After a rather strenuous journey getting to Malaysia with our two toddlers, we were looking for an activity which was not too strenuous, was engaging for children and was indoors so we could avoid the midday heat. That’s how we landed up visiting the Langkawi Underwater world.
We were not mistaken. The kids enjoyed the experience since it was their first time visiting an oceanarium. At 1 and 3 they really learnt a lot about the different species. We even carried their picture books so they could compare the pictures with the real version.
As avid marine live lovers I guess we were a bit torn. Oceanariums, however well maintained, can never mimic the true depth of the sea. It can never give the wildlife the freedom they deserve and it leads to a personal conflict. It is a great place to visit but is it an ethical one?
On a side note: If you are looking for something that promotes conservation of reefs I highly recommend MERC on Gaya island in Malaysia.
When Was The Langkawi Underwater World Built?
Interestingly enough, the Langkawi Underwater World was built in 1995! That makes the structure almost 30 years old. When you visit it, you won’t really find anything that will suggest the age of the building. It has been very well maintained, it is clean with good facilities and great exhibits. Many of the enclosures were a bit tiny in my opinion but I’m not an expert on the subject so I can’t comment.
Ticket Price For The Langkawi Underwater World
Finding the ticketing area is really easy. There were no queues and we sailed through the process. All you have to do is scan your ticket and they will let you in. You can also book your ticket online.
Note: Keep the ticket safe. You will need it if you want to head to the movie theater indoors.
What Can We Do At The Langkawi Underwater World?
Visiting the Langkawi Underwater World was a bit of a novel experience for us. Not because we have not seen other oceanariums but because seeing them through the eyes of a child is a whole new experience.
It reminded us of a time when the wonder of life under the sea wowed us for the first time and honestly had me excited for the time when we can take them snorkeling and diving.
Anyways back to the question at hand. What can we do in the Langkawi Underwater world? Well here are a lot of things which was rather surprising. Here are a few of the top things that we enjoyed there and some that we skipped over.
1. Learn About The Different Varieties Of Fish
You can catch a glimpse of some interesting fish here.
One of the best things about any oceanarium is that you get to learn and see different species of fish up close. Many of which I haven’t even seen diving and that is for a variety of reasons. One is because they are not easily spotted and the second is largely because we haven’t been to the locations where the species is endemic too.
The Langkawi Underwater World has over 4000 aquatic species which are spread over 6 acres! Even as an adult you will realise that there are loads of fun facts to pick up along the way. For example, during this trip I learnt that stingrays from sharks!
2. Check out the Amphibians in the exhibits
There are a couple of Amphibians that you can take a look at too. These are in the initial section of the oceanarium and are fun to see. Among these, you will find a couple of snakes too.
3. Spend some time with the Flamingos.
The gorgeous Macaw at Langkawi Underwater world.
I was not expecting flamingos in the Langkawi Underwater World and yet there was a section that was dedicated to birds. This was a huge dome shaped enclosure where you could literally walk into the habitat.
Make sure that you allow the chains to fall back in place when you enter so that the birds don’t escape. Also wipe your feet on the sanitation mat before entering. This prevents infections from being transmitted to the birds.
In the bird enclosure, you can catch a glimpse of flamingos, a cockatoo, a macaw and a couple of ducks. You have to be observant to catch sight of the cockatoo and the macaw because they are usually up in the trees and quiet.
4. Watch A Movie
There is a small theater in the Langkawi Underwater World. The movie runs for 45 min and there are multiple shows in the day. We skipped this because the kids were tired.
The movie does have an additional fee of 5 MYR per person. You also need to scan your ticket before entering. This is where keeping your ticket safely comes in handy.
5. Catch A Glimpse Of The Penguins
One of the things to do in the Langkawi Underwater World that the kids really loved was the penguins. Their enclosure was being cleaned and they were super active. One nice thing for the kids was that they could see the penguins diving underwater and playing.
The oceanarium has two different species of penguins. One is a crested species so it was nice that the kids could visually identify the differences between both the species.
6. Let’s Not Forget The Seals
There are two furry seals that have a tank of their own. The feeding time for the seals is at 2:30pm which is a great time to be around the exhibit if you are visiting in the afternoon.
The seal tank can be viewed from two levels. The upper level allows you to see the seals reclining on the rocks and the lower level allows you to see how they dive.
7. Catch An Ice cream In The Arctic
The Arctic zone in Langkawi Underwater world has ice creams!
The Arctic one is cool (pun unintended!) place to stop mid way. You can catch an ice cream or a boba drink before you head on. It even has a small kids play area where they can head inside an igloo and pose with a penguin (not a real one!).
8. Take a photograph and get a memento
Mid way through you can pose for a photograph and they will give it to you with a background of either fish or penguins. For a charge of course. The photographs are given in either plain copies, with a fun photo frame, as a magnet or inside a snowing frame! Each one is priced differently and you can take your pick!
9. Visit The Souvenir Shop
The oceanarium also has an interesting souvenir shop. You can catch a souvenir for yourself (or your kid) that is ocean themed. We spent a while browsing through a variety of stuff that range from jewelry to stuffed toys.
10. Shop At The Duty Free Store
This is where we really went nuts! Langkawi has a lot of duty free stores and one of the largest ones is attached to the Langkawi Underwater World. A big bonus is that it is air conditioned and perfect for a shopping spree. The store has everything from chocolates and alcohol to crockery and shoes!
Langkawi Underwater World Feeding Times
One interesting thing to do in the Langkawi Underwater world is to sync your trip with the feeding times.
You don’t have to worry because you can backtrack at will and spend as much time in the area as you want.
You can refer to the Langkawi Underwater World feeding time chart to plan your trip.
We unfortunately did not catch any of the shows. The kids were really tired and moving up and down the oceanarium did not sound appealing with cranky toddlers in tow!
Tips For Visiting The Langkawi Underwater World
There are a couple of tips that you can use to make your visit to the oceanarium a little easier. I’ve listed them below.
Visit it in the afternoon: This is the best time because it gets seriously hot midday. The Langkawi Underwater world is indoors and air conditioned. It makes a great pit stop before or after lunch.
Not all sections are friendly for those in wheelchairs and strollers: While there are a lot of ramps in the Langkawi oceanarium, they aren’t planned properly. In many sections we had to lift the stroller which is fine because we have kids and we were two parents. This however isn’t great if someone is using a wheelchair.
Check the Feeding Timings: The feeding timings are a great way to see the ocean alive. Each section has their own feeding times and they are spread out during the day. Odds are you should be able to catch one of them.
Use the washrooms which are midway through the oceanarium: The reason that I say this is because the washrooms indoors are much cleaner than the ones that you find towards the end which are outdoors.
Have you been to the Langkawi Underwater world? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below.
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