One of the world’s best sky rides is found in Langkawi Malaysia: the Panorama Langkawi Sky Cab that covers one and half miles at an elevation of 2100 feet above sea level.
Suspended from cables, the cabs swoop you from the base of Machincang Mountain to the peak. The steepest gradient is a heart-stopping 42 degrees. Views of a waterfall, pinnacles and chasms of surrounding mountains can be seen during the journey – and at the top, a lovely view of Langkawi’s famed 99 islands.
Silence surrounds you during the ascent (if you calm nervous chatter) – heightening the sense of being suspended by what seems to be a mere thread. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime ride. The Sky Cab, in fact, has become an enormous tourist draw, and has carried five million passengers since it opened in 2003.
Wave to Thailand from the top of Machincang Mountain
The system ferries 700 passengers an hour (up to 5,000 each day) during half-hour round trips. There are two viewing platforms at the top, where near and distant Thai islands can be spotted, including Ko Adang and Ko Tarutao. There’s also a café and refreshment stand.
The single suspension SkyBridge was completed the following year, in 2004. The bridge lunges out over the mountain at a height of about 330 feet – all balanced on its sole support beam. At 410 feet long, the bridge is billed as “among the world’s longest curve suspension bridges” in the world.
At the base of the attractions is the “Oriental Village,” a theme shopping center packed with souvineers and other goods. The attractions are a 15 minute drive from the Langkawi International Airport.
Sky Cab prices are about $10 for adults and $5 for children. Special rates are offered for residents of Malaysia.
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Malaysia Airlines offers direct flights from LAX to Kuala Lumpur. Also, consider visiting Malaysia as part of a multi-country stop. Flights into Kuala Lumpur are fairly inexpensive from the nearby countries of Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.
Getting into Kuala Lumpur from the international airport is easy with the high-speed rail, KLIA Ekspres. The trip to central Kuala Lumpur takes 28 minutes with trains leaving every 15 to 20 minutes. Tickets are about $12.
Kula Lumpur’s hop on and hop off buses are a great way to see the city. They run from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Cost: $12.50 for one day; $21 for two days.
Peruse Malaysia’s official tourism site for more information on the country.
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