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From Penang to Pangkor

via Kulim, Mahang, Selama and Taiping

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There are only a few roads to travel from Penang to Pangkor. I've done the roads described here several times and I prefer them over the main road via Parit Buntar, Bagan Serai and Taiping. It's hardly more kilometers to Taiping and a lot more scenic.

A view on the way from Penang to Pangkor, here, just outside
Butterworth you will find amazingly beautiful flatlands

The road described on this page goes, roughly from Penang to Kulim, (Mahang), Selama, Taiping. Most travelers never see this part of Penang, Kedah and Perak.

Penang to Kulim

As a cyclist you can only leave Penang by ferry. The ferry goes regular all through the day. For cycling south, many cyclist choose to follow directions to Ipoh, following the highway to Bukit Mertajam.

Small roads leading from Kulim via countless kampongs to Selama

Personally I don't find Bukit Mertajam so interesting and the road through BM is very busy and small, NO FUN. There are some sights worth to explore: the historical St. Anne's Church. The church is worth a visit, not in the last place because of Cheruk Tokun Relic, the oldest relic in the Penang vicinity.

A better and more scenic way from Penang to Pangkor is ignoring this road (which leads to Parit Buntar, Bagan Serai and Taiping) and follow directions to Baling! Off the ferry, go directly left on the ... highway... follow this for a few km until you see the sign for Baling and Kulim.

On the way from Kulim to Mahang

This is the safer road out of Butterworth, even though you will cycle 20 km next to the highway (a few km out of Butterworth you will have your own bicycle lane).

It's 18 km to Lunas. Follow the road to Kulim, Serdang and Selama.

Kulim to Selama

There are 3 options from this point on but all lead to Selama:

• Kulim - Selama via Mahang
• Kulim - Selama via Serdang
• Kulim - Selama via a small road 15 km before Serdang

Kulim - Selama via Mahang

This is my favorite road. You will pass many kampongs and palm oil plantations using the K115. It starts by passing the Kulim High Tech Park but soon you will leave the urban areas.

In between Kulim and Mahang, a sad view of destruction
in favor of more palm oil plantations

The road via Mahang to Selema is about 15 km longer than the other directions described later on this page. Around Mahang is an waterfall, a good spot for camping.

In between Mahang and Selema

After Mahang it's another 18km to Selama on nice empty rolling roads.

Kulim - Selama via Serdang

Instead of using the Mahang junction, you can follow the K136 to Serdang until the junction Selama: K907. From this junction it's still 12 km or so to Serdang.

The road from Penang to Pangkor on the K136 connecting Kulim and Serdang

The main road to Serdang is quiet though there is a little traffic. Should you take the junction to Selama at K907, the road immediately will go up a kilometer. It's a rolling landscape where you pass several villages.

On the road from Penang to Pangkor using the K907 to Selama,
you're looking in the direction of Kulim

Alternative you can continue to Serdang and go from here another 20 km to Selama (it's also a bit more km's compared to using the K907). This road too is scenic and rolling.

Penang to Pangkor: from Selama to Taiping, more wide excellent and empty roads

Selama to Taiping

Selama is a two sided town. One part is Selama Kedah, another part is Selama Perak. They are separated by a little river. It's a sleepy little town with little to offer but there are a few nice places to eat and apparently there's a homestay (it seems open, checked Augustus 2011).

Front view Balai Datuk Maharajalela

From Selama to Taiping it is 47 km and all you have to do is stay on the A7. The road signs are clear.

The first 30 km follows plantations and small kampongs. There are some points with rubbish dumps which are an attraction to monkeys. If they see you coming, they might chase you as they expect humans to carry food.

After 30 km you will arrive at the junction with the A5, go right and have another 18 km to Taiping via Kamunting left

Just before Kamunting there's an interesting pavilion to see: Balai Datuk Maharajalela, 6 km north of Taiping. It is one of the oldest buildings in Perak but I have never seen it open. Sadly it's all quite rundown.

The building is a typical traditional Malay styled kind of pavilion with 2 canons and a huge kris standing in the ground.

This building could easily be transformed into a serious tourist attraction of Taiping. But only the privileged few traveling from either Gerik or Kulim/Selama to Taiping will ever see a glimpse of the lost glory of this place.

After the Balai Datuk Maharajalela it's a a few kilometers to Kamunting. There are two ways to get into Taiping town:

• Via the Army camp and the zoo (go left)
• Via Kamunting town center, go straight

The more scenic option is to go left. You will pass the army camp, already in use by the British before the independence, see Mr. Brain Paton's memories of his days as a British soldier in Taiping.

 
Two details of the Balai Datuk Maharajalela, 6 km north of Taiping

Going straight leads through Kamunting town center directly to Taiping railway station and into the city.

Should you take the road from Penang to Pangkor, via Mahang and Taiping, the distance from Butterworth to Taiping is 120km. If you cycle via Kulim and the K907 it's 105km.

If you take the trunk road via Parit Buntar and Bagan Serai it is 100km. But if you ask me, the longer road is worth the effort. And from Taiping to Pangkor, it's another 100km but that chunk of the road from Penang to Pangkor is described here.

Back to the top of Penang to Pangkor through Kulim, Selama and Taiping

Read more about:

• Betong to Gerik and Kuala Kangsar
• Betong to Penang via Baling
• Penang to Sitiawan (for Pangkor Island)
• Penang to Hat Yai

Back to cycling in Perak

Back to Cycling in Malaysia

Back to the Bicycle Adventures.com homepage

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