Being pushed down the long travel list after picturesque islands of vividly blue sky and pale white sands such as Sipadan, Redang etc, Pangkor just wasn’t the island I long to be. Yet, seeing photos of these A-Chalets by Nipah Guesthouse regained my attention towards this little island off coast of Perak state. It was January last year that both Jason and I decided to travel there, for the sake of unique accommodation, just like what we did for La Pari-Pari.
I still remember the day we arrived at Pangkor later than expected due to some complications and got Alicia the owner so concerned she made a call to us. We managed to rent a motorbike at the port as our transportation for the next few days after much haggle with different parties. We then, as first-time Pangkor travelers had to drive all the way to Nipah Guesthouse where I had moments of doubt passing through roads under dimmed light. Jason, the one with great sense of direction (which I now consider this to be a form of talent) drove as if he knows those roads like the back of his hand.
It was about 10pm when we finally arrived and I was relieved to see Alicia expecting us by the entrance. She then lead us to our A-Chalet while briefed us some of the house rules. Equipped with TV, air-conditioner, wall fan, racks, double bed and en suite bathroom, the chalet was roomier than what I would have imagined. It might not feature wardrobe or even white fluffy comforter, but the level of cleanliness here can definitely match 3-star hotel standard. Not bad for RM150/room/night (peak season rate).
It rained heavily during the midnight and the sound somehow amplified when it hit the zinc roof. I couldn’t sleep well though I admit to be a heavy sleeper myself.
On the next morning, we woke up to the DIY home breakfast. Breads, butter, jams, fruits, eggs, and pancake syrup are provided in such a way anyone can prepare them according to their liking so we made ourselves scrambled eggs and pancakes. Another simple DIY breakfast is to spread some butter on the toasted bread then sprinkle coarse sugar on top for the crispiness; a trick I learned from the older generation.
Nasi Lemak is always there by the corner for anyone else who doesn’t feel like cooking or preparing their own meal so no worries.
Exploring the island on a motorbike was wonderful; pull over whenever we spotted something interesting then get back on again to continue our journey, under the lovely weather and cooling breeze.
Later the day, it was our plan to go for dinner at Daddy’s Café, a restaurant at Coral Beach famous for its scenic sunset and romantic dinner. As we came out from Nipah Guesthouse, we noticed a huge crowd feeding hornbills on the same street. Believe it or not, I have yet to see a hornbill, alive. The person-in-charge was kind enough to give us some bread crumbs for free (as opposed to other places where they would charge) and taught us how to feed them the right way. As stated on the banner, just bring your camera and be there 6.30pm sharp.
The sunset wasn’t as magnificent as shown in some Tripadvisor photos yet more than enough for a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach. We were given the menu and while browsing at the options, we giggled looking at “Fish and Chips” description. Good try but we chose to go for Daddy’s Chicken Chop and Pineapple Chicken Rice instead. I couldn’t recall any taste of the dishes right now but the portion was huge. The price ranges from RM15-RM25/dish if I remember correctly, definitely worthy for it was the best meal we’ve had there for 3 days. Oh, not to forget the part where we were dining while listening to the waves!
We returned to Nipah Guesthouse again, opened our laptop and did the virtual surfing (instead of the real ocean surfing). The cat too, joined us for almost half of the night.
The next morning, we woke up to 2 special guest appearances on the dining area. It turned out that not only Nipah Guesthouse has a cat; they’re having 2 hornbills too. How cool is that?
Before I end this post, I present to you a GIF file compilation of photos we shot in front of A-Chalet. May you too, find comfort in their great hospitality.
Nipah Guesthouse
Lot 4506, Teluk Nipah, 32300 Pangkor, Malaysia