PERAK
Pangkor Island
The beautiful island
The name of the island comes from the Thai 'Pang Ko', which means Beautiful Island. It actually concerns a group of islands with Pangkor as its main island, and next to that a trio of smaller islands: Pangkor Laut, Pulau Mentagor en Pulau Giam. Pangkor Laut is the best known of these, because of the idyllic resort you can find on this small island.
KEY FACTS
CURRENCY : MYR
LOCAL CUISINE : CHINESE, MALAY, INDIAN
SPECIALITIES : SEASIDE
PEAK HOURS : 10a.m.
COMMUNICATION MEDIUM : ENGLISH
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Features
Pangkor is a mountainous island; the highest point is at 1216 meters (Pangkor Hill). Since the main island consists of just mountains, the roads are lying in a circle around the island. The island has a number of international hotels/resorts; it can get quite busy during school and public holidays. There is no real best time to visit Pangkor; as the island is pretty much shielded by Sumatra, weather is pretty much the same throughout the year (though it still is a tropical island).
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Together with Langkawi and Penang this is the best choice if you want to visit a wonderful island on the western side of the peninsula. Approximately 30,000 people live on the island, most of them in Pangkor Town and the villages surrounding it. Fishery is (next to tourism) an important source of income for most of the islands' inhabitants. Pangkor Island lies within the state of Perak, about 85 kilometers from Ipoh (the 2nd biggest city of Malaysia), and about a 3-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.
Snorkeling
Due to its geography location, the waves of Pangkor Island are surprising gentle on the shore while the immediate waters are shallow at most parts, allowing children to snorkeling in relatively safety.
Colourful marine fish, large and small, sometimes in shoals, flit about the reefs and jetty pillars, impatiently waiting for food tossed into the water by visitors, churning the surface into a frenzy when they do so.
Leisure Time
There are several ways to explore the island, including walking or taking a taxi, but one unique way to explore Pulau Pangkor is by taking a boat trip around the bays. Not only will you get to see some of the gorgeous beaches and landscape of Pulau Pangkor, you’ll also be able to spot some of the local wildlife. Look for crabs, monkeys, and fish.
Fu Lin Kong Temple
This Taoist temple, built at the foot of Pangkor Hill in the village of Sungai Pinang Besar, a Chinese settlement (Kampung Cina), doesn’t just attract tourists of the same faith but is a good stop for those who are looking for a scenic Pangkor backdrop. Besides the magnificent arch to welcome visitors and a majestic temple façade, there is a mini Great Wall of China at the back of the main temple hall.
Dutch Fort
The fort was built by the Dutch in 1670 for storage and protection of tin supplies from the sultanate of Perak. The fort was destroyed in 1690 by the Malays who were discontent with the methods used by the Dutch in obtaining minerals. It was rebuilt by the Dutch in 1743 and a force of 60 soldiers was placed to guard the fort until 1748, when the force was disbanded and the fort abandoned.
Pangkor Gallery
This single-hall gallery, 500m north of Pangkor Town's jetty, is an agreeable break from the sun. There's a small collection of handicrafts and furnishings, including elaborately woven baskets and traditional music instruments, plus some English-language explanations on island history.
Boat Factory
Located at Sungai Pinang Kecil, about 3km from town, in the east coast of Pangkor Island, there is a boat building factory called Hoo Huat Boat Builder. This is a hand-made boat building company, a family business that has existed for more than 50 years already. The owner of this company, Mr. Tan Ho An learned the boat building business from his grandfather. According to Mr. Tan Ho An, it takes about 4-5 months to build one boat. In one year, his 10 workers can builts about 4-5 boats. The boats built in his company ranges from small to big fishing boats. Some big boats can fetch up to RM700,000. Orders for fishing boats comes from local fishermen, even from other states.
