Pangkor Island

A small fishing island off Perak, with sunsets at Teluk Nipah, island-hopping and snorkelling, a Dutch fort, Fu Lin Kong Temple and hornbill feeding at dusk, plus distinctive dried fish and Chinese home cooking.

Pangkor Island lies off Manjung District in Perak, Malaysia. Covering about 18 square kilometres and just a few kilometres from Lumut on the mainland, it is one of the most popular islands among locals on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Most residents are Hokkien Chinese fishermen and Malays, and fishing villages, dried-fish shops and Chinese temples give island life a unique feel. The east coast is home to Pangkor Town, where the ferry jetty is, and the fishing village of Sungai Pinang, where you can buy dried seafood and visit Fu Lin Kong Temple; the southeast has the Dutch Fort and Tiger Rock. The west coast is the beach side, with Teluk Nipah, Coral Bay, Pasir Bogak and Turtle Bay lined up one after another for snorkelling, island-hopping and sunsets; in the evening you can also see flocks of wild hornbills flying in. The round-island road is about 20 km long, and most visitors get around by rented motorbike or the island's pink taxis. From Kuala Lumpur, take a bus about 4 hours to Lumut, then a ferry about 40 minutes to the island (or about 10 minutes via Marina Island). The island has a tropical rainforest climate and is hot year-round; November to April is relatively dry, and during the monsoon rough seas can disrupt island-hopping. Plan on 2–3 days, and book accommodation ahead for weekends and public holidays, when it gets crowded. Dress modestly away from the beach, and watch out for jellyfish when swimming.

Top sights

• Teluk Nipah – Pangkor's liveliest beach, lined with guesthouses and restaurants, directly facing Giam Island and Mentagor Island, with spectacular sunsets
• Coral Bay – A small bay just north of Teluk Nipah, with emerald-green water and fine, soft sand. It is quieter than the main beach and good for swimming
• Giam & Mentagor Islands – Two small islands off Nipah Bay. Kayak across or hop between them by small boat for snorkelling among tropical fish and pristine little bea…
• Pasir Bogak Beach – The west-coast beach closest to the jetty. Lined with resorts, with a long stretch of sand, it's good for swimming and water sports.
• Teluk Ketapang (Turtle Bay) – A long beach between Nipah Bay and Pasir Bogak. Turtles once came ashore here to lay eggs, which gave it the name Turtle Bay. It's quiet, w…
• Hornbill Feeding – Every evening, guesthouses around Nipah Bay feed wild oriental pied hornbills. Flocks of these big birds come in close enough to see clearl…
• Dutch Fort – Ruins of a brick-and-stone fort built in 1670 by the Dutch East India Company to monopolise Perak's tin trade. Admission is free.
• Tiger Rock (Batu Bersurat) – A giant boulder beside the Dutch fort, carved with a tiger and Dutch inscriptions, linked to a legend about a Dutch boy.
• Fu Lin Kong Temple – A Chinese temple built into the hillside, with a miniature Great Wall, pagodas and koi ponds. It's a landmark of the island.
• Pangkor Town & Jetty – The fishing town on the east coast where ferries arrive, lined with shops selling dried fish and prawn crackers. It's the best place to buy…
• Sungai Pinang Kecil Fishing Village – A Chinese stilt-house fishing village on the east coast, lined with boats and dried-fish workshops. Visitors can watch fish being dried and…
• Pangkor Laut Island – A private island southwest of Pangkor, run entirely as a luxury resort. Emerald Bay is counted among the world's most beautiful bays.
• Teluk Batik Beach – A mainland beach near Lumut with fine white sand and full facilities. It's a popular family spot for locals at weekends.
• Marina Island Pangkor – A reclaimed resort island with a ferry terminal, about a 10-minute crossing. It's one of the fastest routes to Pangkor Island.
• Lumut Waterfront – The main ferry town for Pangkor Island, with a seaside promenade, a naval museum and seafood restaurants all in one place.

Where to eat

• Daddy's Beach Restaurant – A popular restaurant on Coral Bay beach at Teluk Nipah, Pangkor Island, with tables set on the sand for watching the su…
• Nipah Deli Steamboat & Noodle House – A highly rated hot pot shop at a seaside hawker centre in Teluk Nipah, run by a former executive chef of a Pangkor beac…
• Gao Lao Seafood (Pasir Bogak Seafood Restaurant) – An affordable Chinese seafood restaurant near Pasir Bogak beach, popular with both tourists and locals. Its salted egg…