Stay the night at Monkey Beach

Monkey Beach in Penang is a must visit if you want to go for a swim and see some monkeys. You can take a short breezy boat ride to get here or just hike for 1.5 hours through the jungle.

Most tourists come to Monkey Beach, Penang for a day tour. But all the magic here happens after dark. To have an absolutely magnificent experience of swimming with the glowing plankton and a jungle firefly light show - you have to stay here overnight. And you can do so at the Lazy Boys Camp Site, which is just perfect for backpackers traveling on a budget and looking for that ultimate beach bum experience. 

HIGHLIGHTS:

• NIGHT SWIM WITH GLOWING PLANKTON
  Go for a night swim with glowing plankton. It’s like swimming through the Milky Way - absolutely magical and extraordinary!
  
  
• WHITE SANDY BEACH
  Take a stroll on a white sandy beach or go for swim.
   
• FIREFLIES
  Watch the fireflies on the night “self-guided” tour a.k.a venture into the jungle a bit on your own after it gets dark.
    
• TREK THROUGH THE JUNGLE
  Go on a quest and trek through the jungle. The trail is not perfectly maintained, with a few fallen trees on the path with segments of varied complexity, which is fun.  
• LIGHTHOUSE FOR A 360-DEGREE VIEW
  Hike up to the lighthouse for a 360-degree view of the island.  This old and very impressive lighthouse was built by the British in 1883.  

STAY: LAZY BOYS

• hammock
• tent (rent or bring your own)
• a lovely A-Frame Tiny Home with a fan

There is no internet at Monkey Beach so no way to book ahead, so just show up without reservations.  

GET HERE:

• Take Bus 10 from Georgetown Jetty, Chulia Street or KOMTAR
• Take a boat from the Penang National Park entrance (50-70 Ringgits per boat trip there and back)
  -----or-----
  To get to Monkey Beach for free: hike through the jungle for about an hour and a half or two from the parks enterance.

EAT:

There are a couple of restaurants here making local food
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You can bring your own food. The owner of Lazy Boys and the Penang National Park ranger, Aslan, sees this as a community so I think you are expected to share your first meal (only the first one) with the others if you do decide to cook. The kitchen is very very minimal though, so don’t expect much.

TIPS:

• Do not leave anything unattended or the monkeys will get it, especially food.
• Bring cash: no ATMs, no credit cards here
• No internet
• No snorkeling equipment so bring your own and water here is not that clear for snorkeling
• Mosquito spray, especially if sleeping in the hammock
• Do not visit on the weekend or public holidays to avoid crowds of locals that come here for a day trip

If you are staying in George Town: check out The Frame Hostel (my review here). It is a place where minimalism mixes beautifully with Chinatowns culture and history.

The 80’s Guesthouse and Old Penang Guesthouse are it’s sister hostels by the way, and are very atmospheric places to get a glimpse of authentic Penang. You can pick between a dorm and a private room. At The Frame I only stayed in a room and absolutely loved it. Nothing can beat the view of the Kapitan Keling Mosque.