Langkawi is primarily a laid back destination, with very little in the way of action or adventure opportunities. Perhaps the closest thing to a thrill ride is the cable car up to the top of Mount Mat Chinchang.
View from the top, looking towards the airport. The Oriental Village and cable car base station is at the bottom middle.
The base station of the cable car line is next to the Oriental Village shopping center. From the base station the cable ascends up past two towers and then up to the middle station. The incline is technically 42° according to the brochure, but the ride from the second tower up to the middle station feels almost like a vertical climb just a few feet away from the vertical rock face of the mountain.
On the way up to the middle station, you get a good view of the Telaga Tujuh ('Seven Wells') waterfall just north of the cable car line. The cable car was built without constructing any roads through the jungle. All the materials were lifted into place using helicopters.
At the middle station, having climbed 650 meters (about 2,150 feet) up from sea level, you can alight from the car to take in the view, or stay in the gondola while it makes a nearly 90° turn to head up to the top station. If you elect to step off, you can catch another gondola up to the top station on the other side of the control booth.
If you've managed to keep your lunch down on the way to the middle station, then the trip to the top station is easy. From the top you can see much of the island, its surrounding islands, and even Tarutao Island in Thailand to the north.
There is a small snack bar at the top station, which has a rather space-age look with its round viewing platforms.
Admission Fee
The round-trip fare for adults is RM 25 (5.09 USD), for children the fare is RM 10 (2.04 USD). Operating hours are 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily, but note that operation may be curtailed in extreme weather.