Gertak Sanggul is a fishing village on the southwest coast of Penang Island. With coconut palms swaying overhead, Gertak Sanggul offers the perfect picture of a Malaysian fishing village, complete with a white sandy beach and fishing boats bobbling in the waves. The people of Penang knows Gertak Sanggul as the place where the Yellow Bus turns around. It being the final stop at the southwestern tip of Penang Island, the commuter buses reach their final stop before heading back to town.
Despite the romantic surroundings, the waters off Gertak Sanggul is not suitable for swimming, as it is contaminated by the many pig farms in the area which discharge waste directly into the sea. From Gertak Sanggul, you can see the "half submerged" shape of Pulau Kendi, the most distant island in Penang state. A day trip to Pulau Kendi can be arranged whenever there is sufficient participants (or eight persons or more), or if anybody is willing to pay to hire the whole boat.
Stretching your budget in Penang
If you are a prudent traveller, you can spend less than $20 per day in Penang, including your accommodation! Here's some useful tips for budget travellers to Penang, to help you manage your budget and have a great time.
Penang Tour Guides
If you're on a shoestring budget, you can explore Penang using the travel articles in Penang Travel Tips. You may print them out for your own personal non-commercial use. However, nothing compares to having a professional tour guide to show you around. If you need a tour guide, contact me and I'll arrange one for you, according to your schedule and interest. If I happen to be free, I would gladly show you around too. Just write to me at:
Finding Budget Accommodation in Penang
If you're coming to Penang on a budget, you'd be pleased to know that there's quite a number of places in George Town as well as in Batu Ferringhi that offers good clean accommodation without costing you an arm and a let. If I am allowed to be biased, I would recommend Hotel Mingood, which happens to belong to a friend of mine. If it is occupied, there are plenty of other places that cost less than US$12.00 per night. Here are some suggestions:
Hutton Lodge, from US$8.25
Baba Guesthouse, from US$7.57
E.T. Budget Guesthouse, from US$6.05
YMCA Penang, from US$6.53
Ali's Ferringhi Guest House, from US$9.63
Despite the best intentions to provide you information that is as accurate as possible, do be aware that prices may have changed and exchange rates fluctuated since I wrote this. So please personally and carefully screen through the available accommodation before making your booking, to avoid any disappointments.
The southwestern most tip of Penang Island is the classic fishing village of Gertak Sanggul.
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(left) Gertak Sanggul is a hilly range that juts into the sea.
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(left) Fishing boat off Gertak Sanggul. In the horizon is the island of Pulau Kendi.
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Looking in the southeast direction, one sees Pulau Rimau.
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