Luxury Hotels in Pangkor Island

The name of the island comes from the Thai 'Pang Ko', which means Beautiful Island. It actually concerns a group of islands with Pangkor as its main island, and next to that a trio of smaller islands: Pangkor Laut, Pulau Mentagor en Pulau Giam. Pangkor Laut is the best known of these, because of the idyllic resort you can find on this small island (with similar name; Pangkor Laut Resort). Pangkor is a mountainous island; the highest point is at 1216 meters (Pangkor Hill). Since the main island consists of just mountains, the roads are lying in a circle around the island. The island has a number of international hotels/resorts; it can get quite busy during school and public holidays.

There is no real best time to visit Pangkor; as the island is pretty much shielded by Sumatra, weather is pretty much the same throughout the year (though it still is a tropical island). Approximately 30,000 people live on the island, most of them in Pangkor Town and the villages surrounding it. Fishery is (next to tourism) an important source of income for most of the island's' inhabitants. In past times; this area used to be the center for piracy. The pirates had their home ports in the Pulau Gedung Hills, Gua Lanun (Pirates' Cave) and Batu Perompak (Pirates' Rock) on the island of Pangkor. Many ships/boats were taken over and robbed of their goods and products. The Dutch were active here in the times of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

How to Get There

By Air

The island has its own airport but the only airliner that flies between Kuala Lumpur and Pangkor Airport is Berjaya Air.

By Ferry

Public ferries depart from Lumut to Pangkor Island from the old Lumut jetty, the nearby Lumut waterfront, the Lumut bus terminal, and the multi-storey car park. The ferry services start from 7.00am till 8.30pm, about every 20 minutes, (take 30-45 minutes ferries riding time, RM14 return ticket). There are two stops at the east side of Pangkor Island. The first stop is at Sungai Pinang Kecil, SPK jetty. Its mainly for local residents, fishing-people, and guests for some guesthouses and homestay tourists. The second stop is at Pangkor Town Jetty, where shops and government buildings exist nearby. Taxi services area available to all other hotels at west side.

By Car

Pangkor Island lies within the state of Perak, about 85 kilometers from Ipoh (the 2nd biggest city of Malaysia), and about a 3-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur and is accessible through the Simpang Pulai–Lumut highway and the West Coast Expressway. Buses arrive frequently at the main jetties in Lumut.

Tourist Attractions

There are numerous beaches on Pangkor Island; an easy way to explore them is by motorbike (or taxi/rental car). Only a few of these beaches are popular among locals and tourists; especially during the weekends. The rest are secluded and unspoilt; during the week there is a big chance you will be the only one visiting the beach. Pantai Pasir Bogak probably is the most popular beach on the island. Another great beach is Nipah beach at Teluk Nipah; where you can find clear waters.

Hotels

Pangkor Island Beach Resort

This resort is especially great for families with children as they have an extensive children's program. All the guests get a daily newspaper where the activities for the day are described. You can chose to join early in the morning to look for birds, or come to the Hornbill feeding platform where Hornbills are fed twice daily. The resort is currently undergoing a major renovation and is scheduled to fully operate in 2019.