Visiting Pantai Pasir Panjang (Long Sand Beach) on Penang Island

You might call it the paradise paradox. The more beautiful a place is, the more likely it is to become overrun with visitors. Penang Island has its share of golden sandy beaches but, especially in the case of Batu Ferringhi, the secret is well and truly out.

Penang Island is always full of surprises though and if you cast your eyes further afield towards the less-visited southwest corner of the island, you’ll still find isolated strips of sand which escape the crowds and maintain something of an untouched paradise feel. One of the best examples is the aptly named Pantai Pasir Panjang, which translates as Long Sand Beach, and is considered on of the best beaches in Penang and is very much off-the-beaten track. It’s not without its issues and challenges though, so read on and see if it’s worth making the effort to see the other side of Penang Island.

Where is Pantai Pasir Panjang (Long Sand Beach)

Long Sand Beach is located down in the southwest corner of Penang Island, click here for the Google Maps location.

The beach faces due west and, aside from the tip of Aceh in Indonesia, there’s nothing but 6,000km of water until you reach Somalia. This, combined with the long journey to reach the beach, gives it all a very remote, isolated atmosphere.

How to get to Pantai Pasir Panjang (Long Sand Beach)

Reaching paradise was never meant to be easy, and that’s certainly the case with Long Sand Beach.

The most straightforward (and recommended) way to reach Long Sand Beach is to take a Grab taxi. The advantage of taking a Grab is that they’ll drop you right at the end of the road (before you reach the military checkpoint) and save you a long walk from Pulau Betong, which is the closest settlement and public transport option. See the ‘Getting Back’ section to understand why it’s better to save the walk and bus for the return leg.

From the drop off point there are steps to your right, leading you down to Long Sand Beach.

What to expect at the beach

The first view of the golden arc of sandy beach, with waves washing back and forth, is truly a stop-and-stand-still moment. If you’ve ever meditated and tried to visualise a tropical beach paradise, this is probably what you were trying to conjure up. The rainforest rolls down the hillside to your left and, on a clear day, it’s difficult to see where the sky ends and the sea begins.

The beach stretches for 600m, all the way to a collection of boulders where the rainforest meets the sea and fishermen sit with their lines in the water. As is the case at most of Penang’s beaches, swimming is off-limits, although here it’s more the strong current rather than jellyfish which stop the fun.

The remains of a lifeguard tower sits passively overlooking the water but, as it gradually corrodes in the sea air, don’t expect any rescuers to emerge from it. Instead, you’ll need to find some shade and restrict yourself to paddling your feet in the water.

There are no facilities on the beach at all; nowhere to get food or drinks, no toilet and no enterprising locals offering water sports. As long as you bring enough water and perhaps a small snack, you’ll soon appreciate the peace and quiet of the surroundings.

Behind the beach is a military facility which has restricted access. The guards are friendly enough, but make sure you don’t go poking around or try to take too many photographs.

Pantai Pasir Panjang tends to be quiet, mainly thanks to its remote location. It can be popular with local families, particularly on school holidays and weekends, but it’s never crowded. In any case, most people seem to stay near the beach entrance; if you head south towards the boulders, you’ll easily find your own patch of paradise.

But let’s talk about something very sad

Unfortunately, there’s another side to the beach, one which quickly becomes apparent as you take a few steps along the shoreline. Hundreds and hundreds of plastic bottles have been washed ashore and sit menacingly on the upper reaches of the beach.

It’s difficult to overstate just how many pieces of plastic there are and how close they come to ruining this otherwise perfect location. If you were looking for a striking example of man versus nature, this would serve you well.

Plastic waste is a huge problem throughout the world but it’s often swept under the carpet thanks to hotels, resorts or locals who clear up the mess every day at sunrise. In a remote location like this, with the Straits of Malacca acting as a funnel, there isn’t enough motivation or manpower to clear up the mess. We removed a few bottles ourselves but it was a token effort and a more organised approach is needed to restore the beach to its best.

It doesn’t necessarily ruin your visit as (ironically) you can just turn your back on the mess and ignore it, but it’s a sad reminder of our mistreatment of these beautiful places.

Getting back from Pantai Pasir Panjang (Long Sand Beach)

Getting here in a Grab was quite simple, but getting back isn’t as straightforward. Hopefully you feel well rested after your time at Long Sand Beach, as you might need some stamina to get back to the other side of the island.

The first hurdle is that mobile phone signal is patchy at best at the beach. We were unable to get any signal using Digi during our visit and it’s likely the other mobile phone operators will be the same. Instead, you’ll need to make the forty minute hike back to Pulau Betong along the paved road (remember to pack some trainers or comfortable shoes for the walk).

It’s shaded in most places and generally flat, with only a couple of small hills at the beginning. If you take your time and keep an eye/ear out for traffic, it can be a pleasurable walk.

Once you reach the village, you’ll see the bus stop across the road next to a durian stall. The 403 bus runs from Pulau Betong to Balik Palau, taking about 30 minutes. The fare is RM1.40 (cash or prepaid travel cards) but keep in mind that no change is given and credit cards aren’t accepted.

Check either the Rapid Penang website or Rapid Penang Pulse app to get the timetables. The bus schedule is infrequent, running every 1.5 to 2 hours, so you might be in for a long wait. Do also check out our Penang bus guide for the low down on how to buy tickets and what to expect onboard.

If you need to kill some time, there are a couple of small restaurants with friendly staff where you can get affordable Malay dishes from a self-service table. The bus turns around here so you’ll have a few seconds to run for it if you mistime your meal, or if the bus is early.

We’d normally suggest getting a Grab in these situations but there are two problems here: you’re very unlikely to find a driver willing to take the booking and, if you do, the fare will be RM100+ to get back to George Town, depending on demand and time of day. This might be one occasion to go old-school, wait for a bus and experience travel in the days before mobile phones and apps.

Once you get back to Balik Pulau, you have the choice of taking another bus back to George Town (taking at least one hour, RM4), or you’ll have a much easier time ordering a Grab from here.

Final thoughts

Long Sand Beach is unquestionably a heavenly stretch of coastline and, if you’re looking in the right direction, it’s the sort of view that adorns a thousand screensavers. Sat under the shade of a tree, with the sand under your toes and the sound of waves crashing onto the shore, there aren’t many better places to be in the world. It really is one of the best beaches in Penang.

But there is another side to the story. The plastic waste is terrible and comes close to spoiling the entire experience. There’s also no question it’s a long way from George Town or Batu Ferringhi, and needs some stamina to walk back from the beach to the village, and then contend with the irregular and slow bus service.

Even with these issues, Pantai Pasir Panjang is highly recommended as a place to visit during your time on Penang Island. The beach itself is stunning, made all the more special by the lack of other visitors and the slight difficulty in getting here. Treat the day as an adventure, away from the creature comforts of the other beaches in Penang, and as a great opportunity to see the other, much quieter side of the island.