14 Best Places to Fly Your Drone in Langkawi

1.Kilim Karst Geoforest Park

The 100 square kilometer Kilim Karst Geoforest Park centers around the winding Kilim River with thriving mangrove forests and fascinating setul rock formations dating back 490 million years. The region is best explored on a boat tour, which covers a selection of 14 attractions including caves, beaches, islands, and a floating fish farm. At the river's mouth, the landscape dramatically shifts from muddy mangroves to idyllic beaches and towering limestone islands.

Send your drone up at least once from the river to capture its snake-like formation, then again from the open sea for views over rocky cliffs and the iconic white sign.

Kilim Karst Geoforest park is one of 3 accredited geoforest parks within Langkawi's UNESCO Global Geopark Status.

Parking: Free

2.Tanjung Rhu Beach

Tucked away at Langkawi's north-eastern point, Tanjung Rhu's famous views over the turquoise Andaman Sea are usually reserved for 2 luxury resorts perched on its shores. Visitors to the public section of beach are rewarded with refreshing waters, soft white sand and shady trees to lay a towel under.

No watersports are allowed at Tanjung Rhu, meaning the waters are usually super clear and calm, perfect to photograph from the sky. The towering limestone islands north of the beach are best captured during golden hour or sunrise, when the sun creates dreamy reflections in the sea. Late morning on mostly clear days is the best time for almost-unbelievable shades of turquoise in the sea.

Parking: Free

3.Dataran Lang (Eagle Square)

Langkawi's iconic eagle statue stands majestically at 12 meters (39.3 feet) high in the center of Dataran Lang, a star-shaped plaza located at the east end of Kuah Bay. It's one of the first sights to greet visitors arriving to Langkawi via ferry or cruise ship.

Due to its imposing size, the life-like statue of a Brahminy Kite is best captured with a drone, so you can fly out over the water rather than pointing a hand-held camera up, which distorts the perspective.

For the best views of the statue and bold "Langkawi" signage, visit in the 20 minutes before sunrise to capture the ever-changing hues around Kuah with the statue set against the backdrop of Langkawi's tallest mountain, Gunung Raya.

Parking: .RM30 (USD$0.07)

4.Paradise 101

Only 1km from the shoreline of Pantai Kok, man-made island Paradise 101 provides the ultimate hub for adventure, leisure, and relaxation. Watersport options range from jet-ski and banana boat rides, to kayaking, to an inflatable aquapark, while relaxation opportunities abound on beach lounges, private daybeds, or at OMG! Restaurant and Bar.

Photography options aren't limited to the series of Instagram-worthy birds' nests on the island. It's also the ideal place to launch your drone for shots of the banana-shaped island and Langkawi's north-western coastline.

Get a friend to jump on a jet-ski or banana boat so your drone can follow them around, capturing unique patterns in the turquoise water.

Parking: Free

5.Pantai Kok

Across the bay from Paradise 101, this concave stretch of sandy beach is lined with leaning palm trees. It remains quiet most of the day, and is usually only visited by tourists around sunsets for the lone food truck dishing up local cuisine.

The best time to shoot is definitely sunset - or more accurately, just before the sun passes behind the Machichang mountain range to the west. When cloud cover is just right, the sky lights up in every shade of grapefruit pink, deep orange, and purple blush.

Fly east beyond the Perdana Quay lighthouse, as it creates a strong foreground for a panorama of Pantai Kok smothered by a surreal amber glow.

Parking: Free

6.Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh)

One of Langkawi's most popular tourist attractions is Seven Wells Waterfall, a series of interconnected pools split over 2 levels and joined by a 91-meter high vertical waterfall. Due to its multi-level nature, the best view of these falls is from above.

Many visitors battle Langkawi's heat and humidity to climb a total of 638 steps to reach the famous upper pools.

Save your energy and climb only 200 steps to the lower pools. Here, you'll find the best view of the vertical waterfall, a large plunge pool, and a couple of gazebos providing the perfect spot to launch your drone.

Send it up over the vertical waterfall to snap photos of the upper pools. If you position your drone south of the falls, facing north, you'll be able to capture both levels of pools in one shot.

Parking: Car: RM2 (USD$0.48), Motorbike: RM1 ($0.24)

7.Dayang Bunting (Lake of the Pregnant Maiden)

The second-largest island in the Langkawi archipelago, Dayang Bunting is one of 3 distinct geoforest parks within Langkawi's UNESCO Global Geopark accreditation, thanks to its 290-million-year-old marble rock formations.

The island is best known for the 4,354-hectare natural lake in its southwest, known as Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. The mostly-freshwater lake is steeped in mystical legend and said to aid fertility in those who swim in or drink its waters.

Without a doubt, the best view of the lake is from above. Fly high and position your drone on the east side of the lake, facing west to capture islands dotting the sea in the background. The lake itself will require a panorama to capture its size, equivalent to 2 football stadiums.

For an interesting subject, get a friend to hire a paddle boat or canoe for your drone to follow around the lake.

Parking: Free

8.Kubang Badak Mangrove Reserve

Less touristed than Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, the Kubang Badak BioGeo Trail is another opportunity to witness unique mangrove habitats and explore remote islands. The area is best visited by booking a boat tour, where up to 12 stops can be explored covering the history of early Siamese settlers, caves, beaches, and even snorkeling.

Send your drone up over the river to capture the calm waters reflecting like a mirror, then again over Pulau Jemaruk, where Langkawi's oldest rock formation hides underneath pristine white beach sands.

Parking: Free

9.Tuba Island (Pulau Tuba)

Connected to Dayang Bunting via road bridge, Tuba island is part of the Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park and one of only 4 populated islands in the Langkawi archipelago.

Popular attractions include Bukit Kecik, meaning "small hill", with twisted and stacked rock patterns formed over 290 million years ago; a series of caves, and world-class seafood restaurants.

The sleepy fishing island is like stepping back in time before Langkawi had modern resorts, shopping complexes, and sports cars galore. The center of the island is filled with abandoned rice farms and grazing water buffalo. These meandering beasts make interesting subjects for drone pilots.

The island's rocky beaches, like Tanjung Pandan, are also excellent subjects for drone photography, with rickety jetties lined with modest fishing boats.

Parking: Free

10.Durian Perangin Waterfall (Sona Waterfall)

A 14-tiered waterfall with a series of shallow natural rock pools surrounded by lush jungle-like greenery and picnic grounds.

The main attraction is a vertical stream gushing down the northern slope of Langkawi's tallest mountain, Gunung Raya. This section can be reached after climbing the 200-meter long rocky stairs to reach a flat rock surface overlooking the waterfall.

Send your drone up from this rocky ledge to capture the steep vertical fall and series of shallow falls surrounded by rainforest foliage. You can even fly higher for a glimpse of Gunung Raya's peak.

Parking: Free

11.Laman Padi Langkawi

Most tourists visit Laman Padi to learn about Langkawi's rice farming history and culture from the museum galleries.

Drone pilots visit for the rice paddies located between Laman Padi and neighboring hotel, Gemalai Village. For an interesting subject, find a grazing buffalo, usually accompanied by white egrets.

The fields are best photographed at sunset, when the sky's hues of yellow, orange, and pink reflect in the rice field's water. Dedicated photographers will book a stay at Gemalai Village for easy access to the rice fields in a range of lighting conditions.

Parking: Free

12.Temurun Waterfall (Air Terjun Temurun)

Langkawi's tallest waterfall with 3 cascading tiers towering 200 meters (656 feet) in height. The stream ends in a natural rock pool where locals swim and picnic on shady rocks. Adventurous visitors follow a handrail-less rock staircase to the upper pool, where another refreshing pool awaits.

Due to the fall's majestic height, the best photographs are achieved from a distance. Even with a drone, you'll likely need a vertorama to capture the entire waterfall. Due to the safety of other visitors and your non-waterproof drone, be careful not to fly too close to the falls as fine spray may damage your quadcopter.

Temurun is a seasonal waterfall, meaning its stream and pools are almost empty during dry season. For the best effect, visit during or just after wet season (April-November).

Parking: Free

13.Pantai Pasir Tengkorak (Sandy Skull Beach)

A serene section of public beach in the northern region of Datai Bay, known for private beaches attached to luxury resorts. Sandy Skull Beach boasts some of the clearest waters and whitest sands in Langkawi, making it a popular picnic spot among locals.

Rocky outcrops at the ends of the small stretch of beach are frequented by fishermen but also make an interesting subject for aerial photography, as does the winding road behind the beach, shrouded by jungle.

Parking: Free

14.Resorts World Langkawi

At the far southwest corner of Langkawi, this large resort complex is home to restaurants and a marina. Outside guests are welcome to use the infinity pool and sun lounges for a small fee (which includes towel and a drink).

On a sunny day, the view of Dayang Bunting across the bay is spellbinding at ground level. Take this up a few meters, mix in the perfectly curved edge of the infinity pool and you've got a winning formula for drone magic!

Parking: Free