“The world’s longest curved hanging bridge
is on this Malaysian island.”
The Video Daily Double on Jeopardy showed a clip of this magnificent bridge.
“What is Langkawi?” was the correct question to the phrase
Thanks to my parents watching Jeopardy religiously every night, we found ourselves on this UNESCO Global Geopark-listed Malaysian island just a few weeks after this question aired. We were already living in Malaysia for three months, and my parents were excited to tell us about the unique island and hoped we could add it to our itinerary. Sure enough, we just happened to be living a short distance away on Penang Island for six weeks, so we couldn’t help but take a long weekend trip to see the architectural and geological wonders of Langkawi.
The UNESCO-listed island is divided into three geoparks: Machinchang Geoforest Park, Kilim Kharst Geoforest Park, and Dayang Bunting Geoforest Park, and we spent each morning of our long weekend exploring the unique features of a different geopark. In the afternoons and evenings, we relaxed on the beach and in the infinity pool, sipped cocktails while watching the sunset, and savored delicious local cuisine back at our resort known to have some of the best restaurants and bars on the island.
Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park
Machinchang Geoforest Park is composed of rocky peaks, vertical cliffs, and deep gorges created by seismic activity and erosion. The famous Skybridge was constructed in 2004 at the peak of Machinchang Mountain.
The fun starts at the base of the mountain where you can catch the Skycab up to the top.
The gondolas offer panoramic views over Burau Bay and the surrounding forest as you glide your way to the top of the mountain.
Half-way up the mountain is a lookout point where passengers can exit to get a bird’s eye view over the mountain range and to enjoy the area’s newest attraction, the Eagles Nest Skywalk. We were some of the first visitors to get to experience the Eagles Nest as it had just opened the previous month.
The Eagles Nest is a see-through viewing platform that hangs out over a sheer cliff 650 meters above sea level and is the longest free-standing skywalk in the world.
The sprawling views over the island’s landscape and the Andaman Sea were spectacular.
We arrived before it even opened in the morning, were the first ones out on the platform and basically had the whole glass-bottomed viewing area to ourselves.
Walking around on the transparent floor while soaking in the breathtaking views was a thrilling experience. The architects embraced the Eagles Nest theme and incorporated fun platform décor with giant eggs in the nest and an Eagle’s head hovering above. A totally fitting monument for an island whose name means “island of the reddish-brown eagle”.
The views of the famous hanging bridge over the gorge were also phenomenal at this midway stop.
Back on the Skycab to finish the journey to the top, we were digging the music and the peacefulness of the private panorama open-air cab. A highly recommended upgrade! As we got closer to the top station, the gondola ride afforded more unique viewpoints of the SkyBridge.
From the top station, a short stroll through the forest got us to the SkyBridge, and finally seeing it in person was even more awe-inspiring than we imagined. Walking across the bridge gives a whole new perspective and appreciation for the complexity of the structure.
We could feel the bridge sway in the wind, which added an extra bit of excitement as we hung 660 meters above sea level. The panoramic views across the island and the ocean were stunning, and every step along the curved bridge gave a new vantage point.
For the finale, we couldn’t pass up some refreshing ice cream while we took a moment to appreciate our surroundings at the top station.
Back at the resort, we were spoiled with picturesque views over the turquoise waters while sipping on frozen cocktails at lunch and by the infinity pool.
For dinner, we indulged in a Malaysian tasting menu at Langkawi Kitchen including rendang arancini, chicken and beef satay, chicken vermicelli soup, beef rendang, banana leaf and coconut sea bass, and banana fritters with honeycomb ice cream.
Kilim Kharst Geopark
The Kilim Kharst Geopark is an eco-system made up of the Kilim river and estuary with its extensive mangrove forests and waterways. The best way to explore is by boat through the mangrove forest. We booked a tour with a certified ecological guide, and he was a wealth of knowledge about the geology and animals in the area. One of our favorite animals was the mudskippers. Mudskippers are amphibious fish. They have gills but also can spend a substantial amount of their time out of water and use their pectoral fins to skip across the muddy banks of the river.
Of course, everyone loves to see monkeys. These two guys were the scouting party that greeted us before we entered the colony’s territory.
We also saw the island’s namesake Brahminy kites (reddish-brown eagles) and white-bellied sea eagles.
Our boat captain was quite skilled and maneuvered us between narrow limestone canyons and through small waterways with mangroves surrounding us.
We also got to spend a bit of time relaxing on a gorgeous white sand beach surrounded by interesting limestone rock formations. To top it off, we found a vendor serving fresh coconuts.
Our morning ended with lunch in a floating restaurant to enjoy some local cuisine, including a very spicy soup, with a view of the waterway and geological formations.
Dayang Bunting Marble Geopark
Our last morning was spent on a jet ski tour zooming around some of the 99 islands and limestone karsts that make up the Langkawi archipelago. Our guide pointed out unique geological features and took us to some beautiful secluded beaches on tiny islands.
The tour included a stop at Dayang Bunting Geopark, on the second largest of Langkawi’s islands, with the largest freshwater lake in Malaysia. The name comes from a rock formation that looks like a pregnant woman lying on her back. Local legend claims that a woman’s fertility is enhanced by swimming in the lake. So, in I went to pose beneath the maiden and see what miracles may come. Can you make out her head, chest, and belly?
The jet ski tour was certainly a unique and exhilarating adventure to see more of the wonders of Langkawi.
One last time back at the resort before our flight home, we had yet another amazing lunch at the Ritz’s Beach Grill and Bar with a gorgeous, relaxing view of the azure water surrounding the resort.
We are thankful for these magical experiences and would also like to thank Jeopardy and my parents for inspiring this weekend getaway.
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