From a swaying hammock on Coral Beach, it’s
hard to imagine Pulau Pangkor’s turbulent past. But ‘Beautiful Island’
is a former pirate hideout and bit-player in the battle to control the
Selat Melaka (Strait of Melaka). In the 17th century, the Dutch built a
fort here in their bid to monopolise the Perak
tin trade but they were driven out by a local ruler. In 1874, a
contender for the Perak throne sought British backing and the Pangkor
Treaty was signed, ushering in British Residents and the colonial
period.
These days, the only ruckus is from
chattering monkeys and hornbills. Wildlife is easy to spot around the
island and a new eco-tourism mentoring programme, kickstarted by NGO
EcoMY (http://ecomy.org), seems sure to develop wildlife tourism here.
Pangkor’s low-key villagey feel and beachside
activities make it an agreeable place to escape. There’s no shortage of
Malaysian weekend warriors, though few foreign visitors wash ashore on
Pangkor, probably because its beaches aren’t among Malaysia’s best.
To see a different side to Pangkor, stroll
through villages like Sungai Pinang Kecil (SPK), with a pungent fish
farm to its north, or colourful Teluk Gedong. That is, if you can bear
to leave that beach hammock.
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