Penang National Park

Taman Negara Pulau Pinang

Penang National Park, also known as Taman Negara Pulau Pinang, is a nature reserve on the northwestern tip of Penang Island. Formerly known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, it was elevated to national park status by former prime minister, then deputy prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in April 2003. The national park covers an area of 2562 hectares (although the national park's official website places the figure at a somewhat dubious 1266 hectare, and further made a suspicious claim that it is the second biggest national park after Taman Negara), it is in fact one of the smallest national parks in the country. Within this small area is an astounding range of biodiversity that includes 1181 hectates of lowland dipterocarp forest and 1381 hectares of mangrove. Among the features of the national park are mud flats, a meromictic lake and a turtle nesting beach.

There are eight stretches of beaches in the Penang National Park. They are, in counter clockwise direction, Teluk Bahang, Teluk Tukun, Teluk Ailing, Teluk Duyung, Teluk Ketapang, Pantai Kerachut, Teluk Kampi and Pantai Mas. The promontory of Muka Head with its lighthouse is on the northwestern tip of the national park.

The national park is home to 414 species of plants and 143 species of animals. Among the animals living here include otters, monitor lizards, monkey, and numerous variety of birdlife. Visiting animals include the hawksbill turtles and green turtle. The trees in this lowland dipterocarp forest include cengal, meranti, seraya, jelutong, bintangor, among others.

Getting there

Take Rapid Penang Bus No. 101 to the very end at Teluk Bahang. To enter the national park, register at the park headquarters. Admission to the park is free. Thereafter follow the trail. At the fork, the left turn goes west to Pantai Kerachut while the right turn goes north to Teluk Duyung.

Click for list of Penang Nature Sights

Penang National Park Location Map

View Penang National Park in a larger map

Penang National Park (6 March 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Compare prices of Hotel Room Rates in Penang

Use this search engine to find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. You'd be glad to do your homework!

Find a hotel

New York City
Bangkok
Amsterdam

Guests:

Rooms:

Let me help you with your Tour Planning

Tell Penang Travel Tips about your tour plans, and we will help you with suggestions according to your requirements.

Local Tours in Penang

It is often more practical to book your tours online. You have the luxury of time to go through what are the tours you intend to take, rather than having to make a decision on your feet. Check out the local tours in Penang that you can book online. The tours are provided by Viator, a reputable international tour company.

Arrange Airport Transfer

If you are coming to Penang, you can arrange airport transfer from airport to city in advance. A van will be waiting for you to pick you at the airport. This service is very useful and cost effective if you are arriving as a group.

Follow me on Twitter

Please link to me!

If you enjoy exploring Penang and getting to know its places of interest, place a link from your website or blog to Penang Travel Tips. Let Penang Travel Tips be your window to everything Penang! It is as easy as copying the source code below and pasting it on your site:

Return to Penang Travel Tips homepage

What's up at my other websites: Asia Explorers, World Greatest Sites, Flowering Garden, and Earth Documentary

Penang Travel Tips is written by the Happy Jobless Guy

Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms. Tim is a Christian. Click here to know more about his beliefs.