Take a trip to the uninhabited Dayang Bunting Island, Langkawi’s second-largest island. Discover bushwalking tracks, unique native wildlife, limestone caves, and a refreshing freshwater lake. Dayang Bunting can be accessed easily via a 15-minute boat ride from Kuah Jetty. Book an island hopping tour to incorporate this stunning island into a day of exploring, or choose a private tour to allow yourself more time at this magical destination.
The name Pulau Dayang Bunting translates to ‘Isle of the Pregnant Maiden’, named because from a distance, the hills resemble the silhouette of a pregnant lady. However, this also relates to the belief that barren women will fall pregnant after swimming in the freshwater lake that the island is best known for. To access the lake and uncover the legend, take a 15-minute hike from the jetty up a concrete stairway through the lush forest. This is a delightful and picturesque place to swim or hire a kayak or paddleboat, surrounded by rolling hills, limestone formations, and mangrove trees. However, it has an average depth of ten metres with no shallow areas. Life jackets are available to hire from a nearby shop.
A boardwalk by the lake will lead you through the mangrove forest, where you can discover an abundance of intriguing limestone caves waiting to be explored. Keep your eyes peeled as the forest is home to over 90 species of native birds, such as hornbills, kingfishers, kites, and woodpeckers, and other wildlife, such as monitor lizards and monkeys.