Pangkor Island, Kuala Lumpur Overview

Pangkor Island is a group of islands situated in Perak off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Pangkor being the main island of the cluster, other small islands include Pangkaur Laut, Mentagor Island and Giam Island. Most of the interior of this mountainous resort island is covered by a lush jungle.

Pangkor Island has everything packed for a refreshing vacation right from a vibrant Chinatown to quiet lovely beaches. Trek lovers will find the uphill trek through the jungle quite overwhelming. Also, Pangkor Island's many beaches including Coral and Nipah are ideal for water sports like snorkelling and parasailing.

While the east coast is where are the local people live, the west coast of Pangkor Island is popular for tourist accommodations. Since fishing is the main occupation here, savoury fish dishes abound at the beach shacks and restaurants. While scooters, jet skis, kayaks and canoes are available for rent, those looking for a divinely relaxing time, can simply grab a coconut drink, sunbathe and enjoy the glorious sunset at Pangkor Island beaches.

Places to Visit on Pangkor Island

Dutch Fort
Dutch Fort is a 17th century fortress initially built to store tin ore, now in a state of complete ruin. It consists of just 3 worn out brick walls with some windows in between. The area around it has a park and some souvenir stores.

Dutch Fort, Pangkor Island — Ruins of the Dutch Fort (Source)

Fu Lin Kong Temple
This is a Taoist temple set against a hill in a stunning landscape. Adorned with large rocks and stones, the temple is more than 100 years old and has some mysteries attached to it. The temple's garden has a mini Great Wall of China. Also, visitors can climb the hill behind the temple for some fascinating views of the scenery around.

Fu Lin Kong Temple, Pangkor Island — Fu Lin Kong Temple facade (Source)

Coral Beach
Located north of Teluk Nipah, Coral Beach is a sight to behold with its shining emerald-green water. The beach is ideal for watersports like canoeing and snorkeling. Also, visitors love watching the sun dipping into the sea and dusk.

Chinatown
Pangkor Island's Chinatown offers a vivid background for snapshots against the colourful traditional Chinese decorations. The restaurants on the red-block pathed streets of Chinatown serve delectable dishes. The place is good to explore and as it exudes an all-together different vibe from the rest of the island.

Pasir Bogak Beach
Located on the southern coast of Pangkor Island, Pasir Bogak Beach is a great place for swimming, parasailing and jet-skiing. There are picnic tables set up along the beach with vendors selling coconuts, rambutan and pineapples.

Pasir Bogak Beach, Pangkor Island — The tranquil Bogak Beach (Source)

Bukit Pangkor
Bukit Pangkor is a forested hill climbing which will leads to Pangkor Island's highest point at around 350 meters. The trek amidst the lush jungle in the company of hornbills, cicadas and macaques, through marked trails will be quite a good jungle adventure with moderate difficulty level.

Best Time to Visit

Pangkor Island witnesses heavy rainfall during November-February. Rest of the months present a dry sunny weather. Thus, avoid planning a vacation during the wet season.

Getting Around the Island

There are pink-coloured taxis that provide service in abundance at Pangkor Islands. Scooters are also available for rent at RM 25 to RM 40 per day.

How to Reach Pangkor Island

Bus: The nearest bus terminal to Pangkor Island is Terminal Lumut. A ride from Kuala Lumpur to Lumut takes around 4.5 hours while from Ipoh it takes around 2 hours. If travelling from Butterworth, Pangkor Island is around 2 hours away.

Train: The nearest train station to Pangkor Island is in Batu Gajah. From the train station, take a taxi to reach Lumut Jetty which takes around 1 hour.

Jetty: From Luput Waterfront, ferries run every 45 minutes to Pangkor Island. The journey will take around 30 minutes and before reaching the island, there's a brief stop at a fishing village - Sungai Pinang Kecil. Ferry services from Lumut to Pangkor operate from 7:00 AM - 8:30 PM. For Pangkor to Lumut, ferries run during 6:30 AM - 2:30 PM. The tickets serve for the round trip, so hold onto the original ticket carefully.