Pages

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Best Cycling Trails In Penang

You are at - Jotaro's Blog / AhPek Biker / Cycling Malaysia / Penang / Best Cycling Trails In Penang
                                                   AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures                                           
Best Cycling Trails In Penang
Penang, although a small state within Malaysia, is an interesting place of melding cultures, of a fusion of people resulting in an unique society showing the best of each culture. It has a long history of a port which has led to many interesting old buildings and on the other hand has also preserved its many green areas. It's a state with two parts, Penang Island with some nice beaches, coastal roads and hills; and Province Wellesely (officially called Seberang Prai) on mainland Peninsular Malaysia. And there is George Town, the capital which is an UNESCO Heritage Site. Together they provide an attractive range of rides, from easy to hard.
Here are some of the cycling trails in the state that I liked best:

1. PENANG CYCLING LANES
Although in Malaysia dedicated cycling lanes are in its infancy, Penang is leading the country and is making headway in implementing cycling lanes. Phase 1 of the East Coast Cycling Lanes was completed three years ago, and Phase 2 is being constructed and almost reaching up to the Second Penang Bridge. Phase 1 connects to Phase 2 at Queensbay via a three-storey cycling/pedestrian spiral bridge, call the Jambatan Harapan (Bridge of Hope). Cycling in Penang won't feel complete until having done these lanes.
These lanes goes along nice stretches of beaches, green reserves, boat piers and spectacular views of both the First Penang Bridge and Second Penang Bridge. Several dedicated cycling bridges have been built to facilitate these lanes including a crooked bridge, and the Jambatan Harapan, the three-storey spiral bridge. One can start any where along the lanes, either from down-town George Town, or at Karpal Singh Drive or from Queensbay.
Or use it to commute down from the Penang International Airport.
There is a Penang Cycling Lane Master Plan to provide a full circuit of dedicated bike lanes around the coastal fringe with radial paths linking inwards to the island centre.
(... see route map) (... see Penang East Coast Cycling Lanes blog)

UPDATE OCTOBER 2018:
As part of the Penang Cycling Master Plan, part of the North Coast Cycling Lanes have been completed. This stretches from Straits Quay to the Padang Kota Lama (the Esplanade).
(see Penang North Coast Cycling Lanes blog)

2. ROUND PENANG ISLAND CIRCUIT
Stronger cyclists can take on an adventure of cycling an eighty-three kilometre loop around the island. Start point can be anywhere along the coastal area; a good place to start is at the Penang Esplanade (Padang Kota Lama) and cycle clock-wise so that the one is always on the coastal side. It will take half a day or even more if one stops often to appreciate the people and the countryside along the way (like yours truly here!).
Participants of the CFAL ride taking on the viaduct at Bayan Lepas.
The route will take one along the east coast up to the hills beyond Bayan Lepas where road viaducts present a majestic view. Then it's across the hills to the Telok Bahang Dam and down the sandy beaches of Batu Ferringhi before returning to the Esplanade. It's a good mix of urban, rural and green views with a challenge of some moderately steep and curvy slopes.
If it's in season, one can get to savour the durian, the King of Fruits, or take a detour into Balik Pulau for some good Penang Laksa.
For those interested in taking part in a public group round island event, there's the annual CFAL (Cycle For A Lane) Ride. One will have to ride faster in the event as there is a cut off time of five hours.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

3. GEORGE TOWN HERITAGE CORE AREA
An easy ride to appreciate the charms of old Penang is around the UNESCO Heritage Core Area. See the city's colonial past in the many old houses and also enjoy George Town's renown street art. And pop into the many coffee-shops to savour Penang Laksa, Char Keow Teow, Penang Cendul and other delectable street food for which the island is famous for.
Those without bikes can rent them from several shops in the core zone.
Venture slightly out of the core area to Persiaran Gurney (Gurney Drive) and there are sampan boats moored at the seaside waiting for photos to be taken.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

4. PENANG ISLAND NORTH COAST ROUTE
Victory at the Teluk Bahang Dam.
For a good half-day exercise, this is a favourite week-end route among local cyclists. Most will start from the Esplanade (but one can literally start anyway near one's residence) and ride up along the north coast to Tanjung Bungah or Batu Ferringhi. If time permits, one can ride all the way up to the Telok Bahang Dam.
The route will take one from the city to the rural outskirts and onwards to through nice beaches with unique names such as Sunshine Beach, Shamrock Beach and even Miami Beach.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

5. BALIK PULAU
Balik Pulau in Malay literally means "Back of the Island" and this town is really at the other side of the island. Bring your bike up for a half-day's romp at the outskirts of this small rural town, a good place to start is at the Balik Pulau new market and head outwards to enjoy the rural charms of this back-of-the-island place.
Ride through the rustic narrow sandy lanes of the kampungs, onto roads fringing padi fields and even head for a mangrove swamp, and at the same time enjoy the warm hospitality of the rural folks. Then return back to town for some good Penang Laksa and perhaps view the beautiful murals there.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

6. THE CARPET
The CARPET is a small piece of turfed area somewhere mid-way up the hills at Sungai Ara; from there one can have a good view of Penang's east coast and the two iconic bridges. Getting up there is the exciting thing and it ends with a reward of the good views.
For those who do not want to tax themselves and go all the way up, the lower fringes within a forest reserve is a beautiful place to enjoy a serene ride among the greenery to the sound of bustling brooks and babbling springs.
A good start point is from the Palazzia complex at Bukit Gambier as en route there are small villages too.
(... see route map) (... see blog)


OR take up the challenge and cycle all the way up to the Carpet, certain stretches can be a bit steep but the quiet route through a secondary forest is very rewarding.
(... see route map) (... see blog)
For those who want a real hilly challenge, ride all the way up to Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera), start point is from the entrance to the Penang Botanical Gardens (..... see map).

7. PEARL HILL
Pearl Hill is a pearl within the PEARL OF THE ORIENT. It's a small hill at north-east part of the island, easy to get to and gives a good climb on a medium distance stretch. One can make it as part of the North Coast Ride (#4 above), or just start from somewhere in Tanjung Bungah (eg. the Mutiara Food Court).
Right up at the top is the Datuk Kong Temple (珍珠山大伯公) which has a location that affords good views of the coastal city-scape on one side and the sandy beaches on the other side. The hill's strategic position was so important that during the Second World War the Japanese built bunkers along it's slopes; take a hike around and one will be able to discover these bunkers.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

7. AYER ITAM DAM TO BALIK PULAU
From the Ayer Itam Dam there is a route that goes down to Balik Pulau on tarred and cement paved tracks.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

8. THE BUTTERWORTH OUTER RING ROAD (BORR)
Start from the Raja Uda Ferry Terminal on the island side and bring your bicycles along for a Penang ferry ride across the sea to Butterworth.
On arriving at the Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal on the Butterworth side, ride up the ramps leading away from the terminal. From there is a great view of the port with ships moored at the harbour. Then head outwards along the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) that hugs the coastline. One will pass by large container areas and with views of the gigantic yellow container cranes. Traffic is light here, but do watch out for motorcycles who go contra-traffic.
A good via point, is the Pantai Bersih R&R, for some drinks or seafood while having a good view of the sea with Penang Island on the other side. The peak point for this ride can be the Tow Boo Kong Temple at ,with it's magnificent entrance archway, before turning back.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

9. GUAR PETAI
Guar Petai was a former quarry, stones from the hills were mined and clay from the pools were excavated for a nearby brick factory. This quarrying and mining activity surprisingly had not marred nature but in fact had unintentionally left pools of clear emerald-blue water, turning the place into one of the most beautiful spots here.
One can start from Butterworth or Bukit Mertajam OR just continue onward from the BORR trail. Along the way are scenes of streams surrounded by green or golden padi fields.
The final stretch is a short off-road track passing the brick factory before reaching a reddish alien-looking landscape which is Guar Petai. Take some time to hike a short distance up the red hillocks for a good view of the emerald pools set amidst green foliage.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

10. GERTAK SANGGUL
Gertak Sanggul is located at the remote south-western corner of Penang Island. Presently it's an off-the-radar place which makes it a nice solitude place for some peace. There's a nice short stretch of beach with wooden boating piers sticking outward to the sea. And nearby is the Hai Boey Seafood Restuarant (海尾海鲜), an appropriate name as Hai Boey means Sea's End in the local Penang Hokkien.


Start off from Queensbay and ride towards Bayan Lepas, if one is lucky one will catch sight of a plane approaching to land at the far end runway of the Penang International Airport. At Teluk Kumbar town, taking a left will lead away from the bustling roads onto a quiet road leading to Gertak Sanggul. The hard-core, can take the road at the far end, it leads to the outskirts of Balik Pulau on the other side of the hill - use a mountain bike for this as many stretches are steep and off-road.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

To see other interesting cycling trails in Penang, click here.
_________________________________________________________________________
Related Blogs :





You may also like :

























You are at - Jotaro's Blog / AhPek Biker / Cycling Malaysia / Penang / Best Cycling Trails In Penang

If you like this, view my other blogs at Jotaro's Blog
(comments most welcomed below. if you like this pls share via facebook or twitter)

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Best Cycling Trails In Selangor

You are at - Jotaro's Blog / AhPek Biker / Cycling Malaysia / Selangor / Best Cycling Trails In Selangor
                                                   AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures                                           
Best Cycling Trails In Selangor
Selangor is one of the largest and more developed states of Malaysia. It provides cyclists a varying style of rides; ranging for those seeking cadence rides, and for those interested in slower pace rides to the quieter and rustic parts of the state. There are so many nice places to ride in this state and I found it hard to restrict the list to ten and ended up with twelve that I liked best.

1. GENTING PEREZ (GENTING PERAS)
This is one of the favourite routes of bikers seeking a medium length route with some climbs. Just mention Perez or Peras and they will know what you mean. It runs through quiet roads amidst greenery. The start point is at Pekan Batu 18 Ulu Langat, and the peak point is Genting Peras (at the signboard in the photo shown above) which is right at the border of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. For those seeking more challenge, they could cross over this border and ride all the way to Titi (... see blog). OR on the return route, instead turning right at the T-junction returning to Pekan Batu 18, ride an onward loop to Bukit Hantu.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

2. GUTHRIE CORRIDOR
Another favourite route for cyclists seeking a quick cycling loop with some cadence. It gets its name as it runs along the motorcycle lanes of the GCE, the Guthrie Corridor Expressway. Start point can be from Bukit Jelutong or any of the North-bound R&R along the highway. The loop extreme point is at the flyover where the GCE meets with the LATAR Expressway. Some would exit the route for a nice meal at Kundang OR even extend it onwards to Rawang (where there are even better eats!).
(... see route map) (... see blog)

UPDATE 2020:
The Elmina Valley running next to the GCE is now more developed with interesting places to ride in.

3. GENTING SEMPAH
Another favourite as this route has a challenge of a continuous climb of 15 km. of meandering bends before looping back; and if done during the morning, the weather is rather cooling. This route is best done on Sundays as traffic on weekdays could be heavy, some even do this at night for an even cooler ride. The start point is usually at Jalan Gombak near the Gombak Orang Asli Hospital, and the peak point is at the flyover leading into Genting Sempah (shown in photo above) which is right at the border of Selangor and Pahang.
(... see route map) (... see blog)
For more challenge, one can extend this ride onwards to Bukit Tinggi (... see ride blog), or even a longer one to Bentong (... see ride blog).


4. SHAH ALAM CAR FREE DAY

Many towns and cities in Malaysia have regular car-free days, and the Shah Alam Car-free Day (in Malay called: Hari Tanpa Kenderaan Shah Alam) is on of the more enjoyable and fun-filled ones. It's a five kilometer loop, held on the mornings of every second Sunday, that starts from Dataran Kermedekaan and goes through the parks and commercial hub of the city. Along the way stalls/stops operated by the friendly, smiling council officers or local neighbourhood volunteers, offer participants to take part in simple village style games like Congkak, etc. There were even bands doing gigs at points along way; others even bought they South American Macaw parrots for people to pose and play with.
(... see route map) (... see blog)


While at the car-free day, take time to try out the cycling lanes which is within the same vincinity; these are some of the better planned ones in the country.
(... see route map) (... see blog)


5. BUKIT CERAKA / BUKIT CERAKAH
This state botanical gardens covers over eight hundred hectares of forest reserve and the best thing is that cycling is allowed within most of this enclave. There are bicycles for hire or pay a nominal fee to bring your own bicycles in.
This first section upon entry into the park is a medium slope which leads to several branch off roads that takes one to different part of the parks. There are sections where fruit trees are planted and there's even a cactus farm. Other sections include small waterfalls, a mini-aviary and even a small lake. Don't be turned off by the above photo, we rode there during a rainy season and a short stretch of road got flooded providing us an extra bonus of riding through water!
(... see map) (... see blog)

6. SEKINCHAN
One of the best place to cycle in Selangor is Sekinchan, a village about an hour and a half away from Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. It's a bit far and it would be good to stay a night there to start an early ride at fairly quiet roads that runs through the padi fields. The paddies vary in colour from a bright young green, to harvestable golden yellow and harvested brown.  At the paddies there are fruit shops and a rice factory; Other than the padi fields, there's a scenic rocky bund to ride along. and within the fishing village itself are colourful boats moored at the river and a couple of cottage industries making Yong Tau Foo and seafood crackers.
(... see route map) (... see blog)
One can extend the ride and head on to Sungai Limau or Sungai Besar where there are several good and cheap seafood restaurants.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

7. KUALA KUBU BARU TO SUNGAI CHILING
Water rivuleting down the over-flow outlet of the Sungai Selangor Dam, creating a beautiful white waterfall with a loud roar.
Kuala Kubu Baru is a town which time seems to have forgotten and left us a quiet town with houses that are a throw back to colonial days. From the town is a road that leads to Fraser's Hill, a retreat which was a cool haven for the British back then, and for the locals now.
Riding up this road, one will pass by the Sungai Selangor Dam, which is rather scenic.

A quarter way up the road is a five hundred meters ride-able off-track road that leads to the Sungai Chiling Fish Sanctuary. Bring along some bread or fish food to feed the fishes and they will swarm around, but bear in mind that this is a sanctuary for the fish and fishing is not allowed.
(... see route map) (... see blog)
The more adventurous can continue and ride all the way up to Fraser's Hill.

8. SERENDAH WATERFALLS
Fancy a dip in a cool waterfall, drive over to Serendah and from there cycle to the Serendah Waterfalls. There are two waterfalls here, go up to the upperfalls and lie among the rocks and have white water splashing around you. Near Serendah itself is a renown Tomyam shop.
 Alternatively, take a train to Rawang for a slightly longer ride.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

9. JUGRA HILLS
Jugra is the former capital of Selangor and nearby is Jugra Hill, a nice spot overlooking the Langat River.
Either start from Kota Kemuning to head for Jugra via Jenjarom and Banting before looping back. There is a short and tough climb up to Jugra Hill.
(... see route map) (... see blog)
OR start from Jenjarom heading to Jugra Hill and then continue onwards to Morib before returning; this one includes a short off-road stretch and also goes through a petrified mangrove swamp.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

10. PULAU KETAM
Pulau Ketam (literally translated to Crab Island) is one of many islands situated at the river mouth of the Klang River. It sits on a muddy mangrove swamp and as such the houses all are on stilts. Connecting the houses are timber/concrete walk-ways (also on stilts) and riding on them is an interesting way to see life on this little island.
We first visited this island about five years ago, cycling from Kuala Lumpur; back then it was a truly car-free island devoid of any motor vehicles (... see blog). Now, electirc motorcycles have been introduced and it is a much busier place where many tourists throng to during the weekends.
One can ride from Subang Jaya to Port Klang and take a ferry over.
(... see route map) (... see blog)
OR take a train to Klang for a short cycle ride to Port Klang to board the ferry.
(... see route map) (... see blog)

11. UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA
Universiti Putra Malaysa was formerly called Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Malaysia Agricultural University) and one can expect to ride through orchards and a farmers' market, 
(... see route map) (... see blog)

Be a little more adventurous and take some off-track roads to ride along pasture grounds of the campus and head for a dairy and a deer farm.

12. RAWANG TO BATU ARANG
Batu Arang is another laid-back town and got it's name as it was formerly a coal mine. The coal from the mine also supported a brick factory. The factory is now abandoned and it's red bricked walls overgrown with creepers, which make a good photo ala Tomb Raider style in the ruins of Angkor's Ta Prohm Temple.
One can start from Rawang and head to Batu Arang on a loop via Kundang.
(... see route map) (... see blog)
OR take a longer route and start from Sungai Buloh.

(... see route map) (... see blog)

13. DRAGON-BACKS OF BUKIT CHERAKAH
Dragon-backs are challenging and conquering them is exhilarating. And the most daunting of these are the Dragonbacks of Bukit Cherakah - short, sweet & torturing!
(... see route map) (... see blog)

14. FRIM (FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Details to come, stay tuned.

To see other interesting cycling trails in Selangor, click here.

_________________________________________________________________________
Related Blogs :






You may also like :







Taiwan Art @ Taiwan's National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院)

























You are at - Jotaro's Blog / AhPek Biker / Cycling Malaysia / Selangor / Best Cycling Trails In Selangor
If you like this, view my other blogs at Jotaro's Blog
(comments most welcomed below. if you like this pls share via facebook or twitter)