You call it an obsession or passion, cafes with pretty decors fascinate me. A combination of lovely decor, great food and cheap beers makes a cafe perfect for me and we found a few when we explored Langkawi earlier this year.

“Only you could have found a cafe away from the buzzing streets in another country,” my husband said to me and that made me think, “Yayy, I’m the best cafe-discoverer.” (OK, I’m laughing here.)

Anyway, when you plan a trip to Langkawi, the cafes that must be on your list are – Yellow Cafe, The Kasbah, Huggin Hippo Langkawi and Arts Cafe. If you ask for my top-two picks, then those would be Yellow Cafe in Pantai Cenang and The Kasbah, which is quite away from the city and that is the best thing about it.

Yellow Cafe

The location is just perfect as the cafe is on the beach (Cenang beach) and there are Duty-Free outlets along the picturesque beach-strip in a walkable distance from the cafe. (We went to the Zon Duty-Free but you must avoid it as it did not have a lot of options).

Coming back to the cafe, at the entrance, there is a yellow scooter kept in front of a yellow-painted wall. The colour yellow is often associated with happiness as it makes one warm and cheerful and that’s exactly you’ll feel while entering the cafe.

You cannot walk ahead without capturing the moment!

If you are lucky, you’ll get a corner table with a direct view of the beach and turquoise blue waters of the Andaman Sea. In the first, we were given a different table but the staff was friendly enough to shift us to one of the corner tables after it got available.

Since we had had a late lunch that day, we did not try their main course, but we can assure you that their starters are amazing. Veggie people out there, you’ll have enough options too at this place.

The colour coding with the cafe was a pure co-incidence 😀

We enjoyed the view, beer and food for almost four hours. The sunset was easily the highlight of our time at the cafe and that was followed by different coloured-lights that made the sky and the place around even more beautiful.

Another attracting detail about Yellow Cafe is that it is hardly 10kms away from the airport. We chose to end our spectacular Langkawi travel at this cafe and that was just perfect!

Approx price for 2 – Rs 1500

Cuisine: Italian, Bar, Pizza, Cafe, European, Vegetarian-Friendly

Contact: +60 12-459 3190

Open hours: 2.00 PM – 12.00 AM (Mon to Sun)

The Kasbah

Although the official name of the cafe is – The Kasbah – they have a wooden board outside that reads, “Travellers cafe.” The name itself suggests that someone who loves travelling and exploring new cafes will instantly connect with it.

If you plan to visit it, you’ll have to be alert on the way because the maps do not take you to the correct location. We luckily had a driver (Dim) who was well aware of every street in and out of Langkawi and he was smart enough to figure out the way.

Since it’s quite away from the main road and if you are going by cab, we would advise you to ask the driver to wait because the place is really isolated and it’ll be difficult to get another cab from the cafe.

If you are looking for a fancy, air-conditioned place, then the Kasbah is not for you. This cafe takes you closer to Mother Nature. You’ll find cats roaming around your wooden seating areas, there are enough potted plants in and outside the place and yellow lights just glitters the cafe.

The organic garden built by the crew shows their sweet and peaceful character. Every table comes with a candle-light arrangement with some amazing music, so the atmosphere is happy and romantic.

I loved their potato wedges and the beef burger was equally tasty. Although their egg mayonnaise sandwich was OK, the cocktails were excellent. They don’t accept credit card/forex card, so cash is the must. And the most important thing, this place I assure you is pocket-friendly.

Approx price for 2 – Rs. 1,000

Cuisine: European, Cafe, Bar, Barbecue, Pub, Vegetarian-Friendly, Vegan Options

Contact: +60 11-1215 8946

Open hours: 9 AM – 11 PM (Mon to Sun)

Huggin Hippo Cafe

This place is known for it’s all day breakfast, deserts and supposedly it serves the “best coffee in the town.” Apart from that, lunch and dinner are available too. We didn’t have the time to visit this cafe, but it certainly was on our list.

Huggin Hippo Cafe is also located on the Pantai Cenang. (Pantai is a beach in English) and a lot of travellers who live around the beach have recommended this place for the morning coffee.

Approx price for 2 – Rs. 500-600

Cuisine: Cafe, Vegetarian-Friendly, Vegan Options

Contact: +60 4-952 3519

Open hours: 9 AM – 9 PM (Mon to Sun)

Arts Cafe

This is one of the oldest cafes in Langkawi and which is why it’s always in demand. It’s better to make a prior reservation in order to avoid any waiting.

Approx price for 2 – Rs. 600-700

Cuisine: Cafe, Asian, Healthy, Gastropub, Malaysian, Vegetarian-Friendly, Vegan Options, Halal, Gluten Free Options.

Contact: +60 4-961 1986

Open hours: 10 AM to 10 PM (Mon to Sun)

To find out more about our Malaysia trip, click here