Visitor Guide To Malaysia: Malaysia Hotels, Malaysian, Travel

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Off the coast of Perak lies a cluster of fabulous islands, the most developed and accessible of which is Pangkor Island. It has a land area of only eight square kilometres and a population of approximately 25,000 islanders.



In the 17th century, the Dutch built a fort in an effort to control the Perak tin trade. In 1874, it was the location of a historic treaty between a contender to the Perak throne and the British government (The Pangkor Treaty), which began the British colonial domination of the Malay Peninsula.

Pangkor is famous for its fine beaches and mix of low budget to five-star accommodations. It has some of the west coast’s prettiest and most tranquil beaches, authentic Malaysian fishing villages that have changed little in 50 years, and great seafood. Arguably the most luxurious getaway in the country is located on an adjacent private island called Pangkor Laut.

Lifestyle
The fishing community in Pangkor continue to live as they always have, eschewing technology. They live in scattered fishing settlements along the coast, especially on the eastern side, facing the town of Lumut and Teluk Batik. Their catch comprises mainly cuttlefish and anchovy. Tourism has replaced fishing as the main industry, giving rise to modern facilities and decent infrastructure.

In 2006 a biotechnology centre, a joint venture between Global Hi-Q Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Hi-Q Bio-Tech International (Taiwan) Ltd, began operations with an initial investment of RM100 million. Their operations include fish farming and aquaculture. The first harvest is expected to be produced later this year.




Getting There
Berjaya Air offers four flights a week from Kuala Lumpur via the Sultan Aziz Shah airport in Subang. The North-South highway will lead you from any of the west coast towns to Lumut. From Lumut, it is a 40-minute ferry ride across to Pangkor.

Getting Around
The best way to see this island is to hire a cab to drive you to all the sights, which should not take long. Alternatively, hire a motorbike (about RM25 and above) or bicycle (RM8 and above) and make your way around.

Things to do

The prime reason to head to this little island is to hang out by the beach. Teluk Nipah and Coral Bay on the north-west of the island is extremely popular with travellers from Europe. The waters off Coral Bay are clear emerald green owing to the presence of limestone.

Pasir Bogak Beach has the finest sand on the island. It was the first beach to be developed on the island and as such is the most popular among locals. The crescent shaped beach is dotted with large trees, providing idyllic picnic spots under the canopy of their lush foliage. The water here is shallow and crystal clear, offering endless hours of fun and frolic in the sunlit sea. You will also find facilities for boating, fishing, scuba diving and wind surfing. A number of resorts also boast golf courses.

1. Pasir Giam
The beach at Pasir Giam faces the little island of Giam, which you can wade to in low tide. Keep your eye on the tide though as you don’t want to be stranded when high tide hits.

2. Pangkor Forest Reserve
Trek to Pangkor Hill and observe the flora and fauna along the way. You’ll see rare orchids and butterflies tame enough to land on an outstretched palm, monkeys swinging from the branches as well as giant hornbills.

 

3. Dutch Fort
At Teluk Gudang lie 300-year-old stone foundations of a Dutch Fort built in 1670 to control the tin trade on mainland Perak. The fort was a Dutch stronghold against pirates and local Malays but was abandoned after a local warrior, Panglima Kulub, and his followers attacked it. Today, only the stone foundations and carvings on a large rock left by the soldiers remain.


4. Fu Lin Gong Temple
This Chinese temple features a miniature version of the Great Wall of China and some lovely gardens.

5. Batu Bersurat
Also known as Tiger Rock, the etchings on this large boulder picture a tiger carrying a child. There are also two round-shaped leaves, and the words ‘If Carlo 1743’ and ‘VOC’. ‘VOC’ probably refers to the Dutch East India Company. There are several theories about the inscription. One version of the tale claims that the Malays and Bugis kidnapped and murdered a Dutch dignitary’s son in 1743, in revenge of the ill treatment of the locals by the Dutch. When the Dutch looked for the boy, the locals made up the story that they saw the boy snatched by a tiger.

6. Bike Tour
Tour the island by motorbike or bicycle, which can be rented at hotels. The roads are pretty decent although they can get quite steep as you head north. A leisurely cycle around the island will take about five-and-a-half hours.

7. Dine on the beach
There’s only one restaurant that’s situated right on the beach in Pangkor – Daddy’s Café at Coral Bay. It serves up local and international cuisine and is staffed by friendly waiters.

8. Fish Satay Factory
Local Malaysian snack foods tend to be heavily salted in an effort to preserve the meats. One delicacy is fish satay, which is really dried skewered fish coated in spices. There are a number of these cottage industry ‘factories’ on the island, many of which operate out of homes. You will also find anchovy factories where these little fish are dried before being exported to the mainland. Dried anchovy ends up in many Malaysian dishes.