What You Learn About Your Kids in Langkawi

Langkawi an archipelago made up of 99 islands on Malaysia’s west coast is as different as it gets from our home. It has beautiful sandy beaches, stunning scenery, monkeys roaming around and a diverse Geoforest Park. But the sights weren’t the one that impressed me, it was watching my kids embrace it all. Kids in Langkwai are the best: open minded and curious, flexible, careful yet up for adventure.

Langkawi1) Problems can be easily solved – if there is a beach

My kids are the happiest on the beach, sand or rock they don’t really care, as long as there’s some water around and they can throw rocks in.

Coolkidz Say: Sorry Mom, beaches in Asia beat your beaches in Brittany. This may come to you as a surprise, but we like it hot. 

Give them beach and most of the troubles melt away. I love how easily problems can be solved with kids in Langkawi, known for white sand beaches, that are probably some of Malaysia’s best. Our favorite was Tanjung Rhu beach.

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2) Kids love monkeys – from a distance

I was happy to realize that my kids are careful. We saw wild monkeys throughout our journey yet the kids always kept their distance.

In Langkawi you can spot a lot of brown macaques and they aren’t afraid of people.

Fair warning these cuties are always on the lookout for food and will take it from you the first chance they get. So, be careful with your stuff around them.

And then there are the dusky leaf monkeys which are shy and will generally leave you alone.

Monkeys in Malaysia

3) Kids have an open mind – but don’t like coconuts

At home it’s a constant battle to get them to try something new. In Langkawi (and our other trips) they were willing to give some new things a go. I bet they were scared they’d end up hungry.

After some cajoling, we were able to get them to try the coconut. They didn’t enjoy it. (Truth be told neither did I.)

It’s the willingness that counts.

Coolkidz Say: Other then that food is good. Go for noodles. Learn to say: “Not spicy.”

Coconut4) Kids love adventures – of any kind

As long as we are on the move, they are happy. They were willing to walk up the waterfall hidden in the deep forest, climb around it and take a boat through a very interesting geopark.

Killim Geopark is truly a must see if you are in Langkawi.

It’s a nature reserve and a collection of geo-sites full of amazing flora and fauna. The best way to visit it is by a boat.

My advice is don’t book it through an agency.

It is way cheaper if you drive up to the entrance to the park – Kilim Jetty or the Tanjug Rhu bay area and arrange for a private tour. It is a special experience, where you ride a boat along the Kilim river and enjoy the views of gigantic limestone rocks which have been formed some 500 million year before.

Then there were my favorite trees – mangroves and a walk through the forest filled with them.

mangroves

Nobody was scared to enter the cave full of sleeping bats.

And we were all in awe once we saw the eagles sore in the sky above us. The Brahminy Kite Eagle has a white head and brown wings and lends Langkawi part of its name.
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Coolkidz Tip: Don’t leave the tour without touching the sting ray or the horseshoe crab, which are considered living fossils since their origin goes 450 million years back.

5) Pool is the best reward

We had to start and finish the day with a swim in the hotel pool. It was our little tradition. One we happily supported throughout our trip to Asia. And I have discovered you can never have too much of swimming – be it in the sea or pool. It was one of the many reasons we are still obsessing over Bali.

IMG_37146) Kids are curious and open-minded

I loved the fact that they’ve mostly enjoyed everything they saw and they didn’t find anything strange. There were no questions why there are different religions when we visited shrines, they never asked why some women were wearing burkas and others weren’t, they didn’t find other languages strange or expect for things to be like they are at home. They took the diversity in stride and really enjoyed this amazing place and its friendly people.

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