Ranked as Langkawi's top attraction on TripAdvisor, I initially didn't intend to check out Langkawi SkyCab but decided to go ahead with the visit as its location is super near Seven Wells (the one i am way more interested in).
It turned to be a blessing as this visit was a significant highlight for our trip and it's more than just the cable car ride! First thing, let us step into the "Oriental Village" via the suspension bridges!
Even though i am closing 40 years of age, i still enjoy giving people the fright of their lives! Time to rock the bridge and see who scream first!
I was expecting just one building with the cable car system but it seemed more like a theme park! As it was already about 4.30 pm; we forged ahead to purchase tickets for the cable car ride first. Should there be time later on, we could then check out the rest of the attractions.
Alex kindly sponsored our glass bottom gondola tickets that were priced at RM 105 per adult and came with the express lane privilege! For your information; your cable cable admission came with the basic entry to SkyRex, SkyDome and 3D Art Langkawi.
Taking the express lane!
Frankly, the express lane privilege didn't count much as most gondolas were the basic ones and we had to wait for one with the glass bottom.
And sometimes, it's not just us who were gunning for the thrill of a see-through floor, high up in the sky. Oh well, the delay means i would have the time to take pictures.
View your photos taken with the cable car backdrop; as usual, we didn't see the need as the photos are likely to be expensive and if i need to photoshop myself into a scenic place, i can do it myself.
Adopting the gondola lift system, Langkawi SkyCab was opened for business in 2002 and had a total of 41 gondolas that consisted of 35 normal ones, six glass bottoms and two VIPs.
The rare VIP gondola; one of only two on the system, it can only sit a maximum of three persons with cushy seats and music serenading your ride up and down the mountain. Furthermore, you would also be served with food and drinks (don't ask me for details as i couldn't afford the ride).
See the two support towers in front? Beyond that, you would be greeted with the steepest cable car ride in the world that's at a gradient of about 42 degrees!
After a 9-minute wait, here comes our yellow ride!
Let's start with our 2.2-kilometer cable car ride that would bring us to the middle station that's above 650 meters above sea level and make a 45-degree turn towards the 708-meter high top station.
The still-not-very-scary glass bottom.
Base station behind us.
Alex has absolutely no fear!
Purpose wasn't to take a picture of Alex; i am actually recording a time-lapse video of our ride so that i can share it on my youtube channel. I shall append the video at the end of this post.
Climbing up the mountain; the easy way!
View on our right! Did you notice an anomaly on the terrain; the spot that doesn't have any tree? We were actually there a few hours ago and i even mentioned about it in this post.
It's the seven wells attraction and you can even get a clear view of the red, arched bridge at Seven Wells that i shared earlier this month! From this photo, you can also catch sight of the upper view of the Seven Wells Waterfall.
Back view!
I am keeping at least one foot on the metal boundary; just in case. My two travel mates were nonchalant about the height and it's funny to note that i am from the air force unit during the mandatory national service.
Going up the steepest cable-car slope!
He had to do his daring sit-on-the-glass poses; many friends would have remembered him doing about the same thing in the crystal cabin at Maokong gondola in Taiwan!
At this point for me, both feet shall stay away from the glass!
On a lighter note; do you know that the machinchang mountain range is over 550 million years old?! And the peak of this mountain is the second highest on Langkawi at 850 meters tall.
You can't feel much from seeing the picture; experience it for real and you would know how terrifying the steepest climb can be! It's worse on our way down though.
Scenery on our right; it was pretty cloudy on the day of our visit and i was worried of the rain which luckily didn't come at all. If not, the wet weather would have marred our travel plan for the day.
Stopover at the middle station!
Click here for the pictures!
Proceeding to the top station in front of us!
Sights along the 450-meter ride from middle station to top station.
The iconic, 125-meter long skybridge; said to be "the longest free span and curved bridge in the world", it was stunning beauty to behold as the gondola elevates towards the top station.
Photographs taken at the top station. As frequent readers would know, i have the tendency to break up my post so that it's easier for me to blog. For the top station post, click here.
I would have generated a separate one for the skybridge but decided against it as we didn't pay the admission fee to access it after assessing that we didn't have the time and the fish-bone bridge would likely look nicer from the top.
The claim that this is the steepest cable car ride in the world!
Taking another time-lapse video for our way down! This time, it would be an unbroken video from top station all the way down to base station.
Before the 'drop'!
As mentioned previously, the 'way down' was a lot more frightening and i was praying that the cable car wouldn't sway too much! In event of strong wind, the system would actually stop for safety reason. And i didn't know then that hundreds were stranded for hours at Langkawi SkyCab just five months ago!
All's good for us though. Okay, more for me actually since the other two didn't appear too affected by the height.
I noticed another waterfall along the cable car ride but couldn't seem to be able to find it on the map. Guess it is not accessible for the general public.
Reaching the base!
As with most attractions, there would be a store where you could get some souvenirs and memorabilia of Langkawi SkyCab. For me, it's definitely the fridge magnet that i could add to my collection at home.
Just noticed this on our way out; although filled with mineral water bottles, i don't recall i had to surrender mine when i took the cable car.
Metal coinage souvenirs for those who collect them.
ATV adventure at RM 100 for 30 minutes; no time for us as we needed to check out the three other attractions that came with our tickets! Please don't bother with the terrible SkyRex and SkyDome.
3D Art Langkawi was fun! Want to know more and see more of the amazing photographs i took? Click here; to think that i covered the attraction in less than 30 minutes!
Late at almost 7.40pm - the cable car had already stopped moving for the day.
Now, the time-lapse video that i compiled!
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Location
Panorama Langkawi Sdn Bhd Cable Car Station,
Oriental Village, Burau Bay, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah,
Malaysia
Operation Hours
As above. Do note that the SkyCab would have annual maintenance and would be closed for about 14 days. Do check out their website for the dates so that you wouldn't derail your plans.
Website
Map of Langkawi SkyCab
As above.
Price List
As above.
Additional Information
Attractions within the machinchang cambrian geoforest park.
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