Natural Trails

Penang National Park

One of the few natural forests on the island, the Penang National Park (Taman Negara Pulau Pinang) is located at the North-Western side of the island, in Muka Head. Covering 1181 hectares of dipterocarp forest and 1381 hectares of wetlands, the park is an abundance of lush, natural beauty with a diverse ecosystem. The first protected area legally gazetted under the National Park Act of 1980, the park has over 500 flora and fauna species, as well as a meromictic lake (a lake with layers of water that do not inter-mix) at Pantai Keracut, mangrove swamps, mudflat areas, coral reefs and nesting areas for some endangered turtle species such as the Leatherback and the Hawksbill turtles. If you’re lucky, you can spot rare mammals such as slow loris, flying lemur, civet cats, leopard cats, sea otters and pangolins, especially around Pantai Keracut, as well as soaring exotic birds such as Crested Serpent eaglesRead and Brahminy Kites.

CONTENTS

-Penang National Park

-Trail to Monkey Beach

-Trail to Turtle beach

-Boat Service

-Having barbecue on the beach

TELL YOUR STORY

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. Let your users get to know you.

Head for Penang National Park for a change if you have not been here before. Although Penang is considered one of the most developed state in Malaysia, there are still places with natural attractions that you can go while you are here. If you have the time and energy, try going to this smallest national park of Malaysia which is located at the North-East of Penang Island. It is about 30 km away from the historical city of Georgetown.

This park covers an area of 1,213 hectares and consists of pristine coastal-forested area with a diverse flora and fauna for you to explore. It has wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, coral reefs, turtle nesting beaches and the only meromictic lake in Peninsular Malaysia.

Historically, this virgin jungle reserve was gazetted as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve in 1928 and managed by Penang Forestry Department. Since 10th April 2003, it has been re-gazetted as the National Park under the purview of Department of Wildlife and National Parks.

Trail to turtle beach

If you feel that your walk to the beach was a bit too easy, you could always challenge yourself with a trek up the steep path to the Muka Head lighthouse on the hill above the beach, a three kilometre round trip from Monkey Beach.

The trail to Turtle Beach is about the same length as the trail to Monkey Beach, but more demanding so allow one-and-a-half hours each way at an average pace. Almost from the very start there are steep climbs which cut over the hills to the beach on the far side. The path gets very muddy after rain and the jungle is steamy, so expect a sweaty slog and make sure you bring plenty of drinking water. As you near the end of the trail, you will hear the waves lapping on the beach below and to your left you will see a rare meromictic lake, which contains separate layers of saltwater and freshwater. It is one of only a small handful in Asia and another one to add to Penang’s proud list of claims although to be honest, most of the year round it looks a little underwhelming unless your visit happens to coincide with the monsoon.

The beach however, is attractive, accessed via a short wooden suspension bridge, its golden sands are set against a backdrop of boulders and green jungle, and it is much less crowded than Monkey Beach. There is nowhere to buy food or drink here, so bring some snacks or a picnic with you, find yourself a secluded spot, and relax. Signs along the beach warn that swimming is prohibited due to high waves, a steep sloping seabed and jellyfish (and you may disturb the turtles anyway). Wander to the far end of the beach where you’ll find a turtle conservation project with a small and slightly dreary educational display, but worth checking out just in case there are any recently hatched babies or rescued adults in the tanks (no touching the turtles!), open daily 10:00—16:30 and entry is free.

Trail to monkey beach

After leaving the park headquarters, a well-maintained concrete path takes you a few hundred metres to a short wooden suspension bridge, after which the route splits and the terrain becomes a lot more rugged and natural. Note the quality of the trails can be variable in places—a Travelfish regular was very badly injured and hospitalised after a fall here—watch your step!

To the right is the trail to Monkey Beach (Teluk Duyung), the more popular route where there are... monkeys (although the local name translates to Mermaid Bay, so you never know what you may find), and to the left a somewhat more arduous trail to Turtle Beach (Pantai Kerachut) where there are... turtles.

If you’re feeling the effects of too much Penang food and want to take it easy, Monkey Beach is a good option. The 3.4 kilometre trail follows the coast with a few short climbs and offers glimpses of the sea through the dense jungle before emerging about one hour later (less if you are a fast walker) onto the shore itself. The relative ease of access (most folk skip the trek and go by boat) means that the beach can be quite busy, especially at weekends.

As the name suggests, the crowds are often augmented by troupes of mean and aggressive macaques who won’t think twice about swiping food, so be alert. Scores of makeshift stalls along the beach sell overpriced snacks, water, banana boat rides, “camping sites” (a tent on the beach among the crowds), ATV “experiences” and boat trips. The water here is a little cloudy but relatively clean and often jellyfish-free—unlike other beaches in Penang—and makes a great place to cool off in the sea after your trek. Do check the water, however, because the jellyfish stings can be very painful (pop a small bottle of vinegar in your bag just in case, or don’t swim).

Boat service

The cost of hiring a whole boat back from Monkey Beach is 50 ringgit one way, and from Turtle Beach you should expect to pay 100 ringgit. If business is slow you can often bargain, however, and you can bring your own costs down by sharing with other people, as passenger capacity is up to ten people. There are many operators waiting for your business on Monkey Beach, but if you plan on visiting Turtle Beach it’s best to prearrange a pickup. You can book boats from the friendly operators just outside the gates to the park, but remember to take their names and phone numbers, as well as a description of the boat, so that you can make contact when you are ready to come back from the beach.

Entrance to the national park is entirely free and the only requirement is that you register your names and passport numbers at the park headquarters before you enter. If you’d prefer to walk with a guide, they can also be hired at the same area as the boats. Expect to pay around 250 ringgit for four hours. Camping is possible at designated campsites, but you must be preregister with the park and be accompanied by a registered park guide (one guide per ten campers).

You can also have a BBQ on the beach.

The BBQ temptation is attractive!

Find Out More

Trail to turtle beach

Taxi boat from turtle beach to monkey beach

Trail from monkey beach

Anchor 1

Penang National Park

Admission is free, but visitors are required to sign a register at the park entrance counter. Buy a ticket for the Canopy Walkway, RM5, here if you plan to visit it. You can fill a day with activities as diverse as jungle walks, fishing and sunbathing on quiet, golden-sand beaches. Other activities that you can do include swimming, wildlife observation, boating and camping.

Getting there

There are two ways you can enter the park. The first entrance which is also the main entrance is located at Teluk Bahang. If you are coming from the city, drive towards Batu Ferringhi and along the direction of Teluk Bahang. You will see signage leading you to this park.

The second entrance is from Balik Pulau using the Kuala Sungai Pinang estuary. You can board tourist boats berthed here. This estuary is also an ideal place for bird watching as it consists of mangrove forest.

If you are taking public transport, the Rapid Penang buses you can take are U101 and U501.

At the park

Counters at the entrance of the park provide boat services to take visitors from the Teluk Bahang jetty to Monkey Beach. Prices are approximately RM40–RM80 for a one-way trip, and between RM80–RM100 for a return trip. Private tours can also be arranged.

If you plan to hike in the park, bring plenty of water (at least one litre for every two hours), as there are no refreshment facilities anywhere in the park except at Monkey Beach. Sunblock, insect repellent and comfortable sneakers or hiking boots are recommended.

Please reload