Directly south of the border with Thailand, this Malaysian archipelago of 104 islands (at high tide the number falls to 99) conforms to the tropical idyll of pale sand lapped by an emerald sea—in this case the Andaman: the horizon broken by islets with steep limestone cliffs, cloaked in jungle-like vegetation. If you can stir yourself from the beach, Langkawi’s verdant interior landscape—a mix of rubber plantations, paddies, fields of buffalo and rain forest—offers potential for adventure. Take the cable car up Gunung Mat Cincang, 708 metres (2,323 feet) above sea level, for the best overview of the rain forest. Or trek through the tree canopy: The island’s Canopy Adventure is one of two such trails in the world, offering opportunities to get close to dusky leaf langur monkeys and flying squirrels (other inhabitants include flying lemurs, mouse deer, loris, wild boar, civet cats and at least 40 species of snakes) via a network of harnesses and tightropes you either walk along or fly suspended from. Be warned: The last bit is known as “the leap of faith.”