Nearly 100,000 ferry tickets have been sold for travel between the mainland and Langkawi from 21 May to 7 June, averaging about 5,556 passengers a day. If you’re planning a trip to the island during the school holidays, you’re competing with a lot of other travellers for seats, cars, and hotel rooms.

The two-week school break overlapped with the long weekend around the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s birthday and Wesak Day, and fell right on month-end payday. Consortium Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd (LFLV), which operates the Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis routes, added 53 extra trips on top of the regular 120 scheduled services to cope.

Ferry Services Are Still Running Below Pre-April Levels

The extra trips are a reversal from earlier this year, when LFLV cut daily ferry services from five to three trips starting on 25 March. That 40% reduction followed a spike in industrial diesel prices, which more than doubled from RM3.20 to RM7.30 per litre. Ferry operators are not allowed to buy subsidised diesel at the pump and must purchase industrial diesel at market rates.

LFLV operations manager Lt Commander (Rtd) Norhafiz Abdul Wahid said the company had been cautious about adding trips because of fuel costs, but ticket sales from 23 May to 2 June were strong enough to justify the additional services. “Ticket sales online and at counters were so good that we added more trips,” he said.

The current fare for Malaysian adults is RM24 one way from Kuala Perlis and RM30 from Kuala Kedah. Non-MyKad holders pay RM45 and RM55 respectively, following a RM10 fare increase for foreign passengers that took effect on 15 April.

If you’re heading to Langkawi by ferry, tickets can be purchased online through the Cuti-Cuti Langkawi app or at the counter. Do note that you need to be at the departure hall at least one hour before your scheduled departure time, or you won’t be allowed to board.

Hotels At 70% Occupancy, Rental Cars Filling Up

Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa Langkawi sales and marketing director Norsidah Ahmad said hotel occupancy was expected to reach about 70%, while rental car operator Ali Hadi Sjamsul Bahari said about 70% of his fleet had already been booked, mainly by domestic travellers.

If you’re driving to the ferry terminal from further south, keep in mind that Kuala Perlis and Kuala Kedah both have limited parking near the jetty, and spaces fill up quickly during school holidays. Some travellers opt to rent a car on the island instead.

Langkawi Business Association adviser Datuk Alexander Isaac said business has been good and the island is “currently very busy.” He noted that while European tourist arrivals have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, partly due to higher airfares from rising fuel prices, Langkawi is seeing growth from the Indian and Chinese markets.

Fuel Costs Could Push Ferry Fares Higher

If you travel to Langkawi regularly, the financial pressure on ferry operators affects you directly. Industrial diesel prices spiked earlier this year as part of the same oil price surge pushing Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill to RM200 million a day, and the fare structure for Malaysian passengers remains among the lowest in the country, at about 88 sen per nautical mile, compared to around RM2 per nautical mile for routes to Tioman and Pangkor.

LFLV’s general manager Dr Baharin Baharom warned in March that without fare adjustments or government support, the ferry industry to Langkawi risks operational closure. A targeted bunker fuel surcharge has since been introduced as a temporary measure, but no permanent fix is in place.

Langkawi’s Visitor Numbers Continue To Climb

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) recorded 748,569 visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2026. The island recorded 3.21 million tourist arrivals in 2025, including 1.93 million foreign visitors, a 10.7% increase from the previous year.

LADA is targeting 3.65 million tourists in 2026 as part of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Rising fuel costs and higher ferry fares for foreign visitors could slow that pace, particularly as European travellers continue to visit in smaller numbers than before the pandemic.

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