Originally Posted by
andaman C
Agree that Langkawi is worth the trip. The Andaman on Datai Bay is excellent, and good deals can be found for this Starwood property. Personally I could skip Penang... a little too gritty for my tastes.
Penang is "gritty?!" Well, I guess it depends on where else you've been in SE Asia. Penang is definitely worth a stop of 2-3 days, at least spending some time in the Old Georgetown area. A rather important historical location on this part of the Andaman coast. I wouldn't go to Penang for the beach, though--save that for Langkawi. Melaka is also worth a day-ish. Seeing all three places depends on how much time you have for your side trip.