Langkawi, Malaysia: Duty-Free Island Archipelago on the Andaman Sea

Langkawi SkyCab is the steepest cable car in the world — a four-kilometer system climbing to 708 meters on Gunung Mat Cincang, with gradient changes of up to 42 degrees on the final section. The views from the top, across the Andaman Sea toward the Thai islands on the northern horizon, are worth the queue. The SkyBridge, a curved pedestrian bridge suspended 100 meters from its single supporting pylon, hangs from the mid-station and gives the most dramatic views; it is occasionally closed for maintenance.

Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, in the northeast of the island, is a mangrove estuary system where limestone karst formations rise from the water. Boat tours through the mangroves pass bat caves, fish farms, and eagle-feeding stations where brahminy kites and white-bellied sea eagles are fed from moving boats. The tour takes two to three hours by speedboat; operators depart from Kilim Jetty.

The Datai Bay beaches, on the northwest coast, are among the best in Malaysia — fine white sand backed by primary rainforest with clear water and almost no commercial development on the beach itself. Access is easier with a taxi. Pantai Cenang, on the southwest coast near the main jetty, is the more developed and accessible beach with parasailing, jet skis, and beach bars.

Pantai Tengah and the Cenang beach strip have the island's duty-free liquor shops, chocolatiers, and electronics stores — Langkawi's status as a duty-free zone means alcohol and cigarettes are significantly cheaper here than on the Malaysian mainland, and it shows in the volume of local ferry day-trippers from Penang and Kuala Perlis.

Langkawi Wildlife Park, near the airport, is a competently run small zoo focused on Malaysian and Southeast Asian species. Rainforest Skytrex, a zipline adventure course in the jungle canopy, operates near Telaga Harbour.