Postcards From Langkawi

Associate Editor Karen Fong heads to the tropical archipelago of Langkawi to discover its magical myths and death-defying bridges.

Dear CLEO,

I chose Langkawi as a quick holiday destination because it’s only a short (and affordable) flight from Singapore. It makes for a great long weekend, with a little sun and beach time. However, it was pretty cloudy over the three days I spent there, so instead of catching rays at the beach, I decided to explore some of the archipelago’s more interesting natural offerings.

Langkawi is made up of 99 islands that are best explored on the water. I went on a tour of the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park by boat, which got us up close with the mangroves and animals in this protected marine area certified by the UN. The geoforest is home to eagles, monkeys and lots of seafood – I mean sea creatures. The tour took about half the day, and I used the rest of the time to explore other islands, like the Island of the Pregnant Maiden, which is shrouded in myth. Legend has it that drinking from the lagoon improves your fertility, but people there were more interested in a dip than a sip.

On day two, I headed up Gunung Machinchang, the second highest peak in Langkawi. It takes a 20-minute ride in the SkyCab cable car to get there, which can feel pretty precarious when it looks like you’re going up at a 90-degree angle. As if that wasn’t enough, I tested my bravery with a walk on the massive SkyBridge, a suspension bridge that turned my legs to jelly. The curved bridge is 125m long, and offers great views if you can keep your eyes open.

Before the flight out, I headed to the popular beach area of Pantai Cenang for a cocktail (or two) at Yellow Café facing the sea. Then it was time to hop into a cab and head back to Singapore. If I had more time, I would have taken a ferry out to Thailand’s Koh Lipe, which is only an hour and a half away and is the definition of an island paradise. Next time... 

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