The Splendours of Pulau Pangkor     Pulau Pangkor or Pangkor Island is located off the coast of Perak. Relatively a small island whose economy mainly relies on the fishing and cottage industry, Pangkor Island is increasingly becoming a tourist destination.   To get to Pangkor Island, you would have to go to Lumut, Perak. You can either drive or take the many express bus services taking the North-South Expressway, exiting at Gopeng interchange. You would then need to drive to Lumut. In Lumut you can park your vehicle at the many guarded car parks. From the jetty in Lumut, you can take the half hour ferry ride to Pangkor Island. Another alternative to the island is to take a Berjaya Air’s 40 minutes flight from Subang Airport. Upon your arrival to the island, you can hire a taxi that will take you to your hotel.   Though the island is relatively small, tourists to the island may find that they do not lack activities to do. To go around the island, you can either hire a taxi or rent a motorcycle or bicycle. If you were to hire the taxi, the driver will take you around to the popular sites all around the island.   Pasir Bogak   This is a generally busy part of the island, where you can find a lot of chalets, campsites, motels, hotels and also resorts for holiday makers. During the holiday season, Pasir Bogak is really famous among the tourists. Many tourists will throng the beach at Pasir Bogak for good fun at the beach and also for some fresh seafood.   Teluk Nipah   Teluk Nipah or Nipah Bay is also filled with accommodations for the holiday makers. During peak season, this part of the island is normally jam-packed with tourists. Tourists staying at this part of the island can opt to charter a boat to go across to Giam Island or Mentagor Island or if they choose to be adventurous, they can opt to kayak across to these islands.    Dutch Fort   One of the historical landmark which is now considered as one of the interesting attraction to Pulau Pangkor is the remnant of the Dutch occupancy. The 300 years old Dutch Fort was built in 1670 at Teluk Gedung, serving its purpose as a storage for tin and later as a stronghold against the local Malays and pirates. The Fort was later abandoned after it was attacked by a local Malay Warrior, Panglima Kulub and his followers. In 1973, The Muzium Negara undertook its reconstruction and it now stands in its original foundation.   Batu Bersurat   Located very near to the Fort is a boulder known as the Batu Bersurat which literally means the stone of inscription. On this boulder, there is a picture of a tiger carrying away a child, along with some words and the number 1743 etched. The story behind the etching on the boulder is that in 1743 a child of a Dutch dignitary went missing and the Dutch soldiers were sent to look for him. According to some, the boy was taken away by a tiger, while some of the villagers have a theory that some of the angry Malays who are against the Dutch had abducted and killed the child. The Dutch soldiers, then etched the inscription to commemorate the incident.   Foo Lin Kong Temple   This is a new Taoist Temple that was built at the foot of Pangkor Hill in the Sungai Pinang Besar village. This beautiful temple is surrounded by a nice miniature of the Great Wall of China and also a nice landscaped garden. There’s also a  pond where you can see Koi fish and tortoises.   Teluk Belanga and Teluk Dalam   For those who want some peace and quiet and the beach all to themselves, they can head over to Teluk Belanga or Teluk Dalam. Both beaches are privately owned and are away from the busy touristy sites. At Teluk Belanga, tourists can check-in at the Pangkor Beach Resort while in Teluk Dalam, visitors can stay in the Kampung House concept resort.   Apart from these spots, the taxi will also take you to the Satay Fish Factory. Here you can buy all the products made from fish and cuttlefish. You can buy dried products like anchovies, fish and cuttlefish and you can also buy ready to eat snacks like the Satay Fish or Satay Cuttlefish. Many visitors will buy bags and bags of these snacks to bring back as gifts.   Apart from the Satay Fish Factory, you can also but these products in Pangkor Town itself. Located near the ferry terminal, there is a street which is lined on both sides with shops that sells all these products.     Jungle Trekking   For the outdoor and sporty type, some might want to explore the island on foot. There is a mountain trail from Pasir Bogak Beach to Sungai Pinang Town. This will also lead you to the trek on Tortoise Hill which will give you a scenic view of the Tortoise Bay. Jungle trekking will give you a chance to admire the flora and fauna of the island.    Though the island may lack the touristy hype that some of the bigger islands around the peninsular may have, many will find Pangkor’s idyllic charm a reason to return to the island.   Book Pulau Pangkor Hotels here

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This article was written by Rozila Wong and was first published on 29 January 2007. This article is free for personal and commercial reproduction, with the following terms and conditions.