Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of Malaysia’s Kedah state, but are adjacent to the Thai border. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 45,000. The island is a declared duty-free zone.

Penang is the name of an island in the Straits of Malacca, and also of one of the states of Malaysia, located on the north-west coast of peninsular Malaysia. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite. The city Georgetown is the 2nd biggest city in Malaysia and traveller′s hub.

Tanah Rata

Main town in the Cameron Highlands (with Brinchang to the north and Ringlet to the south). Most budget guesthouses are here and it is the starting point for many jungle trails.

The town is itself is not that spectacular, the beauty lies outside of it on the lush green hills. After sunset, there’s not much to do besides keeping yourself warm (it does get quite cool) or visiting some of the restaurants (there are few good ones actually - a popular dish to have is Steam Boat). From Tanah Ratah you get bus tickets to Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur, even Mini-bus rides to Kuala Besut (jetty to Perhentian Islands) and Taman Negara.