DUTY FREE HAVEN - LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA

PLACES TO VISIT:
There are certain places in Langkawi which just deserve a visit. This island is truly beautiful and definitely deserves atleast 3 to 4 days so that you can enjoy the chill vibe on the island as well as visit the places which will steal your breath away.

1. First place which deserves a mention is the SKULL BEACH - a lot of people dont even know about this beach, but it is one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches i have ever visited. There is hardly anyone on the beach if you visit it early in the day and you can truly have an amazing picnic at the spot.

2. TANJUNG RHU BEACH - this is another amazing pristine beach but the advantage is that it also has a fabulous shack on the beach itself with bean bags and good table seating as well. The waters are also good and swim worthy.

3. LANGKAWI CABLE CAR AND SKY BRIDGE - this is where the famous end scene from the bollywood movie DON was shot. It gives you truly spectacular views of the island and the surrounding ocean with different shades of blue during the day. It is truly breathtaking.

4. DATARANG LANG (KUAH EAGLE) - this is the famous eagle sculpture in Langkawi. It is good for a visit and click a few pictures at.

5. CENANG BEACH LANGKAWI - this is the most famous beach of Langkawi with the most amount of tourist and huge opportunities for water sports, cafes, restaurants and party shacks on the beach. It hosts lovely parties after sunset. Also the sundowners at a few of the places are worth attending.

PLACES TO PARTY:
The Marrakesh Club near Cenang beach is one of the places which definitely cannot be given a miss if you are in Langkawi. There are a lot of other places in Langkawi specially on and near cenang beach which host mind numbing parties to quench the thirst of your party soul.

TRANSPORT ON THE ISLAND:
To reach the island you can either fly directly from Kuala Lumpur or get a ferry from the land terminal.
Once on the island the best way to get around is to rent a car from the airport or seaport itself. There are a number of people just waiting for you to hire from them. Do bargain definitely and make sure you click the pictures of the car before starting your rental.
For hiring the car your Driving Licence from your home country should suffice unless it is not in English. There are hardly any other formalities or hassles to do so.
The roads throughout the island are amazing and worth the drive around the entire island.

WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK:
For this there are numerous options deoending on your budget and liking.
There are tons of restaurants serving all kinds of world cuisine with enough vegetarian options for my Indian and other vegan friends as well.
The MAHARAJA RESTAURANT and the MUMBAI PALACE are a few examples. Both serve amazing sheesha and food. The ambience at the MAHARAJA is particularly amazing with outdoor seating right next to the jetty where you can see the yatchs move around and enjoy the sea breeze and sea view.
The sheeshas available throughout the entire island are definitely worth every penny.
Folks kindly DO NOT leave the island without trying the ennumber of beers and vodkas and spirits available at dirt cheap prices. You wont find drinks at these rates even at airport duty free zones. the only thing to take care is that while leaving the island your bags are scanned and the limit to carry out alcohol from the island is one liter of hard liquor (i know, i too hate this rule).

BUDGET:
Depending on your stay the budget of Langkawi varies tremendously.
I personally had booked an AirBnB for the 5 of us, and trust me it was one of the best decisions we made as it was in the midst of nature, close to cenang beach and restaurants and the main market places and it was really really cheap as well. Helps you to save out on a few important ringgit when travelling on a budget...!!
The island is dirt cheap when compared to similar such islands in other countries or even in Malaysia itself.
I planned my entire trip from Mumbai to Langkawi for 5 nights in 45,000 INR. And this included flight tickets, visas, stay, car rental, food and hell lot of drinks.