I knew that a family holiday at Four Seasons Langkawi was going to be pretty special but I totally underestimated how fabulous it would be – I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect holiday for me and my little family.
I have to say I did have my reservations about taking two young boys (3 and 5) on a long haul flight to Malaysia along with another connecting flight to the island of Langkawi for just 8 nights away, but I don’t know why I worried as the whole experience was an adventure for them and they were absolutely fine. What could be more exciting than big planes and airports? Lots of kids’ movies and tv on the plane – that’s what! They were just transfixed by the movies on tap, loved the kids’ meals and had a great sleep when they were tired. They were happy to go along with wherever we took them and didn’t whinge once!
On arrival I realised our long-haul family holiday was WELL worth the journey as we were allocated the perfect Family Beach Villa with a separate room for the children, complete with their own toy monkeys, its own pool and deck leading directly onto the longest, whitest beach I have ever seen. We arrived pretty late so had room service on the deck and ran the bath – big enough to fit all four of us together! The bathroom, dressing room and shower was nearly as big as the main bedroom – bigger than my own home!
We kept the kids up late with us each night so the time difference wouldn’t have such an impact on them, which meant we had lovely late meals at the beach restaurant and long lie-ins in the morning – a bit of a treat for parents with young kids! Most of our days were spent at the family pool with sunbeds right on the beach – the boys split their time between digging in the sand and splashing about in the pool. Early evening we’d head back to the villa where the boys could play on the beach whilst we relaxed in the hammock or loungers, pinching ourselves about how lucky we were to be there whilst watching the sun set on the horizon.
Our week of beach and pool fun was broken up with plenty of activities, from rock climbing to kite flying and smores on the beach (toasted marshmallows on the bbq sandwiched in chocolate and biscuits!) plus a couple afternoon excursions.
I really wanted the boys to get out of the resort and see some of the island itself. Langkawi is a really beautiful, unspoilt corner of Asia, covered with lush rainforest and rice paddies and dotted with small villages. Whilst tourism plays a major part in their economy, it has not taken over and it still feels very untouched. There are a few pockets of development where you’ll find a choice of restaurants and shops, but the majority of the area is lush countryside. This was particularly evident when looking across the stunning view of the island from the top of Machincang Mountain, which we reached by the Panorama Cable Car – a new experience for the boys and a definite hit.
Our Mountain Adventure started at the base station, located in a small village consisting of a few tourist shops and cafes (all very pleasant and not as touristy as I was expecting). Our private guide took us on our own Cable Car to the top of the mountain, 708 metres above ground. Once at the top we were treated to 360 degree views of the mountainous island, cloaked in jungle with long stretches of unspoiled beaches and hundreds of islands dotted on the horizon, the furthest being Koh Tarutao in Thailand which is just 37 kms away. The optional walk between the middle and top station took us deep into the jungle, climbing over vines, spotting monkeys and bats in the trees – as you can imagine it was a completely new experience that the boys loved.
We also enjoyed a Mangrove Safari, another main attraction for visitors to Langkawi, located right behind the Four Seasons and accessible by the resort’s own boat directly from the beach. In amongst the mangroves we saw all sorts of wildlife delights from monkeys and macaques, mudskippers and fiddler crabs to sea eagles and bats, not to mention the beautiful limestone scenery – the children were captivated.
I could go on and on, but overall I was just so pleased we chose Four Seasons Langkawi for our family holiday – it ticked all the boxes and more and I really can’t think of anywhere with a more perfect set up for our needs as a young family.
A few years ago I also visited the resort, but that time without kids. The resort is split into two with the south-side more steered towards families and the north-side allocated to couples, complete with their own couples-only swimming pool. Last time I didn’t venture into the family side once and this time I didn’t go anywhere near the couples side of the resort. They really do a great job of catering for both types of holiday and I would encourage couples to stay here just as much as families. For me it is the perfect family resort but it also very cleverly offers itself as a honeymoon hotspot and I would love to return for a relaxing holiday without the kids one day…………..
Take me there…
7 nights at Four Seasons Langkawi starts from £5795 for a family of four sharing a Lower Melaleuca Pavilion or from £12,520 if sharing a two bedroom Family Beach Villa including flights and private transfers.
