Pangkor

Pangkor is a 40 minute ferry ride from Lumut, a coastal town, which is 84km from Ipoh city or a 3 hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. The ferry fare costs a mere few ringgit depending on which part of Pangkor you are going to. There are also scheduled flights via Kuala Lumpur operated by Berjaya Air. This flight is 5 times a week except Tuesday and Thursday. Once there, taxis (Van) are available for most part of the day to take you around. However, please be forewarned that the taxis have no meters, hence you should check the fare before embarking on a ride.

Ferries from Lumut arrive at the Pangkor Village Jetty and from here, if you haven't made prior arrangements with the resort etc, there are taxis ever eager to take passengers across the island to Teluk Nipah or Pasir Bogak costing somewhere between RM15 to RM45. Taxis are not cheap on the island and taxidrivers here are not in the habit of instilling metered rides. It's a bit of a pain as you may have to negotiate with the taxidrivers everytime you hail one. But if you're game for a bit of adventure, hire a motorbike or a bicycle. That'll just about allow you to cover the island in a day. Word of caution though for those not really of 'Tour de Langkawi' material: the island roads are pretty steep in certain areas so make sure you're fit enough to conquer the heat and the slopes. Also, watch out for packs of feral dogs running around on the island - it's a bit of a problem especially around Pangkor Village.

Pangkor Village is a busy little place with lots happening, particularly in the early hours of the morning when fresh produce from fishermen and from mainland are brought in for the local community's daily needs. Toward the end of the village, on the left from the jetty, a few 'kedai kopi' (coffee shops) cater to the local malaysian folk who frequent the place for their breakfast and a little bit of the local gossip. The 'Kuih Badak' is a nice snack to go with a cup of steaming local kopi (coffee).

Kuih Badak is made primarily from sweet potato and flour kneaded,then shaped into a hollow ball and filled with spiced grated coconut fried with a bit of shrimp to give it that special 'zing'

But for most travellers to this coastal state, the ultimate destination is Pulau Pangkor, which has enchanting beaches on its western coastline. Among them are Teluk Belanga, Teluk Nipah and Pasir Bogak. There are also quiet coves and untrodden bays at Tortoise Bay, Teluk Nipah and Teluk Chempedak. The island is famous for fish- based resources and activities related to these can be seen around the island. There is a variety of attractive accommodation

The most beautiful beaches are:

-		Coral Bay
-		Beach of Fairy Princess (owner: Pan Pacific Resort)
-		Teluk Ketapang
-		Pasir Bogak

Fort Dindings (Kota Belanda)

At the end of Pangkor Village, there's a road that leads towards the Dutch Fort - walking distance, some 3kms or so. If you're unsure, just ask the locals for directions. The Dutch Fort was built in 1670 as a strong point and a tin store.

This excerpt is taken from 'Islands of Malaysia' by Mike Gibby and is taken from an account dated 1689, "The fort is built 4-square, ... The walls are of a good height, of about thirty feet, and covered overhead like a dwelling house ... There may be about twelve or fourteen guns in it ... mounted on a strong platform. Here is a Governor and about twenty or thirty soldiers, who all lodge in the fort. About a hundred yards from the Fort on the bay by the sea there is a low timbered house, where the Governor abides all the daytime"

Fort Dindingh'