PENANG NATIONAL PARK

Service Description

8:00 AM – Meet your guide at the hotel and depart toward the northern coast of Penang Island. You will follow the coastal road until you reach the area of the typical Malay fishing villages of Teluk Bahang, where the entrance to the Penang National Park is located. After registration at the Park Office and meeting with one of the local rangers, you will begin an interesting trek through the lush tropical nature. The park is home to a rich natural heritage with more than 1,000 plant species and 271 wildlife species, including small mammals and reptiles. The park, which covers 2,522.1 hectares of land and sea, was established to preserve and protect the flora and fauna, as well as the geological, archaeological, historical, and ethnological interests of the area. It also safeguards various terrestrial habitats, including the rare meromictic lake, mangroves, mudflats, and an extensive dipterocarp forest. The first part of the trek winds through gentle ups and downs surrounded by thousands of plants and requires about 1 hour and 20 minutes of walking to reach Pantai Kerachut. This is where the unique Meromictic Lake is located — a mix of fresh and salt water, but on two separate layers, a very rare morphology on the planet. In this area, you can also observe the Turtle Conservation Centre, where marine turtles come to nest at various times of the year. The most common and interesting species are the Green Turtles and the Olive Ridley. You will then return along part of the trail to the junction leading to another bay and beach, Turtle Beach. This path, with no significant slopes, takes about 1 hour to reach the beach, where you can relax and enjoy a pleasant packed lunch. Around 1:00 PM, a boat will take you out of the National Park to return to the fishing village of Kampung Bahang, and then by car back to your hotel in town. What to bring and wear: Light long trousers; T-shirt (plus one for changing); light trekking shoes; hat; rain poncho; spare shoes if you continue with a city tour afterward.