Since we wanted to explore the island on our own, we absolutely needed a rental car on Langkawi. From our hotel, the The Danna Langkawi, we were driven to the airport. In the arrivals hall, I immediately started looking for the major companies in the industry. But I could have saved myself the time – Avis, Budget, Hertz, and the like aren't represented here.
Our driver then approached a man we wouldn't have thought rented cars. He offered us a sedan for five days at a price of 500 MYR. We were so stunned by the situation that we completely forgot to bargain. There was definitely room for improvement. After I withdrew the cash from the ATM, the man led us to our rental car in the airport parking lot. Amazingly, we even filled out a handover report together, detailing all the damages, and I was also asked to show my driver's license. My student ID would have been sufficient here, though. Our rental car, a black Toyota sedan, was in good condition. Even though black isn't the best paint job in so much sunlight, the air conditioning worked perfectly.
Due to the British colonial past, Malaysia, and thus also the island of Langkawi, drives on the left. The traffic is very comfortable and therefore no problem at all, even for inexperienced left-hand drivers like us. The road conditions are, of course, not always ideal, but they're perfectly acceptable for the speed limit. There hardly seem to be any traffic rules, or at least no locals follow them. We suspect that, like in some states in the USA, you're allowed to turn left at red lights (or right in the USA, of course). We couldn't find any information about this online, but we saw many people do it and simply copied it.
We noticed police checkpoints quite frequently. These weren't speed checks (at most, the officers are good at estimating), but simply a simple display of the driver's license. However, they're not interested in tourists; we drove through at least four checkpoints in those few days and were always waved through.
There aren't many gas stations on the island, so you should always make sure to fill up early. It's also really cheap; we only paid around 70 MYR (approx. 18 EUR) for a full tank.
We had to be especially careful while driving in Cenang. On the busy beach road, pedestrians and mopeds constantly crossed our path. Here, we had to drive almost at walking pace. Outside of the towns, you should be careful of the various animals. In the evenings, monkeys and monitor lizards often emerge from their hiding places in the jungle and position themselves on the road or on the side of the road.
Funny anecdote: On an evening drive back from Cenang, we drove over a cable lying in the road, disabling all the lights for several kilometers. Suddenly, everything was dark. That, in turn, says a lot about the state of power supply and safety. ;)
Our conclusion about renting a car on Langkawi?
You should definitely feel confident exploring Langkawi with a rental car. If you want to book from home, it's best to book with billiger-mietwagen.de.
Which travel guide can you recommend for Langkawi?
  | Discover & experience Malaysia's most famous holiday island – Pulau Langkawi. The island, nestled in the azure Andaman Sea, is famous for its fascinating legends and scenic beauty. Over 80 pages, you will be introduced to this travel guide Guided tour around the entire island and get to know Langkawi's authentic corners! |
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