Penang National Park

This is one of the smallest national parks anywhere, a wedge of forested headland at the northwest corner of Penang island where the coast road runs out. Two main trails leave the gate: one west to Pantai Kerachut, about two hours over a ridge, and one north to Monkey Beach and the lighthouse point. Kerachut holds the curiosity, a meromictic lake behind the sand whose fresh and salt layers do not mix, which forms seasonally when the sandbar closes, plus a turtle hatchery run by the fisheries department. Boats from the jetty will take you one way and let you walk the other, which is what most people who have done it once end up doing.

What you actually see

• Pantai Kerachut - a beach with a seasonal meromictic lake behind the sandbar.
• Monkey Beach - the sandy bay on the north trail, reached on foot or by boat.
• The turtle hatchery - the fisheries department incubation pens at Kerachut.
• The canopy walkway - the raised forest walk near the park entrance, when open.

When to go

Trails are open daily and you must sign in and out at the gate. Start early: the walk to Kerachut takes about two hours each way with little shade on the ridge sections, and afternoon heat makes it grim. The meromictic lake only forms when the sandbar seals, usually in wetter months, and is often just damp sand.

Honest expectations

The trails are rooty, humid and sweatier than the short distances suggest, and there is no water on the way. The lake is frequently absent, which disappoints people who came for it. The canopy walkway has been closed for long stretches. Boatmen quote per boat rather than per person and negotiate hard. Macaques on Monkey Beach steal food aggressively.

Nearby

Teluk Bahang village and the Tropical Spice Garden are along the same coast road.