I recently read a BLOG that compared Oriental Village to Disneyland, but not really in a flattering way. It seemed offensive to me, because I’ve always enjoyed the ‘village’.
I’ve usually been there with friends or a group and that often makes these kinds of outings more festive, so maybe I missed something. So I decided to revisit Oriental Village by myself and take a second look.
It was a quiet Monday and, having no one to distract me, I wandered around and absorbed the sights and sounds. I was told that the original plan for the village was to be more…’oriental’, but it has more or less morphed into it’s present day incarnation.
At first glance it may look like a typical tourist ‘trap’ touting ‘stuff’ and it does have its fair share of knick-knack and souvenir shops, but if you look carefully you may see more. What I realized on this quiet Monday was how pretty and peaceful it is there.
I wandered around and watched people. I watched people watch other people. Tourists and locals alike enjoying Langkawi’s ‘Magic Kingdom’. People from all over the world were there not only for the Panoramic Cable Car but for Oriental Village. They may have been as surprised as I was to find there was more to it.
The Anjung Spa and its DoctorFish is an interesting experience and not available in some countries, such as the United States. There is also a resident Tiger to get up close and personal with. Zanah was actually bred from a special conservation program at the London Zoo, and not captured in the wild.
The Duck Tour is a recent addition to the village and even the most uptight traveler will find themselves smiling as they go from land into the Andaman Sea in a large motorized Duck. It’s funny to watch and fun to do.
Oriental Village recently added pony and cart rides too. And if you think people don’t like having an experience like this? Well they do. In fact those ponies are so cute you can’t resist!
There are plenty of shops selling everything from ice cream to wind chimes to quality clothing. OCAS, recently opened their high end yet reasonably priced clothing store. Their unique concept showcases traditional yet contemporary Malaysian designs.
But I think the thing that really embraces Oriental Village is seeing happy people. Strangers taking photos of other strangers so their whole group can get in the shot, genuine smiles , people from all over the world mixing and mingling makes me feel good, personally. Like this group from Korea, who let me join them just for fun. Maybe it is a bit like Disneyland, but in a good way.
There’s even more things to do at Oriental Village than I mentioned, but I’ll let you discover them for yourself. Located at the foot of Gunung Mat Cincang, and the entry to the Cable Car. Open daily DIRECTIONS
Have you been to Oriental Village? What do you think about Langkawi’s Magic Kingdom?
Oriental Village
Burau Bay, Langkawi, Malaysia
Tel: (04) 959 3099
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