MY ASIA DIARIES: LANGKAWI

Langkawi. By day twelve of our three month long trip across Asia, my lifelong friend Dina and I had travelled from Manchester UK to Singapore and onto Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, where we’d relaxed for four days recovered from our jetlag, before spending a week on the Malaysian island of Penang – with its bustling streets, it’s famous street art, UNESCO heritage sites – and its status as Southeast Asia’s ultimate foodie destination.

The next destination on our exciting travel itinerary was the neighbouring island of Langkawi, which is physically close to Penang – just a short 35 minute flight on budget airline Air Asia. Langkawi couldn’t be more different as a destination from Penang because it has a laid-back vibe that’s perfect for quiet beach days and nature tours.

I’ve visited Langkawi several times before and, in my own opinion, the number one attraction – if you can drag yourself away from the beautiful beaches and adjacent beach bars and seafood restaurants – is to experience the lush rainforests and 100-million-year-old geopark and to get out on a boat on the oh-so-blue and tranquil Andaman Sea and the many picturesque small islands and rocks and islets in the archipelago surrounding this beautiful island.

We were looking forward to doing just that over the next four days of our stay on Langkawi – with a planned trip on the famous Langkawi Cable Car (SkyCab) up to The Langkawi Sky Bridge and a thrilling walk to the new Eagle’s Nest attraction. Followed by, later in the day, a sunset party cruise around the island’s coastline!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• LANGKAWI CABLE CAR SKYCAB
• LANGKAWI SKYBRIDGE
• LANGKAWI EAGLES’S NEST
• WHERE TO STAY ON LANGKAWI
• FIND YOUR PERFECT PLACE TO STAY ON LANGKAWI
• OUR SUNSET BOOZE CRUISE PARTY INCIDENT!
• THE SICK BAG INCIDENT
• THE AIRPORT ARRIVALS INCIDENT!
• A BONUS DAY TO RELAX ON LANGKAWI
• THE RESOURCES I USE TO PLAN AND BOOK MY TRAVEL ITINERARIES
• HELPING YOU PLAN YOUR OWN TRAVEL ADVENTURE
• THIS STORY IN THE MEDIA

LANGKAWI CABLE CAR SKYCAB

We took a Grab taxi to the SkyCab station along a mountain road lined with cute but wild monkeys. To save us having to stand in line at the ticket booths, I’d bought our combined tickets for SkyCab Cable Car to include the SkyGlide to the Skybridge and also admission to The Eagles Nest online from online ticket agency Klook before we set off. I use Klook often to buy entry tickets all over the world and would highly recommend it to you. Buy your tickets online from Klook.

After buying your entry ticket online, straight away you’ll get confirmation and a QR code to show at the entrance and to whiz through the ticket line directly to the cable car station.

The fifteen minute cable car ride – one of the world’s steepest – then whisks you smoothly upward the mountain while offering amazing views of the rainforest below and the Andaman Sea all around.

Your destination at the top will offer you a viewing platform with even more breathtaking views.

LANGKAWI SKYBRIDGE

To access the Skybridge – an incredibly engineered curved bridge suspended between the mountains – from the viewing platform you can either walk via a lot of steps to the bridge or take the SkyGlide which is a kind of inclined elevator.

Then, from the Skybridge, you’ll be both refreshed by the cool mountain air and mesmerised by your view of the millions of years old virgin rainforest in the valley far below you that give meaning to Langkawi’s claim to be ‘the birthplace of Malaysia’.

While on the Skybridge, I saw that there were lots of ‘love locks’. Love locks are padlocks that couples attach to bridges, fences, or monuments to symbolize unbreakable love. I also saw there was a vendor selling engraved love locks. I decided I’d get one engraved with my name and that of my late husband to leave on the skybridge as we’d visited this bridge the last time we’d travelled together to Langkawi. I locked it in place and now wear the key as a special necklace. Dina had a love lock engraved for her family. We both felt it felt like a very poignant and special thing to do.

LANGKAWI EAGLES’S NEST

On this visit, I was excited to see the new attraction on the site called The Eagles Nest – which was under construction the last time I visited the island. The Eagle’s Nest is a structure 650 meters above sea level that emulates an Eagle’s head looking over its ‘nest’ and its ‘eggs’ nestling on a rock ledge at the Middle Station.

The Eagle’s Nest has a glass floor that feels quite intimidating to walk across at first but is so worth pushing yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone (if, like me, you don’t like heights) for the astonishing experience of being high up on a mountain ledge and the incredible views.

As a note, on entry to the Eagle’s Nest and just before you step onto the glass platform, to protect the glass from scratches and damage, you are given paper overshoes to wear over your footwear and a lanyard to secure your phone.

I recommend you buy your tickets online on the day or ahead of time for The Eagles Nest from Klook. You can get a combined ticket for The SkyCab – The SkyGlide – and The Eagles Nest at great prices from Klook.

WHERE TO STAY ON LANGKAWI

On Langkawi, we stayed at a wonderful small family run hotel in a super location and with great reviews called Fuuka Villa.

Fuuka Villa has a nice swimming pool and with just a few rooms each set out as individual bungalows with a bedroom, a bathroom, and private balcony, it is a lovely, clean, comfortable, and very affordable place to stay, on Langkawi. Dina and I were quite fascinated by the name ‘Fuuka’ and, after chatting with the friendly staff, we were also a little amused to discover the owner had named the hotel after his daughter!

There are lots of hotels and accommodations for all budgets and travel styles on Langkawi – from five-star resorts to hostels and everything in between. If you are able to book (it’s very popular) I’d highly recommend Fuuka Villa.

Our home-stay style hotel on Langkawi was just a walk or a taxi ride from Chenang beach and the street opposite with its beachfront bars and restaurants and shops. Malaysia is a tropical destination of course but the problem we had was that, in March 2026, Malaysia was having an unanticipated heatwave.

Temperatures were over 40 deg C making it too hot to walk very far and certainly too hot to walk on the beach. We had tried to walk on the beach but the sand was so hot it felt like it was melting our flipflops. Our photos on Chenang Beach were taken hastily! Keeping to the shade as much as possible along the beach road, we browsed in the many small shops, bought some light cotton clothing and some souvenirs, and had some lunch.

In the afternoon, we relaxed at our hotel pool. Later, in the cool of the early evening, we took a Grab taxi down to the harbour to embark on a sunset party cruise. I’d booked our cruise ahead of time and conveniently online at Klook.

OUR SUNSET BOOZE CRUISE PARTY INCIDENT!

Our sunset party cruise boat was very nice – a large and well equipped catamaran – and once everyone was on board we set off around the coastline and sailed between the most picturesque rocks and tiny islands in the sea off Langkawi. I booked our sunset cruise with drinks and buffet online with ticket agent Klook. I use Klook often and so highly recommend it to you.

Everyone was enjoying the sea air and the stunning views. The all-inclusive drinks flowed as the crew prepared a delicious BBQ and buffet dinner. Music played. Everybody had fun. We danced on deck and the drinks flowed, although it has to be said that, inevitably, some people had a bit too much ‘fun’. Not us, we were sensible. BUT there was an incident that although traumatic at the time it happened, we thought to be incredibly funny afterwards, which made us laugh – a lot! We could, in fact, call this The Sick Bag Incident!

THE SICK BAG INCIDENT

There was a couple – a young man and his young lady friend who were on the sunset cruise with us – and while we all got friendly and chatty, I noticed the young man had got stuck straight into the booze part of the cruise.

A little while later, while his young lady was obliviously happily dancing with other passengers, he seemed a bit glassy-eyed and was slurring his words. To cut a long story short (as I’m not naturally inclined to do) while we were all dancing to Abba’s Dancing Queen on the top deck, I happened to notice the young man was lying across a bench and wallowing around, shirtless and slobbering, and very drunk. Feeling concerned for his state, I went to check on him.

He wasn’t good. He was tearfully emotional and trying to tell me all about his broken heart. He was also sweating. I went over to the bar and asked for a bag of ice for this young man’s head and a glass of water for him to drink. The bar man – who had probably seen this scene many times before – also gave me an extra plastic bag just in case the young man began to vomit.

Good timing! Because the minute I got him to sit up to drink some water and applied the bag of ice to the back of his neck, the young man began heaving, and boy did he fill that bag!

Eventually, groaning, he sat back, clutching his sick bag tightly. While weeping, he thanked me profusely for helping him. I have a son around his age, so I guess I felt maternal to his suffering.

Especially as his girlfriend had clearly abandoned him for the dancing and wanted nothing to do with him in that state. You might be wondering how this was incredibly funny. Well, stay with me!

Dina, coming down from the dance floor herself, was intrigued. She could see the awfully drunk state the young man was in – as he was now lying down again – and clutching onto his rather full sick bag like it was a life jacket and he was in a rough sea.

I quickly explained to Dina that it was important to keep him cool and, as the bag of ice I’d got for him was now melted, I needed another to put on his head and the back of his neck.

Dina nodded in sympathy and decided to help. But to my surprise, as I turned away to the bar to get another bag of ice, Dina, not fully grasping the situation but trying to help, grappled with him over the unsealed sick bag – thinking it was the aforementioned bag of melted ice –  and having won the tussle, went to plant it on the top of his head!

Well… the situation could have been a lot worse. The young man could have ended up with a whole bag of his own vomit emptied onto his head. But, thankfully, just in the nick of time and before the worst could happen (I think I might have screamed ‘it’s the sick bag’ or something helpful like that) Dina suddenly realised exactly what she was dealing with and what she had in her hands! Eeeeek!!!!

THE AIRPORT ARRIVALS INCIDENT!

Another amusing incident, if also a little traumatic, happened the next morning when I’d somehow managed to mix up our departure day, despite my travel itinerary on a spreadsheet!

So, having checked in online with Air Asia and downloaded our boarding passes, we both set an early alarm. At 7.30am next morning, we were packed and prepared to leave and checked out of Fukka Villa, saying thanks and goodbyes, before hastily leaving in a taxi for the airport.

At the airport, we saw our flight to Kuala Lumpur on the departures board, and made our way to the luggage drop, where, confusingly, my boarding pass wouldn’t let me through. Help arrived from a desk clerk who helped me get to the luggage drop but again my boarding pass was rejected. ‘You are too early. It’s tomorrow!’ I was told. ‘Right flight time and flight number but wrong date. Come back tomorrow.’

When it dawned on me that I’d not checked the itinerary and had mixed up our departure day, I was mortified and so embarrassed that I had to steel myself to turn around and face Dina.

When she realised what had happened, however, she was most gracious about it. ‘Well, at least it wasn’t yesterday and we didn’t miss it,’ she shrugged. ‘Come on, let’s get breakfast.’

I called Fukka Villa and told them what I’d done and that we were coming back in the hope they hadn’t resold our room! We were lucky in that they hadn’t but they did profess to wondering why we’d checked out early?!

In the taxi from the airport, the driver, assuming we’d just arrived, asked us ‘have you been to Langkawi before…?’ And Dina responded. ‘Erm… yes, just half an hour ago!’

A BONUS DAY TO RELAX ON LANGKAWI

We spent what felt like and extra ‘bonus day’ on Langkawi by relaxing at the pool. Although, our early departure had become a matter of amusement amongst our fellow hotel guests. I was so embarrassed at their chuckles but also relieved that Dina had treated our early false start with good humour!

THE RESOURCES I USE TO PLAN AND BOOK MY TRAVEL ITINERARIES

SKYSCANNER .NET – I use Skyscanner website as a search engine to find and compare flights and source best flights. But I believe it’s always important to book the flight you’ve selected directly with the airline – as if anything goes wrong you are dealing directly with the airline rather than a third party agent.

AIR ASIA – my favourite budget airline when I’m flying around Asia – the main hub is Kuala Lumpur Terminal 2.

TRIPADVISOR UK or TRIPADVISOR .COM – to read reviews and research hotels, things to do, local restaurants etc.

BOOKING.COM – this is my favourite for booking site for hotels and accomodation. I use the Booking.com App on my phone to reserve and to book – it’s quick and easy and I often choose the free cancellation period option in case I change my mind and rebook. I have achieved ‘genius’ level through my (hundreds) of bookings over the years. This often gives me discounts and perks like free breakfasts and room upgrades in selected accommodations. I’ve never had any problems or issues with Booking Dotcom so I’m happy to recommend booking with them.

EXPEDIA UK – travel site for booking flights, accommodations, holiday packages, car hire and more.

AGODA .COM – travel site for booking hotels and transport and things to do at your destination.

HOTELS .COM – booking site for hotel accommodation.

VRBO .COM – booking site for hotels and accommodation.

KLOOK.COM – this is my favourite attraction ticket website – I use the App on my phone – to easily book tickets and tours.

GET YOUR GUIDE – discover and book things to do and tours at your destination.

TOURRADAR – If you don’t want to book everything independently and would rather have the planning done for you and would prefer a guided adventure as part of a group then I will suggest taking a look at TourRadar. I’m associated with TourRadar and they have a fabulous choice of tours and holidays and cruises all over the world at really great prices. I’m looking at booking some of their tours for myself next year. Booking through my highlighted link automatically gives you another £$50 off! If you’d like to discuss specific tours with me then get in touch and I’ll do my best to advise you.