Gunung Raya

Gunung Raya is Langkawi's high point at 881 metres, and unlike most Malaysian summits it has a paved road all the way up - a narrow, steeply twisting one through good forest, which is genuinely the best part of the trip. Great hornbills and oriental pied hornbills are regularly seen along it, along with dusky langurs and macaques, and the birding from the roadside pull-ins is better than most organised tours on the island. At the top there is a viewing tower and a hotel that has spent long periods closed and derelict, and views over the archipelago and across to Thailand when the air is clear, which in the haze months it is not. There is also a stairway of some four thousand steps from the Lubuk Semilang side for anyone who would rather walk it.

What you actually see

• A twisting forest road - narrow and steep, the best part of the visit.
• Hornbills from the roadside - great and pied, regularly seen on the way up.
• A summit tower - views over the archipelago and towards Thailand.
• A four thousand step route - the walking alternative from Lubuk Semilang.

When to go

All year; early morning for clarity and birds. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The summit hotel has been closed and derelict for long stretches and facilities are poor. Haze frequently blanks the view. The road is narrow with blind hairpins and monkeys on it.

Nearby

Kuah town is below; the Seven Wells and cable car are north-west.