| Fun and Affordable: The Pangkor Islands By David Lavoie |
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Pangkor is the name of a cluster of nine islands in all, but only two of these nine are potential destinations for holiday-makers like you and me; they are Pulau Pangkor and Pangkor Laut. The first is definitely fun and affordable; the second is certainly fun, but, to put it crassly, requires that you have very deep pockets indeed. The other seven islands in the group are visited mostly by local fishermen and occasionally by snorkelers or scuba divers. The islands are in the Straits of Malacca off the coast of Perak, and north of Selangor. Pulau Pangkor, or Pangkor Island, is a small and easily accessible, paradise on earth. The drive from Kuala Lumpur takes about three and a half hours followed by a thirty minute ferry ride; then you can take your shoes off, put on your shorts, apply some sunscreen and settle in to be pampered in Sultanate splendour. The route is simple. Take the highway toward Ipoh, exit at Bidor and head toward Teluk Intan. At Teluk Intan, follow the signs for Lumut where you will find your ferry waiting. The drive from Bidor to Teluk Intan down deep green-forested tunnels of jungle is lovely. From there to Lumut, the road widens, but gets busier. One word of caution; if you are leaving on a Friday, be careful to give yourself enough time. The last ferry for Pulau Pangkor leaves at 7:00 pm. The ferry costs 16 RM round-trip per person. Once on Pulau Pangkor, your choices of lodging are many. In Teluk Nipah, for instance, you will find small places like Pangkor Bayview Beach Resort, the Nipah Bay Villa and the Ombak Inn. Each of these is only a couple of minutes walk from the sea, so if you wish to economise on your stay that is very possible. Nipah Bay offers a number of other smaller hotels and plentiful restaurants for inexpensive, delicious meals. The hotels tend to run in the range of RM50 for a single room to RM200 for a large family room. The village also has an excellent beach used by locals as well as visitors. Another option is somewhat pricier, but still reasonable - the Pangkor Island Beach Resort. Here, the rooms are spacious, modern and comfortable, and many overlook a fabulous wide beach of pure white sand. Buffet-style meals are served outside near the pool and have a different theme each night. Expect offerings from Malay dishes to Linguini with Creamy Seafood sauce, to Roast Beef and Rosemary Potatoes. But the resort offers much more than good food. There is an 18-hole putting green, a beautyparlour, an archery range and even a children’s play centre for harried parents. The Pandy Panda Children’s Club opens from 10:00am to 6:00 pm and offers children a variety of activities including painting and games. Another part of the hotel complex, the Aryani Spa, deserves special mention. The spa offers a full range of massages such as Thai and Balinese, facials, manicures, waxing and other beauty treatments. I opted for foot reflexology and was attended by the one smallest and prettiest little ladies I have ever seen. Unfortunately, this tiny monster with the face of an angel had hands like King Kong and very quickly had me begging for mercy. The resort is located on the northern end of island and is surrounded by a forest which is a nature preserve and home to many animals and birds, most notably Long Tailed Macaque Monkeys and Hornbills. You can arrange a number of activities through the resort including island tours and fishing trips to nearby Pulau Sembilan which is about thirty minutes by speedboat. There is also snorkelling, kayaking, nature walks, tennis and archery. Rooms with twin beds at the Pangkor Island Beach Resort range between RM350 to RM 400a night. This includes breakfast and dinner. While on the island, there is a great deal to see and do. High on your list should be Kota Belanda, a 330 year-old Dutch fort. In the old days, this was one of the Dutch strongholds against sea pirates and the no less-feared local Malays who first destroyed the fort in 1690, and again in 1743. Another attraction is the Fu Lin Kong Chinese temple. The temple is popular with Chinese visitors and foreign tourists equally because of its many alcoves, ponds and serene statues of the Buddha. Inside the temple is even a miniature Great Wall of China! The Indian Temple, Datu Hij, caters to approximately ten percent of the population of the island and is well worth a visit. Pinang Besar is a village famed for boat building and repairs. It’s easy and interesting to see these traditional occupations first-hand. Pangkor Laut is in another class altogether. It is alleged that Pavarotti, the world-famous tenor who is a frequent visitor to Pangkor Laut, was overwhelmed on first seeing the island, and said, “This place is enchanting. It is a paradise. This morning when I woke up, I went outside and I was moved, almost crying, to see what beautiful things God has done.” I’d guess your chances of actually running into Pavarotti on Pangkor Laut are slim, but the island will have you singing your own songs very soon. Pangkor Laut is a privately-owned island and home to two related resorts, The Pangkor Laut Resort and the Tanjong Jang Resort. Together these two have garnered their fair share of prestigious awards. Pangkor Laut has not only won the coveted Five Star Diamond Award, but been named the second best island destination in the world by Conde Nast Traveller, one of the world’s most famous travel magazines. Only a fraction of the island, 120 hectares, has been developed for the two resorts; the rest is covered with a two million year old rainforest. The 148 Malaysian-style villas have been designed to blend in with and complement the natural environment. Royal Bay , one of the three bays on the island, offers a choice of four differently-styled beach and hill villas. There are a total of six bars and restaurants, a fully-equipped gym, a massage centre and squash courts. Dining opportunities are world-class. The only challenge is to your pocketbook. A night’s stay at a garden or hill villa, is RM920. The Pavarotti Suite is RM2,415. A peak season surcharge of RM200per night applies from Dec 15 to January 10. But wait! That’s quite cheap when you consider that a three-day stay at one of the nine estates on the island costs between US$8,000 to $14,000. The good news is that if you keep your eye on their website, some quite reasonable package deals are occasionally available. But let’s face it. Pangkor Laut is a once-in-a-life time experience for some of us. As soon as I win a lottery, I intend to have it! Hey, can’t you just picture it? Pav and me…singing a few ditties… Contact Information for Stays on Pulau Pangkor and Pangkor Laut Pangkor Bayview Beach Resort: Nipah Bay Villa: Lot 4442, Teluk Nipah Ombak Inn: Lot 4440, Nipah Bay (Teluk Nipah) Pangkor Island Beach Resort: Teluk Belanga Pangkor Laut Resort:
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