THE ORANGUTANS OF BUKIT MERAH ISLAND

In a nutshell A truly special and thrilling experience: a visit to the Orang-utan “sanctuary” on Bukit Merah island, where these primates roam freely and are cared for and protected in a special recovery and research centre. A unique occasion to see these friendly primates up close and interact with them.

Main stops

• Penang Bridge connecting Penang island to the mainland
• Malaysian countryside: oil palm plantation
• Orang-utan sanctuary on Bukit Merah lake
• Direct observation of orang utans in their natural environment

The programme

• We set off from the port of Georgetown on a comfortable air-conditioned coach headed to the mainland across Penang Bridge,the fifth longest bridge in south-eastern Asia that connects the island to Malaysia. Officially opened to traffic in 1985, it is 13.5 km long featuring 6 lanes. We stop briefly to take some photos to capture the views of Georgetown behind us.
• Once on the mainland, we admire the Malaysian countryside characterised by oil palm plantations.
• After around one hour and 30 minutes, we reach our destination: Bukit Merah lake and the island of the same name where the Orang-utan sanctuary is located. It is a research, rehabilitation and recovery facility covering 2 hectares where Orang-utans roam freely, a true “sanctuary” for this endangered species.
• On Bukit Merah island, we have the opportunity of seeing these primates up close (whose DNA matches 98% of human DNA) walking along a corridor that is a true protective cage from where we can observe the Orang-utans roam freely in their natural environment.
• After the visit, we return by boat to the Bukit Merah lake jetty where we take the coach back to Georgetown.

Good to know

• This excursion is conducted in English.
• This excursion mostly covers flat land with some steps to board the boat.
• This excursion is not recommended for guests with mobility problems.