From Penang to Pangkor
through BM, Kulim, Selama and Taiping
There are only a few roads to travel from Penang to Pangkor.
This page is written after I did a specific road by bicycle. However, it is an
excellent alternative to do by motorbike or car too. Traveling this road by
public transport can take a few days.
Just outside Butterworth you will find amazingly beautiful flatlands
The road described on this page goes, roughly from Penang to
Kulim, Selama, Taiping and the to Pulau Pangkor. It's for a large part a very
unknown road, especially for foreigners but even many locals don't know this
road too.
Penang to Kulim
One can argue about the beauty of Penang but everyone sooner or
later has to leave Penang. Even the locals go to the mainland every once in a
while. There are two ways to leave the island to Butterworth: the famous Penang
Bridge, pride and joy of Penang and the ferry. If you travel by bicycle the
bridge is not possible (though I know people who cycled it), forbidden for
bicycles.
The ferry goes regular all through the day. After the ferry
there are two ways to get out of Butterworth. Both ways go right through the
city and both are not pleasant.
You can follow the direction to Kulim and Gerik, which leads you
quickly out of the city. When you follow this way, you will use the motorway
that eventually leads to Baling and Gerik (and Thailand's Betong). You follow
the motorway until Lunas. Here you go off the motorway and follow the direction
to Kulim. But wait, this way you can skip Kulim! After the junction, follow the
direction Kulim but stay on the road to Selama. You will leave Kulim to your
right side.
The other way out leads through the busy Bukit Mertajam.
Although it may seem strange, as a cyclist I prefer the motorway but Bukit
Mertajam has a few good things to visit. Of course there is the historical St.
Anne's Church. The church is worth a visit, not in the last place because of
Cheruk Tokun Relic, the oldest relic in the Penang vicinity.
Mrs. Pearl wrote a full page about this relic. Just follow the direction
through Bukit Mertajam (or BM as the locals call the city) to Kulim and you will
pass the church (P12).
On the road from Kulim to Serdang and Selama
Personally I don't find BM so interesting. For the most it's
just another busy city though there are some nice Chinese temples to visit,
especially on the hill top.
The little road to Selama and Mahang
The road through BM and to Kulim is usually very busy and not
very interesting. Kulim, contrary to Bukit Mertajam is quite pleasant. The city
has more warmth than BM, and the center is pleasant. Plenty of shopping centers
and hotels are available but apart of this there's little to make you feel
excited. It's however a good stop before going south to Taiping (and if you are
cycling, you will want to stay a night here).
The best hotel in Kulim without any doubt is
Seri Malaysia Kulim, part of the Seri Malaysia Group
of Hotels and conveniently located in Kulim's city center.
Kulim to Selama
In Kulim you will have to follow the road to Lunas, Baling,
Gerik and the Kulim Hi-Tech Park. After a few kilometers you will find a
junction. Left goes to Lunas, right to Parit Buntar, Selama and Serdang. Almost
immediately it gets quiet. The road is mostly flat and swindles through jungles
and plantations. Although the busy cities of Kulim, BM, Butterworth and Penang
are in a range of no more then 45 km, it's as local as you can imagine. The only
thing that reminds you of the 21st century are the asphalt road and the
occasional bus, truck or car passing by. It's an oasis of peace.
There are hardly villages (kampongs) on this road. There are
three ways to Selama. The first starts early after the junction. It leads along
the hills to Mah ang through Kilang Baharu. It's very scenic.
From here go to Kampong Selarong Panjiang and visit the Sungai
Sedim, white waters (my photos got lost in a computer crash last year), very
soon I will go again and visit. You should be able to stay in nearby Mahang but
you can also camp out near the white waters. Mahang is nearby'
The second way to reach Selama is a bit further on the K21.
Follow the road to Serdang until you reach a small junction (about 10 km from
Serdang) and go left (the board will direct you to Mahang and Selama). This road
is even more quiet. Passing a few little kampongs and a few little hills, you
may think you are lost in the middle of nowhere. This road is in fact shorter
then when you would follow the main road to Serdang and go left there.
That is the third road. It's a little hilly but very beautiful
too. If I say "hilly" I mean that there are a few short not very steep climbs.
There are not much places to eat or drink around here. In fact, it's best to
bring enough water. The distance from Kulim to Selama is 50km.
Penang to Pangkor: from Selama to Taiping, more wide excellent and empty roads
Selama to Taiping
Selama is a two sided town. One part is Selama Kedah, another
part is Selama Perak. They are separated by a little river. It's a sleepy little
town with little to offer but there are a few nice places to eat and apparently
there's a homestay though last time I was there (June 2008) the place seemed
to be abandoned. On the Kedah site of town there's a few small restaurants and
shops plus the market. Across the river there's a nice Chinese restaurant on the
right (east) side of the road in a newly build shopping area (late lunch and
dinner).
From Selama to Taiping is 47 km and all you have to do is stay
on the A7. The road signs are clear.
All along the road from Kulim to nearby Taiping you will see
lots of monkeys. They are usually not afraid of cars but run for bicycles as
they see these things seldom. There's plenty of birds, don't be surprised you
will see eagles in the air, kingfisher in different colours.
Here you also have a good chance to see monitor lizards of some
serious size. Some parts after Selama cross thick jungle and this is where these
animals live. On the riverbanks you will see sometimes hundreds of mudskippers.
The closer you come to Taiping, the busier it gets. It never
gets really busy but compared to the almost empty roads around Selama any
traffic becomes "busy".
Just before Kamunting there's an interesting pavilion to see:
Balai Datuk Maharajalela, 6 km north of Taiping. I haven't been able to sort out
what this place really was and as it is not open to public, there's little
additional information further. I was told this is one of the oldest buildings
in Perak.
However, in front of the building, there is a huge kris in the
ground which implicates it belongs to the Sultan of Perak.
At the stairs there are two canons guarding the place. Sadly
it's all quite rundown.
The building is a typical traditional Malay styled kind of
pavilion.
Two details of the Balai Datuk Maharajalela, 6 km north of Taiping
This building could easily be transformed into a serious tourist
attraction of Taiping. But only the privileged few traveling from either Gerik
or Kulim/Selam to Taiping will ever see a glimpse of the lost glory of this
place.
After the Balai Datuk Maharajalela it's a a few kilometers to
Kamunting. Here you can decide to follow the scenic road to Taiping and arrive
in Taiping near the Zoo and the Lake Gardens. Or you travel through Kamunting
city in the direction of the railway station. Obviously I choose the first.
Front view Balai Datuk Maharajalela
For a detailed description of the road to follow from Taiping to
Pangkor, please read further on this page.
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