Pangkor Island

Overview Bus Train Flight Ferry

How to get to Pangkor Island

Thanks to its calm and clear surrounding waters, snorkelling and diving are among the most popular activities. Kayaking is another must! That or a boat tour around the island, which will give you a better view of its many unspoiled features.

Within Pangkor Island itself, we highly recommend a visit to the 350-year-old Dutch Fort, a tour of the colourful Chinatown, and a hike to Pangkor Hill.

Pangkor Island can be reached by a short ferry ride from the mainland town of Lumut in Perak Malaysia. Depending on where you’re coming from, you can reach Lumut by bus, train, or flight.

The bus is the cheapest and easiest way to get to Pangkor Island via Lumut. If you’re coming from the popular tourist destinations of Kuala Lumpur and Penang, you can easily get a direct bus bound for Lumut.

From Kuala Lumpur, a bus ride to Lumut takes around 4.5 hours. Fares start from 26 MYR ($5.90) when you book through BusOnlineTicket.

Most buses depart from Kuala Lumpur Bus Terminal (TBS) located 13 km south of the city centre. However, Arwana Express also picks up passengers from Hentian Duta Bus Terminal, which you can find 7 km northwest of the city centre.

Below are our recommended bus schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Lumut:

Bus schedules from Kuala Lumpur to Lumut

If you’re coming from Penang Island, there is one bus that you can catch to get to Lumut. This bus departs from Penang Sentral in Butterworth, so you will first have to take a 10 to 20-minute ferry to the mainland.

If you’re staying in George Town, you’ll need to take a 5-minute taxi or Grab or a 20-minute bus (Line 101) to Weld Quay where the ferry departs from. Fares start from 13 MYR ($2.90) and 4.50 MYR ($1), respectively.

Ferries arrive at Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal, which is connected to Penang Sentral by a walkway. Make sure you allot enough time for this ferry crossing so you don’t miss the only bus that will allow you to catch a connecting ferry to Pangkor Island within the same day.

A ticket costs 20 MYR ($4.50) for the 4-hour bus journey. Make sure to book online beforehand via BookAway to secure a seat.

Bus Schedule from Penang to Lumut

When taking the train to Pangkor Island, the nearest train stations are Batu Gajah and Ipoh. This is an alternative option when you’re coming from other destinations in Malaysia and have easy access to the train. You can check that by visiting the official KTM website.

Honestly though, we don’t recommend the train as much as the bus. Batu Gajah and Ipoh train stations are still located pretty far from Lumut, around 100 km.

From Batu Gajah, your fastest option to travel this leg is by taxi, with fares from 165 MYR ($37) for the 1.5-hour journey.

If you’re taking the train to Ipoh, you can also travel directly to Lumut by taxi for around 185 MYR ($42).

Alternatively, you can hop on a 20-minute taxi from Ipoh Station to Amanjaya Bus Terminal for around 33 MYR ($7.40) and then take a 2-hour bus to Lumut Bus Terminal. A ticket costs 10 MYR ($2.30) when you book on BusOnlineTicket.

Train schedules to Pangkor Island

Pangkor Island has its own airport, but it’s only available for chartered flights. If you’re hoping to take a commercial flight to the island, the nearest airport is located 90 km northeast in Ipoh.

The flight can be a good option if you’re coming from Singapore or Johor Bahru (Malaysia).

Johor Bahru is located in the South of Malaysia next to the border with Singapore. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh. This means if you’re coming from elsewhere in Malaysia, it might be better to take the bus or the train.

Flights arrive at Ipoh Airport. From here, the easiest yet more expensive choice is to take a 1.5-hour taxi straight to Lumut Jetty for around 210 MYR ($47).

Alternatively, you can take a 30-minute taxi to Amanjaya Terminal for 42 MYR ($9.50) and then transfer to a bus bound for Lumut. The bus journey takes 2 hours and costs 10 MYR ($2.30) on BusOnlineTicket.

There is only one daily flight from Singapore to Ipoh. Operated by Air Asia, this flight departs from Changi Airport at 11:40 and arrives at Ipoh Airport at 12:50. Airfares start from 260 MYR ($59).

Check Flights with Skyscanner

Air Asia and Thai Lion Air both operate flights from Johor Bahru to Ipoh. With Air Asia, you can book a ticket for as low as 71 MYR ($16). Prepare to pay 5x that amount if you book with Thai Lion.

The flight departs from Johor Bahru Airport and arrives at Ipoh Airport after an hour.

Check Flights with Skyscanner

Ferries from Lumut to Pangkor Island depart every 30 to 45 minutes from 07:00 to 20:30. You’ll have to buy your return ticket at the port. This costs 14 MYR ($3.20). Travel time is around 30 minutes.

The ferry makes two stops. The first is in Sungai Pinang Kecil (SPK), where many locals get off. The second stop is at Pangkor Town for tourists.

From the port, you can take a taxi to your hotel for around 15 MYR ($3.40). Shared taxis are also available.

About the author(s)

Ela

Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.

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