Langkawi trip report

Langkawi is one of the largest islands in Malaysia, known for its natural beauty and eco-activities. The island has been recognised as a UNESCO World Geopark, so it would usually be an island that I leave off this site about urban development. There is one project, though, that looks completely out of place for this island, so I wanted to have a look for myself.

I wasn’t expecting to have enough to report about for Future Southeast Asia. I was island-hopping from Koh Lipe to Penang, and Langkawi is the island between these islands. As is usually the case, a boots-on-the-ground visit turned up more information than I expected.

I’ve made a list of the major projects at Future Langkawi, and this is my trip report for Langkawi in March 2023.

Cenang Beach

I stayed at Cenang Beach, which is the main beach area of Langkawi. I was surprised by how low-rise and undeveloped it is, though there are some new hotels here since my last visit. The Parkroyal recently opened, and Aloft has also opened.

The big project on the beach is Tropicana Cenang. There is a sales gallery on the site, so I went in for a look. The main tower will have 39 floors, and a Sheraton will be built next to it in the future.

-Tropicana Cenang and Sheraton-

Next to the Tropicana, the Nautilus Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton (the official mouthful-of-words name) is taking shape.

Langkawi International Airport

Langkawi International Airport is close to Cenang Beach, so it’s a delight for planespotters to sit on the beach and watch planes land and take off. The airport has a mountain at one end, so all planes land and take off from the sea end of the runway.

There are not many flights, though, and I wondered where the flights come from. The only international flights are from Singapore.

It is near the airport where Widad Langkasuka is being built, so I rented a motorbike to have a look.

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