PANGKOR 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 and Pulau Giam. 

Pangkor Laut is the best known of these, because of the idyllic resort you can find on this small island (with similar name; Pangkor Laut Resorts). 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).

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.

HISTORY

Historically, Pangkor was a refuge for local fishermen, merchants and pirates. In the 17th century, the Dutch built a fort in an effort to control the Perak tin trade known as the Dutch Fort In 1874, it was the location of a historical treaty between the 

British government and a contender for the Perak throne (the Pangkor Treaty), which began the British colonial domination of the Malay Peninsula. The old British name for the Pangkor Island group was the Dindings.

In 2003, Marina Island (a man-made island) was developed by the Marina Island Group of companies and began operation in 2010, with private investment of RM250 million by 2013. The integrated mixed development resort island consists of waterfront residential properties, a new jetty called Marina Island Jetty, a private commercial marina called Pangkor Marina Malaysia, service apartments, hotels and shop offices.

HOW TO GET TO PANGKOR ISLAND

ROAD

Pangkor Island is a three-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur and is accessible through the Simpang Pulai–Lumut 4-lane dual carriage highway and the West Coast Expressway. There are car parks block with 24/7 surveillance right in front of the jetty; where you can park your car for RM10 per day.

Buses (express and local from other cities) arrive frequently at the main jetties in Lumut (Cost around RM25 from Kuala Lumpur to Lumut Town). Online bus ticket is available at : www.busonlineticket.com or www.easybook.com.

There’s a transfers (Suntransfers or Kiwi taxi) or e-hailing service ride from KLIA, LCCT or Kuala Lumpur City Center to Lumut, but might be quite an expensive taxi ride (Expect prices RM400 above for a one-way trip).

There are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland because there exists a policy to control the number of vehicles on the island to prevent road congestion. Only bicycles and motorbikes are allowed to enter the island thru ferry services.

RAIL
There is no railway station on Pangkor Island, and not even in Manjung or Lumut town. The closest railway station is in Batu Gajah. The KTMB ETS train service will take about 2 hours from Kuala Lumpur to reach this station. After that, you will need to avail a taxi, e-hailing service or bus which will take around 40 to 2-hour to reach Lumut Town for ferry services.

FERRY
Public ferries depart from Lumut to Pangkor Island from the old Lumut jetty, the nearby Lumut waterfront, the Lumut bus terminal, and the multi-storey car park. The ferry services start from 7.00am till 8.30pm, about every 20 minutes, (take 30-45 minutes ferries riding time RM14 return ticket).

There are two stops at the east side of Pangkor Island. The first stop is at Sungai Pinang Kecil, SPK jetty. It’s mainly for local residents, fishing-people, and guests for some guesthouses and homestay tourists. The second stop is at Pangkor Town Jetty, where shops and government buildings exist nearby. Taxi services are available to all other hotels at west side.

Private ferries depart from Marina Island to Pangkor Island. Additional fees as membership is collected to use the ferries. Ferries start from 7.00am until 8.00pm, having every one-hour interval (take 10 minutes ferries riding time, RM14 return ticket). Special Night ferry trips at 9:45pm and 10:45pm from Marina Island to Pangkor Island (RM16 return ticket return) is available only at Marina Island Jetty. 

AIR
Airplanes service the island from Pangkor Airport (ICAO: WMPA, IATA: PKG). Berjaya Air is the only airlines known previously flies from Kuala Lumpur. 

EXPLORE PANGKOR ISLAND
The best way to explore the Island is by motorbike. (rental is only around RM25-40 per day). There are few options to explore the island is by renting a car, bicycle and by taxi (this does limit the possibilities of exploring the island a bit. RM15 from Pangkor Jetty to Nipah Bay).

The best places to rent a scooter is at Pangkor Town Jetty or at Nipah Bay. During weekends (or public holidays) it can be quite crowded on the island, and most of the motorbikes will be rented out. Always wear a helmet. Make sure you bring your (international) driving license with you, otherwise you will not be able to rent the scooter. Never go too fast. Roads on Pangkor can be quite treacherous and sometimes slippery (especially after rain).