Pulau Payar Marine Park
The ONLY Marine Park In The
West Coast OF Malaysia

Pulau Payar Marine Park

Situated in the northern part of the Straits of Melaka, 19 nautical miles south of Langkawi and 40 nautical miles north of Penang, Pulau Payar Marine Park is one of the very popular tourist destinations. The island of 1.7km long and spread over only 31 hectares consist of 3 others smaller island, namely Pulau Lembu, Pulau Segantang and Pulau Kaca and are surrounded by magnificent coral reefs. This marine park are teems with a fascinating diversity of marine life and vegetation

Gazette in 1985 to prevent illegal fishing and to protect the beauty of coral reefs, it is the only marine park situated on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia. None of the island is inhabited, except by on-duty officers of the Fisheries Department, who enforce the law. Fishing, either for hobby or commercial, is strictly prohibited around the islands. The main island (Pulau Payar) is narrow with the whole of the northwestern coast made up of rocky terrain with steep cliffs and wave-cut gullies. Much of the island is covered with verdant vegetation, while the few beaches are most inviting with white fine-grain sand. The other islands are mostly rocky outcrops with a dazzling underwater coral environment. There are several sandy beaches on the island which combine to provide a total length of about 200 meters as well as two hiking trails for those who wish to explore the undisturbed flora and fauna of the island. Just off the beach, one can indulge in the thrilling experience of feeding baby sharks. Some of the facilities available include gazebos, picnic tables, barbecue pits and restrooms at few selected areas. The waters surrounding the four islands have an average visibility of between 9 to 15 meters, making the marine park an ideal place for scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, and picnicking. The sight of colorful fishes darting playfully in and out of the corals is indeed fascinating. You'll revel in the company of colorful fishes as they go about their busy way. Various seashells, shellfishes and slugs that are scattered all over the seabed complete the wonderful underwater vista. There is a sense of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of life in the water. At the Coral Garden (best known among divers), is where you can see colorful soft corals that cover most of the rocky underwater seascape. Diverse coral can also be observed around Pulau Kaca, especially within areas to the north and northeast. Another great place for divers will be at Pulau Segantang that has a different underwater environment with amazing coral formations.

If you do not like the water activities, you will have the choice of catching the spectacular sights below the surface from the large floating platform (Langkawi Coral) moored off Pulau Payar. The platform measuring 49m x 15m has a tunnel-like chamber located at the bottom of the platform, more than 10 feet below the sea. Here, you will have the opportunity to catch the panoramic view at some of the sea treasures offered by the marine kingdom without having to get wet.

Getting There You can get to Pulau Payar from the Kuah jetty point by catamaran or speed boat. The catamaran services operated by Langkawi Coral, takes about 45 minutes to get to Pulau Payar while the speed boat from Penang takes an hour. Enquiries can be made with any travel agent in Kuah or at the jetty point for those intending to travel by speed boat. Apart from the fare, a levy of RM5.00 for adults and RM2.50 for children is charged for entry to the marine park. For a day tour, it will cost about RM 150 to RM 220 which includes transportation to and from various hotels, lunch and the free usage of reef viewing platform. Do note that Pulau Payar can be visited all year round but the best time will at between March to September.

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