It was seven in the evening when we went out to the beach. It was our first day in Langkawi and we're about to witness the famous sunset at Pantai Cenang. There were so many things going on and our son, Akira, gravitated to what seemed to be a bubble factory. Apparently, there were bubble makers for rent where you pay a rental fee for bubble-blowing stuff. We watched him pop other kids’ bubbles and he’s having so much fun, for free.
| PANTAI CENANG BEACH ADVENTURE TABLE OF CONTENTS
► WHAT TO SEE IN PANTAI CENANG |
It’s my third time visiting the island of Langkawi in Malaysia and none of my three trips are the same. The first time, Christian and I stayed in rather farther areas away from Pantai Cenang where we also visited Pulau Payar Marine Park. Our second visit was during a shore excursion from a cruise trip to Singapore and Malaysia where we visited the UNESCO World Heritage Geopark of Kilim Geoforest Park. This was actually the first time that we’re staying in Pantai Cenang area.
ARRIVING IN PANTAI CENANG
Langkawi is a cluster of 99 islands around 30 kilometers off the coast of Northwestern Malaysia. Some people would refer to it as a Duty-Free island because of its tax-free status since 1987. Some people would actually go here just to shop.
Langkawi was our second stop during our backpacking around Malaysia, Singapore, and some islands in the Philippines. We traveled for 35 days with our three-year-old son for the first time and called our trip, Backpacking With A Kid 2023.
We arrived at half past seven in the morning from Penang and immediately went to our hotel, Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang. What I like most about the property is its close proximity to Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach) and other key destinations like the Underwater World Langkawi, restaurants, convenience stores, and Duty Free Shops.
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Pantai Cenang is the main tourist beach in Langkawi and the 2-kilometer stretch of white sand is a haven for sunbathers, water sports enthusiasts, and general tourists. Beach bars that serve snacks and drinks to the beach chairs and bean bags on the sand are a very common sight.
UNDERWATER WORLD LANGKAWI
We had seven hours to spare before we could check in to our room so we went first to Underwater World Langkawi and go around the exhibitions featuring different marine and freshwater aquaria.
We also got the chance to check out different duty-free shops in the area. I noticed how cheap everything was especially chocolate products and liquors as compared to elsewhere in Malaysia (there’s a limit of one carton of cigarettes and one liter of alcohol per departing traveler).
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CENANG BEACH
We had lunch somewhere and noticed that some of the shops were either temporarily or permanently closed. I still remember how busy this area was right before the pandemic and the current sight is actually saddening.
After settling in our hotel room, we took a quick nap and got up right before sunset.
Beach sunsets will always be a lovely scene to watch. Almost everyone was out and there were a lot of establishments that served snacks and drinks in their makeshift dining area on the sand.
There was also some bubble-blowing stuff for rent as well as sand toys for kids. There were so many things happening all at the same time but the focus was definitely on the beautiful skyline.
What I didn’t like about the experience though were the vehicles that freely roved on the shore that were somewhat distracting and dangerous. I wish they had their own spot so children could play or run freely on the shore.
STREETSIDE SHOPS
The scene at Pantai Cenang area was very different at night. The streets become livelier with bazaars and shops. The plaza near the beach was filled with performers such as robot mascots and balloon twisters and entertainers like singers.
PANTAI CENANG NIGHT MARKET
We walked down the road and found a vacant parking area that was turned into a food park. Several hawker food stalls with local dishes, snacks, and fruits were there as well as tables and chairs for diners.
We were actually full from the dinner we had but decided to grab some roti canai and curry. It was so good that we ended up having five servings that night.
LAST DAY IN PANTAI CENANG
The next day, we visited Pantai Cenang at around one in the afternoon, and the beach was filled with sun-kissed beachgoers who were enjoying the afternoon sea breeze. Akira decided to play with his sand toys and I, on the other hand, relaxed on our beach mat and people-watched.
It was also laundry day for us and the good thing was that we saw a nearby 24-hour self-operating laundry along the main road and waited around 40 minutes for our clothes to be finished.
It was a beautiful afternoon and after checking out from our hotel, we took a ride from our ride-hailing app and proceeded to the pier for our next adventure on an exclusive island resort, still in Langkawi.
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Staying in Pantai Cenang is actually the perfect base if you’re planning to explore Langkawi. It’s near the airport, beach, shops, restaurants, and other key destinations on the main island. Accommodation options in this area are actually cheap considering its prime location. Overall, we really had a good time here and will definitely consider it again on our next visit.
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