We spent a few nights in a bay of Pulau Pangkor on anchor fixing a range of problems and taking breaks to go for swims and look about the quiet beach-side village. This is a popular spot for locals from Ipoh to visit so the bay is very busy with water sports. Just ashore in this bay, Coral Beach, is a small strip of shops you’d expect at a beach side holiday destination. Fridge magnets and water toy inflatables, street food, some restaurants and phone shops. At the northern end of the beach is a beach bar and a pancake joint called Danny & Zharif Corner which serves up some pretty crazy combinations. Wish I’d taken a photo of the menu now as it gave me a laugh. It was off-season when we were at Pangkor Island so not much was open or going on.

We hired scooter for a day, just 30 MYR from a backpacker place just off the beach, fuel tank was empty of course. There is very little traffic on the island, mainly scooters with some light commercial vehicles. The roads are pretty narrow and steep in places which is always fun where you are doubling on a scooter. The eastern side of the island is the commercial area and we took some time to wander around the shops and look over at the fishing wharves. Most of that side of the island seems dedicated to fishing. The island is small enough that you can easily circumnavigate it in a few hours.

We relocated after a few days to an anchorage a bit further south hoping to get out of the slight roll at the other place. It was a good anchorage, sand, some overfalls and eddies.

Things to do ashore

Hire a scooter and explore the island Dine at Coral Beach anywhere along the waterfront Check out the fishing village There are some temples on the island but we failed to find them!