If you’re planning a vacation in Langkawi, chances are your number one goal is to relax. Lay eyes on Langkawi’s palm-fringed beaches and exotic scenery, the urban rat race seems like a distant memory.
So, let out your inner beach bum, and submit to the lazy pleasures of paradise!
But even the most devoted beach bum can only lounge around for so long. Once you’ve perfected that tan, it’s time to get the blood pumping once more, by trying your hand at these awesome Langkawi beach activities.
1. Parasailing
Langkawi’s beaches are a pretty sight from any angle, but viewed from the air, they take on another level of beauty altogether.
Never parasailed? This beginner-friendly sport involves being harnessed to a parachute which is turn attached to a motorboat that pulls you along, allowing you to glide peacefully around 150m in the air. Definitely DO look down, as the incredible bird’s eye views open up beneath your feet. Soaring over Langkawi’s beaches you’ll be able to see the outer islands of the archipelago scattered over the shimmering ocean beyond.
Unless you’re deathly afraid of heights, parasailing is a fairly gentle activity. A few operators even offer tandem parasails. Most will even drop down and dunk into the ocean for an exhilarating dip (with your permission of course!)
2. Jet Ski Adventures
Fancy yourself bit of a speed-fiend? Get your adrenaline fix tearing it up on a high-powered jet ski. Many popular beaches offer jet ski rentals, but instead of simply doing donuts till you puke, why not join a jet ski-driven adventure tour to some of Langkawi’s little-known beaches and islands?
Possibly the single most fun way to explore coastal Langkawi, several watersports companies offer two-hour and half-day tours to traditional fishing villages, hidden freshwater lakes in the jungle and secret islands for sea eagle watching and crowd-free snorkelling.
3. Snorkelling
Because the waters around mainland Langkawi aren’t particularly clear, tour operators conduct snorkelling trips in the Pulau Payar Marine Park, a series of four uninhabited islands roughly 45 minutes boat ride away. The islands are blessed with shimmering turquoise water, and while the marine-life isn’t on-par with other, more dive-centric Malaysian islands, the park offers relaxed, easy snorkelling, with shallow coral gardens and schools of colourful reef fish. The trip alone to Payar is worth it – a remote, pristine paradise of emerald green mangrove forests and unspoiled beaches.
4. Banana Boat Rides
Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but don’t pretend Banana Boats are the best fun you and six of your hysterically shrieking buddies can have on a fruit-shaped inflatable raft.
Nearly every popular beach on Langkawi offers banana boat rides. If you’ve somehow managed to avoid one so far, it involves an inflatable tube pulled through water by a speedboat. Expect a very wet, very bumpy ride, which comes to a head when the speedboat performs a high-speed spin, unceremoniously knocking his passengers into the drink. Lifejackets are provided, making the experience suitable for all ages.
5. Donut and Viper Rides
Banana Boats a little too tame for your liking? Wavequest Watersports at Tengah Beach have introduced two gnarly new inflatable rides, promising more speed, more airtime, more spins and more spectacular flips. With the donut, up to four adults lay flat on their stomachs on a round raft, holding on for dear life as they surrender to the mercy of the speedboat driver.
The Viper is a similar contraption for single riders, making it lighter and faster still!
