Langkawi is an archipelago made up of 99 islands on the west coast of Malaysia. Surrounded by the Andaman Sea, the main island offers a mixture of picturesque paddy fields, jungle-clad hills, and tranquil waterfalls.
Malaysia: Langkawi – Kilim Karast Geoforest Park
Kilim Geoforest Park (or Kilim Karst Geoforest Park as its full name) is one of the three geoforest parks associated with the Langkawi Geopark. Langkawi Geopark comprises the whole of Langkawi Island and was endorsed as the 52nd Global Geopark by UNESCO on 1st June 2007.
The van arrived to pick us up at 9:30 a.m. for the mangrove tour, which had given us enough time to head to the local Starbucks store for coffee. Yes, Starbucks has reached the remote islands of northern Malaysia, which in our eyes is not a good thing, but it was the only coffee shop that was open. We’re not fans of Starbucks coffee back in the USA, but it tasted pretty good.
The van was full of people, but luckily it only took about 25 minutes to reach the drop-off point from where the tour started. As we waited in line to check in, I suddenly realised I had forgotten to bring along our voucher for the tour. When this sort of thing happens, I tend to panic. Luckily, our names were on a list, so there was no need to panic.
Kilim Karst Geoforest Park was the first UNESCO Geopark in Southeast Asia with 100 Square kilometres of nature forest and a breathtaking landscape. It is home to a sprawling mangrove forest and ancient gigantic limestone rock formations rising from the riverbed, formed some 500 million years back.
We climbed aboard our boat on the jetty. It was a small boat with about ten of us aboard. We were in a tour group, so there were another two larger boats in our flotilla.
The boats set off down the river towards our first stop, a fish farm. The scenery was amazing. The river was very wide, perhaps 300 metres or so. On one side there was a beach of sorts on the other a dense mangrove forest. The backdrop to the mangrove forest was limestone-cast mountains, covered in trees.
FISH FARM
When we reached the fish farm, which was on a floating dock we all disembarked. This is where we would be having lunch. It seemed that the main reason for being here was for those who wanted to order a fish lunch, rather than the standard fare of fried chicken (or in our case no meat or fish). There were tanks of fish, lobsters and large shrimps which you could choose your lunch victim from – they even let you fish it out of the tank. One of the tanks held a large stingray, which apparently was there for rehabilitation before being released, but we suspected otherwise. The tank itself was far too small.
EAGLES & KITES
Much to our relief we all climbed back aboard the boat and headed further down the river. About 10 minutes further into the mangrove forest, we came to an area where there were dozens of brown and white Brahminy kites and sea eagles swooping down to the river. Supposedly, these kites and eagles are not being fed, which would be bad, but were tempted down by a concoction of things thrown into the river by the boats, which is not much better. Despite the ethical issues with the process, it was good to see these beautiful raptors.
CROCODILE CAVE
The boat pushed further upstream and reached what is known as the ‘Crocodile’ cave. There are no crocodiles here but a rock formation that seems to look like a crocodile at certain tide levels, although I couldn’t see it myself. The cave is a relatively small passage through the rocks, which you can get one boat through at a time. At high tides, as this part of the river is tidal, it is almost impossible to get a boat through.
BAT CAVES
The tour continued down the river to the ‘Bat Caves’, where we all had to disembark. Unlike the ‘Crocodile Cave’ there were bats inside this cave, an estimated 2,000. It was dark inside the cave but with the few torches and cell phones that people were carrying you could see them hanging from the ceiling. These caves are carved in limestone cliffs, so they have typical limestone cave formations: stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone. It didn’t take too long to tour these caves – and apart from one or two low-roof sections, they were easy to get around.
OCEAN TRIP
From the caves, we headed out onto the open ocean. It was quite a thrill to be out of the sea, bumping across the waves. There were some beautiful views of the shoreline with its cliffs, huge boulders, and tiny sandy beaches. From the boat, we could also see many islands of the Langkawi archipelago and the islands of Thailand beyond. After 20 minutes we entered back into the river, close to where the fish farm we had visited earlier was.
It was lunchtime. Our meal was a simple bowl of fried rice. Those who hadn’t ordered fish got the same with the addition of some fried chicken.
After lunch, we returned to the boat and crossed the river, where there was a very nice beach, and so we had some beach time before the cars came to pick us up.
Planning your visit to Kilim Karst Geoforest Park
You cannot visit the Kilim Geoforest Park without going on a tour. You can join a group tour or organise a private tour. There are many operators running these tours and this will usually include transport from your hotel to the dock.
You can also make your way to the boats and find a boat there.
The are lots of options for these tours depending on how long you want the tour to be and how many places you want to stop at. A one-hour tour costs around RM 200 per boat and the two-hour RM350.
The best time to visit Langkawi
Langkawi, Malaysia sits under the Am classification of the Köppen climate system – meaning it experiences a tropical monsoon climate. The temperature remains reliably warm year-round with slight fluctuations, while precipitation amounts oscillate noticeably, hinting at distinct wet and dry seasons. The island experiences high temperatures ranging from 31°C to 34°C across the year. The lowest temperatures are in a narrow band of 23°C to 24°C.
Throughout the year, rainfall amounts see a significant variation. Starting with 50mm in January, it increases, reaching peak levels in September and October with 339mm and 344mm respectively. After that, rainfall decreases sharply heading into the year-end, bottoming out at 94mm in December. With respect to rainfall days, lesser numbers during January to March of around 4 to 9 days, rise sharply in the ensuing months to peak at 22 days from September to October. The remainder of the year sees this number taper off gradually.
Unmistakable patterns appear in the number of daylight hours too. The year starts with 11.8 hours in January, gradually increasing to a high of 12.5 hours in June and July before slowly reducing back to 11.8 hours by December. On the other hand, sunshine hours fluctuate minimally, varying between 6 to 8 hours across the year. Even the sea temperature remains fairly constant throughout the year, oscillating between 28°C to 30°C.
The best time to visit Langkawi
Considering the average weather conditions, the optimal time to visit Langkawi would be from January to March. During this period, the rainfall levels are comparably lower ranging from 50mm to 91mm, with rainfall occurring on 4 to 9 days of the month. The sea temperature holds steady at a pleasant 28°C to 29°C, desirable for water-related activities. Additionally, the daylight hours gradually escalate from 11.8 hours to 12.1 hours, leaving ample time for sightseeing. Despite the high UV index of 12 in this period, equipped with suitable sun protection, visitors can enjoy pleasant weather with 8 hours of sunshine each day.
The worst time to visit Langkawi
The months from September to October mark the least favourable period to visit Langkawi owing to high rainfall levels. These months witness the heaviest rainfall, exceeding 330mm, coupled with the highest number of rainfall days at 22. Despite the decent sea temperature oscillating between 29°C to 30°C, the influx of monsoon rains could hinder marine activities and outdoor adventures. While there is significant daylight, with about 12.2 hours to 12 hours, sizable rainfall and an average of 6 hours of sunshine might restrict outdoor pursuits.
Other places to visit while on Langkawi
1. SKYBRIDGE & SKYCAB
Langkawi Sky Bridge is a 125-metre (410 ft) curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge in Malaysia, completed in 2005. The bridge deck is 660 metres (2,170 ft) above sea level at the peak of Gunung Mat Cincang on Pulau Langkawi.
2. GIANT EAGLE
The icon of Langkawi, Eagle Square locally known as Dataran Lang is the home of Langkawi’s giant statue of an eagle. Local folklore suggests the island gets its name from two Malay words – helang (Eagle) and kawi (reddish-brown), hence the name lang-kawi.
Where to stay in Langkawi
1. LUXURY – THE DATAI LANGKAWI
The Datai offers luxurious accommodations with free Wi-Fi. It features a golf course, well-appointed spa and swimming pool.
The rooms at The Datai Langkawi overlook a tropical landscape and feature a living area with a private balcony. Private bathrooms are fitted with a dressing area and bathtub.
The hotel’s spa offers a menu of massage and body treatments. Mountain bikes are also available for usage, at no charge. Guests have access to a fitness center and two tennis courts at Els Club Teluk Datai, which is a 5-minute drive from the resort.
Located away from the hotel in a rainforest, The Gulai House is an open-air restaurant serving Malay and Indian dishes. The Dining Room serves western and local favorites, while The Pavilion offers Thai food in an outdoor setting.
2. MID-RANGE – THE SMITH HOUSE
The Smith House Langkawi is amongst the most pleasant 3-star hotels in Langkawi. This boutique hotel boasts of elegant furnishings coupled with contemporary dcor, thus attracting guests from far and wide, including families, couples and leisure/ business travelers. The hotel offers modern-day services and facilities in order to offer a relaxing and hassle-free stay. It features an azure blue swimming pool wherein guests can enjoy a relaxing dip in cool blue waters. One can also head to the onsite library and enjoy a reading session in tranquility.
3. BUDGET – VILLA ABADI RESORT
Located in Pantai Cenang, a 7-minute walk from Kuala Teriang Beach, Villa Abadi Resort has accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking and a garden. Located around 1.6 miles from Kuala Muda Beach, the hotel with free WiFi is also 1.1 miles away from Telaga Harbour. The hotel has family rooms.
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