An Adventure through the Mangroves and Beaches of Langkawi

The Malaysian island of Langkawi is known for it’s beautiful beaches, but it is also home to a diverse array of nature and wildlife. As part of my latest blogger press trip to Malaysia, we were invited to experience the full extent of this on a boat tour of the Langkawi Mangroves and the river ways that lead out to sea.

I love being on water and always find that boats are a really authentic and exciting way to explore a new place. After a 40-minute transfer from The Danna Hotel, we arrived at a busy pier on the side of the river. The jetty was buzzing with predominantly Asian tourists, mostly in big groups embracing the selfie stick! It was immediately clear that the mangrove boat tours are a popular natural attraction in Langkawi, and for good reason too.

We were met by our tour guide Keiran who had huge smile and a brilliant energy. I boarded the longboat with the rest of the group and we set off in search of Langkawi mangroves and wildlife.

We weren’t even 5 minutes into the tour when we saw 2 wild monkeys on a rock grooming each other and a huge komodo lizard laying on another rock by the water. Keiran explained how the lizard was ‘basking’ in the sun to heat up his blood before going hunting. I loved seeing the monkeys so close up and was completely amazed (and slightly scared) of the huge dragon in front of me!

It didn’t take long to see that our guide Keiran was hugely knowledgeable and very passionate about the wildlife within the Langkawi mangroves. He kept encouraging us to ask lots of questions and explained to us that the mangroves are encouraged to grow as they help to keep Langkawi safe from Tsunami damage. A little further into the trip I was amazed (and terrified) to see a python in the trees which we approached slowly for a close up shot.

We motored through the river out to sea and our landscape suddenly transformed from narrow green mangroves to an expanse of turquoise blue ocean. We followed the island round along a stunning coastline stopped for a pre-lunchtime swim stop at a small deserted beach.

The beach was set against the most beautiful rocky cliff face and the water was so warm and clear. With no other people or boats in sight, it felt like an undiscovered secret – making for the perfect photo opportunity!

After an idyllic swim stop we were taken for a simple yet delicious lunch of friend rice and spicy tom yum soup at a floating restaurant called The Hole in The Wall before making our way back to the pier. The restaurant was home to a fish farm which had barracuda, moray eels and giant sting rays. We explored the fish farm whilst our lunch was being prepared.

The Mangrove boat tour was an incredible experience as it merges two completely different landscapes into one tour. One minute we were slowly chugging through the mangrove river and the next we were pelting full speed through the ocean to a secluded sandy beach. The tour was professional and perfectly executed by Langkawi-Nature and provided the perfect amount of adventure in amongst our luxurious 5 star trip.

What did you think of my Langkawi Mangroves Boat Tour experience? Have you done something similar in South East Asia or are planning to do the same in Langkawi? If you enjoyed the post or have any questions, please do leave me a comment in the box below. I love hearing from you! x

This tour was provided complimentary by Langkawi-Nature as part of my blogger press trip with Malaysia Airlines, The Danna Hotel Langkawi and The Banjaran Hotel Ipoh.