Langkawi
| Description |
The island also offers sailing in sheltered inlets as well as on open seas. Because of favourable winds, sailing is best from November to April. Marina facilities too, are second to none.
Telaga Harbour Park Langkawi at Kok Beach is a 32-acre Mediterranean-themed harbour town - the first of its kind in the region.
Stroll along the boardwalk or sip an espresso at alfresco cafés whilst marvelling at the plush mega-yachts and elegant sailboats docked at the marina. After weeks at sea, yachters can drop by the post-office and bank, stock up on groceries and tuck in hearty meals. At night, the town comes alive with bands playing on the sidewalk, lively pubs and brightly lit retail shops.
Developed to cater for sailboats and mega-yachts, as opposed to other marinas in this region, the park has good depth and draft, good astern mooring for yachts 50m long and excellent quality floating docks. Also, the harbour is sheltered from erratic win Other notable marinas include the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club at Kuah, the Awana Porto Malai Langkawi at Tengah Beach, and the Rebak Marina Resort on Rebak Besar Island. All have first-class accommodation with excellent dining, entertainment and shopping.
Held annually in mid-March, the Royal Langkawi International Regatta is a spectacular race organised by the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. Some 60 yachts with 400 participants were attracted to the inaugural regatta in 2003. Enjoy the fun carnival spirit with dinners, concerts and games as part of the festivities.
| When to Go |
As you can see in the table above our temperature does not vary more than 2 degrees or so all year, remaining around 76 degrees minimum and 90 degrees maximum year round.
What does change is the precipitation and rainfall.
HIGH SEASON
From mid-November until mid-April we have very little rain, with long sunny days. During this period a gentle dry wind blows offshore towards the west. This is the period favored by European tourists and is generally the island's busiest time.
MID SEASON
Visitors from mid-April until August can expect wonderful sunny mornings, with the afternoons becoming overcast. Many people find the lack of direct sunshine in the afternoon enjoyable as it favors outdoor activities with less risk of sunburn.
During this period Langkawi generally experiences around 1 hour of rain a day, often at night. The rain is not cold and comes in the form of tropical downpours which can be seen coming.
Carry a book and head for the nearest roof when the rain approaches. Many new friendships are struck by people thrown together by chance under the same roof during a tropical storm.
RAINY SEASON
Form September until mid November we experience the heaviest rainfall.
As in mid-season, the mornings are often perfect and sunny, with overcast afternoons. The rainfall increases to an average of 2 hours a day, with about half that falling at night.
Many people prefer to visit during rainy season as there is still plenty of sunshine and warm overcast afternoons, and the island tends to be a bit quieter. Arabic tourists appear to particularly enjoy the heavy downpours that seldom last more than an hour or so.
The temperature remains warm and pleasant and even being caught in the warm rain can be fun, with kids often preferring to stay out in the rain.
Winds blow from 5 to 20 knots (Force 2 to 5) over two seasons. During the November to April season the weather is consistently sunny and dry with calm seas and northeast winds ideal for sailing. May through to October is the rainy season when the southwest winds pick up, though sailing is still sheltered in most of the cruising area. The wettest months are August to October. The area is tidal with a range of approximately 6ft to 8ft.
| Routes |
Itinerary 5 days Langkawi only
Day 1: Kuah- Dayang Bunting
Arrive at
bare boat base for briefing and boat hand-over. Sail to Dayang Bunting
and anchor at "A". Quiet and beautiful
anchorage. Go ashore at low tide and explore cave on shore.
The cave is located by a short walk through the mangroves at
the
northern end of the beach.
Sunset drinks and dinner on board.
Day 2: Dayang Bunting-Fresh water lake
After breakfast
a leisurely sail to the southern end of the island
and anchor in "B" or "C". "B" offers
very good protection, is scenic and secluded. Spend the day
visiting and swimming at the lake and island exploration with the
dingy.
Sunset drinks and dinner on board.
Day 3: Fresh water lake - Pulao Singah Besar
After breakfast
a leisurely sail to Pulao Singah Besar. Anchor
at "D" or "E". Ashore to visit the wildlife
sanctuary. See
mouse-deers and peacocks.
Swimming and island exploration with the dingy.Take the dingy to
Pulao Chupak for good snorkeling and swimming
Day 4:
Pulao Singah
Besar- Pulao Tepor
After breakfast
up anchor and sail to anchorage "F" or "G"
Anchorage "F" is just off the tourist beaches of Pantai
Cabang.
A very low key tourist resort with restaurants and bars on shore.
Dinner ashore.
Day 5:
Pulao Tepor-
Kuah Harbor
After breakfast
up anchor and return to bare boat base.
It will take you about 3 hours to return to the Marina.
Itinerary 7 days Langkawi/Butangs/Langkawi
Day 1: Kuah-P.Singah Besar/P. Dayang Bunting
After boat briefing
and hand over sail to either P. Dayang Bunting or P. Singah Besar. Visit
lake or wild life sanctuary
Day 2: P.Singah Besar- Butang Islands
Up anchor
early morning and sail to Butang Islands. It is about 35nm from
Singa Besar to Ko Lipi (southern most island of group)
Day 3: Cruising around Butangs
The Butang
islands has many a wonderful snorkeling spot & anchorage.
Please see maps for recommended anchorages.
Day 4:
Cruising around Butangs
You can anchor
off the islands on the NE side of Ko Butang.
The snorkeling here is first rate and the water crystal clear.
Day 5:
Cruising around Butangs
Ko Adang
has many a gorgeous spot to visit and explore.
The Butang Group is a truly wonderful place to visit for those
who love white sandy
beaches, clear water, great snorkeling and low tourist development!
Day 6:
Butangs-P. Tepor
Up early
and sail back to Langkawi Island to arrive at Pantai Cabang before
night fall. Dinner & drinks can be taken ashore at various tourists
bars on the beach.
Day 7:
P. Tepor-Kuah
After a leisurely
breakfast & swim up anchor and sail back to base for hand over.
Itinerary 10 days Langkawi/Tarutao/Butangs/Langkawi
Day 1: Kuah-P. Langgun
After boat briefing and hand over sail to either
P. Dayang Bunting orP. Singah Besar. Visit lake or wild life
sanctuary. Anchor for the evening
Day 2: P.Langgun - Ao Talo
Udang(Teutao)
Early morning up anchor sail around northern coast
of Langkawi. Sail across to southern end of Tarutao from
Datai Bay. Anchor in Ao Talo Udang for the
evening.
Day 3: Ao Talo Udang -Ao Pante
Sail up the western coast of Tarutao to end at Ao Pante. Go
ashore at Ao Pante and visit National Park H'Quarters. visit sea turtles
nesting ponds. Small restaurant on shore.
Day 4:
Ao Pante- Ko Lipe
Up anchor early morning and sail over to Butang Group. Anchor
for the evening in the southern bay of Ko Lipe (remember
not to go too close to shore).
Alternatively anchor off opposite fishing village on northern
side. Low key tourists bungalows
& restaurants on shore.
Day 5:
Lipe to Rawi, Butang or Adang islands
The snorkeling and island exploration on these islands
are endless.
The next four days can be spent exploring the area
Day 6:
Rawi, Butang or Adang islands
Snorkeling and island exploration. Sometimes it can be
best to go anchor the boat in a secure anchorage & to visit the
different snorkeling spots & beaches by dingy.
Day 7:
Rawi, Butang or Adang islands
Snorkeling and island exploration. Some of the best spots
for snorkeling can be found on the SSW reef of Ko
Rawi/NE side of Ko Butang & off the southern islands off
Ko Butang.
Day 8: Rawi, Butang or Adang islands
Snorkeling and island exploration. There are some beautiful spots on
shore all of the islands
(which are uninhabited). It's hard to say which is the most beautiful!
Day 9: Butang -Pantai Cabang or Patai Kok
Up anchor early and sail back to Pantai Cabang or Pantai Kok.
Leave enough time to anchor by sunset.Go ashore for dinner & drinks.
Day 10: Butang – Kuah
After breakfast and a swim ,up anchor & sail to Kuah for
hand-over.
Itinerary 7 days from Langkawi to Phuket
Day 1: Sail to Tarutao, the old Prisoner Island
Day 2: Sail out to the Butang group
with its deserted islets
Day 3: Discover all the islands in the Butangs
Day 4:
Pass Koh Petra, Koh Liang 7 Koh Kradan on the way to Rok Nok
Day 5:
Visit “The Beach” location and stay at Phi Phi Island
Day 6:
Sail through Phang Nga Bay with its incredible limestone rock formations
Day 7:
Stop for lunch at Koh Hong before arriving in Phuket
| Access |
Departure for cruises around Langkawi or to Thailand.
www.langkawiyachtclub.com
By Air
Langkawi International Airport
The airport is located at Padang Mat Sirat. It is about 20Km from the main town of Kuah and 14kms from the beach resort area of Pantai Cabang. Check flights with Malaysia Airlines & Air Asia. www.malaysiaairlines.com or www.airasia.com.
By Sea
There are regular ferry services from the Malaysian towns of Kuala Perlis or Kuala Kedah and Penang. Travel times differs depending on the exit point as well as the mode of transport-motor boat or hydrofoil. Generally it takes about 40mn to one hour to reach Langkawi from Kuala Kedah or Perlis.
By Rail
Yet another way to access Langkawi is by rail from either Singapore, Had Yai (Thailand) or Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar and then a ferry hop across. Let’s contact Ktmb railway company for the schedules: www.ktmb.com.my.
By Road
The North-South expressway provides a direct link to Thailand and all major Malaysian cities and towns. Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis is a 5 hour drive away. Buses, taxis and rent-a-car services are easily available and reasonably priced, from all city centers on mainland Malaysia.
Malaysian highways are wide ,well paved and in great condition for motoring.
Before taking your yacht you may want to see a bit of the Malaysian countryside.