Where to stay in Langkawi?

Usually people visiting Langkawi do have a confusion regarding the location of stay. Here is brief information about the locations.

There are three main locations where usually people stay during their visit to Langkawi.

Kuah:Location near to the boat jetty. The accommodation in this area is comparatively cheap. However this will not be an ideal location for those who love beaches. You need to hire a taxi or need to have your conveyance to reach other location. The taxi may cost minimum 24 RM to any other site. More over this location is very far from the Air port also.

 

Pantai  Cenang:This is the most ideal location for a pleasant stay. A lot of hotels (from budget to splurge) and restaurants are available nearby. It is more or less near to the airport also. It is centrally located to most of the attractions. You may find a wide variety of hotels of your choice which is close to the beach. From the boat jetty (Kuah) it may take RM 20 - 24 to reach this location. From Airport the taxi charge is RM 15-20.

3)     Pantai Tengah:

This place is near to the Pantai Cenang and is said to be a good location. I don't have much idea about this location as I have selected Pantai Cenang and found to be the most comfortable location in terms of accommodation as well as eating.

AB Motel Langkawi

AB motel is budget chalet located in a very strategic location called Pantai Cenang, in Langkawi. 

The motel is located in two portions i.e one near the sea shore and the other one near the road. Both the buildings are facing each other. The charges also vary depending upon the location you select i.e the roadside and the beach side.

There are different types of rooms such as sea view,  beach side, road side etc. and the price ranges from RM 60 to RM 150. Rooms are air conditioned, spacious and comparatively well maintained. For those who are OK with a budget hotel, this one is really nice. Do not expect any kind of luxury at this place. Break fast is not provided. However one restaurant is available in the ground floor.

If you take the beach side portion, you can have the sea view from the room of the motel corridor itself. A lot of entertainments such as paragliding, banana boat etc. is also available in the beach adjacent to the motel. Hotel staff is also good in dealing with customers. If you book a double bed room (RM 120) with double bed it can accommodate 4 people easily.

The interesting thing is that the hotel is almost full every time, especially on weekends and public holidays. I had to book one month in advance to get a room. Then also i didn't get any rooms in the ground floor.

Another feature is that there is a travel house (named as Your Travel house) just in-front of the motel (can be seen in Pic 2). This is a good travel place to book various sight seeing programs. The price and duration of the activity is reasonable. 

Pic 1: Pantai Cenang road view

 

  

Pic 2: AB Motel signboard  

Pic 3: AB Motel outer view  

Pic 4: AB Motel - Double bed room

Pic 5: AB Motel - Sea view room

Pic 6 : AB Motel - Open place

Note:

The information provided about the location and AB motel is just for reference and guidance of readers, based on my personal experience. Please make sure that you verify the information personally for your satisfaction.

A lot of hotels/motels are available in the Pantai Cenang area for you to select. Based on your budget and comfort requirement the selection can be made

Please contact me at simplelifensimpleinfo@gmail.com for additional information required, if any.

KL City attractions - Batu Caves

Batu caves is a beautiful pilgrim as well as tourist spot.It is easily accessible from any part of the city. 

How to reach:

From Kuala Lumpur, one can reach Batu Caves, either by Car/Taxi or by the commuter train. Depending on the location of the KL city from where you hire the taxi, it may take 20-30 RM as fare. However the most convenient and the cheapest way to reach is by taking the commuter train from KL Sentral station. it may cost 2-4 RM/ person for to and fro journey. In addition to that the train will drop you very close to the temple may be 100 meters. Train frequency is approximately once in 30-40 minutes. The train can be boarded from Plat form No.3. The duration of the journey will be approximately 20-30 minutes. From KL Sentral, Batu Cave is the 8th station and is the last stop.

What to see:

Lord Muruga Statue:

The main entrance has a very tall statue (140 ft) of Lord Muruga. This is said to be the tallest statue of Lord Muruga.

Lord Shiva Temple:

This temple is located at the main entrance itself and is before climbing the steps. This temple do have the deity of Lord Shiva. Lot of Paintings and statues can be seen at this place.

Lord Muruga Temple:

This is the main temple located at the top. There are approximately 272 steep steps to climb to reach this temple. The main deity is lord Muruga.

Sri Hanuman Temple:

This temple is located outside of the main temple complex and is near to the exit of the KTM commuter station. The main deity is Sri Hanuman.

Ramayana Caves:

Ramayana Cave is located adjacent to the Hanuman Temple. This cave has the paintings and statues depicting the scenes of the Hindu Epic Ramayana. it is a very beautiful thing to watch. There is entry fee of RM 1 or 2 .

Reptile Park:

One reptile park is also seen adjacent to the main entrance. The entry ticket is RM 5 or 10. Since i was not interested to see it, i didn't visit this place.

Other view:
Below are some of the pics from the top as well as the surrounding areas of Batu Caves .

What to do:

Temple visit:

You can visit various temples and caves as mentioned above.

Head Shave (Mundan):

Hindu devotees do perform mundan or head shave. This activity is carried out in any of the hair cutting saloons on the base area of the temple. After the shaving, sandal paste is applied on the head to get a cooling effect.

Shopping:

You can do shopping at the shops available at the base area. There different varies of Indian items/Hindu religious items available as well as the Indian sweets.

Where to eat:

You can food both Indian as well as the local food at various shops available at the base camp. The price is comparatively very cheap. Vegetarian food is available in almost all shops. Tender coconuts are also available.

How much time is required:

If you are just interested in seeing and passing off, half day will be fine. If you are much interested to know the art and culture part, one full day will be required. 

Precautions/Tips:

1. The steps are very steep in nature and hence consider your health before climbing.
2. Be careful while climbing the steps as the steps are very narrow, steep and usually very crowded.
3. It will be better to climb in the morning itself to avoid the sun.
4. While climbing, beware of the monkeys in your surroundings.
5. Be very careful while climbing with the kids
6. Being a worship place, follow the customs as suggested by the authorities.
7. Take care of your belongings.