Beaches in Penang 

Penang Island, located in the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is a beautiful and popular tourist destination known for its rich culture, delicious cuisine, and stunning natural scenery. One of the island's biggest attractions was its beaches, which have been a major selling point for the region for decades.

Penang's northern beaches, with their hilly terrain and crystal-clear waters, have long been popular with visitors from around the world. Sorry to say, after years of development and intense activities, the once-pristine hinterland of the northern beaches has been degraded, and the sea water quality has deteriorated. As a result, many people no longer think of Penang's beaches as a primary attraction. In this page, I have salvaged old pictures showing the heydays of Beaches in Penang. Bring back our own memories of the days we were among that glorious period.

This page I assembled old pictures of the once nostalgic spots.

#1 - Northam Road

#1 - Private beaches

Beach fronting the bungalows in  Georgetown

#2 - Gurney Drive

#2 - A well known often visited beach front

Brought so much to thelocal residents for somany years

I experienced that in the early days when pace of life was very slow and personal demand for luxury was non existence, going to the beach to while away our idyllic lifestyle is real entertaining. Sadly we had to progress too. Penang started selling the existence of our beaches lure people and building new hotels next to our deserted quite beaches. That once seemingly serene resting places. With crowd and commercialization that once rustic ambience gone!

As I a kid I was quite happy to be in Gurney Drive - it was the "Sea side". As we grew older, we were shown the real paradise Soft fine sands and big shady trees on the "real"  at the Springtide Hotel.

#3 - Tanjong Tokong

#3 - View of the sea side kampong

While it was a sleepy fishing village in 1910, the quality  of irs beach front was better than any that we get to see today

#4 - Site of the famous temple

Tua Pek Kong temple and its beaches. This is the location where the locals would come to witness the rising tid and also to foretell the fortune of the coming year 

#4 - Pulau Tikus

#5 - View of and from Mount Pleasure

Built up and amenities at hill top and the deserted Penang northern coast line

#6 - Another view from Mount Pleasure

Bird's eye view of Pulau Tikus island

#7 - The New Springtide Hotel

The fine soft sands and no crowd. I couldn't differentiate the name of Spring Tide from the "New Spring Tide" which I am more accustomed to

 More changes, by the time my children were going up Gurney Drive was s place for hawkers and Springtime went out of business. Most in the crowd don't care about that rustic setting,. modern needs like by pubs and disco in Rasa Sayang are more appropriate. So when my turn came, I had to look for but further away from Gurney Drive for that quiet and serene setting among nature. I drive that winding road to take them to Miami Beach.

#5 - Tanjong Bungah

#8 - View of the beach outside Penang Swimming Club

A sight which we will never get to see

#9 - Chinese Swimming Club

There nust be more history behind the more popular Chinese Swimming Club and the exclusive Penang Swimming Club further up on the same stretch of road

#6 - Miami beach

#10 - Miami beach in Modern times

No takers - except for few new comers

#7 - Batu Ferringhi

#11 - Batu Ferringgi -Modern days

More fast forward - the grandchildren

#12 - Batu Ferringgi -Good old days

Deserted Road

#13 - Vast expenses of space and serenity

Is this what we or most people are looking for - these days?

#14 - Batu Ferringgi -Modern days

Our Family outing 1982

#15  - Vast expenses of space and serenity

Those wonderful days - so quiet and free

#15  - Some old pictures

Lovers Isle intact

#15  - Another

Batu Feringghi in th early days

#16 - Got the children on the Rock!

Good souvenir picture - let them all grow ue

#17 - Beach before Lover's Isle

The Beautiful beach in front of TNB bungalow Oh how I wish time stood still and development kept away

#8 - Teluk Bahang

#18 - The scenic shot that all motorist would not miss

Lucky I got this early picture in black & white

#19 - Another stretch with good views

Coming closer to Teluk Bahang now

#20 - The Teluk Bahang Bay

Short of the model MGB  - Got my car to be one

More fast forward - the grandchildren came into this world. Life changed and so was the beaches too - Miami deteriorated  from serene to melancholy.

 Beaches no longer for relaxing quiet get away. Yes getting out-dated. They are now for games and travelers out for fun! For city dwellers, iIt was more like going to beaches to taste how good life would be. Gone are the mood for slow and relaxing time.  Yeah! modern beaches are dangerous with water scooters, the water not clean. Contaminated with pollutants and last of all - lurked by unholy characters.

Why then we still go out to the beach in the first place? Modern interpretation - it is for fun Quite a twist ah?
So perhaps, for the nostalgic old farts searching to relive a taste of those old simple life. We had to work to seek out those beaches with ambience that we could associate with. ! Drive further to place like Getah Sanggul or to hike overland over forested hill to seek the long lost paradise.

#9 - Pantai Kerachut

Slight detour from the normal flow of story telling, this section shows our adventure in finding new beaches on our own

#21 - Re-visit the Penang State Park

We did go back to the State Park again. Quite a few times to maintain a  "Geocache" hidden on the beach. Latest as I write, the trip on the 11th, April 2022. During the Covid 19 era, this time just to update but not to hike. Those rough and tough outing days is well past our time

4th, April 2000

#22 - Hiking over Muka Head to Pantai Kerachut

The Penang government helped to initiated that old feeling. There is the Pantai Kerachut, a really secluded beach on the other side of the island and is within a protected State Park. No hotel, no big crowd
Yes! paradise found at last. But it is not the same. Those days, paradise is effortless, that was part of the joy. We just walk next door whenever we pleased.

Now to see the forgotten "heaven" we must  make a schedule and embark on an arduous expedition to do an overland crossing over a hill. After that, another journey  to struggle home. Anyway how was the condition of the walk?

#22- How did the track looked like?

No bad! with tree roots across the track. The roots helped in not skidding when the ground is wet

#23 - Condition of Trail

This was the section where rain water shared the track with human traffic

#24 - Condition of Trail

There were sections with man made steps

#25 - Condition of Trail

#26 - Condition of Trail

Look at the condition of the paved path, it is a 10 minutes walk about 200 meters gentle downhill.

#27 - Track signs

Oh! This is getting a  bit confusing. Yes! Meromictic Lake a very rare occurrence. Meaning the lake has freshwater on top then a lower layer of salt water when the tide arises. This is one of the three lakes found in Asia. Wow!!!

#28 - Ahoy! Lake Ahead - Another 30 minutes

Oh! pre-empt that we would be reaching a lake, once we cleared out way through the forest.

#29 - The lowland next to the sea.

Now What? Hang around here to do some scouting or head straight and mark attendance with the beach first?

#30- The surroundings after the forest

Quiet, peaceful with water and pristine forest - Where the birds?

#31 - It is a freshwater lake

It was in a wetland area - must be all season type

#32 - Couple at work

My brand new digital camera - 0.5 megapixel big! yes the number is right. half meg!

#33 - Lye Fong

While i wadded into the water. Checking for the meaning of " Meromictic"

#34 - Jackie amidst the wetland

#35 - Signage to confirm having reached the beach

Cannot get lost or going to the wrong beach or is there a more beautiful hidden beach somewhere else?

 place

#36 - Pantai Kerachut

The beach! The beach! at last -This is Pantai Kerachut. The whole beach and the whole area all for ourselves. This is Paradise

#37 - Vast expenses of space and serenity

Is this what we or most people are looking for - these days?

In this last segment here are a couple of beaches that most people never heard of and at the same time, are good beaches as portrayed in the old standards

#10 - Monkey Beach

#38 - Needs efforts to be there

Is this what we or outdoor persons are looking for - these days?

#11 - Gertak Sanggul

#39 - Wow They Really exit?

Clean nice sands and without crowd

#40 - Another one of Gertak Sanggul few beaches

This one is called Tanjong Assam

In Conclusion, the beauty of Penang's beaches extends far beyond the trendy and popular ones that are often talked about. The site for old etter beaches are all over commercialized and crowded Their uses and characters changed

There are adventurous locals and visitors alike who would venture out and  seek the remaining more secluded and peaceful locations, it is important to remember these far away hidden gems that may have been overlooked in the past. By compiling and cataloguing these cherished locations, we can remind ourselves of the gems who once had and lost.

Also to remind ourselves not to  to forget them and continue to appreciated for their unique qualities. Let us embrace the diversity of Penang's beaches and celebrate the lesser-known destinations that hold just as much beauty and charm as the well-known ones.