While I’ve made three visits to both Singapore and Bangkok, I somehow hadn’t been to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia until just recently. Friends of Ben and I live there and we went for a 4-day visit. I love seeing a new city with friends that live there (Dom is English and Massy is Malay – you might remember we went to their wedding in Singapore a couple of years ago) so I can see it as a local and not as a tourist.

My Travel Diary from Kuala Lumpur (KL)

Sometimes, that means I miss the “tourist” things to do but it also means I see what it would really be like to live there. In any case, this article is more of a travel diary than my usual “guides” to places. But I will quickly lay out the top things to do in KL here so you know! We got around to some of them. At the end of the post, I’ll also share all the basics you need to know about Kuala Lumpur before you visit.

Top things to do in Kuala Lumpur

1. Check out the famous Petronas Towers (tallest twin towers in the world) and walk across the sky bridge which connects them and shop below at the KLCC mall and park.
2. Go to the top of the KL Tower (the 7th tallest in the world)
3. Visit Batu Caves
4. Visit Sri Mahamariamman Temple
5. Learn about the culture at the National Museum
6. Shop at Central Market
7. Visit the Blue Mosque (and several other beautiful mosques)
8. Wander through China Town
9. Visit the Thean Hou Temple (a stunning Buddhist temple)
10. Zoos, aquariums, eco-parks, theme parks, botanical gardens, butterfly and bird parks, and more museums

Our visit to KL

Dom and Massy live in a condo in Mont Kiara, just outside the city center near Little Korea and Solaris, where we went for some yummy Korean BBQ! We stayed with them and easily could take Grab cabs anywhere – but often didn’t have to since Dom works for Mercedes and has a company car. We were pretty spoiled getting driven around by him most of the time! You might have read as well that Uber is stopped in SE Asia and the Grab app is now the #1 app to use.

We did do many of the tourist items above but skipped just the caves, temples, and mosques. Dom and Massy are both Muslim and to go to a mosque isn’t a tourist activity for them. I have seen probably thousands of temples and didn’t feel the need to make special trips to see more – and the caves are a Hindu site (Ben and I have explored so many caves on our travels). It would be going just to “check it off the list” which I’m not interested in doing.

The best view of the Petronas Towers is probably from the KLCC park below during the day. At night, you can go to Marini’s on 57 and see them literally right behind your table while you have drinks. They aren’t lit up all night and turn off at I think midnight.

If you drive to KL Tower, keep in mind there is hardly any parking! It’s better to take a taxi and get dropped off. You can pay 50 Ringgit to go to the observation deck, which is not quite at the top. We paid 100 Ringgit (around $25) for sky level observation (as high as you can go – and where you see those infamous glass boxes that go out over the city). Sadly, it was raining, so we could only go to the observation deck. They did end up giving us our money back for the sky level since it was closed when we tried to go up.

We spent some time in China Town and I’ll admit, we bought fake Ray-Bans lol. Ben has lost 3 real pairs, so it was about time he got a fake pair. We also got some to give to our security guards at our complex in Goa. There are about $5 and are actually polarized. They have fake Nikes, luxury bags, jerseys, watches, you name it. Some look really real while others are obviously fake. I almost bought a Puma fanny pack but then snapped out of the daze because WTF was I even thinking?

From China Town, you can walk on to Central Market. You can eat street food along the way like cold stone ice cream, fresh coconuts, and meat on a stick.

Go-karting in Kuala Lumpur at Sepang

The BEST thing we did in Kuala Lumpur was go-karting. Ben and I try to go-kart everywhere we travel and had actually even go-karted in Malaysia before, in Langkawi. We went to the famous Sepang track to go-kart next to the F1 track. These cars hit 100 km/hour (62 mph) on the straight-aways and it’s a 1 km track. It was exhilarating! On the first straight away, going that fast, I actually yelled like I was on a rollercoaster. Dom races motorcycles and even he said it’s the fastest go-karting he’s ever done.

Beyond that, in Goa, we drive slow on curving village roads so whenever Ben and I are on a highway in another country going fast we are like “wow we are flying” when in reality it’s not fast. When I go back to the USA, and my dad is going 70mph on the highway, I feel like it’s way faster than I’ve ever been which my speeding tickets would beg to argue with. So, being on a go-kart going 62 mph was seriously fun. If you go to KL, you have to do this! It’s near the airport, not the city center. It was expensive – and you HAVE to do the series 3.

Food & Shopping in KL

We went to the city center for the tourist things and went to some different neighborhoods there like Bangsar, a kind of affluent neighborhood that many expats live in. While in Bangsar, we had the yummiest breakfast at Antipodean which is Dom’s favorite place for an English fry-up. In this area, you’ll also find shops like Lulu Lemon and various restaurants like Panchos (Mexican), Mikey’s NYC pizza, and tapas bars.

Dom and Massy had come to Goa over Christmas and were not impressed by our “best steak in Goa” places. So, they took us for their “best steak in KL” places. THESE were some seriously good steaks. We had dinner one night at Pampas in an area called Old Malaya. Another night we had steak at The Whiskey Bar and Steakhouse. The steak and ribs were really good. Prices in KL are a little all over the place. For example, if you eat really local it’s super cheap (backpacker budget style). If you go to a nice sit-down steak place it’s more like $100 for two people to eat and drink booze. But you could spend even more if you went to a Michelin place or at a roof-top bar. It’s by far cheaper than Singapore, though!

The road that The Whiskey Bar is on is called Changkat Bukit Bintang. It’s a busy road similar (but not as wild as) Khao San Road. For nightlife, it seems like KL is a mix between Singapore (sometimes classy) and Thailand (sometimes a little trashy). There are seedy areas where you might not want to go out alone or might see some hookers – but it’s not like Bangkok with sex shows and all of that. It seems like a very chill nightlife vibe and this road is a good place to start out. Many hostels are near here and a lot of backpackers stay around here so you’re bound to meet other travelers and locals and expats, too.

We did do a little bit of shopping. There is one mall called the Berjaya Times Square which has a theme park inside – we avoided this one. We did go to the Pavilion mall which is quite fancy, but only so we could go to the food court. We had some really nice Teppenyaki and then because I’m me, I got an Auntie Anne’s pretzel with cheese… twice.

We also popped into the mall at the Petronas Towers to grab what Dom and Massy swear is the best Korean chicken wings ever made. It’s a chain fast food restaurant called 4 Fingers and once we started eating, we stopped talking, because they were so damn good. Please get these! They have them in Singapore, too. If you want more street food options, you’ll also want to hit up Alor Street which is known for great food (but used to be the red-light district).

Near our friend’s place is the area called Little Korea and we went for the famous Korean BBQ where you cook it all on the little hot plate in front of you. So tasty!

We also checked out a little tiny electronics shop, which I don’t have the details for (but message me if you want them), to buy a Chinese knock-off of a GoPro. Dom showed us his when they came to visit and my old GoPro 3 is so outdated. I don’t have the budget now to spend $500 on a new one, so this one for $130 that looks the same and comes with everything and has the same specs, I was down for. It’s called the [easyazon_link identifier=”B07527NP46″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]SJ Cam[/easyazon_link] and it’s quite popular in Asia. I’ll hopefully be making more videos now!

Rafting in KL

If you drive just an hour and some away from the city, you are in the lush jungle. Dom booked us an epic whitewater rafting trip that he had done before. The night before the trip, I got food poisoning which I haven’t had in at least 4 years (and forgot how terrible it is!). I swear it was not the 4 whiskeys I had the night before – definitely food poisoning lol! At first, I thought it was just the booze, but then things got crazy and I was sure it was not the booze – seriously! Someone believe me, haha.

They all went and I was so jealous. Ben called me from the trip and I cried because I had been looking forward to it so much. But, these things happen. The photos look stunning. Ben said it was the best thing he’s done in ages, so I think you should definitely check it out. You can check out some tours here.

Basics to know before visiting KL

Arriving in KL: The airport is about 45 minutes or more from the city center (also called KLCC). You can take a metro or a taxi. A Grab cab will only cost you around $10-15. We flew Malaysia Airlines, which I have flown before twice. They offered us only filtered cups of very warm water and when I asked for a sealed cup of water (those little ones with the aluminum lid you peel back) they said, “okay you can have one but now you cannot have one with your meal”. Umm, okay cheap-asses! Here’s a TIME article about why you shouldn’t drink tap water on planes (even the filtered “drinking” water).

Getting around: They have public transport: Monorail, MRT, and LRT. You can also use oBike to rent bicycles around town and drop them off wherever you are done. To get around, use Grab App. Uber is no longer in SE Asia. Grab is much cheaper and more reliable than using a taxi. Taxis will sometimes rip you off and take you longer routes. From KLCC, you can walk most places.

How long to stay: You can easily see the tourist things in a weekend but if you want to get into the KL vibe, try to stay at least 5 days.

You can visit the tourism office for more information on local tours and to get maps of the city: Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, 27 Jalan Raja, Dataran Merdeka, KL, +60 3-2698 3333

Leaving KL: Make sure know you know which airport you leave from, as there are two.

Pin this KL travel diary for later:

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I love Malaysia & India… and Malaysia loves Indians. It only takes 10 minutes of watching TV in India to see the many commercials for Malaysia Simply Asia to know how much they value their Indian guests! Of all the countries Indians travel to, Malaysia tops the list! This article shares how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens. I did deep research for this and also consulted with a visa company to make sure I had all the information up-to-date and correct!

How to Get a Visa for Malaysia for Indian Citizens

Malaysia has made a lot of efforts to simplify the access to Indian tourists. There are mainly two options, which can be a bit confusing, so I will explain both in depth. From what I’ve heard, they often reject applications, not because they want to, but because the images are blurry or the directions were not followed 100% in compliance. 

Two ways for how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens & how much they cost + an easier way

The first way: Malaysia eNTRI

$20.70

This is a Visa Waiver Program. The Malaysian government is testing this service during 2017 and 2018. Indian nationals need to complete the application online and they can stay for 15 days in the country.

The second way: Malaysia eVisa

$40.70

This is an electronic visa. The process is very similar to the eNTRI, and the main differences are that this option is more expensive but you get a 30-day visa.

First Way: Malaysia eNTRI for Indian citizens details

Since India is part of the Malaysian Visa Waiver Program, Indian nationals can now apply for the eNTRI online. The eNTRI allows Indian travelers to apply online instead of visiting a Malaysian embassy.

The document will be delivered by email and needs to be printed on an A4 sized paper. The traveler then takes the eNTRI paper with them when they travel to Malaysia and will show it at boarding and to immigrations officers upon arrival.

Even though the application is online, we’ve heard from many travelers that the rejection rate is high due to improper form filling. If you want to avoid any issue, you can use iVisa. They offer a zero frustration policy and will help you make the best application. It’s just $25 for them to do this all for you! For the USA/UK they do the same, and it’s what I’ve used in the past for short terms visas like this.

An important restriction to keep in mind is that Indians can apply online from anywhere in the world except for those living in Singapore. With the eNTRI, Indians can stay for a maximum of 15 days inside Malaysia and is valid to be used only once meaning that you must apply every time you plan to travel to Malaysia.

Ad if you arrive by air then you will be required to show proof of a return flight to India, Singapore, Thailand or Brunei. You are also required to have a few documents with you when you arrive in Malaysia, they include: your eNTRI, return flight tickets, proof of sufficient funds, complete travel itinerary and proof of residence in Malaysia (hotel booking, invitation letter to a friend/family home)

Special terms associated with the eNTRI

Indians who have a direct flight from India to Malaysia, or transit via Singapore, Thailand or Brunei by air or land are ONLY permitted to enter and exit Malaysia via the following airports:

1. Kuala Lumpur International Airport , Sepang (KLIA & KLIA 2)

2. Penang International Airport, Pulau Pinang

3. Langkawi International Airport, Kedah

4. Melaka International Airport, Melaka

5. Senai International Airport, Johor

6. Kuching International Airport, Sarawak

7. Miri International Airport, Sarawak

8. Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Sabah

9. Labuan International Airport, Sabah

If the traveller will arrive by land then they can enter/exit Malaysia with the eNTRI via the following 6 entry points:

1. Sultan Iskandar Building Immigration Checkpoint, Johor
2. Sultan Abu Bakar Checkpoint, Johor
3. Padang Besar Checkpoint, Perlis
4. Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint, Kedah
5. Sungai Tujuh Immigration Checkpoint, Sarawak

6. Tedungan Immigration Checkpoint, Sarawak

NOTE: If you want to stay longer than 15 days inside Malaysia AND you will NOT fly in to Malaysia via India, Singapore, Thailand or Brunei then you have to apply for the Malaysian eVisa, NOT the Malaysian eNTRI.

Second way, the Malaysia E-visa

The eVisa to Malaysia is a tourist eVisa that Indians can also apply for online and will be received via email and again you just print this document when you travel to Malaysia.

The eVisa for tourism allows you to stay for a maximum of 30 days inside Malaysia.
Documents that you will need to apply online include; digital passport-sized image of the applicant, a digital scan of your passport main page (the page with all your personal details and photo), proof of your return flight booking, and for minors younger than 18 years – a birth certificate, proof of your accommodation in Malaysia or a invitation letter if you will stay with family/friends.

You can upload all these to the Government website. You can also apply through iVisa which offers a zero frustration policy – they let you apply at any time and then they handle the application when the time is due to ensure you can maximize your time in the country.

Are there any special terms associated with the eVisa?

Although how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens is pretty simple, it’s not open for everyone. You can only apply for the Malaysia eVisa if you are applying from the following countries (so in case you are reading this and not Indian, now you know!)

China, Taiwan, HK, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Macau, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives , Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Philippines , Thailand, TimorEste, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Australia, Fiji, French, Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, European Union, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey and Alderney, Iceland, New Jersey, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Man, Island of, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen , Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City State (Holy See), Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Monserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands (US), Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, USA

I hope this helps for those looking for those wondering how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens!

I have other visa posts for those looking for how to get a visa to India from the USA and also for those from the UK.

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Have you ever tried Malaysian food? I hadn’t really before visiting Langkawi but now that I have, I want to share some of the best restaurants in Langkawi and what the food was like. I had some by chance in Singapore, where there is a mix of people and cuisines but I couldn’t really differentiate it from the rest. I thought it’d be like Indonesian food and it kind of was, although spicier.

Most meals come with little sides for extra flavor like herbs, chili vinegar, and sambal. All the meals have some spicy sambal on the side! Think of it like added Tabasco to your pizza.. a little extra kick! We do this in India too with sambar, pickled veg, or adding chili and lime to seafood.

Laksa is one of the most famous dishes but somehow it evaded me!

8 of the Best Restaurants in Langkawi & What Local Langkawi food is like

1. Restaurant Seashells // Cenang

Here you eat on the paddy fields! It is traditional style Malaysian food, due to the rain we ate under a roof. Lunch was fish curry, fish on the grill, chicken, black pepper beef, steamed cabbage and sprouts. The black pepper beef was spicy is a way different way than Indian food – more like Chinese – and I loved it! Lunch was 10 ringgit per person.

2. Naam OMG // Cenang

We ate a “western” lunch here of really nice pizza with pineapple and fake-ish ham along with a plate of the spiciest pasta! Again, black pepper was added heavily.

3. Restaurant HBL Bayas // Bayas

Here you’ll get “mix rice” which is a buffet style restaurant that many locals visit and you pile a little bit of everything on your plate. It’s different pricing for everyone depending on how much food you get. On average a plate is 10 ringgit. We tried cat fish, teriyaki chicken, peanut soy, sea bass, and lots more! A drink is 1 ringgit. “mix rice” is the most popular food in Malaysia.

4. Brasserie Restaurant and Bar // Cenang

On the beach near “yellow café” this little spot was perfect for a fine dining style meal for my birthday! We tried the fried prawns and tempura calamari then Ben got the steak and I got the chicken Milanese. All was good. It was 168 rinngit (about 45 bucks) for us both with drinks. Don’t order bread, as you’ll get a bread basket complimentary after you order.

5. Aseania dinner & show // Cenang

We stayed here a couple of nights and went for the dinner and show which is 3 times a week starting at 730. You’ll need to call them for reservation and to check dates and times.

6. Gelato Cabana // Cenang

Pretty darn good gelato on the street. One scoop is 5 ringgit.

7. Al-Aiman // chain restaurant

This is very scrumptious Indian food. We tried the one in Kuah, but there was one near Berjaya as well. Locals must love it because it is always packed full. Also has free WiFi.

8. Odeys // Kuah

Very yummy burger spot in town! It’s run by the nicest guy, Azmann, and he makes delicious oblong chicken or beef burgers (plus more things) with spicy black pepper sauce or plain like I had. Mmm! Not on google maps so here is address: Taman Intan Langkawi, Kuah

You can also check out the market at Kuah which serves up all kinds of local food like this:

Don’t forget where to eat in Langkawi – pin this guide to the best restaurants in Langkawi for later:

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The brand new Langkawi 3D museum was such a silly fun way to spend the day. Ben took a little bit of time to get into it, because at first it can feel a bit embarrassing taking weird photos of yourself hanging with painted pandas… but eventually we started acting like kids and had a laugh.

It’s funny that in Asia, to me anyways, it seems people are more apt to take lots of photos. I see more selfie sticks here, more people taking selfies, and so it just seems perfect to have a museum like this. People were having such a laugh!

This place is actually really impressive, the biggest in Malaysia, and was hand-painted by 23 Korean artists who on average are 60 years old and the last of their generation. There are over 100 pieces of 3D art to play around with. We didn’t post with all 100 because how is that even possible?! Here are the silly ones we took!

This is located in Oriental Village and you can spend a whole day here doing the 3D museum, skycab, shopping, and much more I explain over in this post: what to do in Langkawi.

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Langkawi is a group of 99 islands off the West coast of Malaysia and is a popular vacation spot for Asian and Middle Eastern people. Two of the biggest things Langkawi is known for is marble (kawi) and eagles (helong), hence the name Langkawi!

Less than 20% of Langkawi is developed, it’s the first UNESCO Geopark in SE Asia, and there is loads of reserve forest and mangroves making it natural and unique. Let’s get started with a little travel guide to Langkawi.

Quick facts about Langkawi

• Money: 1 USD is equal to 3.77 Malaysian ringgits. Some prices for example: you can rent scooters at about 35 rinngits (9.30 USD) and use a public toilet for 1 ringgit (.25 cents USD), while most basic meals come in at 10 ringgits (2.7 USD).
• SIM card: You can get SIM cards easily at little shops. The best for this area is Celcom.
• Tourist Area: 10 minutes from the airport is Cenang (Patai Cenang) which has many hotels, tourists, western fast food along side Malay street food, spas and a nice beach with all kinds of water sports.
• We used Naam tours, which cater to luxury or comfortable travel. We didn’t have any issues with this company and our driver, Azmann, was really cool.
• Duty Free shopping: Langkawi became a duty-free port in 1987. There are many duty-free shops, so you’ll be able to get great deals on imported things you may need. If you’re here on vacation it’s still not cheaper than home but for us, it’s cheaper than India.
• Monsoon season: The rains are in the months of March until November, but it is not a big monsoon like I have in India. It may rain a couple of hours each day or not at all.
• Beaches: You have many options but Datai Bay is a “don’t miss”- ranked #9 of 10 best beaches in the world by National Geographic.
• How to dress: practice what I preach, not what I do. I wore tank tops but really you should probably wear a t-shirt (although most tourists and some younger local girls wore tank tops). It’s mostly a Muslim country and most tourists are from Saudi so you don’t want to wear clothes that look revealing. For swimming, I wore a swimsuit with shorts overtop and kept my lifejacket on to keep covered more.

Where to stay in Langkawi

• For high-end check out Andaman Langkawi which is on the nicest beach in Langkawi & Top 10 beach in the world from Nat Geo. Also, the Vivanta Taj which is on its own island.

Aseania Resort – mid range budget

This is a nice 3 star huge resort with good food and nice pool. We recommend Aseania for those reasons and because it’s in the popular Cenang area and within walking distance to SO much. We stayed 4 nights. There is an awesome show I’ll explain more on later. The rooms have comfy beds and there is a pool and games like pool table, darts, and fooseball.

Berjaya Resort – 4 star

We LOVED our stay at Berjaya. This is a really cool resort and great option if you can’t afford somewhere like the Andaman. It was so relaxing being in the “jungle side” but if we went back I’d go for on the huts on stilts in the water “beach side”. Breakfast was a big ordeal with people dotted around making everything you can image fresh for you. It’s got beach access and a pool.

I have so many blog posts about Langkawi that are linked below. Click through to what interests you – make sure to read all the fun activities!

• Spas in Langkawi
• What to do in Langkawi
• Jet Ski Langkawi
• 3D museum photo post
• Food in Langkawi

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I loved visiting Langkawi! There’s so much to do there. It’s very tourist-friendly, and many locals from Kuala Lumpur come here for vacation. Here are my top things to do in Langkawi!

11 Things to Do in Langkawi

1. Jet Ski Island Tour

This was my favorite part of Langkawi! You can go to 8 islands and see a lot of major natural attractions at once through Mega water sports at Chenang beach. I wrote a whole article about it here: Jet Ski Langkawi

Check here for tours to book and reviews

2. Rhino 4WD Tour Waterfall Stop

No, there aren’t rhinos in Langkawi… Oh wait, was I only one who thought maybe there were? Rhino is the type of 4-wheeler that you can take a tour of the mangroves on. It’s such a blast riding around the rivers, jungle, paddy fields, and is a unique way to sight see. With our tour we got to go to a waterfall during the middle and learn more about the rubber trees that are all around the island. Tip: wear sunblock and mosquito spray.

Location: Naam Paku Pakis Activity Center at Tanjung Rhu beach

3. Parasailing

I hadn’t been parasailing since I was a kid but thought it wouldn’t be that great since it’s not a huge adrenaline rush. It still wasn’t such a rush, except when you first kick off from the boat, BUT the reason this is a must in Langkawi is the view! There are 99 islands making up Langkawi and you can see the islands, white sand, and different shades of blue water from up high. It’s quite a view! Take a goPro up with you around your wrist.

Location: Naam Paku Pakis Activity Center at Tanjung Rhu beach

Go Karting at Morac

Ben and I go-kart whenever we see a new place! We love the one in Goa. This one kicked Goa’s butt though! It’s a professional track (who knew they had those?) and was really long.

Location: Morac International Karting Circuit Sdn. Bhd. Lot 67, Jalan Pantai Cenang, Mukim Kedawang

5. Mangrove Tour

With this tour you’ll go down Tanjung Rhu river and through manmade channels in the mangroves. You’ll start at Kilim river to see the HUGE bat caves which are quite stinky but very cool. You can see the area where all the eagles eat, go in “crocodile cave” which apparently no longer has crocs, and end with lunch at Mangrove Fish Farm. The fish farm has sting rays and you can actually feed them… just by sticking your hand hear their slimy mouths- such as weird ass feeling but loved it! We didn’t have lunch here because it was only 11 am but most people did. Tip: There is a chance to swim at Long beach so pack a swimsuit! 

Location: Naam Paku Pakis Activity Center at Tanjung Rhu beach

6. SkyCab & SkyBridge

The SkyCab is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Langkawi since it’s steepest on earth, 708 meters high on Mt Machincang. It is the longest single robe cable car in the world – 950 meters! At first I wasn’t really sure what the appeal was since the cable cars go slow… but it’s not so much about the ride as it is the view you get from the ride.

The views were 10x as cool as parasailing, and I was bummed Ben was afraid of the height and didn’t come. The water was so blue against the white sand and seeing all the islands spread out was pretty damn cool, plus you can actually see Thailand. I know I sound like Sarah Palin here, but you really could.

I didn’t go across the SkyBridge (which is 100 meters off the ground and the longest curved bridge in the world) because it was about 4 pm and I’d been in the sun all day with a pretty bad burn. Tip: Pay extra for the VIP cab for nice seats, or ones with glass floors. Check out the SkyDome video before hand, which is 3D-ish and really neat. 

Location: Oriental Village, Burau Bay

7. Interactive 3D Museum

Brand new to Langkawi, and the biggest 3D museum in Malaysia this is actually a LOT of fun. I didn’t even know what a 3D museum was. But we went through taking all kinds of silly pictures. I think only the photos can explain what this place is all about. Check out my post on it: Photo Gallery 3D museum

Location: Oriental Village, Burau Bay

8. Mardi Fruit Farm

This is an agrotechnology park where fruits are grown without pesticides. Ben and I had seen much of this in Goa, but I can imagine if you come from somewhere less tropical this would be a big learning experience. You can try new fruits like star fruit, dragon fruit, water apple, and yellow watermelon.

Location: Jalan Padang Gaong, Lubuk Semilang

9. Ayer Hangat Spa Village

This complex has the only salt water hot spring in Langkawi and hosts a spa and private Jacuzzis you can rent out. The hot springs are great for soaking your feet then going for a walk on the “reflexology path”.

I only lasted about 30 seconds because I have such sensitive feet walking on stones. I went for a foot scrub & massage here which was heavenly; read more on my article spas in Langkawi. They also have stingless bees making honey… something I never knew existed.

Location: 16 Jalat Air Hangat, Mukim Air Hangat

10. Sunset Dinner Cruise

I think a lot of companies offer something like this – but not all of them can say Pitbull took their cruise ;)

Really! This was Ben’s favorite part of the trip. The food was great, the boat was really cool and there were only 6 of us on the trip. They treated us great with cold towels, free booze, ponchos at the end when it rained, and lots of laughs. I have to say that the photo above was taken by Ben, or he will feel used as my photographer haha.

Location: boat takes off from main Naam office in Kuah.

11. Night Market

The market can move around, but there are two big ones (Wed. and Sat.) in Kuah that are really nice. It’s half food, half clothing. Most of the food is very unique and not westerinized. Go with an open mind and try new things! I tried a few, but to be totally honest I didn’t love the food- I am not a very adventurous eater. I like lots of the snacks but not the fish ones which are frequent, because I’m not much of a fish eater. Check out my post on what to eat in Langkawi.

Location: Kuah

More fun things to do in Langkawi

You could try aintball, horseback riding, helicopter rides, dirt bikes, zorbing, paintballing, Craft Complex for souvenirs, Eagle square, snorkeling at Pewar island where there are sometimes reef sharks. Just go to Viator and see all the tours they offer. They have tours for every budget – just filter to adventure ones!

And those are all the cool things to do in Langkawi that we got up to! Let me know if you have more tips on what to do. In the meantime, check out my Langkawi travel guide for more information.

Don’t miss nearby Singapore when you come to Malaysia:

• I Wish I’d Had a Singapore Neighborhood Guide Like This One
• Best Food in Singapore: A Foodie’s Heaven
• Luxury Guide to Singapore

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The streets in Langkawi (Kuah and Cenang especially) are lined with spas! You can get all kinds of treatments at a big variety of price, with hotels and resorts being the highest. They are really big on reflexology here, I saw a lot of Thai massage, and mani/pedi places. Another big thing was the “ear candling” so obviously we HAD to try it.

Ear candling & reflexology @ Terati Patai Cenang

We tried at Teratai on Patai Cenang near Underwater World. The 30 minute foot reflexology was 38 ringgit and the ear candling was 38 ringgit. The total 76 ringgit is equal to 20 USD. A full body massage here is 88 ringgit. The reflexology was great and as always hurts a little. In case you’re unfamiliar, it’s using pressure point that ease problems in relative areas of your body. I know what you really want to know about though, the EAR CANDLING! Lol.

awkward…

What is ear candling?

Ben was the one who volunteered for this. On the way over, he had severe sinus pain on the plane. We’ve both been sick, and his hea is shit so he decided to go for it. I was getting a massage at the time but this is how he described it: They dug around like they wanted to poke his brain, pulled out chunks of gunk with sticks and hooks, then put a candle in his ear, which created a suction and pulled out even more little bits of gunk.

The treatment is meant to relieve sinus pressure and pain. Ben swears it worked. Other than relieving pain, he can hear better as well. It can cure swimmers ear so is good for those in the water a lot. If you’ve ever had any type of ear problems like tubes or perforation, don’t do this! The stick poking reminds me of the ear cleaners on the streets of India.

Contact: They have a free pick up service I noted on flier, so if you want to call it’s 04-9551822.

Bali traditional @ Ratu Maya Spa

This one specializes in “Bali Traditional Treatment”. I know I’m in Malaysia, but each shop has all different types: Swedish, Malay, and Thai… but the Malay was pressure points and I really wanted something a bit more relaxing. The massage here was great. I got a 40 minute neck shoulder massag for 60 ringgit.

Contact: next to Underwater World, call at 012-407 2075.

Foot scrub & massage @ Ayer Hangat Spa Village

This was a nice surprise! We went to Hangat village to see the hot spring, but I didn’t realize there was a spa. They had a special which was 30 minute foot massage and scrub for 35 ringgit (10 bucks).

After soaking your feet in salt water filled with flowers, you got rubbed down with salt and a fruit similar to a lime. The massage was incredible and I highly recommend! They had all the little touches like ice cold towel over your eyes (it was a hot day) and laying down during the foot massage which almost never happens. She massaged me an extra 10 minutes for no reason – nice! A full body, full hour Malay massage is 130.

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If there’s one thing you do in Langkawi, this should be it! I’d go so far as to say, if you’re on a gap year you should wait until Langkawi to do any jet skiing. All booking information is at the bottom of this post.

The tour is four hours long but you can go a little faster if you are pressed for time by spending less time at each place. There were multiple stops along the way which were all FREE so it’s not just the jet skiing, but the whole tour that is really great.

Dayang Buting Marble Geoforest Park

Our first stop was this UNESCO site. The area is called “pregnant lake” by the locals. Here’s the story/myth:

“There was a beautiful woman who the King really wanted to marry, so of course he did. He went away to war and came back a year later and she was pregnant… so it was NOT his baby. Angry, he turned her into stone and she cries still.”

The rock does look like a pregnant woman lying down, and the sweet water lake in the middle are as they say, her tears. You can go from the jetty up some stairs to the fresh water and take a swim! You can rent little boats as well. In case you don’t like that story there is another one or 10!

“it’s a lovely fairy princess who married an earthly prince and got pregnant from drinking the water in the lake.”

FYI: bathing in this lake bestows fertility to barren women! That is if you believe these things ;)

Some of the rock formations are 550 million years old! You can see as you go around the many islands how the rocks are changing. Actually, Langkawi had more islands once but they fall into the ocean. The marble turns to limestone in the heat (metamorphic rock) and limestone isn’t that strong of a rock so the winds and salt water splashing take out bits from the bottom slowly until it’s gone.

BEST part of the Langkawi jet ski tour

You get 20 or so minutes of “free go crazy time” on the jet ski. We were the only people signed up so got a bit more. We went crazy! You can go over 40 miles/hour… we were going nearly 45 just racing around the ocean and spinning out in circles. I loved driving that fast but just hated being on the back. The noises I was making were unnatural lol and Ben was just cracking up the whole time. I was almost always “about to fall off!” and I’d scream “BEN SULLIVAN STOP IT!!” and of course he wouldn’t. Our guide was laughing at us. We could have done that all day. Man, that was fun!

Eagle feeding & more

You’ll see 8 islands but not get off at all. These are beaches with snorkeling like Beras Basah island, private beaches with great views, areas of water very deep and famous for parties because there are no waves, and areas with high salt concentration you can easily float.

You can go up to the small island rock formations and go up under the protruding rock. I’m not going to lie, this part gave me MAJOR anxiety! You can see the black rock is very old, while the yellow is new where old limestone has fallen from the wind and rain. It’s scary thinking it could fall on your head.

You’ll go to an island were they feed lazy eagles chicken skin! There are 4 kinds of eagles and some are really big!

Near the Eagle feeding island is a closed camp. There was a death of a boy by python something like 10 years ago… it’s very sad but of course there are pythons in these areas and even in my home Goa. I think it’s great that Langkawi actually closed it down as a place to sleep. Some other governments don’t care as much about the people and more about money.

A word on animals: there are snakes and monkeys. Of course you shouldn’t wander into the islands on your own. There are also small komodo dragons! I didn’t get to see one. We were told there are no sharks or crocodiles, but in other areas there are so let’s just assume there are everywhere, right?

Booking information & jet ski tour tips:

• We actually booked through a small company there which was $97. If you want to book ahead, book on Viator. It’s $125 for two people to go one one jet ski. Read other reviews and book it here.
• Wear your swim suit, but girls wear a shorts over (gym shorts that you can swim in) just out of respect & either wear a tank top over bikini top or keep your life jacket on at the stops.
• Don’t take ANYTHING with you except: little cash if you want to snorkel, GoPro, bottle of water. There is a non-waterproof cubby in front of jetski for these things. There is an outdoor shower on the beach for after.
• Check out these 11 adventurous things to do in Langkawi, including this jet ski tour and this article about what to eat in Langkawi.

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