Bali or Langkawi? Two beautiful islands with very different personalities and types of holiday and yet it can be hard to decide which one is best for your ideal vacation destination in Southeast Asia.
Here is our honest comparison of two fascinating islands to help you understand what to expect from visiting either.
Bali In Brief: What’s It Like?
Bali is a unique tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with Balinese Hindu culture that you simply can’t find anywhere else in the world.
It became a surfing mecca in the 80s and recently transformed into a digital nomads and bougie vacationers’ hub with still amazing surf breaks, the world’s best beach club FINNS, fine dining venues and delicious local cuisine. It is perfect for nature lovers and thrill seekers.
The locals greet you with a wide smile, and the streets are filled with the aromas of incense and frangipani trees flowers and the daily offerings under your feet for spirits.
Langkawi: What’s It Like?
Langkawi – a green archipelago off Malaysia’s northwest coast surrounded by the Indian Ocean. This collection of 99 islands, mostly inhabited, is known for its beaches and clear waters as well as for its close location to the Thailand border.
The major part of it is still surprisingly untouched, despite it being a popular vacation destination for Malaysians.
It has a remote, one-with-nature feel, as well as some pockets of civilizations with shopping, beachfront hotels built in the past decades, and cafes.
Bali Vs Langkawi Comparison
In general, Bali honed its tourist packages better as it has been a popular destination for decades, every year bringing more and more investments and modern ideas. The companies are better at advertising and delivering, and often offer more choices and attractions to tourists than Langkawi.
Langkawi is a relatively big island, yet tourism is still less developed than in Bali, which translates into a simple, and often cheaper experience, and it feels like a mix of Maldives and Bali 10 years ago. The area where everyone goes most (and where everything is) is around Cenang Beach.
Before we jump right into our head-to-head comparison, let’s make one thing clear: both Southeast Asian islands are absolutely worth a visit, and you will be able to enjoy your time no matter which you end up choosing.
Beaches In Bali Vs Beaches In Langkawi
Bali edges Langkawi just a bit in the beaches category since it has both white-sand beaches surrounded by palm trees and cliffs, and black-sand beaches.
Some of the beaches are better for surfing, like beaches in Canggu and Uluwatu, and some are great for swimming and kinds like long white stretches with paved walking paths down in Nusa Dua and Sanur, or Amed.
Langkawi’s most popular beach is Cenang Beach – a wide white-sand strip with a few cafes, palm trees, some activities like parasliding, and amazing views. Both water and the beach are super clean which is not the case with every beach in Bali.
The rest of the beaches in Langkawi and surrounding tiny islands are equally beautiful beaches and have no crowds at all. Some people love remote spots, but we know some will still prefer more developed beaches on Bali with cafes, bean bags and live music organized every day and night.
Langkawi edges it in this category, while Bali’s beaches are famous and enjoyable, there’s no doubt that Cengang Beach is a big draw.
Water Sports In Bali Vs Water Sports In Langkawi
Bali is one of the best spots for scuba diving and snorkelling with beautiful marine life as it is part of the Coral Triangle with one of the richest biodiversities in the world.
You can snorkel from the shore or from the boat and dive to see stunning reefs, fishes, turtles, Manta rays, and so much more. You can swim around Nusa Dua , Amed, and Sanur beaches and up north, while south of Bali is for surfing.
Tons of water sports are available in Bali, from banana boats and paragliding to a dedicated wakeboarding park.
On Langkawi, water sports choice is limited to only one (the most popular) beach – Cenang where banana boats, jet skis, and paragliding are available, diving is possible but not as exciting as in Bali.
The surfing community and breaks of Langkawi are not comparable to Bali’s solid surf culture and diverse breaks for short – and longboards available year-round.
Bali wins this hands-down, it’s a premier watersports destination and people come from all over the world to enjoy the diversity of sports available.
Safety In Bali Vs Safety In Langkawi
You rarely have something to worry about safety-wise in Langkawi except, we’d say wild monkeys who are everywhere on the island. Petty crimes are super rare, and the traffic is almost non-existent so it is definitely a safe destination for solo travellers as much as for families.
Bali is also pretty safe as long as you apply common sense, drive safely, do not drink unknown alcohol in bars, and exchange money only at authorized money changers. At the same time, Bali has more police and hospitals, and every village has neighbourhood patrols making sure the area is safe.
Visiting both islands you should always use a mosquito repellent, as dengue fever is no joke. Apart from that, Bali’s wild and marine life is pretty safe, and when visiting Langkawi avoid jellyfish stinging you – it hurts badly and in rare cases can be lethal and only main beaches like Cenang have lifeguards.
Overall, we’d declare this category a tie, you’re not going to feel unsafe in either place unless you’re working hard to feel that way.
Things To Do In Bali Vs Things To Do In Langkawi
Bali as a bigger island has definitely more choices in terms of things to do and see and it is a perfect destination for either 10 days or 3 months – you will never get bored.
Observe wildlife in Monkey Forest or West Bali National Park, scuba dive and snorkel to meet extraordinary marine life, walk through the royal palace in the Ubud area, visit some of the most important temples, do a holy water purification ritual, or even climb a volcano – your pick.
And most of all, there’s 5-star service and delicious food at FINNS Beach Club with one of the best sunsets in Bali.
You can drive around the main island of Langkawi in about 1.5-2 hours while in Bali it takes 2 hours just to get from the airport to Canggu – that’s how big it is.
Langkawi does have amazing diving spots at Pulau Payar Marine Park too, boat rides in between islands, as well as huge national parks, one of them even has a cable car that will take you to the Machincang mountain summit. But the main action happens around Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach).
This one is Bali’s by a barnyard mile, you’re going to run out of things to see and do in Langkawi pretty quickly, but you could spend a year in Bali and never get bored.
Nightlife In Bali Vs Nightlife In Langkawi
Bali’s nightlife is an easy winner in this round with rooftop bars, classy pubs, sports bars broadcasting live sporting events, late-night parties and shows, live music events, fight nights, and international DJs FINNS beach clubs bring in.
Langkawi is a quiet island where you can chill and enjoy the scenery without being in a crowded area. The nightclubs and bars are not comparable to what Kuta, Seminyak, and Canggu have to offer in Bali, and probably the only spot for nightlife is Cenang Beach.
Langkawi night markets are well worth visiting though and are a great add-on to your experience on the island!
However, when you want to party, the world-famous party destination is Bali and for good reason.
Cultural Highlights In Bali Vs Cultural Highlights In Langkawi
The cultural immersion is hands down better in Bali. Bali offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore Balinese Hinduism – a religion and culture that don’t exist anywhere in the world.
You can explore hundreds of temples and even participate in some rituals, visit local shamans and healers, learn about traditional Balinese cooking and medicine, as well as visit a few art museums, and watch dance shows.
If you’re lucky enough to visit before Balinese New Year or major celebrations, you will see unique performances and hand-made statues of Ogoh-Ogoh.
And while Langkawi may be one of the greatest Malay destinations, it can not beat that.
Driving around the island you will see pretty mosques, and, of course, the symbol of the island – the Eagle statue (and plenty of wild eagles as well), but in terms of cultural experiences, there is not much to it. Nature – plenty, history or culture – probably only if you will ask locals about it.
People come from all over the planet to experience the unique culture of Bali, whereas even within SEA there’s no big cultural draw in Langkawi.
What’s The Food Like In Bali Vs Langkawi
Balinese and Indonesian food are something locals take pride in. You have to try 5 national dishes: nasi goreng (fried rice), beef rendang (dry slow-cooked beef), gado gado (salad with peanut sauce), soto (soup, often chicken soup), and satay (skewers). Balinese also excel at cooking suckling pig aka babi guling.
Expats moving to Bali since the early 80s have brought international cuisines from all over the world to Bali. You can find almost any food you like besides Indonesian, from Russian to South African or Middle Eastern restaurants.
Eating like a local is as cheap as a few dollars while dining in an upper-class restaurant can be as expensive as back home.
Langkawi and Malaysia have good food, mainly Malaysian, Indian, and Chinese. Absolutely delicious.
With Malaysia and Indonesia being so close, they have many similarities in food developed over the centuries. The famous Indonesian national dish rendang is widely popular in Malaysia too, they just cook it a different way.
Both locations know how to use fresh seafood in their cuisines, and you will be able to enjoy freshly caught lobster and fish.
At the same time, we believe Bali is ahead of Langkawi in terms of food as the choices are just so diverse, and the quality of food, presentation, and service keeps getting better and better.
Bali also produces its own wine, importing international alcohol, and meats from Australia, and making lots of dairy, and sweets, Indonesia is just a great melting pot of cuisines.
Aesthetics Matter: Langkawi Or Bali?
Bali and Langkawi are both stunning lush islands with beautiful beaches surrounded by clear blue waters full of marine life. Yet, in our opinion, Bali edges Langkawi on aesthetic matters due to its diverse beauty blending old and new, culture and fashion together.
Bali also quickly learned that many influencers are looking for Instragrammable spots, so in Bali, you can see cozy boho-style clothing brands, cute cafes, luxurious villas with stunning views and infinity pools, swings flying over the endless rice terraces, and so much more. The locals created tons of opportunities for tourists to get the best pictures for memories.
That being said, Langkawi is an absolutely gorgeous archipelago but they do not yet market it as much or go out of their way to make things prettier.
This category is pretty close, we’d argue that you can find epic beauty in both places – so we’re going to make it a tie.
Bang For Buck: Which Is Better Value Langkawi Or Bali?
Langkawi being still in its developing stages and yet not getting as many international tourists as Bali will end up being a much more affordable destination for sure.
Some areas in Bali, like Nusa Dua, can be really luxurious and expensive but overall, scouting the island you can still eat like a local for under 2 AUD or book a fine dining tasting, stay in nice places for cheap and get access to stunning beaches and water sports all year round.
There’s no doubt that if you’re on a budget, it’s going to go further in Bali and we’re giving this category to Indonesia’s most famous island.
Which Has The Better Shopping? Bali Or Langkawi?
Bali is not just the island of Gods and thousands of temples, it is the land of many shopping malls, night food markets and local art and craft markets to buy souvenirs, bags, and clothes.
While Malaysia in general has many more international brands, the best shopping is in Kuala Lumpur, while Langkawi is a more holiday destination.
However, not everyone knows that Langkawi is actually a duty-free shopping zone so you will have a few shops on the island that sell items without taxes, although they are not as big as we thought.
Overall, Bali is the place to go shopping on a holiday – it’s full of boutique stores and markets for souvenirs. Shopping in Langkawi is mainly like shopping anywhere in the world. So, Bali takes this category.
Which Island Is Best For Digital Nomads Langkawi Or Bali?
Bali has a longer history of accommodating digital nomads and it is currently one of the leading world’s hubs for remote workers. Canggu’s hustle and bustle, modern coworking and coliving areas bring an easy win for Bali in this category.
Langkawi, on the other hand, is trying to put itself on the digital nomad map and they starting to host digital nomad conferences, inviting international speakers, and promoting both Malaysia and Langkawi as appealing destinations for working remotely.
As we go to press towards the end of 2024, Bali is the most popular destination for Digital Nomads in Southeast Asia. after Chiang Mai in Thailand.
That means we don’t need to decide this category, the nomads already have – it’s Bali.
Which Island Is Best For Expats Langkawi Or Bali?
Bali gets an easy win thanks to the infrastructure in the main areas that cater better to foreigners staying long-term.
It is easier to find friends and community, long-term accommodation, schools, and all you might need or want in Bali, so more people choose to settle here.
Expats in Malaysia tend to go more to Kuala Lumpur than to Langkawi seeking a true city experience. Or they head to Penang which has more options for island living.
Overall Bali Vs Langkawi
Langkawi is a lovely place and it’s certainly working hard at becoming a better destination for visitors, but at the moment our numbers are clear.
Langkawi is the best destination for beautiful beaches.
The two places are tied for their safety and aesthetics.
Bali, on the other hand, wins water sports, things to do, night life, culture, food, bang for buck, shopping and it’s the best place to live for both digital nomads and expats!
That means for most people, visiting Bali is going to make more sense than visiting Langkawi.
Of course, if you can visit both, then by all means do – we like Langkawi too, it’s just that Bali has a fairly substantial edge on it.
FAQs
Is It Cheaper To Go To Bali Or Langkawi?
You can have an affordable trip or an opportunity to splurge in both Bali and Langkawi.
Langkawi overall may be cheaper to spend 10-14 days of vacation as very few accommodation options, including luxe ones are more expensive than 340 AUD, while in Bali you can find luxury resorts for up to 3000 AUD per night. Food and activities will be a bit more affordable in Langkawi on average, but visitors find good deals in Bali too!
Which Is Nicer Bali Or Langkawi?
Bali with its daily Balinese offerings, incense aromas, frangipanis towering along the roads and stunning Balinese temples surrounded by lush gardens and rice fields is much nicer than Langkawi.
Bali is just so unique, that even the prettiest islands like Langkawi, Bora Bora or Maldives can’t really compare.
Is It Cheaper To Fly To Bali Or Langkawi?
It is generally cheaper to fly to Bali than to Langkawi from Australia due to the proximity and abundance of direct flights from many airlines
On average it costs under 200 USD to get to Bali from Perth In December, tickets from Perth to Bali are the most expensive – up to 850 USD.
The average flights from Perth to Langkawi are between 200 and 300 USD during the low season (spring, summer, and fall).
Is Bali Or Langkawi Better For Kids?
Bali is for sure a better destination for families with kids of any age. Areas like Canggu, Sanur, and Ubud have many international daycare centres and schools, parent communities, creative festivals for kids, special cafes with playgrounds, water parks, and so much more. And the cost of all these activities is much lower than in Western countries.
While Langkawi is a stunning island, it is more of a transient place for foreigners and it will be harder to find friends for play dates or learning centres.
When Should We Avoid Langkawi?
The worst time to visit Langkawi is during inter-monsoon and southwest monsoon season stretching from April to October. The rest of the year the weather is sunny, with little rain, and very pleasant.
Where To Go Instead Of Langkawi?
Bali, Philippines, and Thai islands are great nearby options to go instead of Langkawi.
If you’re looking for a tighter community and don’t mind being a bit isolated, small islands in Thailand are great, if you love water and don’t mind having unreliable Internet connection – the Philipines are your paradise, but if you want it all at once, your best choice is Bali.
How To Book A Holiday In Bali?
You can book your holiday in Bali together with all the day trips and transportation through locally-run centres like Bali Res Centre.
Final Thoughts On Bali Or Langkawi
As you can tell from our round-up above, Bali is the better destination for most visitors. Sure, it may not have the most beautiful beaches but its beaches are more than attractive enough.
But it does have everything else you might want from the gorgeous rice terraces and so many other things to do, temples and culture galore, the tastiest food, the best value for money, amazing nightlife and shopping too!
When you’ve got to pick one destination, why not make it Bali? And if you can go to both? You’re bound to have fun too.
Read more:
Bali Vs Jakarta: Island And City Life Go Head-To-Head
Bali Vs Maldives: The Tropical Island Heavyweights Go Head-To-Head
Bali Vs Phuket: The Battle Of The Islands – Where Should You Go?
