The Fishing Village of Penarik
Malaysia > Terengganu > Penarik
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May 2011
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Penarik Inn. I just love this place. A bit spartan, but the ambience is top-notch — lagoon on one side, the South China Sea just metres away on the other.
That’s the new ‘clubhouse’, with the old one to the right (where we once held a birthday party at midnight in April, 2004). And barely 50m beyond it, the pristine beach.
As mentioned the chalets are spartan, but the surrounding is tough to beat. Park yourself on the cool breezy verandah and just gaze at the coconut trees, sky, clouds, sea, islands, fishing boats, … the place is so tranquil and placid, you are immersed in nature.
I’d like to consider myself a hardcore traveller, been-there-done-that sorta bloke, but I keep coming back to this hammock. 
From the chalet verandah, just gaze at the beautiful Perhentian, only 30km away.
Or maybe admire Redang, some 27km in the open sea.
At Penarik Inn, herds of goats dominate the narrow traffic-less, dead-end road. The chief would bleat nonstop while pacing, and the disciples obediently follow. I have no clue what they are up too — they always seem to be in haste, possibly the only creature in a hurry in slow Penarik.
Across the chalets, there’s a beautiful pristine lagoon (complete with crocs), unparalled elsewhere on the east coast (based on my travels). It’s only 150m from the sea beach, and the brackish water is home to many fishes. Here I once hooked a ‘siakap merah’, which we promptly steamed for lunch.
Sunrise at Penarik Inn, greeted by the sounds of gentle surfs and chirping birds.
A few hundred metres away, at Kg Baru Penarik, we join the fishermen for breakfast at an eatery, before they head out to sea for a day’s work. Hear the latest village gossips here.
Behind the restaurant, the sun is rising fast as I decide to stroll to the beach.
Down to the beach, and this is where the fishing boats are kept. Always ready to go — engines attached, petrol cans onboard, but no theft or vandalism, it’s a safe place. These puppies can go out past Redang for a distance of 35km from the coast.
Such a breathtaking calm morning and I’m a sucker for sunrises, if I can wake up early enough — I’m a night person, mind you
We drive north of Penarik Inn and as the tar road ends, we carry on along a dirt track snaking through the coconut grove. This land is a slender spit separating the lagoon and the sea, and some 7km ahead of us, the two shall meet.
Past the extensive coconut grove, there’s a natural forest of casuarinas, of such significance that the trees are protected by law.
And here next to the casuarina forest, one of the most scenic spots you can ever imagine. The brackish water is full of fish, the land is teeming with birdlife, and the air is most invigorating.
Dusk, and behind Penarik Inn there’s a turtle hatchery, thanks to the good folks at Jabatan Perikanan and WWF. Green Turtle eggs are harvested from surrounding beaches.
Dusk on a desolate beach such as this one is always a surreal experience. Only you, the sea, the sand, and the sky.
The sliver of the crescent moon follows the sun as it sets.
As I stand still, I can feel the tide coming in. Time to go home, it’s getting dark, and I don’t like the idea of a sea monster creeping behind me and pulling me into the water.
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Where in the world is Penarik Inn? It’s right at the ‘+’ on this image:
http://www.wikimapia…=16&l=0&m=s&v=9
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