Penang Hill Hike, Malaysia

This was my second trip to Penang. Penang is one of those beautiful small islands in Malaysia. My first trip to Penang was to Penang National park which is located in the north west corner of Penang island (Penang National park hike)

This time around, i wanted to attempt the most difficult hike on the island - From Teluk Bahang forest park to Penang hill. It was not difficult in terms of terrain but in terms of timeline. It is a hectic 8-9hr hike with no camping options. The only place you can stay for the night is at the hotel on Penang Hill. It seemed  like a good challenging hike...

However, i didn't know that i was in for a surprise despite all the research i had done.

Forest park trail closed !

None of the blogs or travelogues had a mention of a virus outbreak in the forest park (Taman Rimba Teluk Bahang). Apparently, the park was closed since May 2011 until further notice.

Last time I was stranded at a trail head was in Canada (Why you need to know French in a French province !)

Now, since i had booked Bellevue Hotel (top of Penang hill) for the night, I had to reach Penang hill by some other route. As per my initial plan, I would have reached Penang hill around sunset and I was not sure if i would be able to catch the last train back and hence had booked Bellevue (My review of Bellevue on Tripadvisor is available HERE)

So, here i was at the entrance of Teluk Bahang Forest Park, trying to figure out an alternate hiking route to Penang Hill. I had come across another route through Botanic gardens during my online research. The challenge was to reach botanic gardens trailhead. After a couple of inquiries, i realized that i would have to take two buses to reach Botanic gardens in a journey that would last hour and a half. Took the right buses but i was dropped at Air Itam which is the starting point of the train to Penang Hill. 

It was 1230PM and it had been four hours since i landed in Penang. I was still trying to figure my way out... Now, I had to reach Botanic gardens from Air Itam and apparently, the only way out was to trace the route all way back to Komtar and take another bus. That's where i met Dominique, who was also stranded at Air Itam and was trying to figure her way till the trailhead. She is a Canadian on a month long backpacking trip in Asia. I admire the courage of these backpackers - I would love to do a similar trip across the breadth of Europe some day..  

Now, this is called a Black n White picture !

We decided to do the hike together. We had a good long discussion on what each of us were doing in our lives. And of course, we discussed Canada, Asia and India too. She was planning to hike half the way up and i was to continue on to Penang hill. 

The trail from Botanic gardens is not so daunting. It is relatively easy. The second half is on a tar road and that part is frustrating. There is an alternate hiking route through the jungle but has no markings. I reached the start of tar road around 330PM and had to choose the tar road because i was too close to sunset to risk the unmarked path. And, I was rightly advised so by locals.

The tar road

It was close to Sunset when i reached

All the drama since morning had zapped all my energy. I was not greatly satisfied with the hike but the turn of events more than compensated for it !! A treat was due despite the fact that alcohol was expensive at the hotel !

The view from Bellevue Hotel

After resting through the evening, I had a good night's sleep. The next morning, I got up early, took the train down and spent about 5 hours walking through Georgetown. It has a nice ethnic mix of Chinese, traditional Malays and Indians too. As i was going through different communities i realized that Malaysia is actually more tolerant to all religions than i had expected. I could see churches next to mosques and then temples (Indian and Chinese) 100 meters away. It was great to see that atleast some pockets in Malaysia are not as radical as i thought they would be. Maybe even other pockets are as liberal - I do not know.

I spent time at the Penang Museum - got to know a bit about British rule, Japanes invasion and other petty wars that Penang has gone through. Visiting museums is NOT something i usually do - but, i can clearly see a change coming through in me. I have started paying attention to cities as well !! 

I also had a look at Fort Cornwallis, rather whatever is left of it. I was reminded of Shaniwar wada in Pune (India) when i first entered Fort Cornwallis. Both of them are in shambles partly because they are not maintained and partly because its been long since their construction. Over the next couple of hours, I just roamed aimlessly on the 'sunday afternoon' lazy streets of Georgetown.

And, that was the end of the trip - a trip that had lots of drama, unplanned events, some hiking, sight seeing and much more.. I am falling in love with Penang !!

Here is my video blog capturing some events live !

TRIP SPECIFICS:

Singapore-Penang (Sungai Nibong): Konsortium bus <<10-12 hrs>>

Sungai-Nibong to Teluk Bahang Forest Park: Taxi RM 60 (you can bargain more - i had pre-booked so it was slightly expensive) <<30 mins>>

Teluk Bahang to Komtar: Rapid Penang Bus No 101 << 45mins to 1 hr>>

Komtar to Botanic Gardens:  Rapid Penang Bus No 10. Don't take the bus that goes to Air Itam if you want to hike up. It does not go through Botanic gardens. Take the Air Itam bus ONLY if you want to go by the train <<30 mins>>

Komtar to Singapore: Newsia Bus company <<10-12 hrs >>

UP NEXT: Mcleod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India (End of May 2012)

Medan - Sumatra (Indonesia)

My tolerance with Singapore has been on a downslide right since i stepped in this city country. And, with the current pace of depreciation, I would say, the day is not far when i would spend every non-working day outside this 'Disneyland' (Singapore lovers, Sorry !)

Back to Medan. This was a spontaneous Friday evening decision. Twelve hours before departure, I didn't have air tickets, reservations, a plan of to-dos. Nothing at all. Just booked the tickets and left everything else to unfold in due course. Just made sure i carried a copy of wiki travel guide on Medan - Wiki travel has been my savior on most of my trips.

Also, I seem to be graduating from 'travel for hiking' to 'travel for exploring'. The last two trips have been exploratory trips with no hiking at all - this is a new emerging trend !! Just plain backpacking budget trips...

This was my first trip to Indonesia where I was on my own instincts. All my previous trips were with a friend in Jakarta who knew 'Bahasa' - the language spoken in Indonesia. And, all of those earlier ones were hiking trips.

So, I landed at the Medan airport on time. Two days in hand and no itinerary... I didn't want to take a cab so walked out of the terminal. Negotiated with a becak driver (Pronounced as 'Bechak') for 20,000 IDR and asked to be dropped at the Grand Mosque, which was at the center of Medan. Later, i realized that i could have had that ride for 15,000, maybe even 10,000 if i had known Bahasa. It has been a while since i have negotiated in a place where i don't know the local language. Nevertheless, that was a good first step.

'Becak' - Motorbike with a carriage

I was offered everything from accommodation to girls to Marijuana right in the becak. I politely refused to all of it but apparently these guys have a good network. Well, that was quite liberal for an Islamist nation! So, if you happen to need to any of those mentioned above - give the becak driver a shot ! 'Stay away from drugs' is my simple advice - All South Asian countries have zero tolerance to drugs.

I was dropped at Angel Hotel which is mentioned in Wiki travel. It is a decent place for backpackers - Almost all guests were Caucasians. Got a single room for 60,000 IDR per night. Plain basic bed with an attached bath - Was a bit smelly though ! But, you get what you pay for. If you happen to stay longer, i would recommend staying at a better place. I just wanted a bed to crash at night - so, it was fine with me.

Headed into the city right after checking in. The Grand Mosque (Mesjid Raya) was right next to this hotel. Religious places don't appeal to me so didn't bother to go in. Went out exploring Medan on foot. I always believe that the best way to experience a city is on foot, provided you have time.

Medan seemed so familiar to me. Orderless, chaotic, noisy but full of life. People are nice and so are the becak drivers. It is like any other Tier II city in India, where i have spent almost my entire life till now.
I actually managed to have a mini conversation at a 'Chai ka tapri' (Tea stall) - Some of them are able to communicate in broken English.

After walking throughout the afternoon, I decided to indulge myself at De'Spa. Spent almost the whole afternoon there. It is a good place - Had a 2.5hr rejuvenating session for about 200,000 IDR. Felt really fresh as i came out. Just to warn you, this is NOT one of 'those' massage parlors !! If you would like more information on 'those', we can take it offline...

At about seven, I left for MC&P (Medan Club and Pub), which is supposedly the best place for expats. The Club was reserved for a private party and entry was by invitation only.

However, i noticed something peculiar. There was about a stretch of one km filled with flower greetings for somebody's wedding at the club. Could be a way of 'Medan'ians' showing affection or could be a way of projecting social status. Either ways, I enjoyed the colorful walk.

The next best club was 'The Tavern' at Dhana Toba complex. Took a becak - reached there by eight. Closed !! It opens at 10 - I had no intention of getting sloshed in a foreign country. Went to the cafe at Dhana Toba complex, had Ayam Rendang. It is a spicy chicken dish with steamed rice - a local Indonesian meal. Being an 'Iyer', there is no way i could have skipped a spicy chicken dish !!

Headed straight back to the hotel to catch up with some sleep.

End of day 1...

Day 2 was spent lazily going around aimlessly. Reached Sun plaza for lunch - Spent 3 hours reading Khaled Hosseini's 'The Kite runner' at a cafe. It was getting dark and i could sense thunderstorms in less than 15 mins. Skipped my plan of walking all the way back - took a becak to the hotel. It started pouring just as i entered the hotel ! Had a nice discussion with a Turkish lady who was doing business in India exporting handicrafts to France. We discussed everything from her recently acquired grandmom status to the European crisis to real estate in France to mosquito nets ! Of course, India too was discussed..

The next morning, I had an early flight back to the grind... End of another nice break !

Let's see what's next.

Pulau Sibu (Malaysia) - My first beach vacation !!

Well, here comes my first beach vacation. I have never thought I would ever attempt a trip like this but here it comes !!

Just like every other 'first' in life, this one too had its own charm...

Pulau Sibu (Sibu Island) is a remote island off the south eastern coast of Malaysia. Just the type of location I was looking for - not too many people and yet accessible. For starters, there is no public transport access to this island. There are a few options though (from Singapore):

1.Cross the border at Johor Bahru (Click HERE for details). Take a cab - Should cost atleast RM150 and would easily take a couple of hours. The taxi driver may not know the place - you may have to tell them it is near Tenggaroh Plantation.
2.Cross the border at Johor Bahru - Take a bus till Kota Tinngi. Hire a cab from there - should be an hour from there. Should cost between RM80- RM100
3. The easiest option - Book a resort with transport from Singapore. I did this - I stayed at Sea Gypsy resort. You can book a return trip for as much as RM100!! Being a finance guy, these numbers did make sense to me !

If it had been a regular backpacking trip, the entire trip would have been different - right from transport to the trip itself. However, this one was supposed to be a welcome break and hence i didnt think much !! And, that actually paid off. I had quality time at the resort.

Once you reach Tanjung leman by road, you take a ferry to Sibu island. It is a 25 min speed boat ride - good fun!

With Yus (Yus Lee like Bruce Lee !!)

The rooms at the resort are bare basic - which root you back to nature. It all adds up to a wonderful stay.

The first day was spent aimlessly trying to find reason by getting drunk. Beer and a beautiful beach - Life cant get better !! The next day was action packed. I went snorkelling in the morning. We went to a nearby un-inhabited remote island to have a look at corals. This was my first snorkelling experience - it was beautiful. You realize the amount that exists beneath the surface...
I bought an underwater disposable camera at the resort. I haven't developed the photos yet so I really don't know what is in the reel.. They will be online if they are worth sharing - i will find that out only when i develop the roll!!

Later in the day, I rented a Kayak and went exploring the seas.. It was good fun despite me not covering a significant distance. Again, this was my first time on kayak and probably that gave me the kick.. My left shoulder ligament tear kept reminding me that i should not stretch it too far - i had to listen and return back to the shore after a while!!

I met a Danish couple who were visiting Singapore - Had some really good conversations with them. They had travelled with me from Singapore in the same van. Really nice people with a cute kid called Carl.. We discussed Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia and everything in between. It is these conversations that give an extra edge to my trips. Somehow I have been lucky to find great people on almost all my hikes and trips...

Cute Carl - he was very popular !!

Before i could realize, the trip came to an end. I got up early to witness sunrise. It was beautiful - just as is the case on any of the summits. Well, this is a new realization to me - Sunrises on beaches can be beautiful and beaches can be a good getaway too !!!

And of course, there had to be a closing video blog - which seems to have become a trademark of my hikes...

 UP NEXT: Mt Kinabalu (Malaysia, 13500 ft) in August 2012

Hike of the year - Mt. Rinjani (Lombok, Indonesia)

If you would like to have a real time feel of events, you may want to have a look at my video blog before proceeding...

Mt. Rinjani was special - I have been waiting to attempt this one since i have landed in this region. This one is probably the most challenging hike in South Asia (if we exclude hikes involving mountaineering). Standing tall at 12420 ft, Mt Rinjani can be easily spotted from anywhere in Lombok - It is a prominent figure on the island of Lombok.

Just like most other hikes in the region, this one too is heavily regulated. This is one aspect which i have had to live with for almost all hikes in the region. Hiring a guide is mandatory. Porters are optional but since i had a beginner friend with me, i wanted to be safe and hence chose a package with a guide and porter. My should ligament tear was also one of the factors that lead us to hiring a porter. The shoulder is much better now but i would have risked recovery by carrying a heavy load.

So, everything was perfectly planned. Here was the itinerary:

Day 0:
Singapore to Jakarta - Night halt at Jakarta

Day 1: 
Early morning flight to Mataram (Lombok international airport)
Sightseeing + acclimitization of Lombok
Night halt at Senaru (near the trail head)

Day 2:
Start hike from Sembalun trailhead
Camp at Base camp

Day 3:
Attempt summit early in the morning
Back to base camp
Camp at Crater Rim Campsite

Day 4:
Crater Rim campsite to Senaru
Senaru to Lombok airport
Lombok to Jakarta

Day 5:
Jakarta to Singapore

The plan was perfect - with sufficient time for transfers. The hike was going to be hectic but that's where the fun is !! A 4D/3N is much more leisurely but I don't hike for leisure ! Hikes have to be challenging and if they don't stretch you - you lose the whole essence of it...

Day 0: Singapore to Jakarta


This was my third trip to Jakarta by an Air Asia flight - the flight that departs Friday night. And, the flight has been delayed on ALL 3 occasions. But, i have nothing to complain because that's what i get for what i paid them !! Madhav, who was to accompany me for Rinjani, was there to pick me up - just like every other occasion. While in the flight, I actually thought of sleeping at the airport itself considering the distance of Jakarta city from the airport. I had to dismiss it because i had no way of communicating it to Madhav...
We had just about 4 hrs of sleep before we start our journey the next day.


Day 1: Jakarta to Lombok; Lombok sightseeing + acclimitization


We took the early morning Lion Air flight to Mataram. Mataram is the new swanky international airport of Lombok. It has been beautifully built. The majestic summit of Mt Rinjani was visible from the runway as we got down from the flight. After having a look at this view, I just could not resist reaching the summit !

Mt Rinjani from Lombok airport (Over the clouds!!)

We were picked up at the airport by John's driver. We had contracted with John (Click HERE to contact him) for a guide,porters and transport. The package also included one night's stay at Senaru. The entire hike was professionally managed by his team. We didn't want to be part of a larger group so we had the guide and porter for ourselves so as to move at a faster pace...

Pickup at Lombok airport

For most part of the drive to Senaru, we could see the summit of Mt Rinjani - you just can't miss it... Senaru is a 3hr drive from Lombok. Once we reached Senaru, we were shown our lavish villa that we were to stay for the night. All we wanted then was a bed to crash and get some sleep. We went around to a couple of waterfalls nearby. They were good too..

Madhav and I at Fall no 1.

This is the second waterfall - much bigger than No 1.

At Fall no 2: You can't go closer - Water was falling down with force!

Day 2: Sembalun Trailhead to Base Camp

We started early and traveled for about an hour to reach the trailhead at Sembalun. The ascent to the summit can be made from both Senaru as well as Sembalun.

From John's restaurant: Leftmost peak is Mt Rinjani

Before we started: With our guide Adi

Full house at Sembalun trialhead

Those beginning the hike at Senaru mostly do not go till the summit unless you opt for a 4D/3N schedule.
For those attempting the summit, there are 2 popular options - a) Start from Sembalun and get back on the same side (2D/1N) b) Start from Sembalun and complete the full circuit to get down at Senaru (3D/2N). Since this might be my only attempt of Rinjani, I didn't want anything less than the full circuit - I started from Sembalun and got down at Senaru 2 days later.

After about an hour of hiking, Madav, who was accompanying me decided to drop out. I guess he was mentally not ready for this one. It is easy to feel dispirited when you look at the 3 day schedule. He decided to go back and spend some time at the beach instead !! The porters were carrying equipment and food for 2 people and we had no choice but to continue because the schedule was really tight. There was no way they could offload some of the stuff and come back on time for first night's camp.

I continued solo. In fact, nowadays i am more comfortable traveling alone than with a group..

The peak is always there in front of you to keep reminding you of the challenge that lies ahead. It pushed me even harder to reach the summit of this majestic peak.

It is always there in front of your eyes !!

With Suma and Sana, our porters.

There is a nice patch of grass meadows just as you begin hiking. It is a reasonably horizontal patch but it felt nice to walk among grass as tall as me (I am a shortie so i presume the grass was not beyond 5 ft in height !!)

The incline keeps on increasing as you cover distance. I was told the last patch before the summit has a steep incline so i kept reminding myself that the worst is yet to come...

We were doing good pace and were tracking to plan. There was a picturesque spot just before base camp. It was beautiful - we decided to spend some time there.

Adi, my guide and I

A quick chat with a Norwegian 

This is the first time i saw a full circle rainbow ! Awesome..

We reached the base camp on time and setup camp for the night. We had an early start @3 AM next day for the ascent to summit.

Day 3: Summit ascent and on towards camp @ Crater rim


I was under the impression that this day would be a smooth ride apart from the summit hike. I was in for a shock...

We started early and hiking at decent pace. However, the last patch was too steep and it slowed me down. We were about 45 mins away from the summit when the sun came up. Ideally, one would like to witness sun rise from the summit.

At Sunrise - The triangular shadow is of Mt Rinjani

 

The last patch was indeed steep. I realized that i need to work more on my fitness.

The view from summit was outstanding - i can't explain it in words. The view you get from 12000ft+ gigantic structures right next to the ocean had to be amazing. We had gained almost 10,000 ft from the point we started - that was a significant achievement indeed.

Crater lake from the summit - This view says it all !!

Coastal belt from the summit

I don't know what 'Askrida' means ! My guide gave it to me 

The nasty summit ridge

After spending about half an hour consuming views, we started our descent to base camp. In less than a couple of hours, we were back at base camp.

The decision !

However, we had a decision to make.. Almost all of the remaining groups were returning back the same route since most of us were delayed in reaching base camp. I knew that this might be my first and last attempt of Mt. Rinjani. My guide told me he would follow anything i decide irrespective of its consequences. That comforted me - I took a call to continue on to crater rim for the night.

The slope down to crater lake was steeper than i expected and took us more time than we had anticipated. We reached Crater lake on time for lunch and had a daunting 4 hr uphill on to crater rim campsite. We surely were not going to make it before sunset. Surprisingly, we did good pace on the uphill climb despite hiking for almost 15hrs the whole day. This was the toughest day in the whole itinerary.
I was happy i could stretch and the result was really satisfying. Got some great views of Mt Baru as well as the summit of Mt Rinjani from the campsite at Crater rim.

The summit of Mt Rinjani from Crater Rim campsite - Outstanding !!

Looking at the summit from Crater rim campsite gave me a feel of accomplishment. The peak is majestic and it displays itself only for a short while during the day.

Day 4: Crater Rim campsite to Senaru

This was an easy downhill hike where we would lose close to 8000ft of altitude. It certainly was going to take a toll on my knees. We did this downhill real fast and did the whole patch in less than 5 hrs. My guide and I were in fact running downhill in the dense forest. I was stretching my guide on this patch - I asked for breaks to be skipped and i could see that he was not expecting that!!
Finally, he convinced me to take a break just half an hour before completion - I had to give in. He wanted to treat me for one last time - He was a great cook. He was so used to my taste over the last couple of days - I gave him no instructions for the last meal. He made it exactly the way i want...

I was feeling a bit sad that this was coming to an end. But then, that is part and parcel of every great hike. You want it to continue forever. But, life goes on...

This is easily highlight of this year - I certainly can't think of anything better in this region.

UP NEXT: Mt Kinabalu (13500ft) in Malaysia - August 2012

Video Blog: Hike of the year - Mt. Rinjani (Lombok, Indonesia)

I have been waiting for this one for quite some time. Just like the 'arctic hike' was priority last year, this one was easily going to be the best this year. And, I must say, it is easily going to beat all other hikes in this region.

I do not want to spoil the storyline in the Video blog and hence would stop here !! (Detailed write-up is available HERE)

Enjoy !

Part I

Part II

Mt Rinjani Prep hike 2: Mt Ophir (Gunung Ledang)

It was time for one more challenging hike before attempting Mt Rinjani. Mt Ophir is located in Johor state of Malaysia and is accessible by road from Singapore. It is only 4187 ft high but the trail is quite challenging. Wiki states that there have been quite a few fatalities on this hike and since then they have made guides compulsory. I felt it was over-regulated and the guide did not add a lot of value.

Travel was more hectic than the hike!! Here is how it went:

MRT till Kranji MRT (40 mins)
Bus 170 till Singapore Immigration (15 mins)
Clear Singapore Immigration (Time depends on no of people)
Bus 170 till Malaysia Immigration (10 mins)
Clear Malaysia Immigration (Time depends on no of people)
Bus 170 till Larkin Terminal (Johor Bahru) (15-20 mins)
Waiting time at Larkin (3 hrs)
Cepak express bus till Segamat (~3-4hrs)
North west local bus till National Park Entrance (50 mins)

By the time I reached the trailhead, it was 5PM!! I had started at 7AM from Singapore. My guide was summoned and we finally started the hike at 530PM. We reached the base camp in less than 2.5 hrs.

By the time we reached base camp, it was well past sunset and the forest was indeed active. There were multitude of noises coming in from all directions - Gave us a sense of life in the forest...

The next morning, we joined a couple more groups at the camp and went to the summit together. We were slowed down because of the group size but we still made it before sunrise. Sunrise was beautiful - Johor on one side and Melaka on the other.

The return was quick and the park had transport till the nearest bus stop (Tangkak). They dropped me at Tangkak and I was told to try 'Mee Bandung', an indigenous Malaysian meal available in Tangkak (& Muar). I did try it - it was good...

The return journey was even more cumbersome. It was as if all of Singapore had gone into Malaysia that weekend. It took me 2.5 hrs to clear all immigration formalities on both sides. I reached home at 1AM!!

Nevertheless, this boosted my confidence for my hike to Mt Rinjani the next week...

UP NEXT: Hike of the year - Mt Rinjani - Lombok, Indonesia - 12420 ft

Mt Rinjani Prep Hike 1: Mt Gede-Pedegrango

Mt. Rinjani is easily going to be 'hike of the year' for me - and, is going to challenging, to say the least. I have been doing basic workouts but Mt Rinjani does require some real simulation before i attempt it. So, I decide to do a couple of hikes just before so as to be ready for it.

I did Mt Gede a few months back but could not attempt Pangrango due to bad weather. (Mt Gede Hike)
So, i decided to attempt Pangrango this time. I landed in Jakarta and was joined by Madhav who was to accompany me for Mt Rinjani.

There was a heavy traffic jam on the highway and we didnt know any alternate route (Google doesnt map small 'gallis' (side roads) yet). We paid one of the guys ('Citizen volunteer') to show us an alternate route. Later, we realized that they were part of a big network which makes sure that their customers have a smooth ride during traffic jams. This was an alternate traffic police network by citizens. One thing i have always noted is that customer is always at the forefront in Indonesia. Customer focus is excellent and they would go the extra mile to make their customers happy.

One of those Citizen volunteers

We were shown the route perfectly and we reached Gede-Pangrango National park on time.

However, we were in for a shock when we reached the national park. Apparently, camping was not permitted to allow vegetation to recuperate after monsoons. The only option for us was to attempt Pangrango in a day hike - but that would have been a 16-18 hr non stop hike (up and down a 9000ft volcano). It was a crazy idea but for a moment, I was tempted to attempt it.  It would have been extremely risky considering the weather at summit. We dropped it.

The only other option left was to attempt Gede - again that too would have been a big stretch.

Finally, we decided to go as far we can till 3-4 PM and then make our way back just before dark. We could reach only the base camp and had to return. Nevertheless, it was a good hike and a much needed simulation for Mt Rinjani.

At the entrance

Mt Pangrango visible at the background

I could not resist getting in !!

With our guide and porter

UP NEXT: Next Rinjani Pre hike - Mt Ophir in Malaysia  - Have read that it is indeed a challenging hike. Lets see how it goes !

Penang National Park, Penang, Malaysia

This happens to be my first hike along a coastal line... And, just like every other 'first' in life, this one was lovely.

Penang Island  lies on the north eastern coast of Malaysia. Penang National Park is one of the smallest national parks in the world. The good part is that each of the trails ends in a beach !! After a tough day's hike, all you need is a dip in a scarcely populated beach.

In terms of planning, this hike was exactly like every other 'regular' hike done by me. Everything right from transport to stay to registration was pre-planned. So, here was the plan:

Friday
1000 PM: Leave Singapore for Sungai Nibong (Penang)

Saturday 
730 AM: Arrive Sungai Nibong
930 AM: Arrive Weld quay, take bus 101 to Teluk Bahang
1030 AM: Start hike at Penang National Park
530 PM: Back to guest house

Sunday
900 AM: Back to National Park to complete other trails
400 PM: Take the bus back to Weld quay
730 PM: Return bus for Singapore

Monday
730 AM: Arrive Singapore and go to office !

I am realizing that this itinerary would resemble that of most of the hikes that i plan to undertake in South Asia - Except a few tough ones which might need more time.

Everything went on track and I completed the 4+4 km hike to the light house on Day 1. I had underestimated the effort required - it was much more exhausting than i had anticipated. Humidity was the killing factor because almost the entire trail runs along the beach. Here are some snapshots of the trail to light house.
 

The entrance of Penang National Park

Well marked trails

Some nice resting spots !

Good views along the hike

The Lighthouse

At the top of Lighthouse

Coastline from the lighthouse

Beautiful views from the lighthouse

The next day, I started early and completed the hike to Kerachut beach. If you start really early, right when the park opens, you can have the beach all for yourself for quite some time. By the time i reached Kerachut, there were less than 10 people on the whole beach..

Lake crossing just before the beach

Meromictic Lake (Lake with different layers of Fresh water and Sea water)  

Kerachut beach - Almost noone present early in the morning!!

Kerachut beach is famous for 'nesting turtles' (only specific times of the year)

Turtles routinely visit Kerachut for nesting. This happens only during specific months - However, I was told that camping is restricted at this beach year round. So, I am not sure if you can see them even during the nesting season.

I left the beach post noon so as to spend the afternoon in Georgetown before heading back to Singapore later in the evening.

I would love to come back to Penang to do Penang Hill.. I could not attempt it this time.

Trip specifics:

Singapore - Penang (Sungai Nibong): Many operators ply this route (about 70 SGD for a return ticket) - it takes about 10-11 hours depending on the traffic.

Sungai Nibong - Teluk Bahang: Take bus no 401 to weld quay (every 30 mins b) and then 101 to Teluk bahang (every 15-20 mins)


Budget stay: I stayed at Fisherman's guesthouse - costs about 18 Ringgit for a night. This is as simple as it can get - just a small room for yourself - shared bath/washroom - no a/c. Despite being small, the room was clean. Finding this place might be challenging - Take right just before the park - walk for about 5 mins - keep watching on the right for a small sign board. There is no pre-booking - you have to try your luck.

Where to Eat: I had all my meals at Mom and Pop's cafe - Lovely food - Great hospitality. This is right at the entrance of the park - You will like it.


Up next: Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand (Last week of Jan 2012)