Malaysia: Langkawi Sunset Cruise

In April I went to Langkawi, an island that is also known as the Jewel of Kedah, in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia. I went there with a few other bloggers and media folks at the invitation of Tourism Malaysia Kedah who hosted us for the 3D/2N stay there, and Firefly, who flew us to Langkawi from Subang Airport on the outskirt of Kuala Lumpur, and back.

I’ve flown with Firefly quite a number of times, especially when flying back to my hometown of Kuala Terengganu. Subang Airport is convenient for me, as it is closer to where I live, as well as Kuala Lumpur, compared to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). For our flight to Langkawi, we flew on board an ATR72-600, a propeller aircraft, with a 2-2 seat arrangement.

While many might have some reservation about flying with a smaller aircraft and prefer to fly on an Airbus A320 or a Boeing 737 series even on a short haul flight, I can assure you that a flight with Firefly’s ATR72 series can be a pleasant experience too. The free snack options on offer on board are not bad (they usually offer 3 types of snacks to choose from) and I have no complaint at all about the leg room despite being a 6-footer.

Upon our arrival in Langkawi, we were whisked off to Royal Langkawi Yacht Club to get on with our Langkawi Sunset Cruise. 

I didn’t know what to expect of the cruise but the excitement was building up as we lounged about at the Yacht Club, watching the boats and yachts down below while we drank our welcoming drink.

It was soon obvious that it would fall under the latter category – luxury – as we boarded our 55-feet 3-en suite-bedroom yacht, and were welcomed by a live band as well as free-flowing drinks. 

As we took our place on board the yacht (everybody chose to be on the top deck) and sipped our drinks, we received a safety briefing by the captain of the cruise. It wasn’t long before our yacht started to leave its berth and headed in the direction of the open ocean.

But first, a photo opportunity on the waters just off Dataran Lang (Eagle Square) to remind us how Langkawi got its name. J

Trivia: Did you know how Langkawi got its name? There are many stories to this but the most popular one is that the name was made up of a combination of the names of Brahmini eagle (or Helang in Malay) and Kawi, the name of red stones used as a chalk to mark goods.

It was smooth sailing for us afterwards as our yacht left the main island of Langkawi, crossing the waters for about an hour or so alongside other smaller islands of the archipelago before the captain found a spot to drop the anchor. Any worry about getting seasick was long gone by then.

We were not exactly in unchartered waters as there are still a few islands around us although they are mostly uninhabited. There were also a few different types of boats and yachts anchored probably a few hundred meters from us, enough to give each other some privacy. 

While the idea of the cruise was to “chase” sunset, it was not meant to be. The sky was mostly overcast towards sunset time and we only managed to get a glimpse of the sun for a few minutes at sunset. This however didn’t damper our spirit as we chatted around and enjoyed the live music on board the yacht. Nobody really used any of the 3 ensuite bedrooms available on board apart from when we were changing clothes for the “water spa” activity.

Water spa activity was probably the highlight of the cruise for most of us – probably because we were travelling in a group rather than as couples, heh! – but I can imagine romantic moments to be had with your other half or loved one(s), just having a drink and munching on tit bits whilst watching the sun goes down the horizon.

The evening was capped off with a simple dinner which was filling enough before we started to head back towards Langkawi’s main island.

Further Information

Langkawi Sunset Cruise is offered by Naam Adventures, a local premier water leisure sports company that specialises in adventure and luxury tours around the island. The cost of the 3-hour cruise is MYR350pp, with a minimum of 6 persons sharing/to go. Tips: Even if you’re just a couple, do check with them as you might be able to share the cruise with some other couples too. If you however prefer to have a private cruise instead, you can get the whole yacht to yourself (at least for 4 hours, anyway) for MYR12,000. The fee includes the use of the yacht, free flow drinks, tit bits and dinner. Note: Normally there is no live band on board the cruise.

---

Read More:

Next Entry on Langkawi

---

Are you on Pinterest? If you are, use this photo to bookmark and/or share this blog post ;)

Have you been to Langkawi and/or on Langkawi Sunset Cruise or something similar? What was you experience like?

Going to Langkawi, Malaysia? Do check out these hotels for your accommodation requirements there. For other blog entries on Malaysia, click here.