Kedah and Perlis

SUNGAI PETANI, 35km north of Butterworth, is the jumping-off point for the archeological site of Bujang Valley, and Gunung Jerai, the state’s highest peak. Both lie northwest from town, on separate roads; without your own vehicle, you can’t visit both in a single day. The town itself has nothing to detain you beyond its transport terminals and handful of places to stay. A clock tower dominates Jalan Ibrahim, the main north–south road through town; from here, a side road directly to the east leads to the train station. One block south of the clock tower, another side road branching east, Jalan Kuala Ketil, crosses over the tracks and leads to the express bus stop – little more than an open yard and some food stalls. A further block south and west is Jalan Petri, which continues west past the local bus station, taxi stand and some budget hotels.

The tidy state capital of Kedah, Alor Star is a thoroughly Malay city, very conservative in feel for the west coast, with a prominent mosque and former sultan’s palace right in the centre. This traditionalism is doubtless partly a reaction to the proximity of the Thai border, just 45km north; the town has been through a century of Thai rule since its foundation as a royal capital in 1735. A compact place that can be easily seen in a day, Alor Star holds enough architectural and cultural interest to make a worthwhile pause on your way to or from Thailand, Ulu Muda Eco Park or the ferry to Langkawi. Be sure to dress appropriately, given its largely Muslim population.

Hidden away in Kedah’s northeastern corner, up against a remote section of the Thai border, Ulu Muda Eco Park is thick with salt licks, old-growth rainforest and wildlife. As well as birds and reptiles galore, it offers a reasonable chance of encountering elephants and tapir, though sightings of the resident tigers and sun bears are far less likely. The park also encloses a man-made lake, Tasik Muda, and the only way in is by boat from Gubir, not much more than a jetty and resort 75km east of Alor Star; a two-hour sampan ride from here lands you deep inside the park at the Earth Lodge Field Research Centre. Hiking tracks link the lodge to limestone caves, hot springs (which many animals visit early in the morning or at night, when the temperatures drop), and wildlife hides.

Despite the threat of logging that hangs over the area, Ulu Muda remains genuinely remote, so getting here is both time-consuming and expensive. The only practical way to see the park is on a tour, but if you want to experience less touristed jungle than that at Taman Negara, this might be the place to come. Note that August to December can see heavy rainfall, but the park is still accessible; in the dry season, you might have to push your boat over a few sandbanks to reach the lodge.

Situated 30km off the coast, just south of the Thai border, Pulau Langkawi is at 500 square kilometres the largest of an archipelago of mostly uninhabited islands. Its white-sand beaches are easily the best along the entire west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and Langkawi’s charms consist largely of lazing around on the sand, perhaps taking time off for a mangrove cruise after sea eagles, to snorkel or scuba dive south at Pulau Payar Marine Park, or to ride the Langkawi Cable Car over the interior forests to the top of Gunung Mat Cincang.

Once a haven for pirates, Langkawi has in recent years been converted into an upmarket resort destination aimed at Saudis and Europeans, complete with its own airport and some of the country’s priciest hotels. That said, there’s relatively little high-density development, and a growing sprinkle of budget-end accommodation means that the island is fairly affordable for a couple of days, even if your funds are limited. It’s also popular with Western yachties, as a cheaper place to hang out than Phuket in Thailand – and Langkawi’s special duty-free status means a case of beer costs only RM25.

There’s no reason to stay longer in Langkawi’s main port, Kuah, than it takes to arrange transport west to the beaches and mid-range developments at Pantai Tengah and Pantai Cenang, or the exclusive, self-contained resorts scattered around the island’s northwest. Well-formed roads circuit Langkawi, though with no bus service, exploring further than walking distance from your hotel can be costly. If you are on a budget, don’t come anywhere near Langkawi during national or school holidays, when room rates can double.

KANGAR, the Perlis state capital, is an unremarkable town whose compact city centre, a shabby mix of old shophouses and concrete box architecture focused around the Kangar Square D’Mara shopping complex, sits immediately north of the little Sungai Perlis. It’s really only somewhere to change buses, most likely if you’re heading between the Thai border and Langkawi. About 10km east, ARAU is the least interesting of all Malaysia’s royal towns – the Royal Palace on the main road is closed to the public and looks like little more than a comfortable mansion – but it’s the nearest train station to Kangar.