Langkawi, Jewel of Kedah: Duty Free Paradise & Beach Getaway

Thanks to AirAsia and their official tagline, "Now everyone can fly", I recently brought my grandparents, mom and brothers to a little retreat in the island known as the 'Jewel of Kedah', Pulau Langkawi.

Having bought my flight tickets a year ago during their zero fares sale, the wait to the beach getaway was a long one. Having said that, everyone was happy that the grandparents had wheelchair and ambu-lift access to aid them up the aeroplane. I can't imagine if they were to climb up stairs into the aircraft!

I booked 2 cabin rooms at Casa Fina Fine Homes located in the Pantai Cenang, where all the nightlife and shopping is. I highly recommend this great place if you are looking for well-maintained and affordable accommodation, easy access to food and shopping, and of course the beach! 

Upon request, the staff had placed both of my booked rooms side by side in a shared cabin unit. We chatted on the verandah where there were tables and chairs for lounging outside whenever you feel bored in the room.

The view from the cabin in great, as there is a cozy garden where guests can sit and relax too. Kids will love the open space. They even provide a water dispenser in the garden for all guests. So if you feel like having a cool drink of water or hot water, you can just walk out to the garden for a refill! 

The executive double room which I booked is also very spacious. We can accommodate 3 on the bed, plus an additional mattress for 1 more person. The rooms and toilet are clean and well-maintained. There is also a mini-fridge to keep your chocolates and alcoholic drinks chilled! 

It is also very quiet here at night even if the shops are open. No loud music will disrupt your sleep, for sure!

Duty-free shopping is just across the street from Casa Fina, with the Zon Duty Free Shop, Warisan Duty Free and Coco Valley located on the same strip with Underwater World. Cenang Mall is a few blocks down the road, which is open till 10pm. Great for shopaholics like myself who can shop past 8pm (shops in Kuah town are usually closed by that time). Above is a picture of the colourful soap display taken at Cenang Mall which caught my attention!

As a tip for future travellers, do try to shop for your alcohol in Coco Valley (since most alcohol on display is cheaper than most places) and chocolates in Teow Soon Huat Department Store (they have the cheapest prices for chocolates by far) while Zon Duty Free outlets have generally fair pricing.

Pantai Cenang is a great place for lounging on the beach, water sports and watching the beautiful sunset. Nightlife here is great, with shops open till midnight. Some bars even past midnight, as the crowd still shimmies to the dance beats along the beach.

Attractions worth visiting on the island includes Dataran Lang where you can have your picture taken with the eagle monument Langkawi is famous for, as well as Oriental Village and Langkawi Cable Car.

Oriental Village is where the Langkawi Cable Car is, but you can do your fair share of shopping and sight-seeing before you go up on the cable car ride. Naminara Garden is a combination of Chinese, Korean and Japanese landscape which will sure to capture the ladies' attention.

Above is the lotus pond at the Naminara Garden which reminds me of scenes from Japanese or Korean palace dramas.

There is also a mini Korean Nami Island and Jara Island where pictures of the Winter Sonata characters put you in the mood for a picture. Though I think that the 2 snowmen looked really odd and out of the place in the hot and humid Langkawi weather!

Malaysians are entitled to a RM15 cable car ride (provide your IC at the ticket counter) which is normally priced at RM30. The Langkawi Cable Car ride is not advisable for young children and the elderly as they require you to jump in quickly to the car which does not stop rotating at the station. Not to mention the height that will challenge people with fear of heights. Gulp!

After stopping at the middle station, take a short breather and enjoy your surroundings before taking another car up to the second station. 

The view from the viewing tower is superb and I could see the mist and feel the cool air on my skin. The Skybridge was unfortunately closed for maintenance, but the view up on the second station (it's 700 metres above sea level) is good enough for you to appreciate the beauty of Langkawi.

Since I went up the cable car around 10am, I was disappointed to find that the best view can be seen at sunset, between 6.30 to 7pm. This is a tip to all future travellers and I hope to come back here one day to see the sunset!

As for dining, we tried many options here in Pantai Cenang. There is a huge variety to choose from, namely Western, Chinese, Japanese, Malay and Thai, but the main similarity is seafood of course. We had a good dinner at Palm View Restaurant, but unfortunately we were too hungry and I was too busy eating to take some pictures.

We had breakfast at the Breakfast Bar in Pantai Cenang, and it was a good hearty meal. I recommend the Koay Teow soup, Breakfast Bar Special and Omelette.

The creative menu outside Breakfast Bar is part of the charms of Pantai Cenang, where graffiti (not the vandalism sort) is a common feature.

A colourful sign post outside the Breakfast Bar with good morning greetings in various languages pique the attention of tourists who throng the area for breakfast.

We also had breakfast the next day at The English Tea Room and Coffee Bar just outside Casa Fina. The proprietress is an Englishwoman who makes the best scones and strawberry jam I've ever tasted! 

Because I was too engrossed in eating the scones, I forgot to take a picture. Rest assured the scones looks as good as they taste!

We also had sandwiches, sausage rolls and hashbrowns for breakfast. Be prepared to spend a little bit more at this joint though!

All in all, Langkawi definitely is a great place if you are looking for duty-free stuff. Even franchises such as Old Town White Coffee, Starbucks, KFC and McDonalds do not charge the 6% government tax here!

I'll definitely make another trip here again for the shopping, food, beach and beautiful scenery!

The author totally went crazy buying chocolates, especially Kagi and Ritter Sport. She even bought a 30" luggage bag at RM200 only for her upcoming Busan trip in November. Korea and K-pop, look out!

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