Langkawi/Penang with DH and 3 DS's aged 9,7 and 3. Advice please!

[ptangyangkipperbang]

We are thinking of going to Penang and Langkawi for 2 weeks at Easter. We thought this would be a good combination of culture/beach.
I don't know where to start with planning it. I did lots of backpacking years ago but this is the first longhaul trip we've planned with the children.
Is it best to find a package or book flight and accommodation seperately? Any recommendations for child friendly hotels. Any advice gratefully received.

Can't recommend where to go as we stayed at the Datai on Langkawi on our honeymoon and it is very honeymooney and really isn't very child friendly (they're allowed in one pool for eg but not another). A friend stayed at the Andaman up the beach with her then 6 and twin 3 year olds and I know they had a really great time. You might prefer to find a less "boutiquey" hotel and something more child friendly. Be aware of the mosquitoes and other bitey insects on Langkawi - they don't spray the beaches in Malaysia and no kidding I had to spray with tropical stuff even in the day as they get you on the beach. Just a thought !
Hope that helps a little bit. Have you tried trip advisor ? www.tripadvisor.com - I don't go anywhere without having a look there first for hotels in the place I'm going.
Good luck

Thank you. Have posted on trip advisor too so hopefully will soon have lots of info.

We stayed at the Andaman, Langkawi last Easter with DDs age 8 and 11. We had a great time. There were lots of beach activities eg canoeing to other islands, bodyboarding, boat rides, snorkelling. Nice rooms. Good pool with slide. The highlight of the holiday was getting back to our room and finding DDs hadn't shut the balcony doors properly and three monkeys were sat on the floor eating the fruit out of the fruit basket.

I would recommend the Lone Pine in Penang. It's gorgeous. You can also get a ground-floor room with a walled garden, which may be useful if your youngest is not a swimmer as obviously the hotels all have unrestricted beach access and the pools are not fenced.

I have not been to Langkawi but I'm not sure I'd bother to do both - it might be more relaxing to plonk yourself in one place rather than move halfway through. Up to you, though.

Penang has a few things to keep everyone occupied - Georgetown is interesting, the Chinese temple at the top of the hill (can't remember what it's called) is fascinating, and there is a really good food court (called a hawker centre in SE Asia) about 300 metres down the road from the Lone Pine. But on the whole it's a flop-on-the-beach type of place.

Definitely watch out for the monkeys. My best friend comes from Penang and she said some of them are actually trained to steal anything shiny! So they'll take foil-wrapped sweets but also jewellery. She lived on the top floor of a high rise and I couldn't understand why she wouldn't leave the windows ajar when we went out.

Second what's been said about the Datai and the Andaman. we love it. Been 3 times. They have a lot of return guests.
The Datai is in a class of it's own and if your children can entertain themselves would recommend staying there to experience the full wow factor of the constant sights and sounds of the jungle.
You are allowed to use the facilities of the Andaman (sister property). That is a very child friendly swimming pool with aqua slides and a kids club.
Both have dirt cheap kids menus and babysitting (considering the standard).
For amateurs, the Datai has one of the best priced french wine list I've seen and food is quite reasonably priced.

Activities include mini hikes to lovely fresh water waterfalls, evening and early morning nature trails with resident biologist and for the fitter a day mountain treck.
There is a marine park 1 hour boat drive to the south of the island. Gorgeous day out. Fab diving.
They also have one of the most beautifull golf courses in the world.

The recently opened Casa Del Mar has excellent reviews in Asian travel mags. The Four seasons is "tacky" compared to the Datai say afficionados. The Tanjung Rhu still scores well. Can't give you first hand advice as we arre Datai die hards and don't bother with the rest.
In Langkawi, tourism is definitely either high end or very tired old 2/3 stars with nearly nothing in between.

I think it's very easy travel between langkawi and Penang (if you don't mind the packing and unpacking).
Don't know Penang that well but definitely more choice for hotels and maybe more opportunities to entertain the children with outings and a bit of culture, although not much really.
If ou are looking for an all inclusive with lots of children's entertainment and evenings out, then Penang may be a better option.

Have you considered Krabi/Khao lak/koh Lanta? It's beautifull and very easy to fly to. And best for boating (day trips to phi phi island and marine conservation park)

For accomodation try asiarooms.com - they have the best local deals
For flights try tiger airways and silk air from singapore and bangkok air from thailand. - they are the local easy jets.

Hi - we are thinking of exactly the same trip at the same time ! - where have you decided ? Can't decide between a big hotel with kids clubs etc for the kids (7,4,1) or a smaller boutiquey place which could hopefully organise lots of babysitting ! Need to get a move on though.....

We love the Andaman and have been several times with our 2 DSs when they've been aged various things between 2 and 8. Going again at Feb half term. We like to get babysitters sometimes and eat later at the Thai Pavilion at the Datai. There is not that much to see on Langkawi apart from rainforest, mangrove swamps and beach - the cable car trip to the suspension bridge is OK.

The Andaman has a lovely pool, very child-friendly but not in an overwheming way and there is now a small children's club, though we've never used it.

Penang is more interesting historically, but have only been there once pre-children about 12 years ago.

We stayed at Casa Del Mar for 2 weeks with our 2 year old son in a delux suite. It was fantastic and very reasonable re price. The suite has a seperate sitting room so you can put children to bed and stay up. The bedroom had a cot in it and a sofa bed so would work well. Our son was very well looked after, the staff were charming, he had delicious meals cooked for him and nothing was too much trouble. We had a baby sitter (the receptionists wife) most evenings. We would arrange for her to come after we had put our son to bed and dine on the beach below our balcony so we could pop back up if he woke (he never did). We were initially wary as all reviews banged on about it being a very honeymoon type of place and we thought children may not be welcome/catered for but were pleasantly surprised. It was absolutely fantastic! You can fly direct to Langkawi but have to change at KL on the way back. Good Luck.

We stayed at the Westin resort twice in Langkawi as we loved it so much. Beautiful and very family friendly but there is not much in Langkawi. Would highly recomment Le Meridien at Khao Lak though, we went last year with 4 year old twins (came back pregnant with DS no 3 so clearly had a good time!) Wonderful hotel, location and children's facilities, including club, pools with slides and toddler beach pool.

Stayed at Pelangi Beach. Not as posh as the Datai and Andamaan. For us Pelangi beach was ideal and more than comfortable. Again, child-friendly but not overwhelmingly. Would second the insect issue!