Langkawi Island, Malaysia on a Budget – Asia Tour 2017
Top things to do on Langkawi Island? Our list includes Hiking trails, beaches, waterfalls, seafood, night markets and more, to name a few, all on a budget!
We flew with Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi for $323.32 myr for 2 persons or €34 pp., with a luggage upgrade. A sandwich and water were included in the price. Flight time was approximately 1 hour. Currency is Malaysian Ringgits or rm.
The taxi from the Airport to our guest house, which was near Pantai Tengah beach was rm25. We booked Hotel Aurora Damai for 5 nights with a total cost of €86.14 or an average of €17 per night through Booking.com. Our duplex had a big room with a queen bed, desk, night table, Asian bath area, small tv, daily bottle of water, fresh towels day 3, water kettle in room (noodles!), and a patio with table & chairs; just 2 km to the beach and offering Moped rental.
We took a walk down to the Pantai Tengah beach (about 1/2 hour), people watched and then decided to search for a place to eat. After looking at menus of many restaurants, we decided to treat ourselves and eat at the Isländischen Seafood Restaurant at Cenang Beach. They have tanks filled with all kinds of seafood and you simply pick what you want and they cook it for you.
We ordered
– 600 gram lobster rm22/100gram
– 400 grams tiger prawn rm12/100gram
Both prepared steamed garlic
– Thai fried chicken rice
– 1 Heineken draft
– 1 can Tiger beer w/ side can of sprite (to make radlers)
Total: 280 rm ?
The prawns and rice were very good, the lobster not so good. We grabbed a taxi from the beach to our hotel for 20rm
Day 2 – We started our morning with Cup of Soup made in the room and consumed on our patio. (rm2 x2) with a big 5.5 liter water for rm8 which we had picked up the night before at a corner store. Then we rented a moped for 3 days at a cost of rm90. (€19). We ended up adding one more, see total below. It was a little tricky driving at first, as they drive on the left side of the road! We filled the 1/2 full tank to full with gasoline for rm4 (€0.84).
On our way down to the beach, we dropped off our laundry at Langkawi Laundry to be washed. They weighed it in front of us and told us to pick it up in 5 hours for a total of 3.7 kg for rm16.65 . We stopped at the convenience store to pick up some canned vanilla iced coffee rm2.50 ea. and proceeded sightseeing on the bike.
After some time at the beach, we continued on and stopped at The Cliff on Cenang Beach where we had 2 tiger beer and 1 sprite for rm23.10. After a bit more sightseeing, our next stop was at Sugar, a little bar restaurant on Tengah Beach where a sign advertises Happy Hour from 4pm to 7pm. We discovered it was always happy hour if you asked!? We enjoyed 3 Tiger draft beers – rm5 each, a Singapore Sling – rm12, 1 sprite -rm5 and a serving of chicken and beef satay rm22 throughout the afternoon and early evening for a total of rm59.40.
We stopped at the grocery market and picked up a package of 5 spicy Mamee Noodles rm 7, 2 iced vanilla coffees rm2.20 ea., 2 chiang beer rm3.50 ea. and 1 Red Bull 3.30 for a total of rm22. Note : can buy beer! Big bonus as it is complicated in so many places off the beach due to religious beliefs.
For Dinner we chose Zhong Hua Lou Seafood Restaurant at the Tengah Beach area. Again, you pick your seafood, get it weighed, agree or disagree on the price and they prepare it for you. We had:
– Heineken rm5
– Coke light rm2.50
– Water rm n/c
– Prawns 510 grams @ rm22/100gram rm112.20
– Chicken fried rice rm20
– Noodle Chicken Soup rm6
Total: rm145.70 – Still expensive, but very price worthy for what you get. The food was delicious and the service was great.
Day 3 – We got up early, at our breakfast noodles and decided to do a self directed Island Tour. Sights we saw included the Eco Village, Oriental Village, Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park, beaches including Kok, Datai Bay, Teluk Yu and Tanjung Rhu, and the beautiful fish farm, all free to see. We passed by the tourist attractions of a crocodile farm, bat cave and horseback riding stables, but did not go in. The monkeys hanging out at the sides of the roads were free of charge, as were the Mangroves. I am horrified of heights, but I believe if you visit the island, you must ride the cable car up the mountains for the best views.
The Night Market is in a different location every day, but on this day the night market was in our area, so we decided to go. It was wall to wall people, a lot of them were tourists. I do not know where they hid during the day, but the market brought every curious body to one place. So many food stalls with a huge variety of local delicacies and drinks to choose from. Our choices were:
– a Shawarma style sandwich x 2 rm5 ea.
– Orange drink rm2 (this is how we secured a sitting area)
– Noodles x 2 rm3 ea.
– 3 fried chicken pieces for rm5
– 6 spring rolls rm3
Total rm26 – and every last bite was delicious!
Other costs throughout the evening included a Big water (5.5 liters) , Lychee Juice, Fuel, 2 Coffees and a coke. (added in costs below)
Day 4- After our Breakfast Noodles chased by 4 ice coffees, we headed back to Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park to continue exploring!!!? We parked our bike and did the short hike up to the Seven Wells Waterfall locally known as Air Terjun. It is incredibly beautiful; don’t forget to take your swimsuit!!! There are free washrooms, but no vendors, so take water with you. After enjoying cooling off at the falls, we continued the hike up the mountain to Telegah Tujuh or Seven Wells where seven pools run into each other above the falls, creating little slides and basins to chill in. Cost: 0, nothing, nada!
Back at Pantai Tengah beach, I decided I had to try the Durian Fruit Ice cream, otherwise known as Stinkfruit; I am not sure what possessed me to do this stupidity, but did and it was horrible. Does anybody truly like this stuff? I would love to meet that person! The craziness cost a whopping rm10 – cheap lesson. My more reserved husband stuck with a Carlsberg beer for rm3.30 and found my situation amusing. At least the show of how they handmade the ice cream was good!
Our favorite cocktail bar Sugar helped wash the foul taste from my mouth as we sat on the beach sipping Singapore slings and Beers, watching the gorgeous sunset. (rm40.70)
Zhong Hua Lou Seafood Restaurant enticed us back for dinner; by now they make us feel like part of the family!
– Spring rolls rm15
– Red snapper ,fried w/ garlic rm60
– Tiger prawns rm66
– Large chicken fried rice rm20
– Coke rm2.50 and Sprite rm2.50
Total: rm166
Day 5 was just a relaxing Beach Day, but here is a rundown of our costs: Singapore slings x 2, Beers x 4 Total: rm22
Supermarket: Beers x 2 rm7, Coffees x 1 rm2, KFC ?for 2 rm36
Laundry: rm9
Dinner: Zhong Hua Lou Seafood Restaurant
Rice, tiger prawns & sesame chicken rm120
Beers x 2 rm7 (for both) & Coke rm2.50
On Day 6 we grabbed a Taxi in the morning to the Airport for rm20 and took a flight from Langkawi to KLIA for myr323.32 (for both).
The flight delay 2 hours. Our next destination is Bangkok.
Total Costs for 2 persons:
Flight €34.00
Lodging €86.14 (5 nights)
Motor bike €25.33
Fuel €3.17
Food & drinks €256.96
Taxis: €13.72
Laundry: €5.40
Grand Total for 5 nights: €387.36 for 2 persons (excluding flights)
DO: rent a scooter/moped! It is the only way you can see and try everything at an affordable price (budget); but drive careful, at your own risk.
DO: interact with the people. They are very friendly and helpful
DO: show respect for their culture
DO: understand sometimes they do not understand- make sure you are clear
Click for more photos from our visit to Langkawi Island
Next stop: Ho Chi Minh via Bangkok!
Note: Our dinner prices were WAY higher than we would normally spend, but this was a destination which demanded eating seafood and it was a fraction of at home costs. ?
Check out our other Asia Travels!
