Langkawi has its own international airport but the only international flight is from Singapore. The rest are all domestic, with AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines sharing most of the slots. It is rumored that flyDubai will be mounting flights from the UAE by early next year. If you are not flying, you can also reach the island paradise via ferry with sea routes to neighboring island of Koh Lipe in Thailand, Kuala Kedah to mainland Kedah, and Kuala Perlis in the neighboring state of Perlis.
In my case, I took the ferry from Koh Lipe. Immigration was smooth and there was really no crowd, aside from the people you boarded the ferry with. From Telaga Terminal, the cable car terminal is perhaps just 10 minutes away by car if you are just here on a day trip. Otherwise, there are Grab Cars and taxis aplenty to take you to Pantai Cenang, which is considered to be the main area of interest for tourists where you will find all the creature comforts you will need.
Take note that Pantai Cenang is on the south of the island. The Skybridge and green hills you alway see on Google are in the northwest. The jetty for ferries heading back to Mainland Malaysia are in the southeast. Telaga Terminal, where you disembark if coming from Thailand, is almost next to Skybridge. The airport is in the middle of Skybridge and Pantai Cenang. Again, just rely on Grab for transport convenience. There is no Grab Bike here but Grab Cars are cheap.
Much of the western part of the island is a natural park, a mountain and forest combo, if you are into that. There are more islands to the south if you are down for island hopping. Since I just came from Thailand’s Andaman islands, I wasn’t really in the mood so I just ended up at the cable car. For a literal change in scenery, we went from white sand beaches to verdant hills and cable cars in just an hour and a half of ferry ride! Don’t we just love the diversity this part of Southeast Asia offers?
The entrance fee for Skybridge, which already includes the return cable car ride and access to the 3D Art Museum and several viewing decks, will set you back MYR85 (~PHP1000). It is a bit steep but worth it given the jaw dropping views up there. Before reaching the ticket booth, you will have to pass through an oriental village first where there always seems to be a gang of monkeys considering it as their natural habitat. Having said that, be careful with your belongings unless you want them snatched.
The Skybridge was closed when I visited due to strong winds, which I found weird because the cable cars were operational anyway. In any case, the Skybridge is visible from the topmost viewing deck, and it appears to me as though it isn’t even the main attraction here. I’d dare say that the topmost viewing deck is the main star of the show. From there, you can just see everything! Rolling mountains bathed in green. Dots of boats and ferries lining up the endless sea. The cable car.
Yeah, the winds were indeed strong the day I went. My hair went from I-woke-up-like-this to super Saiyan Vegeta really quick. I must admit I was amused because my hair looked great in the selfies, hahaha. There is overpriced pasta and ice cream on that topmost viewing deck should you go hungry. There is a free toilet and a short bridge linking the two viewing decks. The entrance to the Skybridge is right next to the cable car landing.
The second cable car station, technically the first one you land on from the main station down below, has three viewing decks: a small one with a wooden heart which serves as a popular selfie spot because of the Skybridge/cable car backdrop; a small red viewing deck with an eagle’s head that resembles a nest which was closed that day; and a wider viewing deck with benches and binoculars with awesome views of Langkawi down below.
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