Short Getaway in Langkawi: Things to do
A short getaway to Langkawi and a few recommended activities there.
Curious about activities to fill your days at Langkawi? Here are some of itinerary from our short trip at this island on the northwest of Peninsula Malaysia.
Accommodation: Bon Ton Resort, Langkawi
I have saved and pinned this resort on my Google Maps for a while now and finally made it here! I have eyed this place for 2 reasons. 1. It’s range of old kampung houses as chalets, 2. Their effort as a cat and dog shelter. Bon Ton is also setting itself up to be an art scene, but I’m not the best person to comment on that. Although, I did enjoy the Sunday entertainment sesh when they had an acoustic trio performing at their in-house restaurant. Nam, their restaurant has an excellent Nyonya Platter worth ordering, if you ever choose to dine there. 🤤 It is a restaurant that is open for the public as well!
Bon Ton Resort is only 10min drive from the airport. The serenity of the place, albeit the occasional plane flying in and out of the nearby airport, was worth staying for. Once we arrived, we were given a refreshing welcoming drink, their pineapple mint tea. 🍹 Nom! Not only that, the breakfast provided werey also tip-top! We were given baked bread slices and cake slices, butter, jam, honey, fresh fruits(i.e. plums, oranges, dragonfruitsm, mango), bottled juices, and yogurt, which is prepared the evening before during housekeeping and stored in our chalet's fridge for the next morning. 🤤
We stayed in the White Frangipani house, and I really mean house. It has a little patio before the main door, which then leads into a living area and the bedroom. The kitchen was through the bedroom, and then we have the powder room, and a bathroom, and an open air bathtub at the end of the house. Each house is also prepared with complimentary sarong with a tag teaching you how to wear them. They're very comfy in the hot weather.
My late grandma used to wear sarong like this around the house too.
Bon Ton Resort and its residential cats.
A look into our chalet. Last two pictures show the White Frangipani from the front and the back
Listen to how calming the place can be. The breeze, the birds, and the beautiful view.
If you'd like to experience the resort too, check them out here: https://bontonresort.com/
Island Hopping Tour
Although the recent hype in Langkawi is the mangrove tour, we still chose to go for the island hopping tour instead. With a lil help from the resort receptionist, we managed to find an agency called "Island Hopping Tour Alanona". Through their website, you can easily book a tour. I chose to whatsapp them instead to reserve 2 slots on their boat, which they kindly confirmed without having me pay any deposit. I did the booking the day before the trip. We were then given clear instructions to meet at the jetty of a given location and look for a Kak Suria by 9am the next morning. The boat departs at 9.30am.
The trip was worth RM40 and shows you a few islands. We took the most basic trip, Package A. We were shown a few islands but never got to step on them. On the tour, we also enjoyed some eagle feeding and fish feeding. The only island we stepped on was Pulau Beras Basah, and we were given about 90min to enjoy the beach there. It was about a 4 hour trip and it was a wonderful one. Short and sweet! You can find out more about their trip options here: https://alanona.com/island-hopping-price/
If you choose to go on this trip, do prepare a waterproof bag for your things as you could be sitting in the splash zone on the boat, and you will also be asked to bring everything with you when you leave the boat when they stop at Pulau Beras Basah.
From top left: Pulau Dayang Bunting (Pregnant Maiden Island), Pulau Buaya (Crocodile Island), our snaps at Pulau Beras Basah (Wet Rice Island)
Night Attraction: Dream Forest Langkawi
When in Langkawi, I highly recommend going for a walk at the Dream Forest. Conceptualised and developed by Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina, it is definitely a mythical and immersive storytelling of local legends of Langkawi.
In the Dream Forest, we got to experience and listen to 3 legends of Langkawi. As we walk through the forest, parts of the stories come to life through an array of well-placed signs, well-designed sculptures and lightshows, projections, sound effects, and even interactive activities! The staffs were friendly and will be around to guide you through the forest walk.
The whole walk took us about 1 hour or so. It feels like every corner was worth looking at and that the design of the place were meticulously thought through. Even the lightings were designed to look seamlessly natural alongside the shrubs in the area.
Definitely a fun-filled walk for children and childlike adults!
Clockwise from top left: The Tree Village, a midway rest and recreation area; Buntings near the entrance which are uniquely designed, the entrance archway crafted to look like open books; the map of the forest walk.
You can check them out and book tickets on their website: https://dreamforest.com.my/
I can't say on behalf of my partner but this getaway was a much-needed relaxation and exploration opportunity for me.
Hope this tempts you to make a trip to Langkawi, the land of the eagles!