Unwinding into 34: The journey
If you have been stalking following my Instagram, you would probably notice what an epic failure I am when it comes to (trying to) be a social media influencer. Sorry but my life is really not that interesting. My face is also not that pretty. Body is hot but that's because of the weather.
Since last year it was an urban getaway, I decided to hit the beach this time around 🌊
Since we already spent a fair bit in the middle of the year on the other side of the globe, we decided to do a cuti-cuti Malaysia 🚗
Of the many islands in Malaysia, Pangkor was our pick. The rest of the islands are either experiencing monsoon ⛈ or just too damn expensive 💸Do you know of any island escapades that's ripe for a mid Nov quick getaway?
From Klang Valley to Pangkor, it's roughly 3hours if you take the PLUS highway but will still need to exit towards the final leg of your journey. There is currently a road closure on the bridge at Teluk Intan which made the journey longer as we had to go all the way to Gopeng before heading to Lumut.We decided to stop by Tapah R&R for brunch/lunch. His rojak was about RM 7.50 while my mutton briyani was RM 14.50.
Expensive but I was happy it didn't make my stomach upset. That would
really upset me.
From Gopeng, you're only 30mins away from Ipoh but still 1.5hours to the ferry terminal. It sucks. The road after the highway are coastal roads (think: traffic light, 2lanes if you're lucky) but thankfully, our drives on both ways were not bad. It was scorching hot on the way there but rained on our way home.
Of course, you can also take the bus there if driving ain't your thang. It ain't mine fo'sho which is why I delegated the driving to someone else 😝
Once you reach Lumut, lookout for the multistorey parking complex that's just few minutes walk away from the jetty. The charge here is 60cent per hour. The town itself is rather dead. We didn't explore it much as we were running late for the 3pm check-in. There are few rows of shops, some of which houses some pretty modern/hipster looking joints. Maybe it comes alive at night? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Each adult return ticket will set you back at RM 14 which is decent for a 30mins plus ferry ride. Before I left, an India Indian colleague (note the emphasis on the country of origin for later) was telling me about his Pangkor trip which included the ferry trip. In his own words, it wasn't enjoyable as it was packed like sardine. I was dreading it slightly because if the Indian guy can't tolerate it, what hope do I have? 😓
As it turned out, the ferry was punctual though old with air conditioner that don't quite cover the entire space. There were people but definitely not cramped. At all. I think it also has to do with the fact that we were there during low season (read: not school/public holiday). I supposed I have my parents to thank for for delivering me at this time of the year. But then again, the islands are mostly closed too at this time of the year. No winning them all.
Apart from Lumut, you can actually go to Marina Island instead to catch a ferry to the island. This trip is much shorter (about 10mins or so I read) since it's nearer. The one from Lumut will stop here before you get off at the island itself. However, the trade off is that it's more expensive and you'll need to pay for an annual membership (RM10 if not mistaken).
To be honest, I was shocked upon reaching Lumut town because the place looked quite dead, almost devoid of people. Maybe the hot weather is making everyone stay put at home. I don't know if I've ever been to Pangkor/Lumut during my childhood but it felt like my first time and it was much better than expected.
For one, the roads are good, you can walk along the shaded walkway from the carpark to the ferry even if you are lugging few big luggage. I was really surprised with how un-kampung the place feels like although most of the shops were closed -_- The only few that were opened were manned by bored looking locals. I don't blame them because they probably see only 5 new faces every hour at best.
After buying the ticket, they hurried us onto the ferry which was scheduled to depart in the next 10minutes. Here's a quick look back at the jetty.
I've always equated any Malaysian transport to be unreliable, tardy. Again, surprise surprise, they left almost on the dot. The ferry wasn't full, mostly families with small children and some foreign tourists based on their bigass backpack. It's been sometime since my last ship ride so this was quite nice.
Are you one of those who get seasick? Fortunately, I don't. Unfortunately, the same rule applies with car rides: no reading while in motion. I learned an expensive lesson on the way back when I attempted to pass time by reading this. Not only did it give me headache and nausea, I forgot the book and left it on the ferry 😭I barely started reading it and actually bought that book at almost full price. FML.
Welcome to Pangkor!
Again, the terminal is relatively small so you won't get lost. However, what you will get is a swarm of people trying to get you to rent car/bike/taxi and I suspect human if you look dodgy enough. While you can't drive your car into the island, the ferry ticket counter does offer you car rental. She gave us a rate of RM 140 for 3days use but we declined since we didn't have much of an itinerary and (I heard) the island was relatively small.
Once on the island, again the same offer came but at RM 70/day. Remember, kids, this is offpeak season rate. Would I suggest to rent a car/bike? Yes if you plan to explore the island and look at the few tourist spots available. No if all you wanna do is just sit and chill by the beach sipping on your pina colada.
Oh, it's recommended to bring along your own snacks and booze because depending on which part of the island you're on, those things can be hard to find. And when you do, their prices can almost rival KL's.
Since last year it was an urban getaway, I decided to hit the beach this time around 🌊
Since we already spent a fair bit in the middle of the year on the other side of the globe, we decided to do a cuti-cuti Malaysia 🚗
Of the many islands in Malaysia, Pangkor was our pick. The rest of the islands are either experiencing monsoon ⛈ or just too damn expensive 💸Do you know of any island escapades that's ripe for a mid Nov quick getaway?
From Gopeng, you're only 30mins away from Ipoh but still 1.5hours to the ferry terminal. It sucks. The road after the highway are coastal roads (think: traffic light, 2lanes if you're lucky) but thankfully, our drives on both ways were not bad. It was scorching hot on the way there but rained on our way home.
Of course, you can also take the bus there if driving ain't your thang. It ain't mine fo'sho which is why I delegated the driving to someone else 😝
Once you reach Lumut, lookout for the multistorey parking complex that's just few minutes walk away from the jetty. The charge here is 60cent per hour. The town itself is rather dead. We didn't explore it much as we were running late for the 3pm check-in. There are few rows of shops, some of which houses some pretty modern/hipster looking joints. Maybe it comes alive at night? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As it turned out, the ferry was punctual though old with air conditioner that don't quite cover the entire space. There were people but definitely not cramped. At all. I think it also has to do with the fact that we were there during low season (read: not school/public holiday). I supposed I have my parents to thank for for delivering me at this time of the year. But then again, the islands are mostly closed too at this time of the year. No winning them all.
Apart from Lumut, you can actually go to Marina Island instead to catch a ferry to the island. This trip is much shorter (about 10mins or so I read) since it's nearer. The one from Lumut will stop here before you get off at the island itself. However, the trade off is that it's more expensive and you'll need to pay for an annual membership (RM10 if not mistaken).
For one, the roads are good, you can walk along the shaded walkway from the carpark to the ferry even if you are lugging few big luggage. I was really surprised with how un-kampung the place feels like although most of the shops were closed -_- The only few that were opened were manned by bored looking locals. I don't blame them because they probably see only 5 new faces every hour at best.
Again, the terminal is relatively small so you won't get lost. However, what you will get is a swarm of people trying to get you to rent car/bike/taxi and I suspect human if you look dodgy enough. While you can't drive your car into the island, the ferry ticket counter does offer you car rental. She gave us a rate of RM 140 for 3days use but we declined since we didn't have much of an itinerary and (I heard) the island was relatively small.
Once on the island, again the same offer came but at RM 70/day. Remember, kids, this is offpeak season rate. Would I suggest to rent a car/bike? Yes if you plan to explore the island and look at the few tourist spots available. No if all you wanna do is just sit and chill by the beach sipping on your pina colada.
Oh, it's recommended to bring along your own snacks and booze because depending on which part of the island you're on, those things can be hard to find. And when you do, their prices can almost rival KL's.
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