Getting Around Langkawi – Hire A Car/Motorbike

Be warned, there is no real public transport in Langkawi to speak of, so you’ll need to figure out how best to explore the island for yourself. Luckily, the roads are well laid out, very well structured and easy to navigate so you can easily hire a car or motorcycle and get around without any real problems.

Many holiday makers to Langkawi choose to hire a car, and you can do this from the airport or one of the car hire firms in Kuah. Make sure that you barter because most car hire companies will lower their fees if you bargain. In fact, hiring a car for the day can be quite cheap (expect to pay about $25/£15 per day). If you do decide to go down this route remember to bring your drivers licence as the reputable operators will not hire you a vehicle unless you show proof that you hold a valid licence.

A reliable place to hire any sort of vehicle is the Tshoppe situated in Pantai Tengah – aside from vehicles, you can find out more about day tours and stock up on some souvenirs here.

You should also note that many of the more grand five star hotels will rent out cars, but at a far bigger premium than what you can get elsewhere. If you’re lucky enough to stay at one of these premium accommodations, make sure you look round before committing to a car.

If you can ride a motor-cycle, you can get around for even less, with a decent bike costing about $10 per day or less. You can hire very cheap motor cycles inside Pantai Cenang (which is where much of the budge hotels and accommodation within Langkawi is located). Also an option is to cycle around the town which is the cheapest mode of transport – again, it’s very cheap to do this.

Hire A Car With A Driver

If you do not want to do any of the driving yourself (and why should you, you’re on holiday after all!) then you can hire a car with driver for either a few hours or for the day. Be warned however, this is a far more expensive option than if you choose to drive around yourself and unless you have a considerable budget this may not be a long term option for your stay in Langkawi.

Prices generally are about 40RM per hour, and be warned that if you choose to hire a car plus driver from one of the more upmarket hotels in Langkawi, this amount rises to about 60RM per hour (a heavyweight $20 per hour or so). Most services will offer one free hour for every three you take out, and remember that there is usually scope to bargain to lower this amount.

Above - Hire A Car With Driver For Around $20 Per Hour