langkawi backpacking

Langkawi is a duty free haven! Cheap alcohol, cheap smokes. What more do you need?  Terrific beach to lazy around. Great combination for a budget traveller or backpacker.

Around town are the big name resorts. If you head to other parts of Langkawi, you’ll find more affordable accommodation. Pantai Tengah and Pantai Cenang are two options.

Pantai Tengah or Pantai Cenang?

These are two possible beach options. 15 minutes walk from each other. Pantai Cenang has more life to it but accommodation is more expensive.  Both beaches are equally as nice and great to relax on.  Pantai Cenang also has more eating options but consider the 15-20 minute walk and your budget to decide on where to stay.

Where to stay in Pantai Tengah?

Zackry Guesthouse at Pantai Tengah is great value. Probably the cheapest accommodation on the island. It is really basic with share rooms with fans and shared bathrooms. But it also has air conditioned private rooms as well.  The owner is great and is upfront about what is good and what is not on the island. Stay away from the aquarium... It’s a tourist gimmick and not any good.

Zackry Guesthouse is across the road from a resort. To get to the beach, you walk through the resort. If you really want, you can relax by the pool in the resort and use the resort’s towels and other facilities. The security guards don’t do anything at all because you’re a foreigner. Just act confidently, act like you are staying there and you’ll fit in fine. I used their sun lounges on the beach but felt a bit guilty about using the pool because I wasn’t paying to stay there. No one else was using the sun lounges on the beach – don’t know why, the beach is great.

Getting to Pantai Tengah/Pantai Cenang

From the habour, it’s a 25 minute taxi which would cost about 30RM. From the airport, its about 15 minutes and will cost about 20RM.

Island hopping

Tour operators can arrange “island hopping” where you are taken by boat to 2 other islands and the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden (fresh water lake). Cost is about 45RM and is well worth it. The beaches you are taken to are far nicer than that on Langkawi and are more secluded.

Lake of the Pregnant Maiden

The freshwater lake is well worth the visit. Make sure you head over there if you are heading over to Langkawi. I won’t describe it in detail because I won’t do it justice. It’s great to swim in fresh water when you’ve been swimming in salt water for the past few days.

Drinking

Due to the duty haven status, make sure you drink up! Beer  at Zackry’s Guest House was 2.50RM a can. At the supermarket, beer was 1.40RM a can! Very cheap indeed. At a bar you’d be looking at 4RM for a can.

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© Jafa Travel Pty Ltd 2008