Jungle adventure in the penang national park


Jungle adventure in Penang National Park

In the northeast of Penang Island is one of the smallest national parks in the world. At 25 km 2, Taman Negara Pulau Pinang is the smallest in Malaysia and was declared a national park in 2003. There are over 1,000 plant species and 271 species of animals to discover. Come with us and explore the jungle with us.

Our alarm rang very early that morning. Our goal was to be at the National Park at 8 o’clock. After having a good breakfast and packed our daypacks, we took bus number 101 to the National Park. After almost an hour we finally reached the main entrance. By now it was already shortly after 9 o’clock.

There are two entrances to the national park. The main entrance is Teluk Bahang and another in the south: Kuala Sungai Pinang. Of the free entry, however, you have to enter your name and passport number register at the entrance (open from 8 am to 5 pm).

Before you start, you should look at the map and decide what you want to discover. We definitely wanted to Monkey Beach, possibly to the lighthouse, the Meromiktischen lake and finally to Turtle Beach.

After the card details you need for the route to:

  • Monkey Beach (Teluk Duyung): 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Lighthouse: 1 hour 45 minutes (ie ½ hour from Monkey Beach)
  • Meromictic Lake: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Turtle Beach (Pantai Kerachut): 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Teluk Kamoi: 2 hours
  • Bukit Batu Itam: 6 hours

To see the monkey beach, lighthouse, lake and turtle beach, we had to plan at least five hours of running. In the heat probably more.
From the entrance of the National Park, you can take a boat directly to Monkey Beach, but we preferred to take the route through the jungle.

After just a few minutes, we saw monkeys in the trees above us, looking down curiously. A lizard crossed our path.
After we crossed a bridge we had to decide: Turtle Beach or Monkey Beach? Without hesitation, we ran right towards Monkey Beach.

The well-developed path became a beaten track and led us along the water. Long ants roads crossed our way. They were rather multi-lane ant-highways!

Suddenly we heard it rustling on the shore. We spotted a powerful monitor who was hunting in the water. Only a few meters further we saw a small monitor, which was sunning itself on a stone.

Happy, how many animals we had discovered in the first few meters, we ran on. In the trees above us the birds sang their morning song, flowers bloomed and colorful butterflies fluttered about.

After less time we reached a beach. Since we did not have the map with us, we did not know where we landed. The beach would be pretty if it had not been for this long, unsightly jetty and the big building behind the beach. Standing on a big sign Monkey Beach. “Huh? But that can not be Monkey Beach, is it? “I asked Francis. Somewhat insecure, we ran along the beach and discovered another sign Monkey Beach 2 km. Ha, from Monkey Beach!

We kept going. Once again we discovered a large monitor between the leaves and branches on the beach. We followed the signs and landed again in the jungle. The sun was getting stronger and it was getting warmer.

Totally sweaty, we finally reached the Monkey Beach. We immediately took off our shoes and ran across the fine white sand to the sea. At a tree we discovered the monkeys. One was taking a garbage bin apart.

Totally surprised we realized that we were not the first. So far we had not met anyone except one or two park rangers, but here the tourists cavorted. Several boats anchored on the shore, children played on the beach, jet skis rode around and two horses had to serve for riding laps.

There were many run-down, half-ruined huts on the beach – most of them closed. They will probably only open on weekends when there are more tourists. When we saw that, we were glad to be here on a Wednesday. We had already heard that the beach on the weekend should be totally crowded.

At a hut we ordered fried rice or noodles. Since the lighthouse had not convinced us so far in photos and it was getting very warm, we decided back again and then to walk to Turtle Beach.

On the way back, monkeys jumped down from the trees. We were scared that they were after our water bottles and went on as fast as possible. We got on well.

Back at the crossroads, we were undecided if we could take the path to Turtle Beach or return to the first intersection. After the card should here Canopy Walkway start. This is a 250 meter long path through the tree tops of the National Park. At a height of 15 meters, you can walk over suspension bridges and watch birds. However, this was closed. The park workers at the entrance pushed it for current maintenance and could not give us a date when it will be open again – probably not in the next few years. A pity!

Other visitors came to us and said we could take the road to get to Turtle Beach. We tried.
We ran along a river and soon discovered the deserted Canopy Walkway. Long suspension bridges stretched over us. Of maintenance no trace, only old prohibition signs were to be seen.

We ran deeper and deeper into the jungle. The heat bothered us and the air became ever wetter. Not many seem to take this path. Again and again I got stuck in cobweb threads, we climbed over fallen trees, up hill and down again.

Suddenly it got louder. The birds above us began to get restless. Amazed, I looked up and discovered a black giant squirrel, which probably just wanted to sneak up on the nests.

After a long hike across the jungle, we finally reached the Meromictic lake. This exceptional body of water consists of a salt and a fresh water layer. Hot salt water is washed in through the sea and collects on the ground. The upper layer, on the other hand, consists of cold, fresh fresh water from rivers and rain. You can observe this phenomenon between May and September when the wind and tides are strongest.

Now all we had to do was cross the bridge and finally we were on the Turtle Beach. We walked along the beach until we got that Turtle Conservation & Information Center reached. Sea turtles regularly come ashore to lay their eggs in the sand. In order to protect the turtle eggs from crabs, monitors, birds and poachers, the helpers collect the eggs in order to bury them in a protected enclosure. We found newly hatched turtles in the information center in a small basin. Oh, they were cute!!

In a larger, totally dirty pool next door, two large green turtles swam – for study purposes. For me, the two did not look happy and hope that they will soon be left in the sea again.

Opening hours of the Turtle Center: daily from 10am to 1pm & 14.00 – 16.30

Except for 2-3 people who were waiting on the boat dock, we were alone on the beach. Slowly it was getting late and we had to hurry to be back in time. At the campsite next door, Francis asked for water, but they could only offer us tap water. As a precaution, we thanked.

The sun was sinking gradually and more and more mosquitoes came out. From now on, it was said, not stop. We fought our way back through the jungle. There were other lizards, a snake, a small rodent (too fast to identify), many colorful butterflies and birds.

Our legs became heavy as we finally reached the suspension bridge and the well-maintained path from the beginning. Hui, it felt weird to walk with wobbly legs over the slightly swinging bridge!

I also discovered a monitor that watched us from a rock. As if he still wants to say goodbye to us.

Totally done and happy to have walked all the way, we reached the exit. One last photo and then the bus back to Georgetown.

If you also want to visit the national park, you will find all the important information here again:

Getting there: Bus 101 from Chulia Street (crossing Love Lane) or Komtar for 4 RM
Opening hours of the park administration: 8.00 – 17.00 clock
Do not forget: at least 2 liters of water, snacks, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, shoes, camera

Have you visited a national park in Malaysia? Which one did you like the most? Tell us about it in the comments!

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Hey! Nice that you pass us by. We are Bina & Francis – globetrotters, adventurers and drone freaks. Since January 2015 we travel with camera drone in the luggage around the world. We love to explore our Earth from a new perspective!

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About the author

Hey, I’m a Bina world traveler, media designer and blogger. Since January 2015, I travel with Francis around the world. Always in the luggage is a camera drone, with which we capture the most beautiful places from the air. On our blog we share with you the best tips for your next trip. Do you still have questions about this article? Then write us in the comments!

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