See The Gem of The Straits On Two Wheels - 2D1N Pulau Pangkor Birthday Trip

With Covid-19 virus still lurking around, our country’s border is closed and any oversea travel is still prohibited. With so many annual leave still unutilised, are you looking for a domestic trip to kill your boredom? Cameron Highlands, Penang, Ipoh and Melaka are good choices to spend the weekend but if the crowd put you off, you may consider Pulau Pangkor for a less touristy and more laid-back, toned down experience. 

Ps: Effective 1 January 2020, the island was granted duty-free status to attract more visitors, but during my visit in February 2020, the duty-free store didn’t seemed ready yet and there was no sign of cheap booze in the island. If you have visited lately and found that the alcohol there is now duty-free, do drop a comment down below. 

Pulau Pangkor, duty free island

How To Get There

Pangkor Island is about 3 hours drive away from Kuala Lumpur and is accessible through the Simpang Pulai–Lumut highway and the West Coast Expressway. There are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland because a policy exists to control the number of vehicles on the island to prevent road congestion. Therefore, tourists are required to take the ferry from either Lumut Jetty or the newer Marina Island Jetty. 

Lumut Jetty

Lumut Jetty was once the only jetty to get to Pulau Pangkor before the opening of Marina Island Jetty. Busses from KL and other places will take you to the bus station next to Lumut Jetty. Ferries depart every 45 minutes from Lumut to Pangkor Island. And the crossing usually takes around 30 minutes. There are two major ferry stops for Pulau Pangkor residents which are the SPK Jetty in Sungai Pinang Kecil and the Pangkor Jetty in Pangkor Town. For tourists, do alight at Pangkor Jetty, the main township. 

Address: 32200 Lumut, Perak
Fare: For non-Pangkor residents, return fare is RM14 for adults and RM7 for children from 3 to 12 years of age.
The first departure from Lumut is at 7am, last at 8:30pm.
The first departure from Pangkor is at 6:30am, last at 8:30pm.

Return ferry ticket for 2 adult (RM14 per pax)

Spacious ferry

Marina Island Jetty

The Marina Island Jetty is man-made island nearer to Pulau Pangkor and thus the ferry from Marina Island Jetty to Pangkor Jetty only requires ten minutes. There is no ferry service to SPK Jetty. Departure is every hour in the non-peak period and during peak periods the departure times are between 15 minutes. The only bus operator that provide services to this jetty is Transnational. Buses departs from Melaka, TBS, Shah Alam, Klang, Tesco Puchong, Putrajaya and Hentian Duta. 

Address: KM 1, Jalan Telok Muroh, 32200 Lumut, Negeri Perak
Fare: For non-Pangkor residents, return fare is the same at RM14 for adults and RM7 for children from 3 to 12 years of age.
The first departure from Marina Island is at 7.15am, last at 8:00pm.
The first departure from Pangkor is at 6:45am, last at 7.30pm.

Getting around Pulau Pangkor

Once you arrive at Pangkor Jetty, expect to be swarmed by taxi drivers, waiting to provide their services. The minivan taxis are unmetered taxis and painted in bright pink colours. As there are unmetered, always agreed to the fare amount before starting your journey. 

Pangkor's signature pink taxi

Motorbikes rental are also available at roughly RM40 a day, and is a better alternative for couple or solo travellers. 

Motorbike for rent

Best way to tour the island is by riding a bike

Around the Island On Two Wheels

Riding around town

South of Pangkor Jetty:

Sample some local food for breakfast

The town is located near the Pangkor Jetty and we had breakfast here on the second day (we arrived in the afternoon on the first day). Most of the eateries here sell similar items and we had breakfast at two places. We had prawn noodle and curry mee at Restoran Chiang Seng and nasi lemak and some kuihs at Kedai Kopi Lee Meng Yong opposite. These places also sell fried kuay teow, chicken rice, wanton mee and other familiar food we can find in a typical kopitiam. I would want to try all but unfortunately we only have two stomachs for breakfast.  

Curry mee, prawn mee, nasi lemak and kueh for breafast

Teluk Kecil Bridge

After breakfast you can ride around town where the morning local market, mosques, hardware shops, and local produce shops are located. If you continue down south from town, you will reach Kampung Teluk Kecil, which is a fishing village. There isn’t much to see here but we made a stop as we saw a beautiful bridge which looks like a good photoshoot spot. The nice concrete bridge extend towards the sea and is located next to a multi-purpose hall and was previously an old wooden bridge. 

Teluk Kecil

Wide angle lens makes everyone lean and slim

Different angle

Another angle

Less slim when using normal lens instead of my iphone wide lens

View of the fishing village

Bye~

Dutch Fort

From the bridge, we rode further down south to the Dutch Fort. Dated 1670, the fort is the ruins of a building once used by the Dutch as a storage for tin supplies and armoury. The building also acted as a sighting post and there were rooftop cannons to kept invaders away and those who dared to approach had a hail of bullets fired through the slit windows. 

Feel like I'm at Melaka A Famosa

Fat fat me

Act cool

Wide lens advantage again - slimmer me

Last shot of this small fort

That's the fort at the back. See how small it is?

Nice pattern on the lawn

Unlike the famous A Famosa fort (being a Portuguese ruins, not Dutch) in Melaka, this Dutch fort is pathetically small albeit well-maintained, so be prepared to spend no more than 20 minutes here. Parking spots are abundant if you are riding a motorbike. If you visit Pulau Pangkor through a travel agency, this is one of the definite destination in your itinerary. 

Batu Bersurat

From the Dutch Fort we rode further down south to this sacred historical rock called “Batu Bersurat” in Malay. Also known as Tiger Rock, it measures about 10.7 m long and 4.6 m wide and stands at 4.3 m tall. There is no information board at the site to explain the today, but there are several theories online about the inscriptions found on the boulder. 

Batu Bersurat

Tourist-style photo is a must

Another shot

Selfie

The etchings on the boulder depicts the picture of a tiger carrying away a child, two round-shaped leaves, and the letters "If Carlo 1743" and "VOC” (“VOC” probably refers to the Dutch East India Company). One sinister version of the tale claimed that the Malays and Bugis kidnapped and murdered a Dutch dignitary's son in 1743, in revenge of the ill-treatment of the Dutch to the locals. When the Dutch looked for the boy, the locals made up a story that they saw the boy being snatched away by a tiger. In commemoration of the incident, the Dutch soldiers etched the inscription.

Today, a shelter was built over it to shield it from the rain and the sun. 

Floating Mosque @ Teluk Gedung 

From Batu Bersurat, we rode towards Teluk Gedong where a floating mosque is located. The exact name of the mosque is Masjid Al-Badr Seribu Selawat, which is aptly named in reference to the 1,000 prayers that have been carved on the walls and pillars of the mosque, inside and out. The mosque is about 1700 square metres in size and can accommodate about 1500 worshippers at a time. 

Floating mosque

Close up

Built at a cost of RM11.7 million, it took slightly over 2.5 years to complete and is the dream project of Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, the 11th Menteri Besar of Perak, who is a Pangkor boy. 

Another distinctive feature besides the 1,000 engraved scriptures is the unique Perakian architecture, with aspects of Turkish and Middle Eastern influences. As you stroll along the gateway towards the main entrance of the mosque, you will notice the vivid blue dome which is layered with gold-look alike mosaic which brings a stark contrast to the minaret. The floral motifs were inspired by the golden thread embroidery elements or bunga tekat craft that Perak is known for. 

Beautiful motif at the entrance

The mosque is open to visitors, including non-Muslims, but only during non-prayer times. However, be sure to dress appropriately when visiting the mosque, as a sign of respect. I didn’t enter the premise but only took photo outside but I read that jubah is available for loan here. 

Just a quick photo with the mosque as I did not enter

West and northwest of Pangkor Jetty:

While the south of Pangkor Jetty has some historical site and a floating, there is nothing much to see. To see the more happening side of Pulau Pangkor, head west and northwest, where the best beaches are located.

Chill at Pantai Pasir Bogak

Pantai Pasir Bogak is the nearest beach to Pangkor Jetty (about 6 min ride away). This was the first developed beach on the island and is therefore the most famous. This crescent-shape beach has white sand but is rather narrow. There are plenty of shady trees here to provide idyllic picnic spot. There are some facilities for boating, fishing, snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking and rafting, but when we were there on the first evening that we arrived, there wasn’t many people around. It’s much more quiet as compared to Teluk Nipah. 

A big sign for photo taking

Almost sunset

The beach was quite empty when we visited

White sandy beach

But a bit narrow

Found a secluded spot

Wefie with my man

Hair very messy but I like this shot

Love this shot

Other recommendation: Hike Tortoise Hill from Pasir Bogak

Pulau Pangkor is home to several rainforest reserves, including the Tortoise Hill, Teluk Segadas Hill as well as the highest peak on the island; Pangkor Hill (about 350m high). The trail is marked and most hikers take about one hour to reach the top. We didn’t do the hike during our trip as we were looking for a chill and relax staycation. If you are interested in this hike, do read up on the hike and remember to bring enough food, water and first aid kit. 

Have seafood for dinner

Just a stone throw away from Pantai Pasir Bogak, you can find several Chinese seafood restaurants. The seafood here is fresh, tasty and mostly reasonable. The few famous ones here includes Restoran Pasir Bogak and Wang Wang Seafood Restaurant. 

Our seafood dinner at Restoran Pasir Bogak - crab, lala, squid and kangkung

If you ride further up north towards Teluk Nipah, there are also plenty of other seafood (be it Chinese or Malay) restaurants around. 

Turtle Conservation (Sea Turtle Incubation Centre) Teluk Ketapang

Teluk Ketapang or Turtle Bay is a beach sandwiched between Pantai Pasir Bogak and Teluk Nipah. Not well-known among tourists, this beach is actually a turtles’ egg-laying hot spot. You didn’t know there are turtles in Pulau Pangkor didn’t you? Well, so do I, until we rode pass this place during our trip.

Rode pass this sign and decided to check it out

It's a relatively new place so it's not widely publicised yet. You won't see recommendation of this place in most blogs and travelogue

Entrance fee is RM5

Station A is where all the young baby turtles are kept

So cute

The sanctuary protects the turtle egg nests from other predators and once the eggs hatch, the baby turtles are collected and raised until they are big enough to be set free. This turtle sanctuary is a new establishment which only started in 2019. They are fairly new, so their facilities are pretty simple and low-cost, but during my visit, I find that they are passionate about what they are doing and I wish you can support them by paying a visit. Entrance is only RM5 per adult for entry or you can also make a donation. 

A lot of educational info here to read while we were briefed by the staffs about the turtles

The threats these turtle faced

How we can help

We were allowed to hold the baby turtle but with their guidance

cute turtle let me hold him/her. So cute~

So scared of hurting the turtle

After dozens of shots, finally pose confidently with the baby turtle (were very anxious at first)

So cute!

Please follow the staff's instruction on how to hold the turtles

The staffs are friendly and they will show you around. The tour is very educational, as you learn about sea turtle conservation efforts in the area, what are the threats faced by this turtles and what can be done to protect them and prevent the extinction of this endangered species. You also get an opportunity to hold a sea young sea turtle. Just follow the guidance from the staffs on how to hold them and you will have lots of fun!

Protective cage on the beach to guard the eggs from predators

Station B where bigger turtles are kept. You can't touch the turtles here

Station C where biggest turtle are kept. Again, no touching. Once they are big enough, they will be released to the sea

Address: Jalan Pasir Bogak, Teluk Ketapang, 32300 Pulau Pangkor, Negeri Perak
Opening hours: 10am-7pm
Fee: RM5 per entry 

Other recommendation: Water sports activities at Teluk Nipah

Unlike Pantai Pasir Bogak, Teluk Nipah is more popular and more crowded during the weekend. The beach is also wider and things are a lot more happening. This beach is also where you can find all the water sports activities such as kayaking, jet skies, snorkelling and island hopping packages. You can rent a kayak and explore the shallow waters from Teluk Nipah to Coral Beach or rent some snorkelling equipment to marvel of the beautiful marine life. Snorkelling and island hopping tours can be booked from any hotels or any tour company found along Teluk Nipah, with half day tour being the most popular. Pulau Mentagor and Pulau Giam are two most popular snorkelling destinations for these packages. Again, Terry and I didn’t do any snorkelling as our sole purpose of the trip is the sit back and relax. 

Night market at Teluk Nipah

When night falls, there is also a night market where you can buy some snacks and craft items. There are also plenty of restaurants lined along the beach so there is no worry of getting hungry. 

Have a romantic dinner at Daddy’s Café while enjoying the sunset view of Coral Beach

The best beach for a sunset view on Pulau Pangkor is none other than Coral Beach. Coral Beach is separated from Teluk Nipah by a rocky outcrop and once you ride towards Coral Beach you will notice the stark difference with Teluk Nipah. 

Coral Beach

This beach is much cleaner, quieter and less crowded, providing much serenity. The sun sets around 7pm and it’s a good spot to just chill and relax. There are a few restaurants on the beach with Daddy’s Café being the most famous. 

Daddy's Cafe

Some tables set up and decorated for special occassion

Another special occasion table

It’s on a strategic spot so dinner here is excellent with beautiful sunset view. The waiters are friendly and helpful and food is pretty decent albeit slightly on the high side. The ambience is suited for couples or special celebration. 

Our seafood dinner at Daddy's Cafe

As we visited during the valentine’s weekend, we saw some couple who celebrated birthday or valentine’s day there. The staffs will decorate your table (at a certain charge of course) and all you have to do is to bring your partner to impress her (or him?). The places can get quite crowded on weekends and public holiday, so do make reservation in advance to avoid disappointment, although Terry and I just walked in with no issue (we were there before 6pm). 

Pretty empty before 6pm

More people after sunset

View at night

Valentine's table deco since it's a Valentine's weekend

Birthday one (hey, it was my birthday trip, why didn't we do this? haha)

Not our table obviously, haha

North of Pangkor Jetty:

Visit the instagrammable Fu Lin Kong Temple

Fu Lin Kong Temple

This temple is definitely the best place to visit in the whole of Pulau Pangkor. Even if you are not a religious person, it’s worth a visit to marvel at the beautiful architecture and landscaping work. The huge blue and red archway which marks the entrance to the Fu Lin Kong Temple, reminds me a lot of the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong, and even the snacks and souvenir shops lined in front of the temple resembles the latter. Of course, both temples are different in term of scale and religion (Fu Lin Kong is a Taoist temple, Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist temple). 

Entrance gate

Built at the foot of Pangkor Hill, the main attraction here is the mini replica of “The Great Wall of China” in its garden. Locals and tourists alike climb this mini replica to the top for the stunning view of Pulau Pangkor eastern coasts and trust me, the view is splendid up there. Apart from this mini Great Wall, the entire garden landscaping is very beautiful and instagrammable. The green dense foliage helps pops the beautiful building structures and the various small structures around the garden. I love it here and I took plenty of photos. 

Just take the trek behind me for the mini replica of Great Wall

We didn't trek as Terry complained that it's too scorching hot!

Don't you love iPhone 11 Pro's wide angle lens?

Legs too fat but the background was beautiful

Forced to have his photo taken

Posing like a noob

Posing like a model

Tortoises symbolise "longevity" due to their long age

Wishing pond

Beautiful drawing on a big boulder

Like a China historical drama setting

Touching the rice storage pot for good luck

Nice weather = nice photo

Every corner is beautiful

Never ending photoshooting here

Weather was too hot we had coconut drink after

And ice popsicles

I’d recommend coming in the morning as I visited in the afternoon when it’s scorching hot. Otherwise, bring an umbrella and be sure to apply sunscreen!

Address: 32300 Pangkor Island, Perak
Opening hours: 6.30am to 10pm
Admission: Free

Pantai Teluk Dalam

Terry and I actually found this beach while we rode along the road after visiting Fu Lin Kong Temple. We pulled a quick stop when we saw the beach, bridge and the lookout point. This place is pretty secluded with technically no one in sight. It’s a good place to chill and relax but safety may be an issue since there is really no one around if something were to happen to you. 

Teluk Dalam

Close up

A lookup point

View from the tower

Beautiful, quiet spot

Close up

Another shot

That smile on my face says it all - satisfied!

Other recommendation: Visit Dried Fish Factory

Terry and I weren’t fans of any food processing factory tour so we gave this a miss, but if you are looking for something to do, you can always visit the dried fish factories on the island to learn more of the process where the fish get dried, de-boned, and dipped into a special liquid before being roasted and weight, and packaged accordingly. You can also buy some specialities home such as mackerel, cuttlefish and crispy fish satay. 

Side Trip from Pulau Pangkor:

Pulau Pangkor is a good alternative if you are looking for a more laid-back trip, but some may find that there it’s not worth spending more than two days there. If you have some extra leave to utilise and some extra cash to burn, here’s some side trip you can add on to your Pulau Pangkor trip to make the most of your time. 

For couple or honeymooners: Pangkor Laut Resort

Since you are already in Pulau Pangkor, why not splurge a little more and stay in Pangkor Laut Resort, a resort set on a private island, away from the crowd. It’s one of the most expensive resort in Malaysia, but since we have no way to travel oversea at this moment, you may consider pouring in your travel fund into this. A night stay costs up to a thousand ringgit, but you get to stay on water chalet which stilts above seawater, just like those exquisite resorts in Maldives. There are spas and pools to hang out at, and you can enjoy sunbathing on the quiet private beach. This is the closest you can get to a “Maldives-like” honeymoon without having to fly out of country. The other resorts in Malaysia that gives similar vibes are in Sabah (Semporna, Mataking, etc) but the flight to East Malaysia is not cheap either. 

To get to Pangkor Laut Resort, you will need to check-in at their office at Pangkor Jetty, after which speedboat will charter you and your luggage to the private island. 

For Blue Tears: Pulau Sembilan

As Lumut is the gateway to Pulau Pangkor, you can also combined your trip with a side trip to Pulau Sembilan to see blue tears. Unfortunately, the island is currently closed until further notice. However, if you happened to be visiting Pulau Pangkor when Pulau Sembilan is re-opened, it’s worthwhile to make another trip to Pulau Sembilan as well. 

Check out this post about Pulau Sembilan

On the way home: Tua Pek Kong Temple @ Sitiawan

Terry and I love temples, so it only makes sense that we pay a visit to this famous Tua Pek Kong Temple in Sitiawan on our way back from Pulau Pangkor, since it’s only half an hour away from either Lumut Jetty or Marina Island Jetty. A visit to this Tua Pek Kong Temple will not cost you much time and money (it’s free admission) and you can easily slot in into your itinerary on your way back home. 

Tua Pek Kong Temple @ Sitiawan

Rumours has it that this is the biggest Tua Pek Kong Temple in Peninsular Malaysia and it has the biggest Tua Pek Kong statue as well. I personally have not seen any bigger one, so it could be true. Upon arriving at the car park, you will be greeted will a row of gigantic deity statues in the front entrance, facing the Straits of Melaka. These row of stone statues of course includes Tua Pek Kong himself which is 48 feet tall, alongside Guan Yin and many other deities. 

Photobombing Tua Pek Kong

The temple is crazy huge with a diverse mix of Buddhism, Taoism and folk religion elements. Although it is a Tua Pek Kong Temple, Deity Guan Yin is also worshipped here. The temple has expanded a lot over the years with lots of landscaping added. There is a pagoda tower, a dragon tunnel with depictions of the Ten Chambers of Hells, gardens with koi ponds, and many other statues in the temple compound. 

It is said that the fund used for the expansion was a result of donation from lottery winners who may have prayed for lottery success and lucky numbers at the temple.

Address: Jalan Pasir Panjang, 32000 Sitiawan, Negeri Perak
Opening hours: 7am – 10.30pm
Admission: Free

For foodie: Sitiawan, Teluk Intan, or Ipoh

It’s a no brainer that Ipoh and Penang has the best food in northern Peninsular Malaysia and since you are already in Lumut, you can extend your road trip by covering Sitiawan, Teluk Intan, or Ipoh for some gastronomic adventure. 

Check out this post for what to eat in Ipoh

Final thoughts

Although we are no longer in a lockdown and domestic travel is still allowed, it is still advisable to stay safe, put up your mask in public places and practise personal hygiene and social distancing at all times. I hope all of you have an enjoyable Cuti-cuti Malaysia this year, and hopefully we get to travel the world again soon!