16 Langkawi : Kilim Karst Geoforest Park

Kilim Karst Geoforest Park or Kilim Geoforest Park for short, is a beautiful place to visit in Langkawi. Hubs and I thoroughly enjoyed the RM240 private speedboat Mangrove Tour we signed up for via a relative. It includes pick-up from the hotel.

A geopark is a UNESCO designated site of geological importance that is managed for conservation through sustainable development and given protection through public awareness, usually by way of tourism.

Karst : an area of land formed of rock such as limestone that is worn away by water to make caves and other formations. ~ Cambridge Dictionary.

Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Langkawi

The park is an hour's drive from Cenang Beach, where we stayed. We chose to go in the morning because it was cooler and to coincide with lunch at the floating fish farm.

Our ride, me at the jetty and on the boat.

The Boat at Tanjung Rhu Mangrove Tour Jetty, Langkawi

The Tanjung Rhu Jetty at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Vrrrrroom...! The boatman drove us out towards the turquoise waters of Andaman Sea. The scenery was incredible.

Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

We zipped past beautiful karst formations and slowed at certain locations to admire the rocky hills. The best thing about going on a private tour is that we have a say as to what we want to do. Our boatman is an accommodating young chap. As we headed into the mangrove swamp, the waters turned a murkier green and was muddy brown in certain areas.

Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Here we are at the short and narrow Crocodile Cave. It is named as such because it looks like a crocodile at a certain angle. There are no crocodiles here; At least none have been sighted thus far. This cave can only be accessed during low tide, allowing one small boat to pass through at a time.

Crocodile Cave Entrance at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Crocodile Cave at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Further in, we saw monkeys loitering along the mangrove trees, then lots of eagles flying in the air and swooping down for food. No feeding is allowed to preserve the eco-system.

Monkeys at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

An Eagle at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Mangrove Trees at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

We gave the bat cave a miss as there was a long queue and because we much preferred blue skies over damp, dark places.

Bat Cave at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

The floating restaurant is one of my favourite experience. We were the only tourists there at the time and a lovely guy showed us the various live fish he had in captivity. The most eye-catching being the stingray which had a smiley face. It was an informational visit and nice sitting down for a meal or just a drink in the open sea.

Floating Restaurant at Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

We picked out a hybrid grouper for lunch, asking for the smallest one since it was only two of us. But as they patiently netted out several, it was obvious that fish here are a 'healthy' lot so we skipped the rice and settled for a large one which costs RM200-ish. No regrets - we tasted indescribable freshness and felt the difference from the ones we had back home in restaurants with water tank live seafood. It was delicious and unforgettable.

Choosing A Fish For Lunch
Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Fresh Fish Lunch at a Floating Restaurant
Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

This floating restaurant has private rooms where people can rest or dine romantically with their other half. I enjoyed this place so much. It has a view so beautiful that it's like your mind is getting a massage. Sounds funny, I know. I went to the restroom before leaving and was surprised to find it very clean. Nothing goes into the sea if that's what you're worried about!

We passed several other floating restaurants earlier on our journey. This one, which is further out, has a much better ambiance. It was our last stop before heading back to the jetty.

Floating Restaurants, Floating Home and A Lighthouse
Kilim Geoforest Park, Langkawi

The boat tour alone was close to a 3-hour adventure for us. It was the perfect way to spend the first half of the day before winding down with a drive around Kuah town for food and a stop at the iconic Eagle Square.

Website: http://langkawigeopark.com.my/en/