Things to do in Kedah
When we think of must-visit travel destinations in Malaysia, locales such as Ipoh and Melaka typically come to mind. But located up north, near the border of Thailand, is an undiscovered state by most locals and travellers alike: Kedah.
Known for its cultural heritage, nature gems, and historic sites, this “Rice Bowl of Malaysia” – as Kedah is nicknamed – is home to Langkawi and Malaysia’s third tallest tower, the Menara Alor Setar. But venture beyond these two places, and discover these 11 things to do there instead:
Table of Contents
- Things to do in Kedah
- 1. Venture across the world’s longest rainforest canopy walk
- 2. Go water rafting at Taman Eko Rimba Sungai Sedim
- 3. Explore a historic archaeological site in Sungai Batu
- 4. Explore an untouched island, Pulau Songsong
- 5. Visit this breathtaking 55-year-old Wat Nikrodharam temple
- 6. Visit Malaysia’s first Prime Minister’s residence, Merdeka House
- 7. Splash away at Fantasia Funtastik Aquapark
- 8. Try tandem paragliding over Gunung Jerai
- 9. Be mesmerised by the architecture of Zahir Mosque
- 10. Learn more about Malaysia’s former prime minister at a house museum
- 11. Dip your feet in cool waters at Junjong Waterfall
- Things to do in Kedah beyond Langkawi
1. Venture across the world’s longest rainforest canopy walk
Image credit: @zad.azizi via Instagram
A place that nature lovers will want to head to is Sungai Sedim Recreation Park, which happens to house Tree Top Walk Sungai Sedim. Measuring a whopping 925-metres long and 26-metres above forest level, the canopy walk is considered the world’s longest rainforest canopy walk.
Image adapted from: @ammar.salehan via Instagram, @raido1363 via Instagram
While you venture across the sturdy walkway made of steel, you’ll be treated to a bird’s eye view of flowing waters and lush greenery all around you – as its name suggests, you’ll feel like you’re walking above trees.
Expect to spend about an hour soaking up the sights while finishing the walkway loop, which forms a rectangle that hovers over trees and crosses the stream twice. A small entry fee of RM10/pax for adults and RM6/pax for children ages between 7 and 17 years old is required.
Image credit: @fadzil_wahab via Instagram
Admission (Sungai Sedim Recreation Park): RM10/adult and RM6/child
Address: Taman Eko Rimba Sungai Sedim, Kampong Bakai, 09700 Kulim, Kedah
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, Daily
Contact: 019-450 1588 | Tree Top Walk Sungai Sedim’s website | Facebook
2. Go water rafting at Taman Eko Rimba Sungai Sedim
Image credit: @wansuhairi via Instagram
Another activity to check out at Sungai Sedim Recreation Park is whitewater rafting. This thrilling water sport lets those with an adventurous soul navigate the cool rapids of the park, which stretches 15km long and is hailed as one of the best rafting spots in Kedah.
Image credit: @raftingsedim via Instagram
Water Rafting Sedim is a local rafting centre that has Rafting Packages (RM130/pax) for thrill-seekers looking to try out this exhilarating activity. You can try rafting down 2.5km rapids, with essential equipment such as helmets and vests provided and also a professional guide to help you navigate your ride.
Admission (Sungai Sedim Recreation Park): RM10/adult and RM6/child
Address: Taman Eko Rimba Sungai Sedim, Kampong Bakai, 09700 Kulim, Kedah
Opening hours: Appointment-based
Contact: 019-454 6485 | Water Rafting Sedim’s Facebook
3. Explore a historic archaeological site in Sungai Batu
Image credit: Jasmin Amirul via Google Maps
It’s not every day you get to come across a historic archaeological site. Over in Bujang Valley near Merbok, there happens to be such a site called Sungai Batu Archaeological Site.
The complex comprises over 50 site excavations, where jetties, smelting plants, ritual sites, a temple, and more have been discovered and are believed to date back 2,000 years ago. As such, it is considered one of the oldest discovered civilizations in Southeast Asia – surpassing Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and Indonesia’s Borobudur civilizations.
Image credit: Abdul Rahmat Omar Mohamed Haniff via Google Maps
Today, excavations are still being carried out by researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia, with the National Heritage Department co-managing the site. Visitors are welcomed to explore the area for free with QR codes to be found around the discoveries, or you can opt to join a guided tour for RM20/pax.
Image credit: Hisham Panjang via Google Maps
If you want to try your hand at activities such as brick making, excavation, and iron smelting, there are packages available for RM80/pax.
There’s also a Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum, just a 10-minute drive from here. The free-entry museum houses various archaeological collections that highlight the Bujang Valley area as a prominent port in Southeast Asia and a key propagation area for Hindu and Buddhism between 3rd-12th century AD.
Address: Lembah Bujang, Kampung Permatang Samak, 08100 Bedong, Kedah
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-12pm & 2pm-4.30pm | Sun 9am-12pm & 2.30pm-4.30pm
Contact: 019-753 7327
4. Explore an untouched island, Pulau Songsong
Image credit: @zhiching2201 via Instagram
Langkawi is rightfully known as the Jewel of Kedah, with a total of 99 islands providing a tropical escape for Malaysians and tourists alike. But a lesser-known island that you can visit to avoid the crowds there is Pulau Songsong, in the district of Yan in Kedah.
It’s one of four islands part of Jerai Geopark, and is untouched with no resorts or residences to be found here. It stretches 62 acres and is flanked by sandy shores and crystal clear waters.
Image credit: Pulau Song-Song -Pakej Termurah via Facebook
The lesser-known island is where locals head to for a variety of water activities: swimming in the ocean, snorkelling, or even just having a picnic on the beach.
Image adapted from: Mohd Amran Norbi via Facebook
To reach Pulau Songsong, you can find boat services at Sungai Udang Jetty – the journey will take about 15-20 minutes. As there aren’t any food stalls on the island, you’ll want to consider packing your own food and water.
Pick-up point: Sungai Udang Jetty, Yan, Kedah
5. Visit this breathtaking 55-year-old Wat Nikrodharam temple
Image credit: Hisham Badrul Hashim Spice via Facebook
Those who are looking for more architectural splendours to marvel at in Kedah can head to Wat Nikrodharam Temple. This 55-year-old Buddhist temple blends Chinese and Thai architectural styles, with a main gate and grand entrance both featuring beautiful and intricate carvings of floral motifs that are distinctively Thai.
Image adapted from: Wat Nikrodharam วัดนิโครธาราม 尼可罗塔南佛寺 via Facebook
This Siamese-style temple in Alor Setar was built back in 1968, and has become a landmark in the state capital as one of the largest and oldest temples there. It’s also the host of the city’s auspicious Wesak Day celebrations, with devotees coming by to pray.
Address: Taman Tunku Habsah, 05150 Alor Setar, Kedah
Opening hours: 7am-4pm, Daily
6. Visit Malaysia’s first Prime Minister’s residence, Merdeka House
Image adapted from: EL.AI.EN.A via Google Maps
Just a stone’s throw from the Kedah River is a grand wooden mansion – this is where the late Tunku Abdul Rahman stayed whenever he visited Kedah during his tenure as the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
The historical house is known as Rumah Merdeka, or the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial.
Image credit: Anthony Wong C. Leong via Google Maps
The architecture of the house is pretty unique – the top portion is made of wood and the bottom of bricks. This was because the house was built completely of wood in 1942, and later refurbished with a sturdy bricked base in 1953.
Besides being the residence of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, the house is also the site where the scripts of The Curse Of Mahsuri and Raja Bersiong were said to be written.
Image credit: Anthony Wong C. Leong via Google Maps
When you visit this historical house, you’ll get to see the personal collections of Tunku and his family, who used to live here, on display. Do note that no photography is allowed inside the house, but you’re free to take photos of the house’s exterior and various displays in the garden, including a motorboat.
Admission: Free
Address: Jalan Putra, Bandar Alor Setar, 05150 Alor Setar, Kedah
Opening hours: Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm (Closed on Mondays & Fridays)
Contact: 04-720 4214
7. Splash away at Fantasia Funtastik Aquapark
Image credit: Fantasia Aqua Park via Facebook
There are plenty of water parks in Malaysia. One you can visit while in Jitra, Kedah, is Fantasia Funtastik Aquapark – it’s a cosy 4-5 acre water park that features five attractions that the whole fam will enjoy.
Surrounded by the serene Darulaman Lake, the water park is home to thrilling twin water slides, kid-friendly pools, and a lazy river. A highlight here is the Play Giant Pool, where you can splash in cool, shallow waters with fountains scattered around the pool for maximum splash.
Image credit: Fantasia Aqua Park via Facebook
As no water park is complete without exciting slides, you’ll find family-friendly water slides of varying lengths that’ll launch you straight into a pool.
Tickets to Fantasia Funtastik Aquapark are priced RM20.47/pax for adults, children over 3 years old, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. Those under 3 years old can enter the water park for free.
Address: Jalan Golf & Country Club 06000 Darul Aman, 06000 Jitra, Kedah
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 10am-6pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Contact: Fantasia Funtastik Aquapark’s website
8. Try tandem paragliding over Gunung Jerai
Image credit: Gunung Jerai Paragliding Park Official via Facebook
Thrill-seekers looking for a sky-high activity in Kedah can try Tandem Paragliding (RM250/pax) at Pantai Merdeka, or Independence Beach, with Gunung Jerai Paragliding Park. They offer packages for a flight above Kedah’s lush jungle trees, paddy fields, and Yan’s islands.
Image credit: Gunung Jerai Paragliding Park Official via Facebook
Each flight spans 15 minutes, and you can expect to take flight 140 metres in the air with an experienced guide in tow. You’ll also be soaring with a view of Mount Jerai, which is the second highest peak in the state of Kedah that reaches up to 1,217 metres above sea level.
Address: Kampung Permatang Timbul, 08300 Yan, Kedah
Opening hours: Appointment-based
Contact: 013-311 9980 | Gunung Jerai Paragliding Park’s Facebook
9. Be mesmerised by the architecture of Zahir Mosque
Image credit: @jeremyooi96 via Instagram
Stunning places of worship are plentiful in Malaysia – you’ll find breathtaking Indian temples, Chinese temples, and mosques speckled around our country. Over in Kedah, you’ll find Zahir Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia that was built back in 1912.
Image adapted from: @asyilafirzan via Instagram, @dinara_hanina via Instagram
The stunning mosque was built on the former tomb site dedicated to Kedah warriors who died during the Siamese invasion of Kedah in 1821. The mosque stands tall today with its prominent black domes, visible even from afar – a huge centrepiece dome is surrounded by four smaller ones, each representing the five pillars of Islam.
It also features a whopping 261 pillars, and is celebrated for its blend of architectural styles from three regions: the Middle East, India, and Malaysia.
Image credit: @benkhaleed via Instagram
Do note that visitors who wish to enter the mosque will have to dress modestly, which means loose-fitting clothes that cover the arms and legs and scarves to cover the hair.
Address: Jalan Kampung Perak, Bandar Alor Setar, 05150 Alor Setar, Kedah
Opening hours: 5am-10pm, Daily
10. Learn more about Malaysia’s former prime minister at a house museum
Image adapted from: TripAdvisor
Located just a short 5-minute drive from Menara Alor Setar, Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir Mohamad – or Mahathir’s House Of Birth – is a historic house museum that was once the residence of our country’s former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir.
In 1992, the National Archives of Malaysia reinstated and refurbished the house where he spent his younger days, converting it into a free-entry museum. Today, history buffs can visit it to learn more about the life of the longest-serving prime minister in Malaysia.
Image credit: @khusairi92 via Instagram
The traditional wooden house on stilts itself has been well-preserved and sectioned into three zones that explore a part of Mahathir’s life – from his early days as a medical practitioner to his political career. You’ll find various photographs and artefacts on display, as well as personal belongings from his childhood such as a trishaw and a bicycle.
Image credit: Google Maps
Admission to the museum is free, and you can expect to spend about 30 minutes exploring all the exhibits here.
Admission: Free
Address: 18, Lorong Kilang Ais Tepi Jalan Pegawai, Seberang Perak 05050, Alor Setar, Kedah
Opening hours: Tue-Thu 10am-5pm | Sat & Sun 10am-5.30pm (Closed on Fridays and Mondays)
11. Dip your feet in cool waters at Junjong Waterfall
Image credit: @sds via Instagram
Those feeling the heat in Kedah will want to stop by Junjong Waterfall, or Air Terjun Junjong, a well-known local hangout spot in Kulim. The lower part of the waterfall is landscaped with natural pools, which offer cool waters for you to take a dip in and relax.
Image adapted from: @hudashaari via Instagram
There are pathways so you can climb further up the hill for a closer look at the waterfall. Otherwise, you can catch a view of the cascade from the base, which is just a short walk from the parking lot. There’ll be a small parking fee of RM2 for private vehicles.
Address: 3, Jln Ayer Puteh, 09000 Kulim, Kedah
Opening hours: 24 hours, Daily
Things to do in Kedah beyond Langkawi
Kedah is filled with historical heritage landmarks and fun attractions that might interest you. So the next time you’re making a visit up north to the state, take a few pit stops along the way and visit some of these 11 attractions.
For more guides in Malaysia, check out:
- Things to do in Terengganu
- Things to do in Melaka
- Things to do in Kuching
- Things to do in Johor Bahru
- Things to do in Penang
Cover image adapted from: Abdul Rahmat Omar Mohamed Haniff via Google Maps, @wansuhairi via Instagram, @zhiching2201 via Instagram, Fantasia Aqua Park via Facebook