The Best Things to Do in Langkawi with Kids & Teens | Smiths On Tour
If you’re travelling full time as a family and wondering whether Langkawi with kids and teens is worth it, let us tell you – it’s a YES from us! 🌴 This beautiful Malaysian island is packed with adventure, culture, and some of the friendliest people we’ve met on our journey so far. More tips on Langkawi here!
Did you know that as UK passport holders, we can stay in Malaysia (and Langkawi) visa-free for up to 90 days? That makes it the perfect base for full-time travelling families who want more than just a quick holiday. What we discovered is that Langkawi really has two sides: the bustling touristy one and the laid-back, authentic local side. If you’re a full-time travelling family, we’d say extend your stay – Langkawi deserves more than just a short stopover.
🏖️ Tourist Hotspots vs. Local Vibes
On the touristy side, you’ll find Cenang Beach, buzzing with life: parasailing, banana boats, jet skis, and plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants. A jet ski ride here starts at around RM250 (£42/$50) for 30 minutes, which can add up fast for families — but it’s a thrill if your teens are adventure junkies!
Then there’s the local side of Langkawi. Picture farmland stretching out, kids fishing at the water’s edge, and food stalls tucked down backstreets where a plate of nasi goreng (fried rice) is just RM7 (£1.20/$1.50) instead of RM25 on Cenang. Joe’s absolute favourite spot was Le Park Port Glam, where a local family served up traditional dishes – fresh, authentic, and absolutely delicious. Added bonus, the owners recognised us as Smiths On Tour from our socials 😅🙏🏻….Pure magic!
Beaches for Every Mood
Langkawi’s beaches really set the vibe.
Cenang Beach: lively, lots of activities, perfect for water sports and people-watching. Sunset here is unforgettable — and completely free! Just grab a coconut (RM6/£1/$1.25) and enjoy. Fire shows usually start around 8 pm, and the beanbags and snacks aren’t badly priced for a beachside setup.
Sandy Skulls Beach (north of the island, pictures below👇🏻 in the water): our favourite. It’s quiet, flat, with powdery sand and turquoise waters. The best bit? It’s free, family-friendly, and way less crowded, we’ve now spent days chilling here away from the crowds!
Top Tip 👉 Watch out for the monkeys — we learned quickly not to bring snacks onto the sand, they can get aggressive 🙊!
🚡 A Must-See: Langkawi Cable Car & Sky Bridge
The Langkawi Cable Car (SkyCab) is one of the island’s biggest attractions — and personally I think it’s worth every ringgit. Standard tickets are RM55 (£9/$11) per adult and RM40 (£6.50/$8) per child, which is pretty good for the experience. There are added fees if you want to visit the Sky bridge and other attractions on the way too, it’s good to have this in mind if on a budget!
Now, me and Tilly are not fans of heights. Standing at the bottom looking up at the steepest cable car in the world, we nearly chickened out. But I knew we had to do it, because the Sky Bridge was on my bucket list — and you can only reach it by cable car. Once we were up there, floating above jungle and cliffs, it felt surreal. The views over emerald sea and mountains are the kind of thing you remember forever and I got to experience this with my family…amazing!
Tip: go earlier in the morning to avoid long queues and catch clearer skies. The whole experience (cable car + bridge) took us about 2–3 hours. There’s also a little 3D Art Museum and food court at the base so no need to worry about being hungry (always have to bare this in mind when travelling with a constantly hangry family 😅) — budget around RM10–15 (£1.80/$2–3) per meal.
🥙 Night Markets & Local Food
If your kids are picky eaters, the Langkawi night markets are a dream. Prices are so low that they can try lots of things without wasting money. We went to the Thursday night market near Cenang — skewers of chicken satay were just RM2 each (30p/$0.40), fresh juice RM4 (£0.70/$0.90), and giant shawarmas RM7 (£1.20/$1.50) which were my favourite! I will be coming back to eat more soon 😃!
Tilly enjoying a delicious crepe!
The vibe is lively, colourful, and very family-friendly. Everyone’s eating, chatting, and enjoying themselves. For us, it was one of the best ways to dip into local culture.
🚣🏻 Educational Fun: Mangrove Night Tour
One of our absolute highlights in Langkawi was the Mangrove Night Tour with H.A.S Tours. Honestly, if you’re here with kids or teens, this is a must. Tickets were about RM200 (£34/$40) per adult and RM120 (£20/$24) per child, and it was worth every penny for the amount packed into the evening. The tour runs from around 4:30pm to 8:30pm, which means you get the best of both worlds: golden sunset views on the water and the magical darkness needed to see the glowing plankton.
We started with a stop at the Bat Cave, where we wandered through with our guide pointing out hundreds of tiny bats clinging to the ceiling (don’t worry, they don’t swoop down at you – although the kids thought it would be hilarious if they did). Then we explored the Crocodile Rock Cave, with its dramatic limestone formations and stories from local legend that made us feel like we were stepping back in time.
From there, we explored the mangroves and spotted wildlife, birds and monkeys. Drifting along the waterways at sunset, we watched sea eagles swooping down to snatch fish from the water — a moment that had us all wide-eyed. .
We also stopped at a floating platform for a fish educational talk, where the kids got to see live fish up close, feed stingrays, and learn about how the mangrove ecosystem works. For our worldschooling family, this hands-on learning was gold.
Dinner was on a floating restaurant right there in the mangroves — fresh-cooked fish, rice, and Malaysian favourites that tasted even better with the sea breeze around us. It had such a relaxed, friendly vibe, and it was nice to share stories with the rest of the group over dinner.
The grand finale? Heading out on the boat again to watch the sunset, then after dark to see the bioluminescence plankton glowing in the water. Because we went on a new moon, it was pitch black, which made the sparkles even brighter when we ran our hands through the water (unfortunately, it couldn’t be captured on a phone) It’s one of those surreal, pinch-yourself travel moments we will never forget!
Even though it rained earlier in the day, ponchos on and spirits high, the experience wasn’t spoiled at all — and that sunset over the water before the darkness fell might just be one of the best we’ve seen, especially from a boat in the middle of the ocean. The whole trip had such a great vibe, with the guide sharing funny stories and local legends, and the group all feeling like friends by the end of the night.
👉 I can’t share a booking link as I couldn’t find one online, but if you head to GeoPark in Langkawi, just ask for H.A.S Tours and they’ll set you up. It’s a must-do!
🏍️ Getting Around
Scooters are hands down the easiest and cheapest way to get around Langkawi. We hired two for our family at RM35 (£6/$7) per day each, which gave us total freedom to explore beaches, markets, and local spots at our own pace. Just keep an eye out for monkeys crossing the road — they appear out of nowhere!
🍽️ A Taste of Home: Scarborough Fish and Chips
While exploring Langkawi on our scooters, we stumbled upon a little gem on the beachfront called Scarborough Fish and Chips. We couldn’t believe it — back in North Yorkshire, Scarborough was our childhood summer haunt, and here we were, thousands of miles away in Southeast Asia, about to tuck into proper British fish and chips!
The owner is actually from Scarborough, and the fish is battered just like the beach town back home. Crispy, golden, and perfectly cooked — and the tartar sauce was an absolute highlight. Prices were very reasonable for a beachside meal: about RM25–30 (£4–5/$5–6) per person.
For us, this meal was a real highlight — it brought back childhood memories of Scarborough Beach and made us feel unexpectedly at home. If you’re travelling and missing little comforts from back in the UK, we can’t recommend this enough. It’s a beautiful reminder that even far from home, familiar flavours can transport you back in time.
👩❤️💋👨 Family & Couple Balance
Full-time family travel is wonderful, but sometimes you need parent time. Joe and I treated ourselves to a date night at Tapaz on Cenang Beach. Prices were surprisingly fair considering the setting: oven-fired pizzas around RM35 (£6/$7), fresh seafood paella about RM120 (£21.11/$28.35) (big enough to share). With the sea breeze, fairy lights, and Tilly safe back at our homestay, it felt like pure magic!
☕️ Coffee & Comfort: Old Town White Coffee
If you’re a coffee lover (or just need a little pick-me-up during sightseeing), you have to try Old Town White Coffee. There’s a café in the main square of Cenang Beach, and we quickly became hooked! ☕ The flavours are rich, creamy, and dangerously addictive — we even got a take-home box for lazy mornings, which became a little family ritual while relaxing at our accommodation.
⚠️ Be careful though — the drinks can be high in calories, but honestly, that’s a small price to pay for a taste that reminded us a little of home comforts in the middle of Southeast Asia.
🏡 Our Family Accommodation in Langkawi
We loved our stay so much that we actually extended our trip in Langkawi. We found a family-friendly house set on its own farmland, far enough from the main strip for a relaxed vibe but still close to Cenang Beach for sunsets, shopping, and food.
Great price for a family (link to booking if available)
Plenty of space for the kids to run around
Quiet, relaxed setting ideal for winding down after busy days exploring
This kind of accommodation is perfect for full-time travelling families, giving you a balance between privacy, comfort, and easy access to Langkawi’s highlights.
Link to accommodation 👉https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/39205703?source_impression_id=p3_1756271340_P3cVana_owbvK-gH
👉 Top Tips for Families Visiting Langkawi
Travelling Langkawi with kids and teens is amazing, but here are a few little things we learned along the way that might save you stress (and money!):
🎒 Pack Light, Pack Smart – It’s hot and humid, so keep clothes breathable and quick-drying. Don’t forget mosquito spray, reef-safe sun cream, and ponchos for sudden tropical rain.
🩴 Beach Essentials – Bring water shoes if your kids like exploring rocky areas, and plenty of snacks!
🛵 Getting Around – Scooters are cheap (around RM35/£6/$7 per day) and by far the easiest way to explore as a family with teens. This may not be for families with younger children - car hire is recommended and plenty around the island!
🍜 Food with Fussy Kids – Night markets are perfect for picky eaters because you can try little bits of everything for a couple of ringgit each.
🌅 Don’t Miss the Sunsets – Cenang Beach at sunset is non-negotiable. Grab a beanbag, sip a drink, and just watch the sky change. Sandy Skulls Beach is also dreamy if you want something quieter.
📚 Worldschooling Heaven – Between the mangrove tour, cable cars, fish talks, and local markets, Langkawi is one big outdoor classroom. Take notebooks, and let the kids journal what they learn.
💡 Duty-Free Treats – Stock up on chocolate and snacks (about half UK prices). A little stash goes a long way for long travel days.
❤️ Parent Time – If you’re full-time travelling, don’t forget date nights! Tapaz restaurant was a gem for us — family-friendly but romantic enough to feel special.
Joe enjoying some food with the locals in Langkawi!
💡Final Thoughts
From duty-free chocolate bars (Cadbury’s for half the UK price at about RM8/£1.40/$1.70 a bar – heaven!) to cheap night market eats and free beaches, Langkawi is both affordable and unforgettable for families. Activities like the cable car or mangrove tour aren’t the cheapest, but they balance out perfectly with low-cost food, transport, and accommodation.
So, would we recommend Langkawi for families with kids and teens? 100% yes. Come for the beaches, stay for the sunsets, the people, and the slower pace of life that makes you wonder why we ever rushed around in the UK.
👉 Stay tuned – in our next post, we’ll be sharing our budget-friendly tips for families in Langkawi, including hidden gems and what to bring for the best adventure.
