Pantai Cenang - Langkawi Tours
Pantai Cenang is undoubtedly the main hub of Langkawi and is the most developed western coastal area in the whole of Malaysia. However everything here revolves around the beautiful long curved stretch of white sands known as the Pantai Cenang Beach that overlooks the turquoise blue waters of Andaman sea and the many islands little offshore. The beach is fringed with coconut and casuarina trees that further add to its beauty.
So as expected, there are large number of hotels and resorts, mostly
budget and mid-range that have come up in this area. There are of course
several upscale resorts here as well. Many of these hotels are lined up
one after the other along the beach with barely any space in between
them. Although Pantai Cenang area has the largest concentration of
hotels, this is the first area to get filled up during the high season.
The demand here is the highest, albeit for the lovely beach and view of
the ocean, and many water activities. It takes only about 15 minutes to
reach Pantai Cenang area from the Langkawi International Airport.
There are number of home stays and guesthouses that too have come up in the area but a little in the interior (although walkable from the beach). These are mainly meant for back packers. These accommodations are usually on the opposite side of Jalan Pantai Cenang Road that runs parallel to the beach. As you walk along the road, you will see numerous shops of all kinds and restaurants lined up on both sides. The road comes alive after dark when tourists and residents all flock to this place for shopping, eating and drinking. There is also a duty free shopping center here called Zon at the southern end of Pantai Cenang.
There are number of home stays and guesthouses that too have come up in the area but a little in the interior (although walkable from the beach). These are mainly meant for back packers. These accommodations are usually on the opposite side of Jalan Pantai Cenang Road that runs parallel to the beach. As you walk along the road, you will see numerous shops of all kinds and restaurants lined up on both sides. The road comes alive after dark when tourists and residents all flock to this place for shopping, eating and drinking. There is also a duty free shopping center here called Zon at the southern end of Pantai Cenang.
There are many tour operators along the road and also on the beach
offering all kinds of water sport activities as well as island and boat
tours. You will find kiosks every 50-yards or so on the beach offering
Jet Ski, Banana Boating, parasailing and Island Hopping Boat Tours all through the day time. They generally close by 7pm.
The restaurants here generally open at noon and operate till late night.
Even during the low season, I have found many restaurants open until
mid night. During high season, most of them remain open until 2am. There
are one or two specialized breakfast eateries and bakeries here that
open earlier and close early. The shops too open late in the morning.
Until about 10am the roads here look deserted. So life here starts late
and retires late.
The Road Jalan Pantai Cenang
There are all kinds of restaurants offering wide choice of food
including Malay cuisine, Asian & Indian, Chinese, Italian and
Continental. However, Seafood seems to be the most popular here as
boards saying 'Ikan Bakar' (meaning grilled fish) are put up in front of
many restaurants and many display fresh fish & seafood that you can
choose from and ask them to grill.
The nightlife continues until late hours in Pantai Cenang area. Other
than many restaurants and bars on the road, there are several beach bars
on the Pantai Cenang beach itself, some of them compliment the
experience with music and even jam sessions that carries on till the wee
hours. Several on-beach restaurants offer candle lit dinner with drinks
right next to the waters. Surprisingly, many of them are inexpensive.
The area is also full of Spas including Fish Spas with offerings at
reasonable rates. Most of them are lined up along the Jalan Pantai
Cenang Road. However, there are not too many tourist attractions or
sightseeing places in this area. Underwater World is located at the
southern end of Pantai Cenang and showcases numerous fish, marine life,
birds and animals. There are few other attractions like Laman Padi (rice
field and museum) etc.
The road is also full of juice bars, travel agencies offering rental
cars and tourist information, as well as fruit stalls. Most shops here
also sell beer at a cheap rate, and many restaurants (not the high-end
ones though) allow you to carry your own drinks and have it while you
dine there.
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