Ayer Hangat Village Hot Springs, Langkawi (Temporarily Closed)

Is it open?

No. Google Maps marks it temporarily closed, and its reviews tell the same story: closed for refurbishment in December 2024, closed for upgrading in January 2025, still closed on 25 December 2025 and closed for renovation in July 2026. A Tripadvisor reviewer who drove up in June 2025 found the place under renovation and left after eight minutes, even though online listings said it was open. A travel guide updated in 2026 says the springs are closed for renovation with no reopening date, and a visitor comment dated 24 March 2026 says everything was shut and the trip was wasted.

The picture is not completely clear. LADA's October 2025 tender paper still describes the site as operating and receiving visitors, and Trip.com and other listings still show opening hours. We go with the run of visitor reports up to July 2026 until there is a dated notice from LADA.

The tender ran from 27 October 2025, with a site visit on 2 November and final documents due on 9 November. It offers a contract of 20 to 30 years and lets the winning company redevelop the site, so expect changes when it reopens. The site is close to Tanjung Rhu beach, so a closed gate costs you little, but there is no other hot spring on Langkawi in our directory.

What makes the water different

Most Malaysian hot springs are fresh water. Ayer Hangat Village Hot Springs is salty. Researchers sampling it for a 2017 study recorded 40 to 50°C, 45°C on the day, and pH 7.1. The water held about 13,800 mg/L of chloride, 7,900 mg/L of sodium, 947 mg/L of sulphate and 394 mg/L of magnesium, all lower than in seawater. The authors suggest seawater mixing with groundwater, since the site is about 2 km from the open sea.

The study's "only saline hot spring" claim needs a footnote: Tingkayu near Kunak in Sabah is also salty, though nobody has published its chemistry.

The sampled spring was a deep, man-made cylindrical well about 1 m across, with grey-yellow water, fine salt, small gas bubbles and thin green and brown mats on the wall. LADA lists three wells on the site.

What was there before the closure

LADA's 2025 list covers 12 jacuzzi units, 4 spa units, a children's pool, 6 wakaf, a cafeteria, 14 shop lots, a two-storey gallery, a multipurpose hall, men's and women's prayer rooms and two toilet blocks on a 1.35 ha plot. An older guide describes a three-tier spring where you dip your feet, warmest at the top tier under a gazebo, plus a reflexology path. It also says only one of the 12 jacuzzis used the natural salt water.

Tripadvisor reviews from 2019 to early 2024 are mostly one or two stars: algae in the foot pools, a weak flow of hot water, the jacuzzi and spa not running, and a December 2023 visitor who said it looked abandoned. Treat all of this as history until the site reopens.

The legend

The village name comes from a local legend. Two feuding families threw gravy (kuah) and hot water at each other: where the gravy landed became Kuah town, and where the hot water spilled, this spring appeared. An 18 m mural made of river stone tells the story.

Getting there

By car: the village is about 14 km north of Kuah on the main road from Kuah to Ayer Hangat and Tanjung Rhu. The address is 16 Jalan Air Hangat, Mukim Air Hangat, 07000 Langkawi.

Without a car: take a taxi or e-hailing ride from Kuah. An older guide advises asking the taxi to wait, as finding a ride back can be hard.

Waze Google Maps6.42286, 99.81360 (approximate)

Before you go

Ignore the opening hours on Trip.com and travel blogs; Google Maps now marks it temporarily closed. Look for a review or LADA notice from the last few weeks before driving up.

Combine it with Tanjung Rhu: the site is on the same road, so a wasted stop costs you only a few minutes.

When it reopens, remember the water is salty. Rinse off with fresh water afterwards and keep it out of your eyes.

Before the closure, reviewers kept finding algae in the open foot pools. Look at the water before you step in.

Questions people ask

Is Ayer Hangat Village Hot Springs open in 2026?

No. Visitors have found it closed for renovation since December 2024, most recently in July 2026, and Google Maps marks it temporarily closed. LADA was tendering for a new operator in late 2025, and no reopening date has been published.

Is the Langkawi hot spring really salt water?

Yes. A 2017 study measured about 13,800 mg/L of chloride and 7,900 mg/L of sodium, less than seawater but far saltier than other Malaysian springs it sampled.

How hot is the water at Ayer Hangat Village Hot Springs?

The 2017 study recorded 40 to 50°C at the well, and 45°C on the day it sampled. Nobody has published temperatures for the bathing pools.

Who runs Ayer Hangat Village Hot Springs?

LADA (Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi) took over on 1 January 2023. In October 2025 it invited companies to bid for a 20 to 30 year contract to manage and redevelop the site.

Ayer Hangat Village Hot Springs, Langkawi