Any trip to Langkawi would be incomplete without a visit to the Pulau Payar Marine Park. This little gem of an island is located about an hour's boat ride away from Langkawi and is a protected natural area. The waters are crystal-clear, and there are an abundance of colorful tropical fish and even many sharks and a few barracuda.
To get there, you have to use one of two companies that offer snorkeling trips. There is at least one more company that offers dive tours, but I haven’t been able to use one of them, as my wife doesn’t dive. The two companies that offer snorkeling are "Coral Island" and "Langkawi Coral". Both companies include pickup at your hotel at no extra charge. Both will get you there via fairly modern boats and in air-conditioning, but the real difference comes when you arrive.
The Coral Island tour operators have a nice, covered pier-type structure and offer you a sack-type lunch or a buffet that takes place back on the ship. The buffet runs about RM20 extra, and I think it’s worth it. They have a wide selection of foods, and you can feed the barracuda pieces of chicken off the side of the boat. Otherwise, you get a simple sack lunch of some chicken, rice, fruit, and water. Both are fine, and most people opt just for the sack lunch. The day we chose to go to the buffet, we were the only people out of 50 who did, so we had it and the ship all to ourselves.
The other tour operator, Langkawi Coral, has its own floating pier. This pier is really quite neat. It has a section underneath that is all glass and submerged in the water so you can view the fish. It's almost like a submarine. The only option for lunch here is a hot buffet. You see a lot more Westerners take this option, but it is RM100 more expensive.
Both tours give you all the gear you may need: snorkels, life vests, fins, mask, etc. The equipment on both seems to be of decent quality.
The water is amazingly clear, and the fish are very friendly. You can hand-feed them, and they will often nibble at your arm, and if you have some, leg hair. It disconcerting for some, but it doesn’t hurt; it just surprises you. I have seen shark up to about 8 feet long swimming within 10 feet of me, but they never seemed hostile, and no one got bit. The bottom of the sea is a mixture of coral and sand, so there isn’t too much worry about hurting your feet. This is a good attraction for kids, as fish are even in the shallow areas, and the kids can feed them safely. The water is also very calm, with no undertow, and water temps are very warm.
I would be sure and pack lots of extra water, as the island isn’t developed, and buying water there is expensive. You may want to pack several liters of fresh water to wash up with. There is a small shower facility on the island, but it isn’t adequate.
The whole excursion takes until about 5pm, so plan a whole day for this trip. The cost is anywhere from RM80 to RM240, depending on the tour operator and your bargaining skills.