If you happen to be passing through Perlis, Malaysia on a weekend, a visit to Nat Pokok Getah morning market is a must! Nat Pokok Getah is possibly one of Perlis’ best kept secrets, as it’s more of an eclectic flea market … [Read More...]
The Island Drum is a Southeast Asia based travel blog as well as a source for information about Langkawi, Malaysia and the surrounding areas. For Langkawi Information check out This Week in Langkawi and Langkawi Sights & Food. For more inside scoops and travel inspired blogs and reviews, be sure to visit The Island Drum Blog. If you need any other information, feel free to contact us!
Latest Posts

4 Most Splash-worthy Langkawi Waterfalls
Langkawi waterfalls, if there’s one thing Langkawi also has no shortage of, it’s waterfalls. Some waterfalls in Langkawi get more media attention than others and have become tourist hot spots, but there are also a few smaller … [Read More...]

Annual Tanjung Rhu Beach Sandbar Walk, It’s a Keeper!
On March 4, 2022 I woke up at the crack of dawn to go for a walk on a sandbar. Not just any sandbar walk, but the now annual Tanjung Rhu Beach Sandbar Walk at Tanjung Rhu Resort in Langkawi, Malaysia. I’m not one to normally … [Read More...]

First Time Visitor’s Guide to Alor Setar, Malaysia
I’ve passed through Alor Setar many times over the years, but I was usually en route to somewhere else. It took a pandemic (and travel limitations) for me to discover what a true gem this Malaysian city is. Beyond, of course, … [Read More...]

Penang War Museum, Where the Fort Comes Alive!
Penang War Museum had been on my to-do list for a few years now, yet it was a quick post-lockdown, last-minute excursion to Penang that finally brought me to its doors. To be honest, I had never realized how close it is to … [Read More...]

15 Free Things to Do in Langkawi, Malaysia
The cost of travel, these days, can put a real damper on planning a holiday. It’s not just the transportation and accommodations that take a chunk out of the old vacation budget, but entry fees can do their fair share of … [Read More...]

Haunting Beauty of Georgetown’s Old Protestant Cemetery
En route to a lunch date, the last thing I expected to see as I shuffled along busy Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah was a historic cemetery. Surrounded by busy streets and buildings short and tall, sat a fenced in patch of green … [Read More...]

Best 5 Low-Key, Expat Friendly Places to Temporarily Live in Thailand
Traveling through Southeast Asia and overstayed your welcome in one place or another? Here are 5 expat friendly cities in Thailand that may welcome you with open arms. Maybe not the top destinations for expatriates in … [Read More...]

Thrifting Langkawi Style: Best of Langkawi Bundle & Thrift Shops
Although I’m very familiar with thrift shops, I’d never heard about bundle shops until I moved to Southeast Asia. My first encounter was at the Greenway Night Market in Hat Yai, Thailand. Stall after stall of piles of clothes … [Read More...]

Should You Take the Plunge at Splash Out Langkawi Waterpark? Yes!
Splash Out Langkawi Waterpark had so many starts and stops I had almost forgotten about them. Officially opening in December 2019, it was only a few months later that all of Langkawi was in ‘lockdown’. Nothing worse than a … [Read More...]

8 Cool (and Ethical) Things to Do in Phuket
The list of things to do in Phuket, Thailand can include a lot of oh-so-typical as well as not-so-ethical options. My brief introduction, years ago, left me unimpressed and certainly in no hurry to return. Pretty much just … [Read More...]

12 Langkawi Picnic Spots Loved by Locals
Who doesn’t love a picnic, am I right? Picnics in Langkawi are especially popular with the island's local residents. From dramatic waterfall locations to nearly empty beaches, young and old alike savor their makan moments in … [Read More...]