Wild Rose Travel

Pangkor Island

September 2022

Lying just off the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia is Pangkor island (Pulau Pangkor), with easy connections to the capital of Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur.

Whilst not initially on the Malaysian itinerary, Pangkor is a place I’d never heard of. One evening in Malacca, we sat down to plan our next steps. The Cameron Highlands were next on our rough list however we already both craved a beach! We simply looked at the map and zoomed in to the coast, looking for any potential beaches or island spots we could visit. And that is how we came across Pangkor…

With a quick bit of research (all it took was a brief glance at Google images) Pangkor was next on the list, and turned out to be one of my favourite weeks in Malaysia – if not favourite! It is worth noting Pangkor is relatively busy with local tourists but not a lot of westerners. We saw very few during our time. In addition, there isn’t tonnes to do but if you’re like us and don’t mind that, it’s the perfect place to kick off your shoes and relax, off the beaten track.

We took a bus from Malacca back to Kuala Lumpur where we stayed for one night to re-coup and tick off a couple of the last bits in the city we didn’t get to do the first time. From here, we took a bus to Lumut, and then a ferry from Lumut to Pangkor. The transfer was relatively straight forward. You can find more details of the exact route and transport details on my main Malaysia post here.

We found a really lovely place to stay on the island, and planned to stay for the full week (5 nights) however it wasn’t available for the whole time. So we booked a last minute OYO on the ferry side of the island for just 1 night, and then continued the remaining 4 on the opposite coast. The OYO can be found here, – (Best Stay Hotel) and cost £6.70pp for 1 night. The second accommodation (and one I’d recommend), which was probably up there with one of my favourites in the whole of Malaysia can be found here, – (Ombak Inn) at £14pp, for 1 night.

I’d definitely recommend staying on the West side of the island in terms of amenities and the ‘beach/island’ vibe, however the island is so small and you can drive around it on a moped in around 45 minutes. As long as you’re moped proficient you’ll be fine wherever you find your base. I enjoyed staying on Teluk Nipah beach for the views and relaxing atmosphere.

My favourite thing to do in Pangkor was explore by bike. There are so many hidden treasures dotted around the island to see, and we easily filled 5 days with a mix of activities and beach relaxing.

Mini Great Wall of China

Foo Lin Kong temple is home to a mini replica of the great wall of china, which is an interesting visit. In addition to the temple, you can walk around the surrouding ‘wall’ and monuments. If you are an avid South East Asia traveller, it is likely you have seen your fair share of temples and therefore it’s nice to visit one offering a little something different. This particular temple was built by the local Chinese settlers, as a remedy for homesickness.

Hidden beach (Pantai Teluk Sagadas)

On the app maps.me we found a route to a ‘secret beach’ in walking distance from the first hotel we stayed in – so we opted for this as our activity soon after we arrived on Day One.

The beach is called ‘Pantai Teluk Sagadas,’ and took around 1 hour to walk from the ferry port area on the East side of the island (see map! It says 30 minutes but realistically if you stop for photos, to look at various sights along the way and have frequent water breaks, it’s more an hour). You had to walk along the road, under monkeys swinging on the wires above your head, through jungle and up and over some rough terrain. The jungle area wasn’t too long, and provided a little escape from the beaming hot sun above. After approx. 10 minutes in the jungle, you see an opening and hear the waves, and you’re presented with a stunning and completely natural beach. The waters are turquoise and it’s like a setting out of a movie. It’s a small cove beach, with rock faces at either end and dense jungle behind. As it is ‘hidden,’ and only accessed via the jungle trek, there are no form of amenities at the beach, so make sure you take plenty of food and water with you.

Rock and Dutch Fort

For a bit more history, there is an abandoned Dutch fort in walking distance from the Jetty/main area on the East of the island. Erected in 1670, the fort was occupied until 1690 and again between 1745-1748. In Malay, the fort is called Kota Belanda, and in Dutch it is called Fort Dindingh. It isn’t very big and there’s not too much to see so you won’t need long, but it is still interesting. Around 200m up the road is a sacred Tiger Rock, which is a huge rock with an engraved tiger drawing. It is thought to be graffiti from the dutch soldiers in the 1700’s, who were based at the dutch fort.

Recommendation – if situated in the main Jetty area/entrance to Pangkor, walk from here to the Fort. From here, walk to Tiger Rock. From here, continue the walk to Hidden Beach. Swim, have some packed lunch and then make a round-trip back to the Jetty.

Floating Mosque

The floating mosque is situated on the very Southernly tip of the island, providing a stunning mix of scenery and architecture. We took the moped out exploring down the main road and came across the mosque unexpectantly, but are so glad we did. I am unsure if tourists can go in, but the view from over the bridge and leading up to the mosque is worth a visit in itself.

Explore by bike

Exploring the island by bike is great fun – there is one main road that loops the perimeter of the island, so stick to that. There are a few areas you can veer off, but the main route circles round smoothly. One area on the North of the island is quite hilly and bendy, but provides stunning views and scenery. You see lots of monkeys on the road in these areas, and also pass a couple of rubbish dumps. Here you find wild dogs which often run into the road at short notice, so be careful!

The island also has wild boar, which again tend to hop out of the bushes at any moment, so another reason to be extra vigilant whilst driving.

We rented our bike from a hotel on Tuluk Nipah beach, and there was lots of other hotels nearby offering this service. There is also an ATV centre on the corner between Tuluk Nipah and Coral Bay where you can rent quad bikes and other vehicles, if you prefer a more adventurous experience.

Hornbill sightings + feeding

One of my favourite things about Pangkor is the wildlife. I was exposed to so many animals I’d never seen in the wild before, which made the visit all the more special. One of which being the hornbills, and there were hundreds! Flying the skies routinely every morning and night, they’d land on your windows or fences, and look down at you as you’re walking by.

There is an area outside one hotel on Teluk Nipah beach where you can feed them every evening, however I do not particularly agree with interfering with wild animals and therefore did not take part. Seeing them daily flying around was more than enough for me!

Best beaches

The best beaches in my opinion are Coral Beach and Teluk Nipah. Both are next to each other and can be reached via a 10-minute walk along the road. Here you can find almost empty beaches, relaxing beach bars, cafe’s and restaurants, kayak/sea sport rental services and shops. They also provide the perfect sunset spot to enjoy every evening (Coral Beach in particular).

My favourite beach restaurant/cafe was “Nipah Deli” on Coral Beach. I enjoyed many a breakfast and coffee here.

Dogs and cats line the beaches of Pangkor, and definitely made the stay special for us animal lovers. Some of my favourite adopted pets were found here, and although I only got to love them for a short time, they’ll never be forgotten! A couple of the dogs on Coral Beach would get to know you, and often greet you like their owners. They’d walk with you and lay next to you whilst you sunbathed. The perfect island companions.

Some of my favourite photos from Pangkor:

Next stop – Cameron Highlands