Stuif's Adventures

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Pulau Besar, July 2012
Pulau Besar near Melaka is actually quite small and I had never heard about it.

By coincidence two of my friends mentioned it separately last week, so I got curious and we decided to visit this island and stay overnight.
An Internet search, the night before departure, gave lots of information.

It is a holy place for Muslims, especially Indian Muslims who go there for a pilgrimage. There are several tombs of Muslim holy men, the most important of which is the tomb of Sultan-al Ariffin Syeikh Syed Ismail, who came from Baghdad to Pulau Besar in 1495 and according to legend could walk over the sea to and fro Melaka.

It is also an island where many ghosts and spirits live, which could be one reason that almost all projects to develop the island have failed.
Before you travel to the island you should not eat pork!

That piece of information came too late for us, we just had finished our dinner with pork.

Maybe that was the reason that dark clouds were gathering over Pulau Besar when we embarked from the Anjung Batu jetty, 10 km south of Melaka.
It even was raining when we arrived! But after this warning it became sunny.

We found accommodation in the D'Puteri Resort, an overpriced basic chalet for RM 110. On this weekday we were about the only visitors, at the reception they told us that during weekends it is crowded. Not easy to find food, the choice was limited to nasi goreng and mee goreng.

After our lunch we started walking, first visiting the tombs near the mosque. Actually you can walk around the island in a couple of hours, using trails that belonged to a now derelict golf course. We found more tombs and other places of worship. The western side of the island is beautiful, with unspoilt beaches.

We passed the humungous Marina resort, another failed project. It is said that it is now the location of a large spirit village, so the prospects for future development are bleak..:-)

There is supposed to be a small freshwater lake near the resort, but we were unable to find it.
End of the afternoon we came back in our chalet, and after some rest we went out for dinner (same choice between mee and nasi).
Heavy rain at night and lots of mosquitoes, but no ghostly appearances.

The next morning we took an early ferry back to the mainland and, starving for real food, went to Pin Pin Hiong in Melaka for pork(!) and oyster noodles. Worth a visit!

To finish our trip in style, we next went to Kg Tg Keling where the tomb of Hang Tua is located. In nearby coffee shop Kopi Tiam Hoe we had an early lunch. After that back home.

Conclusion: Pulau Besar is a nice destination for a day trip, but don't stay overnight.

Oh, here is a link for the spiritually inclined reader.

The Anjung Batu jetty
 

Rules and Regulations. Notice rule nr 2!
 

Firmly rooted
 

View from the jetty
 

Ready for departure
 

Interior of the ferry
 

Off we go...!
 

Pelgrims
 

Debarkation not so easy
 

The Pulau Besar jetty
 

First impression of the island
 

Large tidal difference
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Reception D'Putera Resort
 

Quite rundown
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Our chalet. Balcony without railing
 

View from the resort
 

One of the many tombs
 

Joss sticks not allowed
 

But....
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Another tomb
 

Start of trail around the island
 

The golf course is no longer in use
 

A Indian Muslim tomb
 

Steep climb up
 

To another holy place
 

Nice location of the green
 

A collared kingfisher with prey
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Nice secluded beaches
 

Beautiful
 

Of course I have to swim...
 

and climb rocks ...
 

and relax
 

Split by an angry ghost?
 

Impressive rock formations
 

Mangrove "roots"
 

Beach near the haunted village
 

Marina resort where the spirits live
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Many fresh water wells!
 

Looking for a hidden lake
 

Not this one
 

Mangrove root jungle
 

The new Pulau Besar museum
 

Scale model of the island
 

Google Earth map of our walk
 

Meditation...
 

makes hungry
 

Sunrise
 

Nice view
 

The jetty
 

The ferry arrives
 

On our way back
 

Melaka skyline
 

Near the mainland
 

We are back
 

Hungry for good food
 

Pin Pin Hiong shop
 

Pork & oyster noodles
 

Hang Tua mausoleum, Kg Tg Keling
 

Tombs of a couple
 

Still hungry, early lunch at Kopitiam Hoe
 

lightlingmk2 wrote on Jul 3, 2012:
Thanks for the tips. I will not go there.

wrote on Jul 3, 2012:
Not bad, you did get A Bird! Thanks for the report and it is very informative froma season traveler.

wrote on Jul 3, 2012:
Not bad for a non-birder....lol

Dan wrote on Jul 9, 2012:
2 islands appear when the tide is high ...

Dan wrote on Jul 9, 2012:
hmmmm .. lol ... hmmmmm ....still LOL .... These Chinese, they will do anything to get 4 numbers..

Dan wrote on Jul 9, 2012:
ohhhh ....vacant but looks ok, not like what I thought(overgrown, stolen steel, etc)

Dan wrote on Jul 9, 2012:
as usual in Malaysia

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