If you are every visiting Malaysia, then Langkawi just HAS to be on your list of places to see. And if you are in Langkawi, then the very top of THAT list will be the Langkawi Cable Car and Skybridge. The proper name for it is the Langkawi Skycab, but names aside, it is one of the most exhilarating things you will do in all of Malaysia.
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Having been to Langkawi only recently (I am still here while typing this article) and the Skybridge (today) I thought I would put together a complete guide to what to expect. Simply because when doing my own research, I found there wasn’t much online expect the official website. And while sites like that are good for getting up to date prices, they also tend to tell you stuff all else!
So here is what you can expect from a day at the Langkawi Cable Car and Skybridge. With no frills, personal insights and frustrations all included!
Table of Contents
- What is Langkawi Cable Car and Skybridge?
- Where to find them?
- What to expect
- Ticket Prices and Packages
- Opening Hours
- The Skycab (Cable Car)
- Up Top
- The Skybridge
- Things to know before you go
- What else is nearby?
- Places to eat
- Where to stay
- Summary
What is Langkawi Cable Car and Skybridge?
The Langkawi Cable Car, known as the Langkawi Skycab, was constructed in 2004 by Austrian company Dopplemayr. The Cable Car connects the lower village to the peak of Gunung Machinchang, which is also the location of the Langkawi Skybridge.
The Skycab is a brilliant initiative, and gives locals and visitors a wonderful view of the entire group of Langkawi islands. The Langkawi Cable Car itself is worth the ride, being relatively cheap, and providing incredible views on its own.
Interesting to note is that both the Langkawi Cable Car and the Langkawi Skybridge both hold significant records. The Skycab holds the record for steepest cable car in the world, also with the longest unsupported length of 900m.
The Langkawi Skybridge holds the record for the longest curved span on a bridge with only one support.
Where to find them?
You can find the Langkawi Cable Car on the southwest corner of the island of Langkawi, Malaysia. To get there, simply take a GRAB from the airport, or anywhere else on the island. From the airport it is only about 20 minutes.
You can also drive yourself or ride a scooter. There is ample parking, and interesting to note is that the scooter parking is free! Just make sure you have the right license and hire a scooter from a reputable source.
Are you planning on renting a car or driving when you are overseas? Then make sure you are fully covered by having your International Driver’s Permit. Find out more, or pick one up easily at THIS LINK.
What to expect
Views views and more views. All for a decent price.
You can also expect a crowd if you get there are the wrong time, like I did. Not to matter though, because once you have lined up and got on the gondola, the rest is not so bad. They actually restrict how many are at the top, as the bridge itself is only certified to hold 250 people. How they keep track I don’t know, but I was there on a crowded day and I think it could have been a lot worse.
The Gondola ride is very scenic and enjoyable. It’s fun watching as the views open up behind you as you crank your way up the side of the mountain. Just remember that the views at the top will be 100 times better, but still, it’s amazing never the less.
There is a mid station for the Langkawi Cable Car, and I imagine at one stage this didn’t provide much. Nowadays there is a great viewing platform there to check out if you are interested.
Up top, you will find food, the option to check out the skybridge, and another couple of wonderful viewing platforms. But I will go into more details about it all a bit further on.
One thing to note – The entire day at the Langkawi cable car and Skybridge is a carefully disguised sales funnel. It is just one upsell after another. I will point this out as we go, but just remember that you ONLY HAVE to pay the basic price, and this is an activity that you CAN do on a budget. Unless you want to pay for the upsell, of course.
Ticket Prices and Packages
As I might have mentioned, the entire experience of the Langkawi Cable Car and Langkawi Skybridge is an upsell. Once you approach the ticket office, you will get your first taste of it.
Right outside, at the head of the ticket line is a sign with all of your options. Did you think you were just going to get a ticket on the gondola to the top? Think again!
Of course, you CAN just get the simple Skycab ride. But here are your options.
- Skycab admission – MyKad – RM43 adult, RM33 Child. Standard – RM85 adult, RM65 Child
- Combo with Petland – MyKad – RM64 Adult, RM49 Child. Standard RM121 Adult, RM91 Child
Premium Packages
- VIP – RM550/3PAX
- Private Gondola – RM550/6PAX
- Glass Bottom Gondola – RM105/PAX
- 360 Gondola – RM155/PAX
Special Add-ons
- Express lane – RM50 Adult, RM50 Child
- 6D Cinemotion – RM20 Adult, RM15 Child
- Machinchang Petland – MyKad RM23 Adult, Rm18 Child. Standard RM40 Adult, RM30 Child
When up top, the price for Skybridge is:
- Nature Walk – RM6 Adult, RM4 Child
- Skyglide – RM16 Adult, RM11 Child
Opening Hours
- Langkawi Cable Car (Skycab) – 0930am to 6pm
- Skybridge Nature Walk – 10am to 530pm
- Skyglide – 10am to 615pm
You can also get tickets online. Just check out one of the below links to see your options.
The Skycab (Cable Car)
Once you have your ticket, head off to the left and through the turnstiles. If there is a big line, they will hold you out for a while. I can only assume this is to limit the amount of people actually going up the top at any given time.
At the turnstiles you will hand over all that water, soft drink and food you just bought from the shop next door. No food or drink is allowed on the Langkawi Cable Car.
The line
Up some stairs you will enter a (thankfully) air conditioned room where you will get herded like sheep through row after row of turnstiles as you make your way to the Skycab loading point that, you guessed it, you just walked past! Of course, if you took one of the many upsells and opted for Premium, Private, express or VIP treatment, then you are golden, and can take the short route.
In the line you will see several posters that give you the history of the Skycab, so at least you have some good reading. There is also the “exciting chance” to have your photo taken in front of green screen so that you can preserve your precious memories. This is a wonderful upsell if you just happen to have forgotten to bring your own camera, iPhone, gopro or any other device with you. (Sarcasm included for free)
Once you make it to the loading point, they will separate you into groups of six and herd you into the Gondolas.
The cabs themselves are ok, as far as Gondolas go. At least they don’t have melting snow and 6 sweaty and smelling snowboarders in them, which is my sum total of experience with Gondolas prior to this.
Note that every now and then a cab will pass with no one in it. These are the “priority” cabs that were included in the upsell. They have more open air, with bars instead of windows, and are extremely popular as can be seen by the fact no one is in them.
The ride
Once you leave the bottom station, the views open up slowly behind you. On a clear day they are extraordinary, and the wow factor just keeps on coming. Take notice as well of the view in front, and just how steep this gondola climb is. It’s actually incredible.
Off to one side you will see the beautiful Telagah Tujuh Waterfall. It’s quite an extraordinary sight from this height, and well worth going on the short hike later in the day if you have time.
The Cable Car you are sitting in quite comfortably fits 6 normal size adults. Don’t move around too much, but you can move positions to take photos etc. In the normal cars, there are only a couple of cracks in the high windows for you to get a good photo without looking through the plexiglass. There is also a small sliding window in the door that you could fit your phone through if you are VERY careful, and hold onto it tightly!
The first stop on the trip is the mid station. Here, you have the option to hop off and enjoy the views from the viewing platforms. There was a bit of cloud around on the day I passed this station so the platforms weren’t really worth it. I continued on.
The trip across to the top station is a lot shorter, and gives you wonderful views not only of the distant islands, but also the Langkawi Skybridge. This is your first real sight of it, and from a different angle than you probably would have seen before.
Up Top
Once you arrive up top, you have to work out where to go. To the right you will see a line (usually) that seems to be for another “Skyglide” train. This takes you from the Langkawi Cable Car Station down to the Langkawi Skybridge. There are also stairs that go down, but first you have to buy an “extra” ticket.
This is the ticket for the Langkawi Skybridge – you know, the one they wouldn’t talk to you about at the bottom?
Head to the left and there is a small ticket booth beside a small convenience shop. You will have two options for the Skybridge. First, to take the Skyglide down, or second, to simply walk the 300 odd stairs to get there. The difference is only 10RM, but if you are on a budget, just take the walking option.
Before you head off though, take note of the other stairs going UP. These go up to a couple of high food courts where you can get some decent food with a view, and also two panoramic 360 degree viewpoints. I never saw these advertised down below, but in my opinion they give a LOT better view than the Skybridge. They just aren’t as gimmicky. What they ARE, is completely free!
When you are done, head back down to the stairs that will take you on the “nature trail” to the Skybridge. I think it is misnamed, personally. It should be called the “sweaty, humid, trip hazard filled, heart attack inducing way to save 10RM”!
But still. Worth it when on a budget.
The Skybridge
When you reach the Skybridge, there isn’t really much to say. It’s wonderful, and worth going to look at. By now you would be used to the views, so get out there and take your Instagram shots, because let’s face it, that’s why you came, right?
Just beware of getting close to the edge and losing grip on your phone or camera. I shudder to think how many are littering the valley floor below. I think I actually saw a monkey taking photos of his mates with an iPhone 13 pro. But I may have been mistaken.
At the far end of the bridge is the end station, which is simply where you turn around to walk back. There are also a couple of diagrams that will give you some interesting stats about the bridge and its construction.
Once you are done, its just a case of backtracking to the Gondola and heading back down again.
Things to know before you go
There are a few things that I want to point out to you before you head off and buy your ticket. Because these things will not be made clear to you beforehand, and one or more of them could spoil your day. And I don’t want that because the Langkawi Cable Car and Skybridge are really not to be missed!
- Check the weather conditions up top BEFORE you buy your ticket. These are not supplied anywhere before the ticket counter. When you are in the line they are conveniently (or not) displayed on a board at the turnstiles. Well AFTER you have handed over the money.
- Don’t buy food and drink to take with you. This will be confiscated at the very first turnstile. Even though there are several shops RIGHT NEAR the entry selling food and drink. Not fair is it?
- Expect a line. Even though you might not SEE a line, it is hidden inside a big room upstairs where they corale you through turnstiles like sheep. It might not SEEM busy, but it could be.
- Expect the upsell. One interesting one is the good old “photo of the experience” that you get everywhere these days. Here, they have put it right in the turnstiles so you literally cannot avoid it. Unless you do what I did and just walk right past and say no thanks.
- They don’t tell you the price of the skybridge before you commit to actually taking the skycab to the top. I don’t know why, because it’s not expensive. It’s just another way of getting you to buy the ticket.
As I said, these are things to be aware of. Forewarned is forearmed, and if you are prepared for them, then nothing will spoil your day.
What else is nearby?
There are quite a few things to see and do around the base of the Langkawi Cable Car. With loads of restaurants, cafes and gift shops, you could actually spend all day browsing.
There are a few attractions though, as you would have noted in the pricing with add ons for Petland for example. There is also 3D Art Langkawi just beyond the ticket office, SkyRex and SkyDome. I didn’t personally try any of these places so can’t comment about them.
There are a couple of things I would recommend though. First is Telagah Tujuh Waterfall that you saw from the Gondola. It’s very close by as you leave the carpark (just turn left at the road) but has just over 500 steps to get to the waterfalls. What you will find there though is a really nice place to swim, with some wonderfully refreshing mountain waterholes.
The other is before you leave, seek out the food court at the back of the complex. You will find it tucked away behind subway, and there may even be quite a few monkeys around.
The food court has some great food, but in particular check out German Food Corner. Their Schnitzels are amazing!
Places to eat
Well, I just mentioned German Food Corner. I wouldn’t personally look anywhere else.
But if you are looking for something more local, or even different, there are also many other places around the base and in the same food court. There are even some places as you walk in from the carpark.
Up top you will find some small restaurants at the very top station. The prices are actually decent, and you get to eat with a view. That is if you can find a table of course.
Where to stay
If you want to stay nice and close to the Langkawi Cable Car, then you have a few options, but this is a sought after area and hotels here are high end.
THE DANNA LANGKAWI
5 Star Luxury in a prime location with private beach and incredible food. What more could you want?
BERJAYA LANGKAWI RESORT
A quiet and secluded spot not far from both Pantai Kok and also the Cable Car. Staff here are excellent, facilities and food a credit to the resort, rooms are spacious and they even have buggy service.
THE RITZ-CARLTON LANGKAWI
What can you say about the Ritz-Carlton. This edition has everything you would expect from the rooms to the facilities, and the staff go above and beyond. Just as you would expect.
If you are searching for budget accommodation on Langkawi, keep a look out for my Complete Guide to Langkawi coming soon!
Looking for the best Budget accommodation? Hostelworld have you covered with all of the very best budget friendly accommodation around town. Check them out at THIS LINK.
Summary
The Langkawi Cable Car and Skybridge are a wonderful experience. I would fully recommend it to anyone that is coming to Langkawi as the “must do” activity on the island.
For more information on things to do in Langkawi, check out my complete guide to Langkawi at THIS LINK.
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