[Langkawi, Malaysia 2018] How I spent 4 Days 3 Night In Langkawi
By Elin Chow - Friday, November 30, 2018
Last month, my husband and I spent 4 days 3 nights in Langkawi and we had a great time. It was quite a last minute trip as we only booked our flight and accommodation a month before our trip. Luckily, it was an off-peak travel season, so it was not too expensive to travel even though we booked a little late.
Cost Breakdown
Total Cost Breakdown For 2 Persons
|
|
Expenses
|
Malaysia Ringgit
|
Flight
|
RM 332.00
|
Resort World Langkawi * 3 Nights
|
RM 850.00
|
Food & Drinks
|
RM 664.30
|
Car Rental
|
RM 202.00
|
Petrol
|
~ RM 47.00
|
Attraction Fees
|
RM 283.00
|
Parking
|
RM 10.50
|
Shopping
|
RM 231.00
|
TOTAL
|
RM 2,619.80
|
It is possible to travel to Langkawi on a much lower budget if you scrimp on food and accommodation. There are lots of budget or cheap eateries in Langkawi, serving mainly local food and visited mostly by locals and backpackers. You might want consider eating in these places if you would like to keep your food expenses low.
For accommodation, we were staying at Resort world Langkawi. It was pretty affordable, but there are many other cheaper accommodation options in Langkawi. I believe it should not be difficult to find one that fits your budget.
Transportation
The most convenient place to rent a car is at the airport. You will find row of counters offering car rental at the airport arrival hall. However, we find it cheaper to pre-book a car in advance than renting at the airport. This will also ensure that you will have a car once you arrive in Langkawi.
For those who are planning to drive in Langkawi, here are some things that you might want to take note:
The roads in Langkawi are fairly dark and quiet at night as there are very no/little street lights. Please look out for motorbikes as the riders tend not to obey traffic regulations and drive recklessly. Some of the motorbikes do not have rear lights, so it might difficult to spot them in the dark. Other than motorbikes, make sure you look out for cows and water buffalos too, especially when you are driving at night as they love to lie in the middle of the road. We almost crashed into a water buffalo when we were driving back to our hotel after dinner.
Picking Up Our Rental Car
We met up with a staff from Eurocar once we arrived at the airport. The staff told that they ran out of Perodua Myvi and offered us a Proton Persona instead without any additional charges.We accepted their offer as it was quite a good deal. It usually costs more to rent a Proton Persona than Perodua Myvi.
The car was about 4 years old but was pretty well maintained. We ran through a handover of the current condition of the car with the staff, making sure every scratches, dents and marks are properly documented in the rental agreement. The car should have a full tank of petrol when you collect the car. You will need to return it with a full tank when you return it at the end of your trip.
We did not take the GPS because we were more comfortable with using waze to navigate the roads. Once we have completed all the paperworks, we were ready to go.
The Fat Frog
Address: 90, East Estate, Jalan Padang Matsirat, 07000, Langkawi
FaceBook Page: The Fat Frog
Opening Hours: Closed on Monday, 8 am - 4.30 pm, & 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm (Tuesday - Sunday)
It was 1.30 pm when we left the airport. We were already hungry and decided to visit The Fat Frog for lunch due to the dozens of good reviews we read online.
The Fat Frog is a family run restaurant located in the former club house of 99 East Golf Club, by the side of the main road of Padang Matsirat, just 15 minutes drive from the airport.
We were greeted by a large friendly golden retriever named Monty upon arrival. Don't worry, the dog does not bark or lick and was ultra friendly, so there's really nothing to be scared of. We could not stop petting him because he is so friendly.
Spaghetti Aglio Olio
Price: RM 22
Although it was well spiced, I still find the taste a little too bland for my liking. And honestly, I am not really a fan of coriander. I think I would enjoy it better without the coriander.
Falafel Salad
Price: RM 22
Orange Juice and Lemon Tea
Price: RM 10 Each
Eating here is a very relaxing experience. The place is very secluded and peaceful, with a wonderful view of the golf course and the mountains far in the distance. Other than that, there was good music
as well.
As for the food, they were freshly made and beautifully presented. Price is a little expensive, but serving size was decent, so I guess it is still good value for money. Oh yes, the friendly dog was also an added bonus!
Resort World Langkawi
Address: Tanjung Malai, 07000 Langkawi
Official Website: Resort World Langkawi
Previously known as Awana Porto Malai, the resort is well known for its Mediterranean inspired architecture designs with a distinctive bright yellow facade, a landmark white lighthouse and a scenic waterfront boardwalk that offers al fresco dining. Facing the pristine blue water with private marianas and surrounded by lush green rainforest, the resort has a romantic allure that is both visually striking and majestic.
It is nice to stroll down the boardwalk any time of the day where you can capture as many instagram-worthy picture as you want. Or to dine here in the evening while enjoying the glorious view of sunset. This is a great place for cocktails at night with live band music on weekends, which can be pretty disturbing for those who planned to turn in early for the night.
With two queen sized beds and ample of space to walk around, the room can sleep up to 4 persons and is perfect for a small family or a small group of friends. The price was also fairly affordable, or rather cheap, if you are sharing among 4 people.
Both the toilet and shower room are pathetically small and we get bad smell from the drains occasionally. The sink vanity is located outside the toilet and shower room, in a corner of the bedroom. However, water in the sink took forever to drain due to old clogged piping and the problem was not fixed even though we complained to the front desk.
Housekeeping definitely need to be improved as our room was not automatically cleaned. I have to approach the front desk and request our room to be cleaned every day. There was no hairdryer in our room as well, so I have to request it from the front desk.
You can choose to sit outside of the restaurant, at the boardwalk to take in the beautiful sight of the sea while eating if you do not mind the heat.
Dataran Lang (Eagle Square)
Almost 5pm. After settling down, we decided to visit Dataran Lang, also known as the Eagle Square, to take some mandatory tourist photos before the sky gets dark. It was raining heavily when we arrived at Kuah town. We parked our car at the car park at Jetty Point Complex, which is located just 10 minutes walk away from Dataran Lang.
We left Jetty Point after 10 minutes since it was not a good place to shop. The rain has already stopped by the time we stepped out of the shopping mall, so we decided to walk over to Dataran Lang.
There are not much activities to do here. Most tourists came here to take with the eagle sculpture and leave. That was just our plan too. However, getting a picture with the huge sculpture is really not easy, especially when the platform is packed with people. Everyone around us was fighting for the best spot to take the best picture.
Teow Soon Huat Duty Free Shopping Complex
Address: A-14-15, Pokok Asam, Pulau Langkawi
Tripadvisor: Teow Soon Huat Duty Free Shopping Complex
Wonderland Food Store
TripAdvisor: Wonderland Food Store
Address: Lot 180, Persiaran Mutiara 2, Pusat Perdagangan Kelana Mas, 07000 Langkawi
Opening Hours: 5.30 pm - 11.30 pm
Service was fast and friendly at the restaurant even though it was busy. The waiter came and handed us the menu once we got seated while he waited patiently to take our order. The menu offers a good variety of seafood and meat dishes for diners to choose from. We had a hard time deciding what to eat.
Long queues have started to form while we were making our order. Please come early to avoid waiting.
Dry Chilli Squid
Price: RM 12
Butter Tiger Prawns
Price: RM 39.20 for 2
The butter prawns was delicious! Fried in butter and oil, the prawns were very fresh, crispy and fragrant. We love the egg floss as well, which makes a great complement to the prawns.
Stir-Fry Sambal Kang Kong
Price:RM 10
Overall, the seafood was very fresh and service was good. The waiter will recommend the right portion when you order to ensure that you are not ordering too much. Most importantly, the price was reasonably cheap too.
Our total bill was about RM 70, including a pot of tea and a plate of white rice. The restaurant does not have service charge and that is also why it is cheaper to eat here. I would certainly love to eat at this restaurant again.
After a fulfilling dinner, we went back to our hotel to rest. It was already 9.30 pm and we were really tired after a whole day of travelling.
Oriental Village + Sky Cab
Official website: Sky Cab
We purchased the combo A package which includes the Sky Cab ride, Sky Dome, Sky Rex and 3D Art Museum. The price for the package is RM 35 for Malaysian adult and RM 50 for foreigner.
Luckily the queue for the ride was not long as we did not get the Express Lane ticket. Each car has a capacity of 6 persons and if there is a long queue, you will be expected to share the car with other people. But most of the time, we were lucky to have the car all for ourselves because there were not a lot people. Service of the cable car may be temporary suspended due to strong winds. Also, please note that the cable car might be closed 2 days every month for maintenance. You will want to check out their operation calendar to avoid disappointment.
We arrived at the Middle Station 10 minutes later. The Middle Station is an viewing platform that offers a spectacular 360-degree panoramic views of Langkawi islands and surrounding mountains. This is a great place to enjoy the marvelous view and take some quick photos before going up to the top of the mountain.
The Middle Station can get really packed sometimes, so you might have to wait if you want take a nice picture with the picturesque view. Once you are done with the Middle Station, you might need to queue to take another cable car to the Top Station.
Sky Bridge
The journey between the Middle Station and Top Station is much shorter, which took only 5 minutes. This is also where you can access the famous Sky Bridge. Please note that there is an additional entrance free for Sky Bridge which will not included in your combo tickets. The entrance fee is RM 5 for adult and RM 3 for child.Tickets can only be purchased at the ticketing counter at the Top Station.
However, if you would like to save some money like us, you can choose to take the short 10 minutes nature walk instead. It was a quite a challenging hike down a long steep flight of stairs. The path is pretty narrow with hand rail only on one side, allowing one person to pass at a time. The climb down was still manageable, but climbing back up can be pretty arduous and will make you breathless. For people with poor stamina or mobility issues, I really suggest that you pay for the Sky Glide ride.
Official Website: 3D Art Museum
Opening Hours: 9am - 6pm
The three-storey building features more than 200 impressive 3D artworks by a group of talented international artists, all within a 2,000 square metres space. Each of the artwork is hand-painted and will appear almost lifelike when photographed, if you are standing in the right spot. The museum is divided into nine different theme zones - Aquarium Zone, Safari Zone, Fantasy Zone, Optic Illusion Zone, Malaysia Zone, Classic Zone, Main Hall Zone, Interactive Zone 1 and Interactive Zone 2.
Photo-taking is the main activity here. You will need to think out of the box, create your own story with the 3D artworks and take as many photos as you want. The amount of photos that you can create in this museum is limitless, so make sure you get your camera ready before you visit.
We took quite a lot of photos here but some were pretty awkward. I have to constantly overcome my shyness and pose with the artworks. It was a little embarrassing because I am not really good at posing, especially in front of other people. But on the hand, we had so much fun. Let's take a look at some of the photos that we took.
Overall, the 3D Art Museum was a fun and interesting place to spend time with your family and friends, especially if you are travelling with kids. The artworks are stunningly beautiful and we spent about an hour here just to take photos. Highly recommended!
Restaurant Marhaba
Underwater World
Official Website: Underwater World
Address: Jalan Pantai Chenang. 07000 Langkawi
Opening Hours: 10am - 6pm
River Ecosystem
In this section, you will also find a series of specially designed tanks that are home to several unique species of reptiles and small snakes. These are some of the reptiles that you will find here: Leopard Gecko, Chinese Water Dragon and Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink.
Tropical Rainforest
The tropical rainforest section is a small walk-through aviary set in a tropical rainforest environment. You will able see rainforest inhabitants such as flamingos, pheasants and playful shelducks. Flight birds are allowed to roam freely in the enclosure, which gives you a great opportunity to observe, interact and photography them at a close distance. However, it is not advisable to touch the birds even though you can as they may become aggressive when touched.
Sea Shell Display
The Sea Shell Display section showcases more than 100 species of seashells from various parts of the world in glass casings.
Coral Reef Section
Invertebrate Section
Venomous and poisonous Section
The Venomous and poisonous Section is home to some of the most poisonous creatures in the world such as the Moray Eels and Lionfish.
Hexagonal Tank
Temperate Section
Sub-Antarctic Section
Tunnel Tank
All in all, the underwater world is definitely worth visiting. The collection is impressive, but some of the tanks are empty due to renovation works.
Orkid Ria Seafood Restaurant
Address: Lot 1225, Pantai Cenang, Mukim Kedawang, 07000 Langkawi
TripAdvisor: Orkid Ria Seafood Restaurant
Opening Hours: 11am - 3pm & 6pm to 11pm
The menu offers some of the freshest seafood delicacies, as well as some other homemade dishes in Langkawi.
Steamed Grouper
A dead Grouper costs RM 12.50 per 100g. Ours was around 500 g, which was just nice for the two of us. We choose to have our fish steamed. It is the most simple and delicious way to prepare it. The fish was cooked just right and it was very fresh and sweet. The soy sauce mixture was awesome and complement the fish well.
Tiger Prawns
The tiger prawns were picked right out from the tanks and costs RM 23 each. We got 4 of them and have the prawns prepared in two different ways.
Stir-Fried Choy Sum
Generally, Orkid Ria offers good quality seafood cooked in Chinese style. The food does not come cheap but you will definitely get what you paid for. Service was fast and friendly even though the restaurant was really busy. The waiters will also weight the seafood right in front of us and tell you the exact price before cooking, so there will be no surprise. I will highly recommend this restaurant despite its high price.
Island Hopping
We booked our island hopping tour with Bin Ali Holidays for RM 55 per pax. The package lasts for 4 hours and includes an hour stop at Pulau Dayang Bunting, an eagle-feeding session at Pulau Singa Besar and another an hour stop at Pulau Beras Basah. Complimentary hotel transfers included as well.
For those who plan to join this island hopping tour, please remember to bring along your own water to keep yourself hydrated and apply plenty of sunscreen to avoid sunburnt. You might want to bring along your towels, swimwear and a set of change clothes if you are planning to swim. We were advised not to bring any food or snacks because there are a lot of monkeys on the islands. If you must bring, please keep them in your bags. Do not bring your food and personal belongings in plastic bags or the monkeys might snatch it away from it.
Pulau Dayang Bunting
We set off at around 9.30 am to the legendary Pulau Dayang Bunting, also known as the Island of the Pregnant Maiden where we were given an hour to spend.
The tour package does not include entrance fee to Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park. It costs an additional of RM 3 for Malaysians and RM 6 for foreigners to visit the lake. The price does not include rental of life jacket, which is compulsory if you are intending to take a dip in the lake.
Once you passed through the ticket counter, it is a 15 minutes hike up the concrete steps through the dense forest and a downhill track leading to the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. It was not a very difficult hike, but might be challenging for people with mobility problems.
You will also want to keep your sunglasses, camera and handphone away from their sight as the monkeys might snatch them from you in exchange for food.
If you are not intending to swim or ride on a paddle boat, then there is not much for you to do here. There is no shaded area where we can take a seat and enjoy the beauty of the lake. But it can become very noisy as more tourists start to come in.
Eagle Feeding
The next stop will be Pulau Singa Besar where we get witnessed an eagle-feeding session. Pulau Singa Besar is a wildlife sanctuary located between Pulau Dayang Banting and Pulau Beras Basah. The name of island means "Island of the Big Lions" even though there are no lions here.
It was a spectacular sight seeing a large number of eagles circling in the sky, but it was really not easy to capture them on camera. We were given about 10 minutes to watch the eagles before proceeding to the next island.
Pulau Beras Basah
Nasi Kandar Tomato
Opening Hours: 24 hours every day except 1.15 pm to 2.30 pm on Friday..
Open for 24 hours a day, Nasi Kandar Tomato serves both Malay and Indian cuisines. But do not expect the quality of food to be good given the price you pay. Most of the food were not kept warm and left out in the open, which is a little unhygienic.
Anyway, prices were cheap, but not exceptionally cheap. It was cheap if you compare to other restaurants in this area. Our total bill was RM 19, including drinks.
After lunch, we went back to our resort to rest. We slept almost half the afternoon away and only woke up around evening for dinner.
Shin Mi Seafood Village
Facebook Page: Shin Mi Seafood Village
Address: 70, Kg Baru, Kuala Teriang, 07000 Langkawi
Opening Hours: 12 pm - 4 pm & 6 pm to 10.30 pm
For dinner, my husband wanted to visit Orkid Ria again, but I wanted to try a new restaurant out. After some discussion, we decided to visit Shin Mi Seafood Village, a Chinese seafood restaurant located within a fisherman village in Pantai Kok.
The restaurant serves a wide array of seafood cooked in Chinese and Thai style.
Steamed Grouper
Price: RM 58.50
But it was very fresh and not overcooked. In fact, it was fresher than the one we had at Orkid Ria last night. But disappointingly, we find the sauce a little lacking. Other than freshness, Orkid Ria actually cooked the fish better than Shin Mi.
Crabmeat Scallops
Price: RM 36
Stir-Fried Golden Spices Meat Crab
Price: RM 65
Butter Prawns
Price: RM 4
For prawns, there was a minimum order of 300g and we have about 10 of them. It costs RM 14 per 100g, which was so much cheaper than Tiger Prawns. We had butter prawns because it was the most delicious way to cook them.
The butter prawns were fried until crispy in butter and oil. It was fresh and fragrant. So tasty and I just could not stopping eating them. Even now, I can feel my saliva drooling while writing this.
Be sure to follow me on my Facebook or Instagram to get the latest updates on my travel adventures! Also, do not forget to share my blog posts with your family and friends if you find them helpful. In the meantime, you might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.
0 comments