Langkawi

Langkawi's four corners, from Pantai Cenang to the Kilim mangroves

Give Langkawi three to five days and treat the main island as four corners. Sleep at Pantai Cenang in the south-west, ride the SkyCab to the Sky Bridge in the north-west, take a boat through the Kilim mangroves in the north-east, and island-hop to Dayang Bunting off the south coast.

The northwest holds the mountains, with Oriental Village at the foot of the SkyCab and the curved Sky Bridge, 125 m long, at the top. In the northeast the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park threads about 10 km of mangrove estuaries and limestone caves from Kisap village to Tanjung Rhu. Off the south coast, beyond Kuah, lie the marble islands of the Dayang Bunting geoforest park and the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden.

• Three days: the cable car first thing, because queues at peak times can reach two hours. Combine it with the Seven Wells waterfall, 1.5 km from Oriental Village, where 638 steps lead up to the rock pools. Spend day two in the Kilim mangroves, with lunch at the Hole in the Wall fish farm. Day three is for island-hopping.
• Five days: add the 25-minute drive up Gunung Raya, at 881 m the island's highest peak, on a morning without fog. Split another day between Kuah's duty-free shops and the beach at Tanjung Rhu.
• A week: cross to Ko Lipe in Thailand, roughly 90 minutes by ferry from Kuah Jetty.

UNESCO declared the archipelago a geopark in 2007 and warned in 2014 that it could lose the status. That is reason enough to choose boat operators that skip eagle and monkey feeding, which makes wild animals dependent on tourists. Arriving from the mainland, many travellers combine the island with Penang, a short flight or a longer ferry and road trip away.

Kuala Kedah is under 10 km from Alor Setar and its station.

Langkawi weather, sea conditions and jellyfish season

Visit Langkawi from December to February, its short dry season, when January averages only about 24 mm of rain. A long wet season runs from April to November, with September and October the soggiest months. Ferries to Ko Lipe sail only from October to June, and jellyfish stings peak from January to June.

In a wet year September alone can bring more than 500 mm, and the annual total passes 2,400 mm.

Sea conditions matter as much as rain. Currents can be strong and hard to spot, so swim with care even on calm-looking days.

Jellyfish are the bigger hazard, with stings most common from January to June, which overlaps the best weather. In those months the lifeguards on Pantai Cenang and the island hospital treat stings almost every day. Most species leave a painful burn, but a few, including the box jellyfish, can paralyse or kill. Vinegar, poured over the sting for 30 seconds, is the one proven first aid; after a bad sting, keep still, because walking spreads the toxin.

The island draws couples and families more than party crowds, and outside peak season most bars sit empty, with the one or two nightclubs busy only at weekends in high season.

Nasi lemak, ikan bakar and duty-free drinks around Langkawi

Langkawi's food is Malay seafood with a Thai kick. Start the day with nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf on Pantai Cenang, then eat ikan bakar, ayam masak merah, tom yam and chilli crab in Kuah. Beer and spirits are cheap because the island has been duty-free since 1987.

Each morning a small stall opposite Underwater World on Pantai Cenang sells nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf, topped with beef curry, chilli squid, salted fish or chicken. Tomato Nasi Kandar on the same strip is packed at every hour; roti and biryani are the orders to make.

Seafood is the island's strength. Ikan bakar (grilled fish) appears everywhere. In Kuah, Wonderland Food Store is the recommendation for chilli crab. Fish may be priced by weight or per dish, so settle which before you order.

Duty-free status arrived in 1987. Beer and spirits cost far less than on the mainland, and the larger shops are the cheapest. Visitors staying longer than 48 hours also qualify for exemptions on limited amounts of liquor, tobacco and other goods; the airport shops are the most expensive place to buy.

Drink with discretion. Rowdy drinking next to a mosque or someone's home is deeply resented. Pantai Cenang is the only place with much nightlife at all.