The Complete Balik Pulau Travel Guide: 28 Essential Things to Eat, See and Do in Balik Pulau, Penang’s Greenest Corner

Perched on the right-hand corner of Balik Pulau town’s main parking lot inside the Nan Guang Kopitiam is this famous laksa shop, one of the most talked-about island wise. It’s mostly because it serves delicious Laksa Siam, a different variety from Penang’s usual asam laksa, more similar to a curry-scented taste — read more about Kim Laksa’s review by local chef Nazlina Hussin and our selection of Penang best laksa.

The atmosphere here is no-frill, traditional Kopitiam style with marble-top tables and local uncles and aunties coming to dine in or take away. Sit down, be patient, and enjoy some of the local laksa histories.

Here’s a map of Kim Laksa’s location:

Straight across the street and a few doors down to the right from Kim Laksa is Cafe’ Ko Cha Bi, another one of Balik Pulau’s “competing” laksa shops. The place is a bit more upholstered in the vein of a modern cafe’, but the taste of the food is still quite authentic. The asam laksa and laksa lemak (5RM per bowl) are recommended, as is the ais kacang topped with real ice cream.

You can also try Hakka Rice (4.50RM), Hakka Mee (5RM), crunchy Belacan Chicken (8RM)

Here’s a map of Ko Cha Bi’s location:

On the opposite side of the parking lot from Nan Guan Kopitiam, right next to the Old Fisherman mural by Julia Volchkova, is this food truck dedicated to lip-smacking Roti Benggali style. Think of sliced white loaves of bread smeared in butter and kaya, and if you prefer, toasted to perfection.
The food truck is quite recent upholstering for an operation that’s been going on since the 1930s, and you’ll still get the real deal. It’s not for nothing that they call themselves “Penang Heritage Roti Benggali”.

At the back of the parking lot, there are not only several stalls selling bread and bakery and Chinese fritters but two food courts. On the left side is BP Views Kopitiam, and on the right is Yeh Lai Xing Kopitiam. They both serve a range of Chinese dishes, from economy rice to different concoctions of noodles, and a bit of mamak-Indian cooking — Mee Goreng, some garnished with Balik Pulau’s famous prawns. They are both no-frills and very local, the type we like, and serve dishes starting at RM5 per plate.

As the name states, this Malay restaurant serves “heritage curry” and it’s highly recommended, especially at lunch, to experience the culinary traditions of Balik Pulau’s majority Malay population.

There’s a wide choice of food here, from fish and mutton curries to fresh vegetables, all served over perfectly steamed white rice. Come here on an empty stomach for there’s a lot to sample.

Things to See & Do in and Around Balik Pulau Town

This church along Balik Pulau’s main thoroughfare was established in 1854 as a wooden house, and is more than 160 years old and well-conserved thanks to many renovations. It’s a symbol of life in Balik Pulau town, and a place that we recommend you visit, even if just for a short look. Note that the nine stained glass windows are imported from Bruges, Belgium.

Balik Pulau Street Art

Following the fashion of George Town Street Art, even Balik Pulau spruced itself up in 2016 by inviting Russian artist Julia Volchkova to etch some very realistic murals along the town’s main thoroughfare.

We believe they are unmissable, and yet, most people are too preoccupied with George Town that they still miss them. The series includes, beyond the popular “Old Fishermen” etched on one side of Balik Pulau town’s main square, a few others like the “Silat Master”, the “Hakka Dancing Girl”, and the “Rubber Tapper”. They are all still visible along the main thoroughfare that cuts Balik Pulau town into two. It’d be best if you cycle or drive, as they are a bit far if you are just walking.

There’s more street art in Balik Pulau than what you can see in the town. In July 2019, during the three-day Balik Pulau Festival, new street art came to grace the walls of both Balik Pulau Town and other locations, adding more local colors to the original murals by Russian artist Julia Volchkova.

The “Roti Man” mural, in the parking lot on the wall of Nan Guang kopitam, celebrates Munyadi Letchumanan, the resident roti seller who has peddled his trade here for the past 30 years. It’s realized by local artist Abdul Rashid Abdul Raman.

This low-cost condo was spruced up with a bunch of beautiful murals of fish by artist Nasrul Hisham, or Nash Art. There is a 5-meter-long Half Moon fighting fish, plakat fish, and a tiger barb that stretches about 3 meters.

On the two sides of the flat, two of Balik Pulau’s most famous produce, nutmeg and durian, are painted much larger-than-life size.

The murals were commissioned by the National Art Gallery and the Culture and Arts Department with the scope to beautify one disadvantaged housing area and create inclusivity among people through arts.

Scenically set in the middle of a paddy field next to Kampung Terang, on the way to Pulau Betong, there’s a container painted with two giant murals. They were realized in 2019 for the first edition of Penang’s “Container Art festival”. On one side is “the Joy of Harvest” by Leonard Siaw and Aries Kong, both artists from Sarawak state, which depicts two farmers showing their produce — corn, and the foulest-smelling of all fruits, the Durian.

On the other side is “Once at Balik Pulau’s Street Market” by Russian artist Marat Danilyan. It depicts a hawker seller proudly standing next to his sizzling wok at the Balik Pulau market.

Northern Balik Pulau: Sungai Pinang, Sungai Rusa and Pantai Acheh

The northern side of Balik Pulau is all about small villages, both Malay and Chinese, flat coastal plains, and paddy fields. Connected to the hills that lead to Teluk Bahang, and tucked against the southernmost border of Penang National Park, Balik Pulau’s northern side hosts both some of the area’s most famous attractions and its least visited corners.

Pantai Acheh is a small Chinese village set in the northernmost corner of Balik Pulau. The village runs along a muddy coastal area that’s not ideal for swimming as it’s subjected to the tides, and whose northernmost corner blends into the forests of Penang National Park. When we visited Pantai Acheh last, the locals told us that there’s a hiking route from the village into the National Park, but it’s not recommended for its bad state. Nobody stops you from trying, of course, but if you do, come prepared for a tough slog through thick jungle and a lot of mud.

The village itself is a friendly cluster of old Chinese-style homes, some beautifully built with wood, others in concrete. There’s a Chinese shrine with a red and yellow roof halfway up the main road, at whose side a lane goes up into hills chiselled with fruit and durian farms.

You can stop at the Kedai Kopi LP Hoe to meet locals and try, among other things, some delicious Sabah Pan Mee.

The maze of paved lanes for the use of farmer’s motorbikes that leave from the left side of Pantai Acheh’s Chinese temple is the starting point of a trek to the southern end of Teluk Bahang Dam. It takes about two hours one way, and you can find the route on mapping apps such as Maps.me or Alltrails.

If you don’t feel that adventurous, you can take a shorter hike up the hill to another Chinese pagoda, from where you can have quite nice sunset views of Pantai Acheh’s coast. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the top, and most often you’ll find locals having tea up there.

The Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of a different genus of Myristica tree, and it’s been cultivated especially in Penang since colonial times. Ghee Hup is a famous stop on the tourist trail in Balik Pulau, for it has been running for decades, and it’s one of the area’s most famous factories.

Don’t expect to come here and see machines in action, though. It’s more of a farm where you can see how the nutmeg is planted and grown. A visit is definitely interesting, as the old uncle who owns it often gives a speech about his work and the qualities of the plant. You can of course buy the prized essence to dilute into the water and make delicious drinks directly from them. A small bottle costs RM13.

If you love Penang durian, this may be the best place to come and sample it directly from a lover of the thorny fruit. Mr Durian Seng built this retreat on a hilltop strewn with durian trees, making Bao Sheng Durian Farm a real local pioneer in both durian and eco-tourism. You can come here to eat, or even stay in one of their beautiful villas (Check prices on Booking.com|Agoda) to sample different qualities of durian offered in their stay & eat packages. Besides gorging on durian, soaking in the swimming pool as you watch the sunset is truly magical.

Realized by Penang glass artist Fuan Wong, Art & Garden is a blend of natural beauty and art installations. It’s a perfect place to bring children, too — check out our other suggestions for the best things do in Penang with kids— and experience something artsy in northern Balik Pulau.

Set in ample grounds off the main road to Balik Pulau, the Audi Dream Farm is another awesome place to get out of the house for a few hours and experience the most bucolic side of Penang. This place is a half educational park, half petting zoo filled with farm animals, from chickens and rabbits to horses, parrots and ducks, deer, even one camel, and many types of local trees and flowers. Besides walking around and enjoying the farm’s labyrinthine paths that take visitors to meet all the resident animals, families can enjoy a simple lunch and a good selection of drinks.

Get a discounted Audi Dream Farm ticket on KLOOK here.

One of Balik Pulau’s oldest attractions is still a great place to visit with children in tow. On a guided tour of the Tropical Fruit Farm you will learn about and experience 250-odd of Malaysia and the world’s best tropical fruits. Before you leave, the all-you-can-eat fruit buffet, paired with fresh fruit juices, will make both adults and children happy.

The village of Sungai Pinang is clustered around the jetty on the namesake river. You can come here to watch lines of fishing boats moored along the river estuary. This is not only the second, lesser-known entrance to Penang National Park but is also a low-key and interesting place to come to eat or buy fresh seafood in Balik Pulau

The area around the jetty has several interesting food options.

Kak Chik Wan corner (Tel. 0175173752) is a hole-in-the-wall stall run by a friendly Malay woman. The specialty here is asam laksa, which only costs 3RM per bowl, and is as simple as it’s authentic. Tangy broth, maybe spicier than normal, served with noodles that don’t break (a must for any good laksa) and plenty of fresh garnishing. They also sell some Malay kuih, coffee and tea, and they are open also during the day — something not very common around these parts, where morning is best for food.

Rizz Leman D’Kola (Tel. 017 5015300, Kak Suhana) opens from 3pm to 9pm and is the place to go have Mee Ketam and Udang (crab and prawn) when in Sungai Pinang. You can also try their asam laksa for 3.50RM a bowl.

At last, Ina Cafe is open until lunchtime and serves roti canai and coffee/tea for breakfast, and a mean curry Kepala Ikan (curry fish head) for lunch.

The second, lesser-known entrance to Penang National Park is hidden away in Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. It’s not very well-known even though it’s the starting (or ending) point of interesting mangrove boat explorations through the river, with a bit of navigation out at sea, that ends on the beaches of Penang National Park. I have seen dolphins here once, so it’s definitely worth a thought. You can read more information on our guide to Teluk Bahang.

A mangrove boat tour of Sungai Pinang leaving from Teluk Bahang’s main national park entry costs RM350 per boat (maximum of six people). The boat will circumnavigate the western side of Penang National Park, entering a maze of smaller canals where you’ll be able to see many species of birds and other endemic species like monitor lizards, mudskippers and fish. This area is still quite pristine, and a very different experience from the culture of George Town — fishermen still ply their ancient trade around here, and besides nature, the area of Sungai Pinang retains an old-world charm that’s difficult to find elsewhere on the island.

You can also book a boat at Taman Negara Penang Sungai Pinang entrance. Here is a map:

Central Balik Pulau: Sungai Burung Area

Sungai Burung is mostly a land of muddy coastal flats backed by low paddies, swaying palm trees and traditional Malay villages. It’s home to Pantai Malindo, where Penangites swear you can see Penang’s best sunset, and a few interesting places to have some time out enjoying nature.

Here are some of the best things you can do in Sungai Burung:

A fantastic horse-riding center situated in the Sungai Burung area of Balik Pulau, Countryside Stables opened in 2012 and to date has about 30 different horses. From Arabian horses to Polo Ponys, Thai and Burmese horses, the enthusiastic owners always have the best match for horse lovers young and old. You can have some fun feeding hay to the animals or take a relaxing stroll around the lush surroundings. It’s also among the most popular locations for Penang pre-wedding photography. Highly recommended on weekends — but be aware that it can get pretty packed — and as an activity to do with kids. Don’t forget to check out our selection of the best things to do with kids in Penang.

One of the little secrets of Balik Pulau, Penang’s most natural western side, Pantai Malindo stretches at the south of Kuala Sungai Burong. It’s a wide and deserted beach, in line with its off-beat location, and sees few visitors. Don’t think you can really swim here, for the high and low tides make the place eternally muddy. But this is one of Penang’s best places to come see the sunset, and there are good views of Pulau Betong island from the shore. The beach is just at the end of the road where you find Countryside Stables.

This private organic farm has become some sort of an Instagram sensation — and we don’t see the hype, as it’s a simple field — so much so it became a secluded bistro. Only open from Friday to Sunday, customers are allowed to visit and dine in either from 4 to 6 pm or 6 pm to 8 pm.

The place has simple outdoor seating and a charming gazebo covered by climbing plants from where lights are choreographically hung and come alive at night. They serve kinds of pasta (from 25RM and up) garnished with their natural organic ingredients, coffee, and their own series of different-tasting kefir drinks. Each bottle is about 450ml for 25RM and can be shared among friends. Come if you wish to experience a hip and trendy bistro tucked within a patch of quiet greenery, and far away from the coffee scene of George Town.

Balik Pulau’s Paddy Fields

There’s a big area of flat paddy fields between Balik Pulau Town and Pulau Betong. Once the kingdom of adventurous cyclists, it has now gained popularity thanks to the container that was dropped here in 2019 during Penang’s first Container Art Festival.

Balik Pulau has many paddy fields, but this area is particularly good for walking, taking pictures and observing how the rice grows. You can drive a car or a motorbike through it, and some people started building homes among the paddies — it won’t be surprising to see this place pick up with homestays and tourists pretty soon. This said, a must-see in Balik Pulau, especially at sunrise and in the early morning, when the paddies turn vibrant with light.

Southern Balik Pulau: Pulau Betong

There’s plenty to do in the southwestern-most tip of Penang: called Pulau Betong, this is a less-developed area of great natural beauty, where flat and green paddy fields bump against low hills on one side, and the ocean on the other.

From excellent seafood to quaint traditional fishing villages, durian farms and lush vegetation, this is one of Penang’s most beautiful and most undiscovered corners.

For starters, this is a map of the Pulau Betong area:

And here are some of the best things you can do in Pulau Betong:

This diminutive fishing village is the main “stop” in Pulau Betong. It’s literally a cluster of homes set next to a jetty and a fishing port, and their related fish market. There is a good mix of Chinese and Malay populations here, and you’ll be able to visit the traditional areas of both ethnic groups.

Pulau Betong village is also the starting point for angling trips around this corner of the island and has one of Penang’s most celebrated Chinese seafood restaurants, Jia Sang, which we’ll describe in the next section.

This mom and pop restaurant set under the veranda of a local Chinese shophouse is famous and for all the good reasons. The location is as grassroots as it is lovely, and the food is very good.

If you feel like it, you can walk to the nearby fish market and buy the catch of the day. Jia Sang’s staff are more than happy to cook it for you for a fee. Don’t miss their Thai sauce, with which every fish tastes heavenly.

Here’s a map of Jia Sang Seafood:

When I first found this beach several years ago I couldn’t believe my eyes: long, beautiful golden sand against a backdrop of dense tropical vegetation. The water was clear and warm, a pleasure to swim in. I returned several times until I got stung by a jellyfish on my left wrist. It left a mark on my arm that lasted three long months. Most recently, people have drowned here, and the beach has been declared unsafe for swimming. Watch out, as there’s a military camp right behind it, and they control.
Putting these nuisances aside, in my opinion, Pantai Pasir Panjang remains Penang’s best beach. It’s a pity to see it increasingly dirty with the rubbish that too many callous locals leave behind after their beach picnics. What the hell, Penangites, clean up your act!

Here’s a map of Pantai Pasir Panjang:

This solitary islet floats off the southwestern end of Penang, directly opposite the fishing village of the same name. It’s an inhabited, forested little island that has remained cut off from touristic exploitation, and yet doesn’t really offer anything besides a Robinson Crusoe experience. It’s popular for fishing and angling, though. You can see it very close from the main access road to Pantai Pasir Panjang, from where it soars from the sea like the back of a giant turtle.

Pros: super secluded, great natural beauty
Cons: Not easy to reach
How to Get There: Fishermen at the Pulau Betong village can organize boat transfers to Pulau Betong, but unless you want to go angling, it’s probably not worth shelling out to spend just a few hours here.

Beyond seafood and beaches, Pulau Betong is a great place to hike in Balik Pulau. There’s a paved track made by farmers that climbs up over the final cordon of Penang’s southwestern hills all the way to Gertak Sanggul. You can leisurely complete this straightforward hike in less than two hours, for the best part of which you’ll be walking high above the coast, taking in beaches, forests, and the undulating curves of the island’s final stretch.

The trek’s starting point is the road that runs next to this red Chinese temple:

Please note that even though Google Maps marks this route as a motorable road, it really is not. You can try using a small motorbike like the Honda EX5 but be warned that the whole track is not entirely paved. Walking and looking out at the scenery is the preferred way to go, and you can consider returning to the city via the Sungai Nibong bus terminal by catching a Rapid Penang Bus from the end of the trail at Gertak Sanggul Beach.

This is another short hike to a traditional Hakka Village perched on the hills above northern Pulau Betong. It’s some sort of “hidden tourist place” where you can order a traditional meal and relax in the Nipah huts. You can find the access road (a sign in Chinese only) to Hakka village along the main Pulau Betong road. It’s possible to continue hiking across the hills to Teluk Kumbar, so you may park your car on either side.

Only a short ride away from the second entry of Penang National Park in Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau offers ATV tours. Riding one of these buggies is a very scenic and adventurous way to explore the back roads of Pulau Betong, exploring some pristine and forested areas in the southwestern corner of Penang island. Penang ATV Eco Tour Balik Pulauis operates two different routes that snake for 10 kilometres off the main road and into paddy fields and back paths. One of the two circuits ends at Malindo beach, one of Penang’s best beaches, and it’s particularly scenic at sunset.

The ATV trips in Balik Pulau last between one and two hours and costs RM100/RM150 per person (local/foreigner have different prices). It’s a fun activity to do with friends, even if one can’t drive — riding pillion costs only an additional RM50, and it can also be a cool thing to do with children while in Penang.

Visiting Balik Pulau: the Verdict

As you may have understood if you read until here, there’s A LOT to do in Balik Pulau and you shouldn’t put off a visit once in Penang. We understand: the hype is always for George Town, but aren’t you bored of sharing the same restaurants with the same boring tourists, dodging their selfie-sticks as you try to snap a photo next to a piece of Penang street art?
Seriously, if you are tired of this circus-like I am, Balik Pulau could be your reason to come back and enjoy Penang discovering something you didn’t think existed on the island.