There's a variety of ways to travel within Malaysia, but actually only two ways to get all the way to Langkawi: by air or by sea.
Planes to Langkawi
Air travel is one option to get to Langkawi, although relatively few airlines service the island's Padang Matsirat International Airport (code: LGK). The national carrier, Malaysia Air System, flies between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi, as well as from Penang.
- Malaysia Air System
- The national carrier flies several times daily between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi. MAS is also the largest domestic air carrier.
- Air Asia
- Air Asia is Malaysia's discount domestic carrier. If you book well in advance you can get some absolutely rock bottom fares. Air Asia flies to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur only.
- Silk Air
- This Singaporean airline flies to destinations such as Yangon, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and many cities in Indonesia.
Planes arrive at Langkawi's international airport at the southern end of the island.
Trains
You can travel to Alor Setar on the mainland by train from either Singapore via Kuala Lumpur or Thailand. Malaysian Rail has daily trains traveling up and down the entire length of the peninsula. From Alor Setar, you catch a bus or taxi to either Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis, and from either of these ferries leave frequently for Langkawi
Buses
Traveling by bus is not something that readily comes to mind, but there are some excellent services around Malaysia that offer a level of comfort that can even out-do first class air flight. Check out Plus Liner for more information.
Ferry
Ferries to and from Langkawi can be boarded at Kuala Kedah (1:15 travel time) or Kuala Perlis (45 minutes) on the Malaysian mainland, or from Penang (two hours), or from Satun in Thailand. All ferries arrive at the jetty terminal in Kuah town.