Why go
Langkawi is a UNESCO Global Geopark, and you feel it as soon as you leave the airport: the roads run through thick forest, with hornbills, monkeys and sea eagles overhead. The landscape is the draw, more than the sea. The water is warm and calm but rarely clear, so this is an island for jungle, mangroves and long empty beaches.
It is also easy. Flights from Kuala Lumpur take about an hour, there are direct flights from Singapore, and nothing on the island is more than an hour's drive away.
When to go
December to March is the driest and sunniest stretch, and the most expensive. April to August brings short afternoon downpours and noticeably lower rates. September and October are the wettest months, when the sea is rougher and more debris washes onto the beaches.
Jellyfish can appear at any time of year and sometimes close the sea to swimmers for days. We would always choose a hotel with pools you will be happy in.
Where to base yourself
The north coast is where the quiet luxury is. Tanjung Rhu has the longest beach, and Datai Bay in the north-west has the prettiest water and the oldest rainforest. Both are remote, so you eat at the hotel most nights.
Pantai Cenang in the south-west is the lively strip, with restaurants and bars on foot. Kuah, the main town, is handy for the ferry and shopping but is not where we would spend a beach holiday.
What we would build into your trip
A boat through the Kilim mangroves with a proper naturalist, for eagles, bat caves and limestone gorges. The SkyCab cable car up Gunung Mat Chinchang and the Sky Bridge at the top, first thing in the morning before the queues and the cloud. A sunset sail among the islands, and one dinner out at a local seafood place.
Good to know
The whole island is duty free, so wine and spirits cost far less in the shops than at hotel bars. Grab cars work well and are cheap, though the northern resorts are about 30 minutes from the airport and from most restaurants.
Keep balcony doors shut when there is food about, because the monkeys are bold. Away from the beach, dress modestly in villages and towns.