Langkawi is a famous island in Malaysia, also known as the jewel of Kedah where hundreds of tourists flock to enjoy their holidays. It is absolutely beautiful and a very civilized island. On the plus side, the chocolates and alcohol there are duty-free, so there is no way the vacaying can go wrong. In this post, I will share the best seasons to go to Langkawi, how to reach the island, and where to stay. Am here to help you out if it is your first visit to Langkawi or if you are planning to go in an off season.
When to plan the trip:
High Season:
The best time to visit Langkawi is during January to March as it is a dry season. This means you can tan for long hours as well as go for a lot of water activities. You should keep in mind that the temperature is the highest during this time and is quite humid. Some people also say that Langkawi is good to visit during mid-November to mid-April too.
Mid Season:
The mid-season for visiting Langkawi is from April to August. A lot of people who like less crowds prefer to visit Langkawi during this season. There would be occasional rain showers though, but it would stay only for a short time. The beaches are quite empty and clean which gives you the freedom to chill by the beach or swim in the sea for as long as you want without any hustle and bustle. Forgot to mention the most important thing. The hotels give a lot of discounts which can range up to 50% off or more during this period. The price of rentals and tour packages also go lower significantly which seems to be good if you are on a budget.
Low Season:
The low season starts from September and continues till October as it is the rainy season. Even though it is the rainy season, it rains around two- three hours a day during afternoon and night. This gives you plenty of time to do your activities and chill by the beach. Also, the temperature is quite soothing as it is not scorching hot and you can take peaceful naps. The hotels also have a lot of heavy discounts during that time. I visited during September, and I really enjoyed the clean and empty beaches.
How to go to Langkawi:
By Bus:
If you are already in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then you can choose to go by bus. You can go to TBS in Kuala Lumpur and get a ticket for boarding the Langkawi bus. It is obviously better if you can get the tickets earlier. There is an online site where you can buy the e-tickets to go to Langkawi, but it would be a little bit expensive than buying personally from the ticket counters. By the way, if you get the tickets online, you should remember to check in at the gate to get your boarding ticket. If you compare air tickets with bus tickets, obviously the bus tickets are cheaper. But, the bus rides are really long. It can take upto 10 hours if there is traffic and the bus gets freezing cold at night.
Here is the link for the site:
https://www.busonlineticket.com/terminal/terminal-bersepadu-selatan-tbs
You have to get down in the last bus stop. After you reach there, you can get a taxi but I would suggest you to walk as it is a very small distance to ferry. Surely, you can book a ferry online but I think it is cheaper to buy from the ferry counter itself. The ferry ride would be half an hour long. Do not expect the ferry to be clean and nice as it is heavily used.
By Air:
It is best to book the air tickets a bit before the trip so it can be a bit cheaper. The air rides are hassle free and is only two hours long. You would be able to enjoy the whole day after you reach Langkawi as you would not be exhausted. AirAsia seems to be the cheapest provider for the local tickets, but you can definitely check for yourself just to be sure.
Car/ Bike Rentals:
As soon as you get down in the bus stop or the airport, a lot of rental services would haggle to make you rent their bikes or cars. You would require a driving license, best if its Malaysian Driving license. Even though, the rental services let you rent if you have any driving license as it is a touristic place. It is up to you if you want to rent from there or from the beach areas. You would also find a lot of rentals in the town which would have an affordable price range.
Where to stay at Langkawi:
There are plenty of hotels and motels in Langkawi for you to book from. If you have a mode of transport or if you are renting a car or a bike, you can check some hotels in the Langkawi city area. It might be a bit cheaper as the hotels are located a bit away from the beach area. The popular beach is Pantai Cenang. In case you do not have any mode of transportation, I would advise you to choose hotels from the beach area. I am saying this because the taxi fare to and from the beach is quite a lot and is really not worth it. For food as well, the beach area has many options in walking distance whereas, in the city you might have to again get a taxi for that.
You can book hotels from Booking.com, and rent rooms or apartments from Airbnb. Airbnb is a better option if you are travelling in a group or family.
Link for booking.com : https://www.booking.com/
Link for airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/a/?af=43720035&c=.pi0.pk53373635198_254017824182_c_12026464216&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwLTA1J-S3AIVBR4rCh3MQANGEAAYASAAEgIPGPD_BwE