Kuala Perlis

Kuala Perlis sits where the Perlis river meets the Strait in the smallest state in Malaysia, and for most travellers it is a transit point - the ferry terminal here is the shortest crossing to Langkawi, about forty-five minutes, and there are boats to Satun in Thailand as well. The town itself is a fishing settlement with a good part of it built over the water on piles, walkways between the houses, boats tied under them and drying racks along the front. It is known regionally for laksa, the Perlis and Kedah version with a heavy fish and tamarind base, sold at stalls near the jetty. A long bridge and a promenade run along the waterfront and the sunset over the Strait is the local evening event. There is little else, and that is honest.

What you actually see

• A stilt fishing town - houses and walkways built over the water.
• The Langkawi ferry - the shortest crossing, about forty-five minutes.
• Perlis laksa - the fish and tamarind version sold near the jetty.
• A waterfront promenade - the sunset walk over the Strait.

When to go

All year; evening for the sunset. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is primarily a transit port with limited accommodation and little to see. Ferries are weather-dependent. At low tide the mud under the houses smells.

Nearby

Kangar is inland; Langkawi is across the water; the Thai border is north.