MALAYSIA
PENINSULAR MALAYSIA – WEST COAST •• Pulau Pangkor lonelyplanet.comIf you get marooned in town, head straight
to Era Backpackers Hotel (%013 598 3005, 683 8910;
7-9 Jln Raja Muda Musa; dm/r from RM15/25; a), directly
across from the bus station, which has a help-
ful and knowledgeable owner. Some rooms
have private bathrooms.
Direct buses run to/from KL (RM19, four
hours, eight daily), Butterworth (RM13, five
hours, three daily) and Johor Bahru (RM40,
10 hours, two daily). There are no direct buses
from Lumut to the Cameron Highlands; take
a bus to Ipoh (RM6, two hours, hourly), then
transfer to Tanah Rata.
The Pulau Pangkor pier is an easy walk
from the bus station. Boats run every 30 to
45 minutes and cost RM10.PULAU PANGKOR
%05 / pop 25,000
Pulau Pangkor is more of a girl-next-door
island as opposed to the supermodels of the
east coast and Langkawi. That said, it feels
good to get away from the glitz and settle into
an honest kampung with a lazy island atmos-
phere. The jungle is swarming with monkeys
and hornbills and you can dine nightly on
fresh fish while watching the sunset.
Pangkor’s piece of history, the foundations
of a Dutch fort dating from 1670, is 3km south
of Pangkor Town at Teluk Gedong.
Ferries from Lumut first stop on the eastern
side of the island at Sungai Pinang Kecil (SPK)
and then go to Pangkor Town, where you’ll
find banks, restaurants and shops.Sights & Activities
Snorkel gear and boats can be hired at
hotels or on the beach. The main beaches
are on the west coast. Travellers, especially
women, should take care on empty stretches
at the island’s northeastern side and south
of Pangkor Town. There’s also good walk-
ing here, arguably better than on any
other Malaysian island; most guest houses
have lots of information and can organise
a guide.
Five minutes’ walk north of Teluk Nipah,
Coral Bay is the best beach on this side of the
island, with clear, emerald-green water, due
to the presence of limestone.
Pasir Bogak is a swimming beach favoured
by holidaying Malaysians, and gets crowded
during holidays when it also gets trashed. A
popular backpacker haven, Teluk Nipah is north
of Pasir Bogak. This is a scenic beach witha variety of budget accommodation and a
lively atmosphere.Sleeping, Eating & Drinking
Most accommodation is set on access roads
between the beachfront road and the jungle.
Options are pricey and we found that any-
thing costing under RM30 was pretty dire.
Several of Teluk Nipah’s guest houses have
restaurants, though outside the high season
(November to March) these often close down.
Most restaurants serve alcohol. There are also
some basic food stalls at the beach.
Nazri Nipah Camp (%685 2014, 012-576 0267;
[email protected]; dm/r from RM10/40) Located
at the edge of the jungle, there’s (surprise)
a chilled-out reggae theme going on here.
Accommodation ranges from simple A-
frames to more comfortable chalets with
bathrooms. There’s also a secluded beer gar-
den and TV lounge.
Purnama Beach Resort (%685 3530; http://www.pur
nama.com.my; r RM30-80; ais) This spiffy
complex of chalets includes some fairly sim-
ple (and lovely) fan huts and neat, motel-
style doubles. There’s a good restaurant and
a very small pool and breakfast is included.
Olala Chalet (%685 5112; s/d RM50/70; a) For
chalets with AC and TV these are pretty
good deals, but some cabins are in bet-
ter shape than others, so ask to see a few.
Attracts a lot of domestic tourists.
Takana Juo ( TJ’s) Restoran (mains from RM6;
hbreakfast, lunch & dinner) A family-run
Indonesian restaurant at the bungalows of
the same name. TJ’s serves delicious, cheap
food. It’s regularly full, so you’ll need to get
there early.Getting There & Away
Berjaya Air (%685 5828; http://www.berjaya-air.com)
flies to/from KL’s Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah
Airport (RM275) daily except on Tuesday
and Thursday.
In the high season, ferries (return RM10,
45 minutes, every 30 to 45 minutes from
7am to 8.30pm) run to and from Lumut
and Pangkor Town.Getting Around
There are no public buses but pink minibus
taxis operate between 6.30am and 9pm. Fares
are set for the entire vehicle to/from the jetty
in Pangkor Town and go to Teluk Nipah
(RM10) and around the island (RM40).460