Kilim Karst Geoforest Park
Mangrove channels, limestone cliffs and caves in the east of Langkawi, explored by boat and boardwalk from the Kilim River jetty.
Kilim Karst Geoforest Park
Kilim Karst Geoforest Park covers 4,354 hectares in the east of Langkawi and takes its name from the river that runs through it. Its limestone, from the Setul Formation, has been dissolved and eroded into sea stacks, sea arches and pinnacles, and mangrove forest fills the channels between them. It is one of three geoforest parks in the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark, which the geopark authority dates to 1 June 2007. UNESCO notes that the limestone landscape here supports one of the most important ecosystems in the region, and a mangrove conservation programme runs in the Kilim sanctuary.
Explore Kilim Karst Geoforest Park on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
Karst, caves and mangrove
Visitors see the park from the water and from a boardwalk through the mangrove.
Landscape
- Limestone sea stacks, arches and pinnacles rising from the river and coast.
- Mangrove forest along the Kilim River, with tree crabs and macaques along the boardwalk.
- Limestone cycads growing on vertical cliff faces, and yellow sea hibiscus.
Caves
- Gua Kelawar (Bat Cave): 60 metres long in two sections, with thousands of insect-eating bats on the ceiling.
- Oyster shells set into Gua Kelawar's walls have been dated to about 5,000 years old.
- Gua Buaya (Crocodile Cave): the river runs through its arch, and a small boat can pass at low tide.
Birds
- Brahminy kites and sea eagles are the park's best-known birds.
- LADA also notes migratory birds in the forest reserve.
From the Kilim River jetty
Boats leave from Jeti Pelancongan Sungai Kilim in Mukim Air Hangat, on the island's north-east side.
Access
- The jetty is the starting point for both the boat trips and the mangrove boardwalk.
- Boats reach parts of the park that cannot be reached by land, according to LADA.
Tides and timing
A few things that follow from how the park is laid out.
Our planning notes
- Passage through Gua Buaya depends on low tide, so not every trip will go through the cave.
- Kilim is on the opposite side of the island from the SkyCab; treat them as separate half-days.
- This is a protected geopark site: keep to the boardwalk and take litter back to the jetty.
Related pages
How Kilim fits with the rest of Langkawi.
Frequently asked
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