Langkawi - Kilim Geopark

Langkawi - one of the most popular vacation destinations in Malaysia - is a choice holiday spot for many, be it romantic honeymooners or just a group of bachelors out for a binge party.

It's located on the west coast of Malaysia - close to the Thailand border and actually comprises of 99 islands.

Kilim Geopark is a hidden treasure in Langkawi Island and is a certified UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spread over an area of 100sq.km, Kilim features a mix of well protected mangrove forests, isolated white beaches and wonderful limestone formations.

A definite must see for nature lovers.

Getting There

You could get here by ferry from Penang, Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis.

The fares are relatively cheap, but if you are coming from Kuala Lumpur, it is most advisable to head up north to Kuala Kedah as there are hourly rides here.

In Penang, the frequency of rides is much lesser and tickets are usually sold out especially on weekends.

Point to note, you can't pre-book your tickets.

So, our recommendation is for you to find your way to Kuala Kedah and get the ferry here to ensure that you do not get disappointed.

It takes about 2hrs to reach Langkawi from Kuala Kedah and the ride's relatively comfy.

Kilim Geopark Tour

This tour, simply said, absolutely took my breath away - it's definitely a totally new experience for me and one that I would always cherish.

View of the park from the boat

The tour is basically a boat ride through the vast mangrove swamps on the island.

First off, you get to see some amazing eagles up close as the boat man starts off with the eagle feeding activity.

The sight of the eagles homing in on their prey is a sight to behold.

An exquisite experience - this alone is worth the boat ride.

Next-up, our guide brings us to the bat cave - a rather smallish cave filled with bats.

A good experience for those who have not gone caving before - be sure to bring along a torch light.

The mangrove river then flows through another cave called the Crocodile Cave.

Unfortunately, we found out rather too late that you can't ride thru the cave when the tide comes in.

Tip - try to arrange your trip to coincide with the low tides so you could experience riding through the cave.

The next stop will be lunch. And this would be on a floating restaurant which is basically a fish farm.

This is another unique experience where you get to feed some stingrays - not for the faint hearted - hold some rather quirky sea animals and, suffice to say, the food does not get any fresher from this.

Feeding a stingray - quite a big fella this

Ever held a seahorse in your hand? - Don't worry, no animals were harmed in this activity.

But since we already had our meals, we decided to skip lunch here - so not able to comment on the food.

After saying goodbye to the fishies, we continued our journey and rode thru an open dock where you get to see some nice boats / yachts - awe inspiring view this.

Finally, the ride brings us to the open seas. 

King Kong Mountain - need I say more?

There are some rather strange rock formations to be seen here and 1 that stands out is King Kong Mountain.
Since there is relatively less traffic here, it's a good opportunity to try n sweet talk your boat operator to give you a go behind the wheels.

We did and each 1 of us had a chance to play captain for a fleeting few moments.

This tour is actually inclusive of some island hopping activity - where if the sea conditions permit, you could slot in some snorkeling.

Again, our luck deserted us as the waters weren't clear on the day, so we had to skip this part.

So, can’t really say much, but it's good to note that we have not heard a single negative comment from people who've taken the full package.

This activity would easily take more than half a day - so, best is if your start out in the morning at say about 10am.

Then, you should be able to finish by early evening.

Important tip - the tour operators located in town / near the hotels are kinda pricey.

So, if you would like to look for a cheaper alternative, find your way to Tanjung Rhu - 1 of the cleaner beaches on Langkawi Island - and you would be able to get a really good bargain from the tour operators here.

Especially worthwhile if you are in a big group as you may be able to save up to a few hundreds with some good bargaining skills.

Recommendation

Definite must see for nature lovers

Budget - Ferry Ride + tour: RM200/pax