PANGKOR ISLAND
Off the coast of perak State,
lies a cluster of fabulous islands with unquestionably some of
the best coves and beaches on the western coast of peninsular
Malaysia. The cluster of islands we refer to as Pangkor is made
up of one major mountainous island with 3 smaller uninhabited
islands. Among them two islands predominate in the terms of accessibility,
infrastructure and development, the largest island PANGKOR and
the smaller known as Pangkor Laut. It has a population of over
20,000. Pangkor is a mountainous island with a all weather paved
ring road circumventing the Island. This Ring Road is 25 kilometers
long, a heaven for mountain bikers though certain stretches are
made precarious by on-coming traffic. The highest "peak"
on the island is 800 feet. There is a mountain trail from Pasir
Bogak beach to the Sungei Pinang Town. Pangkor welcomes visitors
with its serene, golden beaches, crystalline blue water and cool,
refreshing breezes. Located about 9Okm south-west of lpoh, it
is largely inhabited by fisherfolk. They live in scattered fishing
settlements along the coast especially on the eastern side, facing
the town of Lumut and Teluk Batik, and their catch comprises mainly
cuttle-fish and anchovy.
The island is famous for its 'ikan bilis' (anchovies) and squids.
The real attraction here however are the enchanting beaches on
the western coastline Pantai Puteri Dewi , Teluk Belanga, Teluk
Nipah, and Teluk Cempedak are marvellous for swimming or just
basking in the sun, in complete privacy admist tranqull surroundings.
With its serene golden beaches, crystalline green water, vibrant
tropical forests and cool refreshing breezes, Pangkor Island remains
a haven for those seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle
of city life. It comes as no surprise that Pangkor Island has
for centuries been a welcome stopover for voyagers, pirates, and
adventurers throughout history. Yet the island's natural wonders
have remained unscarred, and her environment remains as tranquil
and beautiful as ever.
HISTORY OF PANGKOR ISLAND
The ancient name for this island is Spirit Island. The ancient
islanders believed that this island is protected by the spirits
of "Keramat Serban Hijau", "Keramat Serban Kuning"
and "Keramat Tok Janggut". Fishermen claim to hear voices
chanting verses from the Holy Quran and smell incense from the
uninhabited Pulau Gedung hills. The origin of the inhabitants
is unknown. The island was frequently visited by pirates roaming
the seas around the island. They robbed boats with commercial
goods plying from Kedah to Perak and vice versa. The pirates hideouts
are on top of Pulau Gedung hills. This place till this day is
known as Gua Lanun (Pirates' Cave) and Batu Perompak (Pirates'
Rock).
The Dutch were invited to the tin rich state of Perak as a deterrent
to the ambitious Ayudha ruler and Thai invasion. They remained
in Pangkor Island until the threat from the Thais diminished whereupon
Perak once more asserted its independence. The Dutch monopolised
the tin industry until the arrival of the British. During their
tenure on this island and due to the opposition by the locals,
a fort was built by the Dutch 1670, at the entrance of Tiger Rock.
With the arrival of the British in 1800 the island was renamed
to Pulau Kera (Monkey Island) . This was due to the abundance
of monkeys on the island. The islanders opposed this name. The
British were pressured by the village Headman Penghulu Mohd. Noordin
b. Mastan to rename it Pulau Aman (Peaceful Island). It was named
Pangkor soon after. One famous treaty signed on Pangkor Island,
known as The Pangkor Treaty was signed in 1874 between Sir Andrew
Clark, principle Perak chiefts & Chinese headmen agreed on
the acceptance of the 1st British Resident.
PLACES OF INTEREST ON PANGKOR ISLAND
Sungai Pinang Kecil
On the east coast of the island, facing the mainland, there's
a contionous village strip comprising Sungai Pinang Kecil, Sungai
Pinang Besar, and Pangkor Town. The ferry from Lumut stops at
Sungai Pinang Kecil before Pangkor Town.
Sungai Pinang Besar
In Sungai Pinang Besar the Foo Lin Kong Temple is worth a quick
look. Located on the side of the hill, the main attraction is
a mini Great Wall of China.
Kota Belanda (Dutch Fort)
At Teluk Gedung lies the 300-year-old stone foundations of a Dutch
Fort Built in 1670, it was one of the Dutch strongholds against
pirates and local Malays. The fort was abandoned after it was
attacked by a local warrior, Panglima Kulub, and his followers.
Muzium Negara undertook its reconstruction in 1973.
|
|
BEACHES
Pasir Bogak
Pasir Bogak is the largest and most popular beach on the island.
The beach is crescent shaped and numerous shady trees provide
idyllic picnic spots under the canopy of their lush foliage.
The water is shallow and crystal clear, offering endless hours
of fun and frolic in the sunlit sea. There are some facilities
for boating, fishing and snorkelling.
Teluk Nipah
Teluk Nipah further north is a wider better beach. The best
beach on this side at Coral Bay, about 20 min. bicycle ride
from Pasik Bogak. The water is a clear emerald-green due to
presence of limestone, and usually the beach is quite clean
and pretty.
Teluk Belanga
Teluk Belanga(Golden Sands Beach) at the northen end of the
island is pleasent. Access is restricted to Pan Pacific Pangkor
Resort guests, though day-trippers can visit.
Emeraid Bay
Emeraid Bay on nearby Pulau Pangkor Laut is a beatiful little
horseshoe-shaped bay with clear water, fine coral and gently
sloping beach. The entire island of Pangkor Laut has been taken
over by a hotel conglomerate, but some of the boat tours stop
at the beach.
Pulau Pangkor Laut
Pulau Pangkor Laut is a smaller island off Pulau Pangkor. It
is privately-owned, but accessible to those who like to experience
the ultimate in luxury and tropical splendour.
Pantai Puteri Dewi (Golden Sands)
This beautiful beach paradise was named Pantai Puteri Dewi (literally,
Beach of the Lovely Princess).
The Painted Fishing Boats
Pangkor is defined by all the painted fishing boats. Trips onto
the ikan bilis boats can be arranged. They are a big adventure.
Boat Building
Pangkors boat building yards are great. The boats are wonderful
huge pieces of sculpture & the carpenters, skilled artists.
Pangkor Fishing Village
Pangkor' s fishing villages & jetties hug the coastline,
standing over the water on stilts.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodation facilities available on Pangkor Island, Malaysia
includes Teluk Dalam Beach Resort Pangkor Island, Tiger Rock
Pangkor Island and DCH Holiday Home on Pangkor Island.
GETTING TO PANGKOR ISLAND
By
Air: Pelangi Air offers direct flights from Kuala Lumpur
to Pangkor.
By Road: The road journey from Kuala Lumpur
to Lumut takes approximately 3 hours. At Lumut, take a ferry
to Pulau Pangkor, a half hour iourney.
By Rail: KTM Bhd (Malayan Railways) operates
daily services from Kuala Lumpur to the north with a stopover
at Ipoh. From Ipoh, taxis are available to Lumut. Then take
a ferry to Pangkor. It takes 40 minutes by ferry from Lumut
to Pangkor Island: the fare is RM 4.00 returned.
Malaysia Hotels Dot CC, brings you some of the best hotels on
Pangkor Island, Malaysia. We bring to you Teluk Dalam Beach
Resort Pangkor Island, Tiger Rock Pangkor Island and DCH Holiday
Home on Pangkor Island. We present them here comprehensively
with factual information on all our participating hotels and
resorts in the state of Perak, Malaysia.
Welcome Malaysia Hotels Dot CC |
|
