Langkawi Guide
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Book online or call us at +60 (3) 2302 7555 www.asiawebdirect.com LANGKAWI GUIDE YOUR FREE LANGKAWI GUIDE FROM THE ASIA TRAVEL SPECIALISTS An archipelago of 99 islands, Langkawi is the country's most enthusiastically promoted tourist destination. Away from the main island's developed areas, Langkawi is rural with mountainous interior, villages, rice paddies and jungle-covered hills. A duty-free location, Langkawi is also the perfect place to buy cheap luxuries and it's recognized for its excellent dive sites and what some say are the most beautiful beaches in Malaysia. Besides all that, sightseeing attractions that range from the Underwater World and the Cable Car & Skybridge to natural draws such as Langkawi's offshore islets and the Telaga Tujuh waterfalls make Langkawi Malaysia's most popular tourist destination. WEATHER SIM CARDS AND CURRENCY Featuring an equatorial climate, Langkawi is DIALING PREFIXES Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). US$1 = suited for year-round travel. Shielded from Malaysia's three main cell phone service approximately MYR 3.2 major winds and storms by the mainland on providers are Celcom, Digi and Maxis. You one side and Sumatra on the other, the island can obtain prepaid SIM cards almost has two prevailing seasons - dry season anywhere - especially inside large-scale TIME ZONE (November to March) and wet season. shopping malls. Digi and Maxis are the most GMT+8 (the same as China, Hong Kong and Temperatures are fairly consistent during the popular services, although Celcom has the Singapore). day, ranging from 30°C to 35°C, while at most widespread coverage in Sabah and night they drop to 28°C or 29°C; humidity Sarawak. Each state has its own area code; to levels remain high at about 80% throughout make a call to a landline in KL, dial 03 ELECTRICITY the year. The most rainfall occurs in followed by the eight-digit number. Calls to September and October, as a result of the mobile phones require a three-digit prefix, Main voltage in Malaysia is 220 volts. Connect monsoon winds. (Digi = 016, Maxis = 012 and Celcom = 019) to the reliable electricity supply (220V-240V, http://www.langkawi-info.com/info/weather.htm followed by the seven digit subscriber 50 cycles) with a UK-type three-square-pin or number. two-parallel-flat-pin (British BS-1363) plugs. AIRPORT TRANSFERS IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Langkawi doesn't have a comprehensive GETTING AROUND 1 Stop Crisis Centre +603 2615 3333 public transportation system. There are only a Langkawi has no trains so the best way to get few ways to get to your hotel from the around the island is to rent a car. Roads are Tourist Police +603 2164 0522 Langkawi International Airport (or the Kuah easy to navigate and traffic is almost non- Civil Defence 991 jetty) - the best of which is to hire an existent; you can rent a car when you exit the Customs +603 6201 6088 inexpensive airport transfer at http://www.visit- arrival hall of the Langkawi International malaysia.com/langkawi-transfer.htm. Airport or book one in advance at Directory Enquiries 103 http://www.langkawi-info.com/rentcar/. If you're Emergency Call From Taxis are another option but they don't 112 arriving via the Kuah jetty, touts from travel Mobile Phone operate on a meter system so fares are agencies will approach you upon arrival - relatively high - a trip will cost you RM10 and Fire 994 rates start at around RM60 per day, but drops RM20 to Padang Matsirat and Pantai Cenang. Foreign Affairs +603 8887 4000 with bargaining. The bus service that departs Meanwhile, from the Kuah jetty it costs RM5 from the stand opposite the hospital runs only Immigration +603 2093 9181 to Kuah Town and RM26 to Pantai Kok. three routes out of Kuah - to Pantai Cenang, Flight Info KLIA +603 8776 2000 Padang Lalang and Pantai Kok. Alternatively, MAS Airline 1 300 88 3000 cabs are a good option - fares are a little pricey and taxis aren't exactly ubiquitous - but AirAsia Airline +603 7651 2222 they're convenient. They don't operate using a meter, rather with a set fare - a journey between Kuah and Pantai Cenang will cost you around RM24. There's a taxi station at the Langkawi Fair mall and at the jetty. http://www.langkawi- info.com/info/gettingaround.htm Book online or call us at +60 (3) 2302 7555 www.asiawebdirect.com LANGKAWI AREA GUIDES An archipelago of 99 islands, Langkawi is a west-coast island that's home to 64,792 inhabitants and its interior has remained largely untouched despite tourism development along the coast. Langkawi's main road runs a circular route around the island, but there's another road that connects north and south, effectively 'cutting' the island in two; the main island's (476sqkm Pulau Langkawi) sheer size can make it hard for you to find your way around and that's where our Area Guide comes in handy... 1 PANTAI CENANG 2 PANTAI TENGAH 3 KUAH Dubbed Langkawi's main vein, Pantai Cenang The first of Langkawi's western beaches, With an estimated 11,000 inhabitants, Kuah is is not as rowdy as Bangkok's Khao San Road Pantai Tengah is situated just around the easily Langkawi's largest town. The arrival but it's still the island's most popular stretch. southern bend of the Pantai Cenang road. A point for most ferries, it features a strip of 25 km west of Kuah and 500 metres north of family-friendly strip, with some low-key modern high-rise hotels and duty-free shops Pantai Tengah, the bay forms a white-sand chalets as well as a few all-inclusive resorts, along the main road, which hugs what little beach strip, and the area is crammed with Tengah has the longest stretch of beach on beach there is. Sitting on reclaimed land, it's unobtrusive budget and mid-range the main island. The bay's out-of-the-way more of a fishing beach than a recreational beachfront accommodation. Mostly due to location means that the water isn't renewed one. Kuah's not an unattractive place – in fact, the burgeoning package tour clientele, by the tides and as a result looks quite murky. the whitewashed Al Hana Mosque, which Cenang has plenty of places that offer water There's not much sightseeing here, but there dominates its waterfront, is one of Langkawi's sports and boat rentals. Good restaurants are quite a few spas, and tour operators are most popular sightseeing attractions. The with an emphasis on Westernised local dishes, abundant. Eating out used to be limited to town will probably be your first view of and the best nightlife in Langkawi, results in the various restaurants attached to the motels Langkawi and it's the place to settle any an odd jumble of backpackers, expats, Asian and resorts along the strip, but lately local business matters as it's one of the only places tourists and families crowding the restaurants enterprise has begun to hit Tengah's food on the island for banks, post office, police and bars come nightfall. scene. The nightlife isn't as prolific as Cenang station, a hospital and fast food eateries. but it's popular with the locals. Read More... Read More... Read More... 4 PADANG MATSIRAT 5 PANTAI KOK 6 DATAI BAY Located towards the northern end of the Pantai Kok is on the far western stretch of Halfway along Pantai Kok's main road, there's island (skirting the airport), a right turn off the Langkawi. Hands down it's the best beach in a right turn that takes you down a narrow main road brings you to Padang Matsirat (The Langkawi – it's quieter and more secluded stretch of road leading to the north coast. Field of Burnt Rice). It's only a few kilometres than Cenang or Tengah and enjoys a very After 10km, a road to the left leads to Datai off the road that leads to the west coast intimate feel. Major sightseeing attractions Bay – home to some of Langkawi's most beaches, and it offers many sightseeing spots include the popular Oriental Village plus its exclusive resorts. The site of Datai Bay Golf (Makam Mahsuri, Snake Sanctuary and more). only 2 km from the Telaga Tujuh waterfalls. Course (one of Malaysia's top-ten golf clubs), You're going to need to rent a car to get to High-end resorts like the Sheraton and the area's crowning glory is located at the them as most of these spots are located far Tanjung Sanctuary dominate lodging options end of the curving road that takes you past from each other. That being said, it takes the here, but there are also a number of attractive the headland, where a couple of secluded top spot as one of the best places to stay, chalets along the beach. The beach itself is coves afford great views of several Thai especially if you'd like a quieter atmosphere beautiful with clean sand and clear waters, a islands in the distance. Back-tracking from than Pantai Cenang or Tengah. There are a thoroughly modern marina (Telaga Harbour Datai Bay, there are a couple of reasonable few good restaurants and attractions in the Park) with a string of good shops, bars and stretches of undeveloped beach; you'll find vicinity but if you're looking for nightlife then restaurants, plus a petrol station, bank and Pantai Pasir Hitam (Black Sand Beach) here – stick closer to less provincial areas of post office.