January
85/100 Excellent
One of the driest months, with humidity down near 72%. High season, so rates are up.
Temperature
32 / 24°C
Rain days
5
Flights
9% cheaper than a typical month
Crowds
Peak
Langkawi month scores
59/100
Not the best time to visitInter-monsoon rains
The wettest, roughest month. Island-hopping and mangrove trips get cancelled often, some Cenang businesses close, and crowds are thin.
SCORE BY MONTH
High °CLow °CRain daysCrowd levelHumidityAQI
Langkawi month by month
Rain, humidity and sea conditions are the difference between the months.
February
Driest
83/100 Excellent
The driest month of the year, and the hottest. Low humidity and a calm sea.
Temperature
34 / 24°C
Rain days
4
Flights
Not enough data
Crowds
Peak
March
75/100 Good
Hot and still dry, and the last of the four good months.
Temperature
34 / 25°C
Rain days
8
Flights
Not enough data
Crowds
Busy
April
77/100 Good
The transition. The humidity comes back, but plenty of days are still fine. Quieter and cheaper than February.
Temperature
33 / 25°C
Rain days
12
Flights
Not enough data
Crowds
Busy
May
72/100 Good
Wet, with humidity at 86%. Showers are usually short and heavy rather than all day.
Temperature
31 / 25°C
Rain days
16
Flights
Not enough data
Crowds
Quiet
June
74/100 Good
A slightly drier month in the middle of the wet season. A reasonable choice if your dates are fixed.
Temperature
31 / 25°C
Rain days
14
Flights
Not enough data
Crowds
Quiet
July
69/100 Good
Similar to June. Sea conditions are mixed and some island trips get moved or canceled.
Temperature
30 / 25°C
Rain days
15
Flights
Not enough data
Crowds
Busy
August
60/100 Mixed
The start of the wettest period, and humid with it. Rain is heavy and usually arrives in the afternoon.
Temperature
30 / 24°C
Rain days
17
Flights
Not enough data
Crowds
Quiet
September
59/100 Mixed
One of the two worst months, and humid with it. Boat trips are unreliable and the water is murky.
Temperature
29 / 24°C
Rain days
19
Flights
19% pricier than a typical month
Crowds
Quiet
October
Wettest
56/100 Mixed
The wettest month of the year, and the cheapest time to stay.
Temperature
29 / 24°C
Rain days
21
Flights
4% cheaper than a typical month
Crowds
Quiet
November
70/100 Good
Still wet, but improving. Rates start climbing towards the December peak.
Temperature
29 / 24°C
Rain days
16
Flights
Typical
Crowds
Busy
December
Christmas peak
83/100 Excellent
The dry season returns and the sea settles. Christmas and New Year are the most expensive week of the year.
Temperature
30 / 24°C
Rain days
10
Flights
74% pricier than a typical month
Crowds
Peak
Cheapest time to fly to Langkawi
Airfare here differs by season, and not always in step with the weather. These are the cheapest fares held on Langkawi's busiest nonstop routes, each measured against its own typical month.
Cheapest so far January 9% below a typical month
Most expensive so far December 74% above a typical month
Based on January, September, October, November, December only.
The other months do not carry enough fare data yet, so these are the cheapest
and most expensive of those, not of the year. The percentages will move as the
rest of the year fills in: each route is measured against its own typical month,
and that baseline is still forming.
How this is measured
Measured on Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore to Langkawi: two domestic routes, the busiest international one, and the long-haul routes that carry the most traffic. Each route is compared against its own typical month, so a long flight and a short one count equally and what is left is the season. Cheapest fares only, and airfare only, not the cost of the trip.
Langkawi weather by month
Highs are 29 to 34°C (84 to 93°F) in every month and lows around 24°C (75°F). What changes is how often it rains and how humid it feels.
Dry season, December to March. Rain on four to ten days a month, humidity in the low 70s, and a calmer sea. February and March are the hottest months of the year.
Wet season, April to November. Rain on 12 to 21 days a month, and humidity that climbs to near 90% by October.
Langkawi rainy season and the monsoon
Malaysia has two monsoons, but Langkawi is only affected by one of them. The northeast monsoon, from November to March, hits the east coast and the South China Sea islands. Langkawi is on the west, sheltered by the peninsula, which is why its best weather falls in those same months.
What Langkawi gets instead is the southwest monsoon, from late May to September, plus the wetter inter-monsoon periods around it. Rain often comes in heavy showers, with clear periods between them.
You notice the difference most on the water. Island-hopping trips to Pulau Payar and the Kilim mangroves operate in the wet months too, but conditions are less reliable, snorkeling visibility is poorer, and trips get canceled when the sea is rough.
Worst time to visit Langkawi
September and October. They have the most rainy days of the year, humidity is close to 90%, and the sea is rough and murky often enough to spoil the island trips most people come for.
Christmas and New Year is the worst value: excellent weather at the highest prices of the year. January is nearly as dry and much cheaper.
Air pollution is usually low on Langkawi all year. Haze from fires elsewhere in the region can still drift over in a bad year, and it can cut visibility from the cable car.
Does it matter where you stay in Langkawi?
For weather, not much. Two things do change.
Pantai Cenang is the busy strip: most of the cheap and mid-range hotels, the bars and the water sports. It faces west, so it gets the sunsets.
The north, around Datai Bay and Tanjung Rhu, is quieter and greener, and where the expensive resorts are. It is more sheltered and the water is usually calmer than at Cenang.
Wet days. The cable car and the SkyBridge can close in high wind or lightning. The mangrove tours and the indoor attractions are less affected. Langkawi is duty free, so alcohol is cheaper than on the mainland.
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Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is the best month to visit Langkawi?
February. It is the driest month of the year, humidity falls to around 69%, and the sea is calm. January is nearly as good and cheaper than the Christmas peak.
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Is Langkawi affected by the monsoon?
Not by the one people usually mean. The northeast monsoon that closes the east-coast islands from November to March leaves Langkawi alone, because it is on the west coast behind the peninsula. Langkawi has the most rain from August to October instead.
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When is the rainy season in Langkawi?
Roughly April to November, with August, September and October the wettest. October gets rain on about 21 days. December to March is the dry season.
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When is Langkawi cheapest?
September and October, the two months with the most rain. Rates are lowest and you can book late. May and June are cheaper than the dry season and less wet than September and October.
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Is Langkawi worth visiting in the rainy season?
Yes, if you are not coming mainly for the sea. Rain usually comes in heavy showers, and the mangroves, the waterfalls and the cable car still work. Snorkeling and island hopping are what suffer.