Things to do in Langkawi

Langkawi is one of those places where you can easily spend a few days doing a little bit of everything.
One day you’re flying high above the rainforest in a cable car, the next you’re racing across the sea in a jetcar and the day after that you’re sitting by the pool wondering whether anyone really needs to leave the resort.
And honestly, that last one is important too.
When we travel as a family, we like having things to explore, but we don’t want every day to be packed from breakfast until bedtime. That’s one of the reasons Langkawi works so well for a family holiday. There is plenty to do, but there is also plenty of space to slow down.
If you’re planning your first trip to the country, start with our Malaysia Travel Guide, where we bring together the practical information you need to plan a family trip through Malaysia.
And if you’re wondering what it is actually like to visit Langkawi with children, I’ve written more about our experience in Langkawi with Kids. Because traveling somewhere as a family is slightly different from simply looking at a list of things to do.
And Langkawi gave us plenty of things to do.

Take the Langkawi SkyCab and walk across the SkyBridge

You can’t really talk about things to do in Langkawi without mentioning the Langkawi SkyCab.
The cable car takes you high up Machinchang Mountain, above the rainforest and towards the famous SkyBridge. The higher you go, the more impressive the views become, with the rainforest, coastline and surrounding islands stretching out below you.
The SkyBridge itself is one of Langkawi’s most recognisable sights.
And this is where Mama had a moment.
Because wow.
That bridge is high.
I’ve never really had a problem with heights before, but apparently something has changed. Maybe it’s age? I don’t know.
All I know is that once we were actually standing on the SkyBridge, I decided that the middle of the bridge was the safest place in the world.
And that’s where I stayed.
Someone coming towards me?
They could move.
Someone wanting to pass?
Also their problem.
I was staying firmly in the middle.
Meanwhile, the rest of the family happily walked around, looked over the edge and admired the views, while I was doing my very best to pretend I was completely fine.
And yes, I know the bridge is perfectly safe.
That didn’t make it feel any less high.
Still, even with Mama’s little moment of panic, the views were absolutely worth it. Looking out over the rainforest and islands from up there really gives you a completely different perspective of Langkawi.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
Would I stand anywhere near the edge?
Absolutely not.
Around the cable car there is also plenty more to do, including attractions at Oriental Village, so you can easily turn your visit into a half or full day rather than simply going up and coming straight back down.
If you’re travelling with children, that can be particularly useful because everyone gets to choose what they enjoy.
And when you’re choosing where to stay, it’s worth thinking about how you want your days to look. We looked at the different areas of the island in our guide to Where to Stay in Langkawi, because where you base yourself can make a difference to how easy it is to combine sightseeing with beach and pool time.
Tip: Keep an eye on the weather before heading up. The views are a big part of the experience, and clouds can make a huge difference.

Climb to Seven Wells Waterfall

Close to the SkyCab is another Langkawi attraction that turned into a bit of a family adventure for us: Telaga Tujuh, or Seven Wells Waterfall.
The name comes from the seven natural pools formed by the waterfall.
And naturally, when the girls heard there was water, they wanted to swim.
Of course they did.
There was just one small problem.
Before we could get anywhere near that lovely, refreshing water, we had to climb 638 steps.
And let me tell you, when you’re already hot and sweaty, 638 steps feels like approximately 6,380.
Anneloes, who was already feeling hot and a little short of breath, made sure we knew exactly how she felt about this decision.
“I’m hot.”
“I’m sweating.”
“Why are we doing this?”
And, probably most importantly:
“How much longer?”
All the way up.
Evelijn was struggling too, but she had a completely different strategy.
“It’s okay. In a minute you can swim.”
That became her mantra.
Step after step.
“In a minute you can swim.”
And honestly, it worked.
Because when we finally reached the waterfall, the water was absolutely worth it.
Cool, refreshing and exactly what we needed after that climb.
There was even a kind of natural slide that had formed in the rocks, and of course Evelijn had to try it.
Then Pim.
Before we knew it, they were sliding down the rocks and landing in a little natural whirlpool at the bottom.
Cue laughter, screaming and a lot of splashing.
Evelijn went again.
Pim went again.
And Anneloes?
Well… Anneloes is generally our more cautious one.
She wasn’t convinced that sliding down a slippery rock into a natural whirlpool was the best idea in the world.
So she decided not to.
Which, in hindsight, was probably sensible.
Except that while carefully avoiding the slide, she still managed to slip on the rocks and land straight on both knees.
Of course she did.
So much for being the cautious one!
Thankfully, it was nothing serious, but it definitely gave us one of those family holiday moments that you laugh about afterwards.
Despite the 638 steps, the complaining, the slipping and the bruised knees, the waterfall was absolutely worth the climb.
Just bring plenty of water.
And proper shoes.
Seriously.

Race between the islands in a jetcar

If there is one activity that really surprised us, it was our island-hopping tour.
We didn’t do it on a slow sightseeing boat.
We went in a jetcar.
And wow… that was fun.
You go snoeihard.
So fast that sometimes it felt less like a boat trip and more like being on a roller coaster. The boat bounces over the waves and you can’t help but laugh and scream as you’re racing across the water.
For us, it was exactly the kind of family adventure we love.
And then, suddenly, the speed slows down and you’re looking at a completely different side of Langkawi.
We visited beautiful, almost deserted islands with gorgeous beaches where there was hardly anyone around.
We also saw a freshwater lake surrounded by lush green vegetation, and of course there were mangroves too.
It’s amazing how quickly the landscape changes.
One moment you’re flying across the sea, the next you’re quietly surrounded by tropical greenery.
It was such a fun afternoon and a really nice way to see more of the islands around Langkawi.

And then we spotted the eagles

During the boat trip we also saw the famous Langkawi eagles.
And what beautiful animals they are.
Watching an eagle swoop down towards the water and pull a fish straight out was absolutely fantastic.
Naturally, we all immediately reached for our phones.
And naturally, the photos were rubbish.
Because apparently your phone is not quite capable of capturing an eagle flying at full speed, grabbing a fish from the water and disappearing again before you’ve even managed to press the button properly.
On the screen, you end up with a blurry dot.
But in real life?
Wow.
That is one of those travel moments where you just want to put your phone away and watch.

And then there were the monkeys…

Let’s talk about the monkeys.
Because there were a lot of them.
And monkeys are definitely not Anneloes’ favourite animals.
These weren’t exactly the shy kind either.
They were everywhere and, let’s be honest, pretty cheeky.
They came quite close, wandered around as if they owned the place and generally seemed completely unimpressed by the humans trying to give them some space.
We saw a few little sprints.
We heard some screams.
And there may have been a few moments where certain family members suddenly decided they could run considerably faster than they had previously demonstrated.
Anneloes preferred to keep a healthy distance.
A very healthy distance.
And I can’t blame her.
Still, seeing the monkeys in their natural surroundings was another memorable part of the afternoon.
Between the jetcar, the deserted beaches, the freshwater lake, mangroves, eagles and monkeys, it turned into one of those excursions where you come back with a ridiculous number of stories from just a few hours.

Explore the mangroves at Kilim Geoforest Park

The island hopping also gave us a taste of just how diverse Langkawi’s landscape is, but if you want to explore the mangroves at a slower pace, Kilim Geoforest Park is another experience worth considering.
The park is known for its mangrove forests, limestone karsts, caves and waterways, and the best way to explore it is by boat.
It is a completely different experience from racing around the islands in a jetcar.
Here, the pace is slower.
You move through narrow waterways surrounded by greenery, with enormous limestone formations rising around you.
For families, I like that you don’t have to spend the entire day hiking in the heat. You can sit back on the boat while the landscape comes to you.
And keep your eyes open.
There is always the possibility of spotting more wildlife.

Spend a beach day at Pantai Cenang

After all that adventure, you might want to do absolutely nothing.
And that is where Pantai Cenang comes in.
Langkawi’s best-known beach area is perfect for a slower afternoon. Grab lunch, get an ice cream, let the children play in the sand or simply sit and watch the world go by.
And this is where something happened that the girls had been talking about all holiday long.
Parasailing.
We had a proper beach day, and when the opportunity finally came, we simply walked off the beach, into the water and straight into the boat.
The girls were beyond excited.
They had been talking about parasailing for days. So when it was finally time to go up, there was absolutely no hesitation.
No fear.
No second thoughts.
They wanted to go!
And up they went.
There they were, flying above the sea with Langkawi stretching out below them.
Watching them was almost as much fun as the activity itself. The excitement on their faces said everything.
For us, this was one of those moments that makes a family holiday special.
Sometimes it’s not the famous attraction or the perfect photo that stays with you.
It’s watching your children finally do something they’ve been looking forward to for days and seeing how happy they are.
And yes, they talked about parasailing for the rest of the holiday too.
So I think it’s safe to say it was a success.
Afterwards, we simply went back to our beach day.
Lunch.
Ice cream.
Swimming.
Nothing complicated.
This is one of the things I like about Langkawi as part of a bigger Malaysia trip. When we put together our Malaysia Itinerary, we had to balance all the places we wanted to visit with the reality of travelling as a family.
You can only have so many early mornings, long travel days and sightseeing days before everyone needs a break.
Langkawi is perfect for that.
It can be the place where you slow down.

Stay until after sunset for a fire show

And if you’re already spending the day around Pantai Cenang, don’t rush back to your hotel when the sun goes down.
Langkawi has a completely different atmosphere in the evening.
Along Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah, beach bars and other venues regularly put on fire shows after sunset. Performers spin flaming props, do acrobatics and create all kinds of impressive tricks with fire while people sit on the beach watching. The exact times and performances can vary, especially depending on the weather, so it’s worth checking locally on the day.
For us, it was one of those things that just felt like Langkawi.
You can spend the afternoon swimming and playing on the beach, grab some dinner, and then stay around for the fire show.
No complicated planning.
No getting in the car again.
Just beach, sunset, food and then suddenly… fire.
Some of the shows are right in front of the beach bars, while you can also find performers in more open areas. If you’re travelling with children, just make sure they stay well away from the performance area. The performers are working with real flames, so a little distance is definitely a good idea.
It’s also worth arriving a little earlier if you want a good spot, particularly at the more popular beach bars.
And honestly, this is exactly the kind of evening I love on a family holiday.
The girls had spent the day parasailing and swimming, we’d watched the sunset, and then we could sit down and watch a completely different kind of entertainment.
Langkawi doesn’t stop when the sun goes down.
It just changes.

What if it rains? Visit Underwater World

Of course, tropical holidays don’t always follow your carefully planned itinerary.
You might wake up to glorious sunshine and have a huge rain shower by lunchtime.
That’s when somewhere like Underwater World Langkawi, close to Pantai Cenang, can be useful.
There are marine animals, penguins, seals, reptiles and an underwater tunnel, making it a straightforward family activity for a rainy or particularly hot afternoon.
I wouldn’t plan an entire day around it, but it’s a good option to keep in mind when the weather decides otherwise.

And then… leave some time for nothing

This might actually be the most important thing on the list.
Because Langkawi isn’t somewhere I’d visit just to tick off attractions.
It’s somewhere I’d build into a Malaysia trip as the slower part of the journey.
After busy days exploring Kuala Lumpur, walking around Georgetown or travelling between different parts of Malaysia, having a few days where the biggest decision is whether to go to the beach or the pool can be exactly what everyone needs.
And that’s also why choosing the right accommodation matters.
If you know you’re going to want lazy afternoons, a good pool, beach access and somewhere comfortable to relax may be much more important than being right next to every attraction.
That’s something I cover in more detail in our guide to Where to Stay in Langkawi, because the best area really depends on the kind of holiday you want.

How many days do you need in Langkawi?

I’d give Langkawi at least three full days, but four or five nights would give you a much more relaxed experience.
You could spend one day around the SkyCab and Seven Wells, another exploring the water and islands, and another simply enjoying the beach and your resort.
If you have more time, add the Kilim mangrove tour, Underwater World or another activity that suits your family.
But don’t feel like you have to do everything.
Because that’s the thing I like most about Langkawi.
You don’t have to choose between adventure and relaxation.
You can have both.
If you’re building a Malaysia trip from scratch, our Malaysia Travel Guide is a good place to start for the bigger picture, while our [Malaysia Itinerary] shows how you can combine different destinations and decide where Langkawi fits into your route.
Langkawi doesn’t need to be the busiest part of your Malaysia adventure.
It might just be the part where everyone finally gets to slow down.

Planning a family trip to Malaysia?

Not sure how to fit everything together, where to stay or how many days you actually need in each destination?
That’s exactly what I can help you with.
I can plan your family trip around the things that matter to you — from the right destinations and accommodation to a realistic itinerary that leaves enough room for those spontaneous family moments too.

Let me plan your Malaysia adventure for you and take some of the work out of putting your trip together.