This article is the third part of my 2016 Langkawi Trip series. Click here for the first, second and fourth parts.
Today is my third day in Langkawi. I need to check out of Season Inn because I am switching to another hotel tonight. My breakfast is a plate of chicken rice at Restoran Orkid Intan (钻石花园饮食中心) in Kuah.
After breakfast, my next stop is Oriental Village, which is located between Perdana Quay and Telaga Tujuh. Built around a lake, Oriental Village has many retail shops, restaurants and attractions.
Situated at the base of Gunung Mat Chincang (Mount Machinchang), Oriental Village also serves as the gateway to the summit via cable car called SkyCab. Each gondola carries 6 persons and the journey takes 15 minutes each way. The ticket price is RM30.00 for Malaysians and includes admission to SkyDome and SkyRex.
SkyCab operates between 9:30am and 7:00pm nearly every day. It is advisable to ascent the mountain as early as possible because the queue can be very long later in the day. It is also important to check whether SkyCab is closed for periodic maintenance. Cable car rides may also be halted due to inclement weather.
SkyCab’s route consists of 2 spans. Passengers may disembark at the intermediate station to enjoy the surrounding scenery.
The viewing platform provides a bird’s eye view of Oriental Village and Pantai Kok coastline. Further away, one can also see Langkawi International Airport (Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Langkawi) and Cenang Beach (Pantai Cenang). Outlying islands such as Pulau Rebak Besar (Greater Rebak Island) also come into view.
The top station is just a short ride from the intermediate station. At 700 meters above sea level, Gunung Mat Chincang is the second tallest mountain in Langkawi. Located near the northwest corner of Langkawi Island, the mountain can also see the Andaman Sea a short distance away.
There are two viewing platforms here. The summit of Gunung Mat Chincang is very windy, so bring warm clothes just in case you feel chilly.
There is a gift shop which sells all sorts of souvenirs ranging from T-shirts to refrigerator magnets. Lovers can also purchase a love lock to be permanently affixed on the railings between both platforms.
One of the two platforms, the Langkawi Sky Bridge comes into view. This curved pedestrian bridge spans a mountain saddle to the north.
Langkawi Sky Bridge can be reached by a funicular ride called SkyGlide. A 2-way ticket costs RM15.00 and includes admission to the bridge itself. Although a round trip only takes 4 minutes, the waiting time can be very long because the tram can only accommodate 12 people at a time. Notice that the floor of the funicular changes its inclination as the tram travels along the tracks.
Alternatively, visitors can also reach Langkawi Sky Bridge by foot. The trip takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on your pace. Admission fee to the bridge is RM5.00 per person.
Langkawi Sky Bridge is 125 meters from end to end. The bridge’s design is deliberately curved to provide different perspectives along the way.
The cable-stayed bridge rises approximately 100 meters above the valley below. The bridge’s weight is supported by several suspension cables affixed to an inclined pylon near the center. According to the bridge’s specifications, the pylon is 82 meters in height and tilts 79o towards the valley. The structure is supported by two sets of back stay cables and 8 sets of front stay cables.
Langkawi Sky Bridge is subjected to strong winds that seem to blow continuously. In fact, the bridge actually rocks slightly in the wind. Not to be worried because the bridge is very safe.
The scenery here is breathtaking indeed. Tenacious trees cling on the steep cliff faces of Gunung Mat Chincang.
There are 3 transparent glass panels near the middle span of the bridge. Standing on any of them is not meant for the fainthearted. Please remove your footwear before stepping on the glass panels.
From the top station, visitors have to take SkyCab back to Oriental Village. Passengers are not allowed to disembark at the intermediate station.
Keep the ticket stubs for SkyCab because they can also be used at SkyDome and SkyRex. SkyDome is a short movie clip that is projected onto an overhead dome. SkyDome is experienced before riding SkyCab, so you cannot backtrack if you chose to skip earlier. Meanwhile, SkyRex is a motion simulator ride with a similar plot as Jurassic Park. 3D glasses are provided to riders.
Other ticketed attractions at Oriental Village are 6D Cinemotion, F1 Simulator, 3D Art Langkawi and Duck Tours. Tickets for these rides can be purchased individually or as part of a combo package.
If you need a place to wind down, there are also several eateries at Oriental Village. For a nice cup of coffee, visit Elephant Cafe near the northern edge of the lake. Besides brewing organic coffee from Laos, Elephant Cafe also serves Western and Asian food.
There is also an animal enclosure next to the dining area. Separated by a one-way mirror, customers can watch two playful raccoons going about their worry-free life. This place used to be the home of a tigress named Zanah until she was relocated to a larger den in Animal Adventures.
Animal Adventures is just a short walking distance from Elephant Cafe and is jointly managed with the café. Admission to the park is RM20.00 per adult and RM10.00 per child. Diners who spend at least RM50.00 at Elephant Cafe will get free admission tickets to Animal Adventures. The park is open from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
Zanah is an 8-year female Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris) in here. She enjoys a massive den all to herself. There is a subterranean walkway for visitors to get closer to Zanah.
Also at Animal Adventures, meet Lasah the male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). Lasah is quite shy in the presence of strangers, but is bold enough to extend his truck when visitors feed him. His diet includes apples, bananas and sugar cane. A basket of fruits can be purchased for RM5.00.
After exploring most of Oriental Village, my next stopover is Air Terjun Temurun (Temurun Waterfall). This waterfall is located on the way to Teluk Datai (Datai Bay) and is just across the road from Langkawi Waterfall. The latter is an artificial waterfall but is currently closed for repairs.
From the public parking lot, it is a relaxing 10-minute hike to Air Terjun Temurun. Watch your footing because certain parts of the path can be tricky. By the way, the word “temurun” means “heritage” or “legacy” in Malay.
Air Terjun Temurun is the tallest waterfall in Langkawi. Measuring 200 meters in height, the waterfall comprises of 3 cascading falls. However because it is now the dry season, the once-imposing waterfall has been reduced to a trickle.
I arrive at Cenang Beach (Pantai Cenang) just in time to watch the sunset. Located on the west coast of Langkawi, one can watch the evening sun slowly submerging under the horizon.
The entire stretch of Cenang Beach is lined with many restaurants, souvenir shops and hotels. As the place has been over-commercialized, don’t expect to find anything affordable here. This also explains why the vast majority of people here are tourists. On the plus side, Cenang Beach is fairly well-maintained compared to other public beaches in Langkawi.
My dinner is at Yellow Beach Cafe – an arbitrary choice in absence of any preference. This beachfront restaurant is located behind Langkapuri Inn. My order of Special Yellow’s (RM38.00) is a pizza topped with tomato sauce, pepperoni, artichokes, black olives, mozzarella cheese and egg.
I am staying at Temple Tree tonight. However because it is getting dark and I am too exhausted, I will explore this resort tomorrow morning.
Click here for the fourth part of this article.
