When I decided to visit the island of Langkawi Malaysia, I started doing my research trying to figure out if there were actually things there that I wanted to do and see. I was surprised to find that most of the things listed to do on the island were extremely touristy, not to mention way out of my budget. The activities I found included jet skiing, parasailing the cable car and other obscenely overpriced activities that weren’t worth it to me since they weren’t much different than the activities offered in my home town.

If you have the money to splurge on things like this than by all means go for it, but these activities don’t work if your trying to experience Langkawi on a budget. Luckily when I arrived, I met a local that was staying in my hostel. He took to being our tour guide as he led some friends and I to some amazingly beautiful places that did not break the budget! In fact most of it was completely free!

Over the few days of my stay we went to 3 waterfalls and 3 beaches, all with unique characteristics and totally worth the trip. If your looking for fun and beautiful ways to spend your time while in Langkawi, be sure to check out these spots!

Waterfall Demurun

This was the biggest of the three waterfalls we visited and definitely one of the most spectacular. We rented scooters and drove ourselves to each location but you can also pay a taxi to take you. If you have a group of people the taxi would probably be more cost effective, but as a solo traveler, (if you’re able to drive a scooter) it’s the way to go! Once we arrived at the entrance, it was just a short hike up some makeshift stairs to get to the main pool.

Beringin Waterfall

 The second waterfall we visited was slightly less impressive as a major fall than the first one but it still had its qualities. This one involved another short hike up along the river that offered some great views, as well as some stopping off points that would be great for a picnic. Once at the top, we had to hike down the rocks to get to the actual pool, which was mostly a sandy bottom. The fall is a massive amount of water pouring over the rock, which made a fun challenge to swim up under it. My favorite part however, was the little side stream feeding into the main pool. It made for a great photo spot and was also very relaxing to just sit in and watch the others.

Tanjung rhu (Sunset Beach)

 After visiting one of the falls during the day, be sure to check out this beach for the best sunset. The cliffs on the horizon line make for a great addition to the colors and the sea. If your here during low tide, there is a sandbar that becomes exposed from the shore and seemingly runs all the way to the cliff. It gives the illusion of walking on water or a bridge from the shore to the cliff. I’ve never seen anything quite like it and I live by the sea, so it was quite a sight!

When I decided to visit the island of Langkawi Malaysia, I started doing my research trying to figure out if there were actually things there that I wanted to do and see. I was surprised to find that most of the things listed to do on the island were extremely touristy, not to mention way out of my budget. The activities I found included jet skiing, parasailing the cable car and other obscenely overpriced activities that weren’t worth it.

Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your style then by all means, go for it. But since a lot of these activities are the things tourists do back in my hometown, I wasn’t interested. Luckily when I arrived, I met a local that was staying in my hostel. He took to being our tour guide as he led some friends and I to some amazingly beautiful places that did not break the budget! In fact most of it was completely free!

Over the few days of my stay we went to 3 waterfalls and 3 beaches, all with unique characteristics and totally worth the trip. If your looking for fun and beautiful ways to spend your time while in Langkawi, be sure to check out these spots!

Waterfall Demurun

This was the biggest of the three waterfalls we visited and definitely one of the most spectacular. We rented scooters and drove ourselves to each location but you can also pay a taxi to take you. If you have a group of people the taxi would probably be more cost effective, but as a solo traveler, (if you’re able to drive a scooter) it’s the way to go! Once we arrived at the entrance, it was just a short hike up some makeshift stairs to get to the main pool.

The hike takes you along the river offering beautiful scenery with multiple layers of the waterfall, which makes for some really cool photo opportunities! Once you’re at the top you can swim in the pool, jump from the rocks and stick your head under the thundering pressure of the falls. It can be refreshing on a hot day but is also beautiful to look at.

Skull beach

After the waterfall we went to a beach with the sole purpose of swimming in some saltwater. The water was a beautiful Blue green and there were some cool rocks with some sea life lurking about off to the side. It was a quiet beach with just a few people scattered about which made it feel like our own private paradise.

Beringin Waterfall

 The second waterfall we visited was slightly less impressive as a major fall than the first one but it still had its qualities. This one involved another short hike up along the river that offered some great views, as well as some stopping off points that would be great for a picnic. Once at the top, we had to hike down the rocks to get to the actual pool, which was mostly a sandy bottom. The fall is a massive amount of water pouring over the rock, which made a fun challenge to swim up under it. My favorite part however, was the little side stream feeding into the main pool. It made for a great photo spot and was also very relaxing to just sit in and watch the others.

7 Wells Waterfall

 This was by far the most famous of the three falls we visited, apparent by the infrastructure around it, such as public restrooms and well built stairs. You do have to pay for parking, but it was only one or two MYR which is petty change and totally worth it. The hike up for this one is slightly more challenging, as it is a lot more stairs. To get to the very top it takes about 15 minutes to walk up all the steps, but you can also stop off to the other areas that are marked along the trail. I opted to go strait to the top in order to try and beat the rain, which, unfortunately I failed at and ended up having to wait it out anyway.

Once the rain stopped, I ventured out to the different pools. The top is just that, the very top of the waterfall where it pools up in different spots as it slides towards its inevitable fall from the cliff. There is also a part where you can slide down from one pool to another. However, use caution with this as it tosses you at the bottom from the pressure and could be easy to hit your head on the rocks. The best pool is the one overlooking the valley below as well as the rest of the falls. It truly is nature’s infinity pool. Be aware of the danger of this pool however, and do not go in when it is raining, because you never know when a wall of water could come from above and knock you from the cliff!

Tanjung rhu (Sunset Beach)

 After visiting one of the falls during the day, be sure to check out this beach for the best sunset. The cliffs on the horizon line make for a great addition to the colors and the sea. If your here during low tide, there is a sandbar that becomes exposed from the shore and seemingly runs all the way to the cliff. It gives the illusion of walking on water or a bridge from the shore to the cliff. I’ve never seen anything quite like it and I live by the sea, so it was quite a sight!

Kok Beach

If you want some picture perfect palm trees head over to this beach. It is also a pretty calm beach and if you cross a little sand river to the right you’ll come across a picturesque palm tree forest. We didn’t get to spend too much time at this beach, as it was more of just a stop off. I meant to come back, but unfortunately, I never got the chance.

Whether you prefer jet skiing and parasailing or exploring natural wonders, you should check out Langkawi, Malaysia. It is a little known treasure when it comes to the popular travel destinations in SE Asia, but is worth the visit!