Langkawi itinerary for elderly
Being an island destination, most parts of Langkawi's land area and it's attractions are accessible by road. So seniors who can not walk much or those having minor mobility issues can still enjoy a lot of what the island offers in tourism. Leaving aside some exciting watersport activities that are suitable for young and terrain that require strenuous hikes, elderly persons can actually plan a great vacation in Langkawi.
However wheelchair accessibility is limited through out the island. If you are wheelchair bound with physical disability, then you should arrange a special vehicle through a tour operator. Because the taxis in general will not accommodate wheel chairs. While some beaches like Cenang, Tenghag etc are accessible by wheelchair, most boats operating water based tours are not. Some land-based attractions are however accessible. Refer to
Wheelchair accessibility for details.
Below is a suggested itinerary for elders in Langkawi. I have assumed full days and considered exploring one part of the island at a time to minimize the travel rather than picking up places across the island on the same day. Depending on your travel schedule and location of stay, adjust the activities and visits to places to fit it into your plan.
DAY1: Pantai Cenang area
This is the most popular area in the island from tourists' perspective mainly because of the famous beach. But you will dehydrate if you stand under the sun even for few minutes during the day time. Well if you can swim, then you can somewhat beat the sun to some extent. Otherwise plan the Cenang beach to view the wonderful sunset.
Start the day by visiting
Underwater World located at one end of Cenang. Over 4,000 species of marine life in many aquariums along with different types of birds and small animals. See the feeding sessions of some of the creatures like the Penguins, Otter, Macaw etc. Spend some two hours here, or more if you like. You can get refreshment inside.
Come out and you will see couple of large duty free shops (Zon and Coco Valley). Do some shopping or at least check out what they have to offer, because you won't come back here again. Another good thing to do is locate the Thai Spa nearby and do a Fish Spa, experience how large many small fishes remove dead cells from your feet as you deep your feet into a glass water container. And when you take out your feet, they look so fresh and rejuvenated!
There are plenty of restaurants along Pantai Cenang Road where you can plan to take your lunch. Post lunch, take a leisure stroll along the road (towards north) to see and check out so many quaint stalls and boutique stores selling all kinds of things including clothing, shoes, jewelry, souvenir & gift items, bags, knick knacks etc.
Stroll further down towards north (unless you have a car or taxi on hire) and you will see the entrance to
Laman Padi on your right and opposite to Casa Del Mar hotel. This is a nice place to visit and see the rice museum where the story and evolution of ice cultivation in Malaysia and Langkawi is depicted. Roam around to see the vast stretches of paddy fields.
Having spend couple of hours here, walk back to
Pantai Cenang Beach, enjoy the beachside activities and lovely sunset.
DAY2: Padang Matsirat Area
You will ideally need a taxi on hire by hourly rate to cover the attractions here. This area is where the international airport is located. First visit
Atma Alam Batik Village and see the hand crafted batik paints particularly on silk. You can buy items of your choice. There is also a section where you can watch the art of Batik painting.
Next visit
Mahsuri's Tomb. This is a cultural complex or a village. However the center point of the complex is the tomb of Mahsuri, a beautiful legendary woman who was falsely accused of adultery and was sentenced to death. The complex also has an instrument room where ladies play traditional instruments, a traditional Malay house, a museum depicting the story of Mahsuri's life through models and diorama, gift & souvenir room, audio visual etc.
You can plan to take your lunch at one of the restaurants in the airport (you can enter without any problems). After lunch proceed to
Field of Burnt Rice, a place where villagers burnt huge collections of rice during the Siamese attack in 1821 in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. You will spend about 20-30 minutes here and move on.
Next visit the
Buffalo Park - a dairy farm famous for producing yummy cheese, ice creams and other milk products. Large number of buffaloes are kept here and you can even hand feed them. However the best part is the scenic setting of the farm amidst vast stretch of greenery with mountains forming the backdrop. Taste some ice creams or cheese at the cafe in the farm. You can also buy cheese to take back home.
Next visit the
Mardi Agro Technology Park - this is a large parkland full of agricultural vegetation and fruit orchards. There is a guided tour through the park where you will see the latest technologies used in cultivation of fruits and other crops. You will also be taken through a tasting session to sample many different fruits.
DAY3: Pantai Kok Area
You need a taxi on hire. Start with the nice
Pantai Kok Beach. There are many shady trees here. Sit down under a tree and watch the couple of islands offshore, several sailing boats and the lovely stretch of the beach which often remains quiet compared to the several touristy beaches.
Move on to Oriental village. First visit the
3D Art Museum which is the largest in Malaysia and see some of the stunning Three-Dimensional art work from international and domestic artists that make the arts come alive.
Oriental village is the base of famous
cable car which goes through the highest gradient in the world. Take the cable car ride if you are not scared. Actually there is nothing to be scared of. Go all the way to the top station, soak in the lovely view of the water below with many tiny islands, and get back.
Time for lunch? There are many restaurants at oriental village of all types. After lunch just roam about in the village and visit some of the many quaint boutique shops scattered all around and selling all kinds of things. There is also a duty free shop here (The Zon). Go through
Oriental Village to get full details about the place.
Having spent time in shopping and looking around, you can then take the
Duck Tour for a tour of the nearby land area as well as the water area on the harbor. The tour starts just outside gate-A.
On your way back visit
Perdana Quay on Telaga Harbor - another grand shopping complex right by the harbor. While there are many upscale boutique shops here, you don't need to do shopping here. Just go down to the boardwalk area facing the water and you will find many cafes and eateries lined up. Take a cup of coffee and see so many mega yachts on the harbor. This is a great place to view the sunset and a wonderful place to relax by the waterside.
DAY4: Tanjung Rhu Area
(North Shore)
This is essentially a beach day followed by visits to art & craft centers. It can be very hot at the beach, so carry umbrellas and apply enough sun screen lotion. Hire a taxi by the hour as transports are limited at this part of the island. You will first visit arguably the most scenic beach in Langkawi -
Tanjung Rhu beach. Although the beach is lined with casuarina trees, the shades are often not enough, so umbrella is a must. Try the coconut water at the beach side restaurant.
Move towards left and visit
Black Sand Beach next. This is like a complex and there are plenty of stalls lined up starting from the entrance. They are all local products and quite cheap particularly the ladies clothing. There is also an eatery at the end - here too you can buy fresh coconut water or take tea/coffee etc with snacks. The beach here is not too impressive but worth a visit because of the unique blackish sand.
Move on towards west and soon you will reach another lovely beach -
Shark Bay Beach. There is am eatery here at the western end, and this is where you can plan to take a quick lunch while enjoying the lovely water view.
Right opposite to Shark Bay Beach and across the road is
Craft Complex. This is a huge indoor complex with several sections with large collections of handcrafted items showcasing Langkawi's heritage and culture. You can also buy items you like. Behind the craft complex is
Faizy Crystal - a glass blowing studio making amazing glass blown items.
DAY5: Exploring Kuah
Kuah is the capital town of Langkawi and is the main hub of duty free shopping. So other than visiting some tourist places, shopping will form the key interest on this day.
First visit the
Eagle Square with a gigantic statue of an eagle overlooking the water. Eagle is symbolic of Langkawi and this place forms the heart of the island. The view of the water area and passing boats & ferries is lovely. The Kuah Jetty is adjacent where ferries from nearby places like Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kedah, Penang etc arrive.
At a short walking distance is the
Lagenda Park - a lush parkland full of trees and vegetation. There are several sections in the park which depict the story of the island's legends through various structures, and hence the name of the park.
Next visit the nearby
Al Hana Mosque - the largest Muslim shrine in the island and the most attractive one. It has a golden dome at the top. Many of its decorative items and carvings were brought in from Uzbekistan.
DAY6: Exploring Geopark & Mangroves
A vacation in Langkawi is not complete without the trip to see the millions of years old mangroves and limestone rocks that have been formed along the banks of river Kilim along with many other strange geological structures. This has after all given a status of UNESCO World Heritage Site to Langkawi. It can take almost a full day (9:30am to 4pm) to explore the geopark properly which also includes visits to floating fish farm, fossil island etc. See
Kilim Geopark to know more.
Related Articles
|
Visitors' Reviews/Comments
Zeane (May 2016)
Hi Raj, I would be heading to Langkawi from 2-4 July 2016 with families. I had made some planning and hope you could give some comments or advice on my itinerary.
DAY 1 - 2/7/15 (Saturday)
- Touchdown at Langkawi Airport at 9am and pick up the rented car.
- Check-in hotel in Kuah ( I had request for early check-in )
- Oriental Village (Langkawi Skybridge, Cable Car, 3D Art Museum)
- Lunch at nearby
- Makam Mahsuri and Laman Padi
- Pantai Cenang beach
- Dinner and some shopping around Kuah town.
DAY 2 -3/7/15 (Sunday)
- Mangrove Tours ( I had book for 3 hours tour)
- Lunch and shopping around Pantai Cenang
- Underwater World
- Eagle Square and shopping around Kuah town
- Dinner and some shopping too
DAY 3 - 4/7/15 (Monday)
- checkout & last minute shopping before catching flight at 1pm
Would it be too packed? I am just worry my parents (both in late forties) would be too exhausted after this trip. I would like them to be more relax and enjoy the trip. Anything that I need to modify or do you have any suggestions? Look forward to your reply.
Raj (langkawi-insight.com) May 2016
Hi, considering your parents, you may drop Laman Padi. And whenever you do your shoppings in Kuah, ask them to take rest in hotel if they feel tired. It should be okay.
|
