Penang Straits

Dawn over the North Channel of the Penang Straits (15 October 2017)


The Penang Straits is the straits separating Penang Island from Penang Mainland. It traditionally comprises North Channel and South Channel, with the separating being the distance between the tip of George Town and Butterworth.

Large vessels used to ply the Penang Channel, but following the construction of the first Penang Bridge, they are now limited to approaching the harbour via the North Channel, where they berth at the North Butterworth Container Terminal. Cruise ships such as the SuperStar Libra berth at Swettenham Pier.

View of the Penang Channel from Karpal Singh Drive.

The Penang Ferry Service connects George Town and Butterworth across the Penang Straits. On the South Channel are the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, also popularly known as the Second Penang Bridge . There is also a plan to construct an undersea tunnel through the North Channel, connecting Bagan Jermal on the island with Bagan Ajam on the mainland.

There are various places on Penang Island where you can hire a boat to enjoy the sceneries of Penang Island. For that, you need to inquire with the fishing boats at Chew Jetty, Jelutong Fishermen Wharf and the Queensbay Coast.

A ferry crossing the Penang Channel (1 May 2015)