A short hop from bustling Georgetown, Malaysia, Taman Negara Pulau Pinang is a sanctuary like no other.
Taman Negara Pulau Pinang may be tiny by national park standards but it offers visitors a chance to delve into a truly unique ecosystem only minutes from one of Malaysia’s most popular destinations.
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I came here for quiet and solitude, yet I’m delighted by the noisy company I’ve made. Sitting on a bench beneath a dense forest canopy, I’m enjoying the short, whistle-like calls of two Asian fairy bluebirds. One is perched to my left on the branch of a screw pine tree, the other to my right, somewhere amid the lush vegetation. As these birds communicate, I hear the sea lapping at the beach in front of me, and a creature rustling around in the bushes behind me, perhaps a squirrel, perhaps a civet cat, perhaps a monkey.
Just 25 sq km in size, Taman Negara Pulau Pinang is reputedly the world’s smallest national park. Yet it boasts a huge variety of extraordinary flora and fauna, with more than 1,000 species of plants and 271 species of wildlife. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Penang (and often referred to as Penang National Park), this is one of the most isolated and wildest parts of an otherwise busy tourist island.
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As I wander down its sandy paths, flanked on one side by jungle and on the other by a pristine coastline, it is easy to forget I’m just 5 km west of the bustling tourist area Batu Ferringhi. Boasting verdant forests, exotic wildlife, nice campsites, fine fishing spots, several adventurous hiking trails, and some of the quietest beaches on the island, Penang National Park is a hidden gem.
Beyond its obvious beauty, this park also has a couple of unusual attractions. On the western edge of the park, about 3km walk from its main entrance, is one of Asia’s few meromictic lakes. A seasonal lake which fills up only between May and September, it consists of two layers of water which do not mix – seawater on the top and colder freshwater on the bottom. This creates a rare situation where saltwater creatures are living alongside freshwater creatures, each within their own layer.
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A short walk from this lake, on the white sand of Kerachut Beach, is a turtle sanctuary. Penang’s Department of Fisheries manages a turtle conservation centre at this peaceful locale, where green sea turtles lay their eggs between April and August, and olive ridley turtles nest between September and February. Guests can visit this centre between 8 am and 5 pm to learn about the turtles and, if they’re lucky, may even get to see some newly hatched babies make for the safety of the water.
This pristine beach, which is also regularly visited by bottlenose dolphins and white-bellied sea eagles, is one of the best spots for swimming in Penang. Fringed by trees and boasting translucent and calm waters, Kerachut Beach is safe for swimmers of all ages and skill levels.
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An even longer and quieter stretch of sand is just over 1 km south of here at Teluk Kampi Beach and both of these two west-facing beaches are famous for their spectacular sunsets. Because the two paths back to the park entrance are difficult to navigate at night, visitors who want to admire these sunsets should book in advance for one of the camping sites at Teluk Kampi or Perachut beaches.
By day, these same paths offer both adventure and the chance to commune with nature. Starting from the beachside and heading into the lush interior, walkers can tilt their heads to the sky to admire the likes of great egrets, stork-billed kingfishers, brahminy kite eagles, and kingfishers. Or they can lower their gaze and keep an eye out for pangolins, crabs, longtailed macaques, dusky leaf monkeys, mouse deer and even wild cats. I may have headed to Penang National Park seeking silence, but I left beguiled by its boisterous wildlife.
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