Beaches

Penang is famed for its beautiful beaches that attract visitors and tourists from all over the world, especially cold ones, to enjoy the tropical warmth and calm seas of Malaysia. The most popular beaches in Penang are Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah, both in the northern section of the island. While these are tourist beaches with many facilities available, the National Park (Taman Negara) in Teluk Bahang offer pristine beaches hidden from the public by lush rainforests and hills, accessible only by hikes from the jungle. Finally, the southern tip of Penang hides another beautiful beach called Pasir Panjang.

Batu Ferringhi, also known as Foreigner's Rock, is the most popular beach in Penang. This long stretch of white sand occurs in the north of the island and can be reached in as little as 20 minutes from Georgetown City. Most of Penang's hotels and resorts are located along the coast of Batu Ferringhi, offering an enjoyable holiday under the tropical sun with warm seas. A night market takes place daily further down the beach area.

Historically, Batu Ferringhi was a simple port for Portuguese traders coming from India since the 14th Century. Today, it has grown into the most happening tourist spot of Penang, attracting countless international visitors and tourists. Coconut trees and casuarina trees line the beach along with stalls, bars, restaurants and hotels. Water sports and other recreational activities by the beach are abundant, including wind surfing, para sailing, skim boarding, jet skiing, speedboat and banana boat rides. Because of the high number of these water sport activities, buoys and floats have been placed along some sections of the sea facing the beach to protect swimmers from accidents involving jet skiers and speed boats. The latest trend are riding ATVs, which are small buggies with 4WD, across the beach and leaving tyre tracks across the sand.

On weekends, the beach can get really packed but surprisingly, remains clean. The waters are clean and warm, but not as great as those found on off shore tropical islands. Sometimes, you get jellyfish popping around the waters, so do exercise caution when swimming in the sea. However, the various facilities, entertainment outlets, recreational activities, shopping opportunities, restaurants and accommodation places make Batu Ferringhi a convenient place to spend your holiday in Penang. At night, the excitement carries on, as the beach bars, cafes and restaurants light up the night with live music, colouful bulbs and disco dancing. The gentle sea breeze and sound of ocean waves crashing on the beach provide an even more romantic atmosphere to spend evenings in Batu Ferringhi with loved ones or families.

Tanjung Bungah is the next most popular beach for tourists and visitors to Penang. This picturesque beach is located just before Batu Ferringhi and about 15 minutes away from Georgetown. While offering a similar range of activities and facilities like Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah is described as a more relaxed alternative, with a quieter environment and more natural surroundings.

Like Batu Ferringhi, there are restaurants, bars, hotels and resorts along the beach, but not as many in number. Much of the original vegetation and landscape still covers the beach, including some rugged cliffs and rocky outcrops. The seas here are warm and some visitors say the best scenery in Penang comes from standing on the beach of Tanjung Bungah. Historically, this beach was a traditional fishing village but today, it is prime beachfront property with various international hotels and luxury condominiums sprouting up. On Tuesday nights, a Pasar Malam, or open-air bazaar, takes place here. The toy museum and floating mosque, both prominent tourist attractions, are located in this area.

The most popular beach in Teluk Bahang is probably Monkey Beach, also called Muka Head or Teluk Duyung. Teluk Ketapang lies on the opposite of the beach. The trail winds for 2.5 km and takes about 45 minutes to traverse from the park entrance. This long stretch of white beach is perfect for picnics, swimming and private strolls. The Muka Head Lighthouse, built in 1883 by the British, sits on top of a hill nearby at 227 meters, which you can climb to get a panoramic view of the sea. The next popular trail is about 3 km long and leads to Pantai Keranchut, a scenic beach that is rich with mangrove vegetation and wildlife. Pantai Keranchut has an interesting natural phenomenon, that of a meromictic lake on the beach which resembles a lagoon with two different layers of water; the upper layer is made of fresh water while the bottom layer is salt water from the sea, which is denser and warmer.

This lake only occurs for six months in a year split into two intervals, and is considered one of only 20 such lakes in the world. When it is filled, the water can be as deep as 3 meters but during the dry periods, the entire lake is a mud plain. Pantai Keranchut is also a nesting site for Green and Olive Ridley turtles; eggs are collected and placed in a research station here where they are released to the sea upon hatching. Teluk Kampi is the longest beach in Teluk Bahang, and takes about 7 km or an hour worth of hiking to reach. Its seclusion makes it ideal for private family outings or romantic getaways, if you can take the hike. Nature activities such as bird watching is great here as the wildlife sightings are abundant. Tekuk Kampi also attract turtles nesting on the beach during the early period of the year. Finally, Pantai Mas is the most remote beach of Teluk Bahang, due to its inaccessibility. A long trail leads from Pantai Acheh Village if you wish to visit the beach, which is slowly being covered with mangrove and nipah palms.