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Pangkor Island is part of Perak state in west coast of Malaysian Peninsular. The island is well-situated between Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and easily reached by ferry. Pangkor was once popular as a refuge amongst fishermen, merchants, sailors, and even pirates, which has resulted in establishing the present fishing village and fish-related industries. Pangkor was also trading control point in Malacca Strait.
Stretching on total 8 km2 of land, Pangkor Island consists of the main residential area Pangkor Town and residential villages Sungai Pinang Kecil and Sungai Pinang Besar. The beautiful island is fenced by stretches of magnificent beach alongside the famous fishing villages and Pangkor Laut Island, a privately owned island where the luxurious Pangkor Laut Resort nests.
Pangkor is promoted as budget tourist destination and in 2005, Malaysian Ministry of Tourism support the local developer of Marina Sanctuary Resort Project by providing ferry access to the island. This, at the same time, also meant to bring 2 million tourists into the island annually by developing first and only man-made island, Marina Island Pangkor. To this day, Pangkor Island houses quite significant number of beach resorts and chalets.
How to Get There
By Plane
Pangkor Island has local airport serving local flights by Berjaya Air arriving at Pangkor Airport (PKG) from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Kuala Lumpur. Flights usually depart every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
By Ferry
There are two public piers serving ferries to and from Pangkor Island: Sungai Pinang Kecil (SPK) Jetty and Pangkor Jetty in Pangkor Town, the main pier of Pangkor Island which is also closer to west coast beaches of the island. A third pier is also available at Teluk Dalam, called Pangkor Island Beach Resort Jetty (formerly Pan Pacific Jetty), exclusive only for guests.
Ferry trip takes around 45 minute or less to get to other side and the fare is 5.00 MYR per person for single trip and 10.00 MYR for round trip.
There are also ferry schedules from Marina Island Pangkor, a private resort located 7 minutes away from the main island. All ferry passengers are required to have the Marina Island Travel Club member card to board the ferry services, with 5.00 MYR annual fees for single membership and 10.00 MYR for family membership. The ferry departs from 07:15 AM to 08:30 PM every day with 15 minutes intervals.
From the Pangkor Town Jetty, you can get around by using pink unmetered taxi (do negotiate and agree on the fare before getting in), or rent a scooter/motorbike (fare starts from 25.00 MYR).
By Car
Pangkor Island is located within three-hour-drive from Kuala Lumpur, on which you have to stop at Lumut Naval Base to cross by ferry. From KL, go north to Batu Gajah and follow route 5 until reaching Sitiawan, then take route 18 and follow the signboards to Lumut.
There is no bridge connecting Pangkor to the mainland due to vehicle quantity control. Public parking costs 5.00 MYR per day. Carpark across Pangkor Laut Resort Office charges 8.00 MYR per day.
By Bus
Lumut bus station is the stopping point to reach the Lumut ferry port, the departure point to Pangkor, which is located 100 meters from the bus terminal. To reach Lumut from Kuala Lumpur, go to Puduraya Bus Terminal and ride on bus for around 3-4 hours, then alight at Lumut bus station. The schedules are as follow:
- Alisan Golden Coach Express: 27.00 MYR, departs daily at 02:00 PM
- Transnasional Coach Services: 24.60 MYR (adult) and 22.30 MYR (child), departs daily at 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 01:30 PM, 06:30 PM, and 08:30 PM.
- Plusliner Bus Service: 24.60 MYR (adult) and 18.50 MYR (child), departs daily at 08:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 01:30 PM, 03:30 PM, 04:30 PM, 06:30 PM, 08:30 PM.
- Sri Maju: 25.40 MYR. Departs only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 09:15 AM, 01:45 PM, 04:30 PM, and 07:30 PM.
- Maju Ekspress: 24.50 MYR. Departs daily at 01:45 PM and 02:45 PM.
Tourist Attractions
Pangkor Town is located in the east coast and encircled by a ring road that makes getting around is simple. In addition, Pangkor Town is a hopping point to numerous tourist spots in the island.
Foo Lin Gong Temple and Mini Greatwall
Located in the northern part of Pangkor Town, Foo Lin Temple is a Taoist compound with fiery red and gold-coloured ornaments, garden, and a giant-arapaima-fish-inhabited fishpond. Uniquely, there is a Great Wall of China’s miniature, located at the hillside.
Kali Amman Temple
Amidst the small island of Sungai Pinang Kecil, stands Kali Amman Temple, a Hindi temple and is one of two Indian temples in Malaysia with goddess Kali in the entrance, facing the sea. There is a short staircase leading to the sea, aimed for worshippers to cleanse themselves before worshipping.
Pasir Bogak
Pasir Bogak is the most famous beach and the first-developed beach in the island. This island is a great spot to swim. This is the longest stretch of white sandy beach in the island, filled with many trees as sun shades for tourists. It also houses a number of water activities, from the laid back boating and fishing to kayaking and rafting.
Coral Bay
At the western coast of Pangkor Island, north of Teluk Nipah, Coral Bay offers breath-taking sights of emerald-green water as reflected by the limestone and white sand. Coral Bay is also a great spot to watch sunset. There is a small, secluded beach hidden among a few large boulders, which can be reached by a path. Cross the bridge at the back of Lin Ye Kong Temple to find the path.
