming from different countries. It was nice meeting those nice people and spending the day together. There was a European family who lived in Egypt but moved to KL recently. An elderly German couple from Northern Europe. 2 girls from Germany but they are living in Singapore now. Hmm, now that I think of it, I was the only Chinese on board! We also had 2 Malaysians : the captain and his side-kick called "Jack Sparrow". They surely provided great service all day. I would recommend this day trip as part of one's Langkawi getaway.
On the last day of our stay, we checked out from the hotel and left our bags with the concierge. We took a cab to the Cable Car (RM22- from Pelangi to Cable Car). The view was breathtaking. It is a MUST SEE MUST GO to place!!! They charge Rm25- per adult and it was super worth it! I cannot believe they built such a high cable car, and with a beautiful hanging bridge at the top. You can see a great view of the island and it will definitely take your breath away. We almost forgot about that cable car activity because we enjoyed the beach, thr cruise and hanging around the hotel... but please, take time to go to that cable car bec it is worth your time!
Well, actually we almost forgot about it only because we didn't have enough time. Like I mentioned, 4 days is not enough. We actually took an afternoon off to visit a friend who was staying at Four Seasons hotel. Oh my, if I thought our Pelangi accomodation was "nice and great", the rooms and facilities of Four Seasons truly deserve a "WOW! OH MY GOD!" For couples or families whose purpose of going to Langkawi is to have peace and quiet, not going anywhere else (not even the cable car nor cruise), then it's worth it to stay at the Four Seasons. You get to maximize your stay for the beauty you pay for. But for others who want to roam around Langkawi and check out the activities the island can offer, well, maybe it's better to save those Ringgits and just stay in a less extravagant hotel.
Food is not a problem. Depending on where you go, it can be pricey! We experimented with different restaurants. One common thing about all of them -- they have great fresh juices! Me and hubby enjoyed fresh apple, pineapple, and honeydew for all 4 days! A quick run-down of some the restaurants we triedR:
1. Coco beach restaurant - the first meal we took after landing in the island. This is a very pricey place, yet the ambience is not all that great. They boast of their beautiful sunset (which we didn't get to see) but overall, I the food didn't strike us as "great or yummy". So maybe you guys can skip this place. We spent almost RM180-- (or more if I'm not mistaken) because of the seafood we ordered.
2. Rasa Restaurant - a short walk from our hotel and we stumbled upon this local restaurant which had a lot of customers. Sadly, we discovered this place only on our last dinner. I would highly recommend to people. Cheap food, great taste, good juices, friendly waiters. I cannot remember the exact price but we paid below RM60- and we were very, very surprised. Our typical meal in Langkawi always averaged from RM100-Rm190 per meal for 2 persons, so we were pleasantly surprised to see our bill!
3. Beach Garden Restaurant - walking distance from Pelangi, take the beach route. As you walk on the beach at night, you will discover a lighted area with tables and chairs outdoor. Hubby had a nice kebab meal for RM55- and it was a huge platter. Luckily I just ordered soup that evening because I wasn't hungry, so I helped him finish the food. I would say this is a good place which you can check out.
4. There was a local restaurant at the Cable Car place which boasted they had the best chicken curry in town. I think it was called Rasa also, but it's not the same as the one I mentioned earlier. The serving was small. The roti was ugly. I would recommend you to pass and just find another restaurant to go to if you are in the cable car area!
Overall, it was a super, super holiday. 4 days of beautiful island fun. I am sure we will head back to Langkawi one day. I never thought that island would hold such many surprises!
Since my standard of a beautiful beach is Boracay, how does the beach in Langkawi compare?
ReplyDeletehi there! for filipinos out there just like me, i know we all have VERY high standards when it comes to beaches, only bec we are blessed with such places like BORACAY and PALAWAN (and many more). I've always held my high standards everywhere I go. But when I went to Langkawi, it was totally diff experience, it is unfair to compare. There are so many things to see and do in Langkawi that it made me content spending 4days-3nights instead of my usual yearly visit to BORA. So overall, you need to see and experience to really say both places offer great things.
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