Wednesday, February 5, 2014

A Weekend Trip to Pulau Pangkor

Lumut, the port where you'll need to get to to be able to get onboard a ferry to and fro Pulau Pangkor is just a three hours drive from Kuala Lumpur city center. I wouldn't say that this Island is as exotic as the islands of Mabul and Sipadan but it do has it's own charms. :)

Pink minivans, at your service!
Visitors can enjoy a day-trip around Pangkor by using one of these charming PINK minivans seen above. It's the only public transport around Pangkor unless if you prefer to rent a motorbike or car. With a price that you can bargain (normal prices starts at RM80 per round day trip tour), the driver will take you around the top attractions of the island.



Sandy beaches at your disposal. 
The main attractions on the island are obviously the beaches. I've spotted some beautiful beaches while I was there but there are actually more things to do there. So read on. :)

Foo Lin Kong Temple


A temple on top of a hill.
The Foo Lin Kong Temple is a fairly new Taoist temple which is built at the foot of Pangkor Hill in the village called Sungai Pinang Besar. It has a nice garden partly build on the hillside and also a miniature Great Wall of China to admire! If you're into some climbing, you can get a spectacular view from the top as seen in the picture above. It is said that on the roof you will see the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, but I didn't notice this when I was there. Hehe. Another thing to see are the turtles and different kinds of fishes found in the ponds near the temple. A must visit.

Dutch Fort (Kota Belanda)

Nothing much left of the fort that housed 59 men.

The Dutch Fort on Pangkor island is called Kota Belanda by the locals and is located at Teluk Gedung, just south of Pangkor Town on the South West part of the island. However, Dutch records referred to it as the Dindings fort ('Dingding') - named after the Dinding River which played an important role during that time. Now the river is gone and all is left is a river arm overgrown with mangroves.

This fort was build in 1670 and used for storing tin. The Dutch also used the fort as a stronghold against local Malays and pirates. Nowadays, the fort was reconstructed by the National Museum in 1973 and became a historical monument 3 years later.

I actually love the front lawn of the fort. Very dutch like! haha!
Other places to visit:

Not far from the fort is the Batu Bersurat or Tiger Rock. It's actually a giant boulder with some inscriptions on it. History has it that a boy disappeared near that area and was believed to be taken by a tiger. However viallgers claim that the boy was taken by the angry Malays who wanted to get rid of the dutch from Pangkor. Whatever it is, the Dutch chiseled this incident on the stone depicting the Malays as a tiger.

After visiting the mentioned places above, the driver will send you to some stores to shop for local delicacies which consists of mostly fish-based snacks. It's quite cheap here compared to those sold in the mainlands!

But then again, a visit to Pangkor is nothing without enjoying the many water activities found there.

Let's have some fun in the sun! A boat tour to the nearby islands costs around RM50 perboat.
And the picture below is uniquely Pangkor. Can't find it anywhere else. :P
Peek through the buildings siding the beach and you'd be surprised at your findings.
I must say, enjoying your lunch or dinner at some seafood restaurant nearby is also a must-do there in Pangkor. Although some places might be filled with these maple-like leaves on the floor. Haha.

Eh? Autumn leaves in Pangkor?
Overall, a weekend trip to Pangkor Island could be a very relaxing trip for you and your friends. It is also great for family excursions. So do give Pangkor a visit soon and enjoy!

Side note:
Return ferry tickets from Lumut to Pangkor (2013) = RM19 per adult 






7 comments:

Unknown said... [Reply]

Bojio

Alid Abdul said... [Reply]

I like the pattern like a maze in the lawn.

Jard The Great said... [Reply]

@ ivan chan... pffft! kedekut! hehehe

@ alid abdul... me too! :P

aaron setiawan said... [Reply]

I saw a sign "SNORKELING". How about the underwater life? Are there corals reef and beautiful fish?

Khai said... [Reply]

Oh so boleh day trip eh ke sana? Stylee igtkan macam tak sempat ke..

Hehe

Bersih tak?

Oh, dekat Pangkor pernah ada Belanda? Jap lupa sejarah jap.. hehehe

Jard The Great said... [Reply]

@ aaron.. I didn't get to try the snorkeling activity coz I forgot to bring my bikini. #eh. haha

@ khai... day trip boleh je.. tp better stay the night. hehehe.

bersih setakat yg ku lihat la :P

aaron setiawan said... [Reply]

Oh my God!! Bikini??!!
I can't imagine if you wear it. hahaha