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Once a sleepy fishing community, Teluk Bahang is growing into a beachside town with many leisure attractions and fun things to do. Teviot Fairservis explores the nooks and crannies of the end of the island by public transport.

The Rapid Penang Way to Go

The bus sways a bit as we round the twisty corners on the way to Teluk Bahang. Out the window, spectacular scenes of ocean, mountain and jungle appear at every turn. I love Penang’s buses – for only RM2, I can travel from city to country in less than an hour – I just wish there were more of them so I never had to wait at a bus stop! The great thing about travelling by bus is that I can decide the destination. That isn’t always the case with taxi drivers who sometimes take foreigners to different locations than the ones they’ve asked for in order to collect “commission”.

We pass by the fancy hotels and ethnic restaurants in the tourist town of Batu Ferringhi, then plunge back on the small coastal road that skirts the northwestern edge of the island. I see signs to the Spice Gardens and mentally file it away for a later visit. About 15 minutes later, a roundabout appears in the centre of which stands a strange green and red sculpture of a plant with large pouches – I thought at first it was a Venus flytrap but am told it is the rare “pitcher plant” found in the Penang National Park.

There’s a bus stop there near the roundabout – and if you arrive at the end of the school day, the bus drivers will drop you at your destination. If not, a few minutes’ walk will take you by a host of attractions interspersed with local life. There is a mosque, a medical clinic, a new Batik Shop, then a spectacular hillside over which the ESCAPE Adventureplay Theme Park sprawls. The lovely, peaceful Butterfly Farm comes soon after, and finally, the green lawn of the Teluk Bahang Dam looms large at the end of the road – the place where thousands gather for the Dragon Boat races and there’s one in early December this year.

Monkeying around Monkey Beach

Today I head straight on past the roundabout to the end of the road – where the buses turn around. A fishing pier is the terminus where you can book a small boat out to the famous “Monkey Beach” (featured in Anthony Bourdain’s TV special on Penang’s world class cuisine). The last bus stop is also the start of the trail into the Penang National Park whose pristine jungle is rich in flora and fauna. You can take a boat around the end of the island – you may even see dolphins playing in the water. Hikers will enjoy wandering into the jungle – there’s a Rope Walk, Lighthouse, and Tree Walk to visit, and the reward of arriving at last at Monkey Beach where vendors sell cold drinks and hot sausages which the monkeys will try snatch.

But don’t go unprepared if you choose to hike in. A Canadian friend tried the advertised ‘one and half hour’ walk (in reality it could take you twice as long) out to Monkey Beach without water or a hat and took several days to recover from the exercise. Make sure you have a water bottle, an isotonic drink because you will sweat out all your salts, a hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and a raincoat or umbrella to protect against the sudden tropical downpours. A hiking stick might not be a bad idea to get you through the rough patches and ward off jungle creatures. Lizards, spiders, mongoose, wild boar, as well as feral cats and dogs (and more) haunt these jungles.

Going to the Dogs at 4PAWS

I sit and drink coffee at the kampong warung (coffeeshop) by the pier and smile back at the fishermen as they unload their small fishing boats, then head for my favorite Sunday haunt – the dog shelter founded by Barbara Janssen, a well-known German expat. Known as 4PAWS, the Penang Animal Welfare Society is an allvolunteer charity dedicated to providing medical aid, food, and shelter to Penang’s animals most in need of care.

Open Sunday afternoons only from 2 pm to 5 pm, some 250 dogs live on a one-acre farm on the slopes above the little fishing village of Teluk Bahang. A Chinese temple flying flags signals the turn – about a hundred yards before you reach the fishing pier, then you follow a small road marked with a sign for the “United Hokkien Cemetery.” A tropical fruit farm with lush fruit-bearing trees is on your right; a red metal fence on your left signals the entry to “4PAWS.” You’ll hear the barking of dogs. Come in for a tour and fall in love – you’ll find all shapes and sizes from puppies to full-grown pack leaders. Free tours go through the property on Sundays and you can adopt a dog, purchase a t-shirt, and make a donation in support. It’s a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Go a bit further past the shelter and you’ll reach the cemetery – and head to the end of the road for a spectacular view of Penang’s western peninsula and the sea beyond. Now what do you fancy? The gentle beauty of butterfl ies or the high adventure of swinging through the jungle canopy? Or perhaps a snack at one of the many little hawker stalls that line the road. Teluk Bahang always seems a bit sleepy to me – and that peace and quiet is what I love about this small town. The twisting road helps keep it a bit isolated from the heavy traffic on the rest of the island, although big tourist buses do seem to make the trip out daily – and Rapid Penang buses 101 and 102 run back-and-forth between Teluk Bahang and the George Town jetty.

Escape from it All

At the Teluk Bahang Butterfly Farm, it feels to me like I’ve stepped inside a kaleidoscope. The butterfl ies perch on my hands and shoulders, sporting a myriad of colors and patterns. They light on the many flowers, busily sipping nectar, cleaning their gorgeous wings, or just enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

For a real adventure, start or end your day trip to Teluk Bahang with a visit to ESCAPE Adventureplay Theme Park. This eco-friendly adventure park is the newest attraction on the local scene, opening in November 2012. It’s the realization of the life-long dream of Penangite Sim Choo Kheng, Founder and Chief Executive of Sim Leisure, one of the leading builders of theme parks in Asia. This theme park differs from all others in that nature is the true theme – and there are many rides and other activities for kids and their families. The most famous and scary is “Atan’s Leap” where the brave-hearted leap twelve metres to the ground on a safety harness. ESCAPE is also an educational center where families can experience and learn respect for Nature and the need for us all to ‘go green.’ Their mission? “To create a fun destination with exciting rides and attractions…. hosted with nature in mind and to welcome visitors who understand that growing up is optional.” And ESCAPE has just broken the ground on the next phase of the project, a waterpark which will open in 2014.

Take a Sunday trip ‘back to Nature’ to a place where there is kindness and respect for animals, a truly beautiful natural environment and friendly smiling people. This small village nestled between the mountains and the sea is one of Penang’s really special places. It’s only about an hour from downtown George Town but it’s a world away…

Rapid Penang – Check out their website for routes, fares and the Rapid Passport www.rapidpg.com.my

ESCAPE Adventureplay Theme Park, open daily 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. About 800 meters from the Teluk Bahang roundabout on Jalan Teluk Bahang. Prices range from RM45 to RM60, children under age 4 for free. Full information available online at www.escape.my

4PAWS – Penang Animal Welfare Society, open Sundays only from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Located on Jalan Hassan Abbas, the United Hokkien Cemetary road. Free entry, donations greatly appreciated. www.4paws.com.my 
Telephone: 04 890 2625
Email: [email protected]

Teluk Bahang Butterfly Farm, open daily 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, last entry at 5:00 pm. Located next to ESCAPE Theme Park on Jalan Teluk Bahang.
Prices: adults – RM27, children RM15. http://www.butterfly-insect.com

Source: Penang International December 2013/January 2014

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