Cruising the Perak River in Teluk Intan with a River Cruise
In reality, Teluk Intan has tourism products that not many people are aware of. Beyond being famous as the country's giant freshwater prawn hub, it is also an old town steeped in history. There is much to explore here, and if you want to know what is interesting in this town, you must cruise the Perak River that surrounds Teluk Intan.
The Perak River, which flows from Hulu Perak to Bagan Datuk, holds a thousand and one stories and histories for us to appreciate. The pulse of Teluk Intan itself is the Perak River, on whose banks a port was established, bringing prosperity and economic growth to the town. This port was once filled with steamships arriving to transport trade goods. Colonial buildings are also abundant around the Teluk Intan port site. Therefore, the Perak River Coastal Tour, a river tourism project similar to a River Cruise, was created to make it easier for tourists to explore the Perak River along Teluk Intan. This initiative was created to give the public an opportunity to see for themselves the uniqueness and natural treasures that few have been able to explore. This Teluk Intan River Cruise tourism opens tourists' eyes to see Teluk Intan from a different perspective than usual. It is truly a unique experience that should not be missed. Tourists participating in this Perak River Coastal Tour will start at the Pokok Asam passenger boat jetty, Teluk Intan. This jetty also has its own uniqueness as it is the only passenger boat jetty still operating to carry passengers from Sungai Durian to Teluk Intan town.
After boarding the boat that will cruise the Perak River and before departure, participants are required to wear life jackets and are then given a safety briefing. Subsequently, the management will explain the destinations to be visited.
The first area visited is the floating restaurant area near the Teluk Intan Anglers Association jetty. In this area, we can see historic British colonial buildings such as the Old Police Station, Post Office, HSBC Building, and the Old Teluk Intan Court. In this area, participants will also be told about the erosion problems that have haunted Teluk Intan since long ago. After that, participants of the Teluk Intan Perak River Coastal Tour program will be taken past one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in Teluk Intan, the East Dragon Sea Temple, all the way to the area around Kampung Esso.
This area was once a place to unload oil for the Esso Petroleum Company. Oil brought by ship would be stored here and then transported throughout the peninsula by train. Here, we can also see the old F&N company warehouse, which still stands sturdy to this day.
Then, participants are taken to see the site of the former Teluk Anson/Teluk Intan Port, which is called 'wharf' by the locals. The remains of the port and railway station can still be seen but are increasingly weathered by time. This area also houses Tilapia and Patin fish farming cages, as well as a famous floating restaurant in Teluk Intan.
The Perak River area around Teluk Intan is famous for its shipbuilding industry for deep-sea fishing vessels. From the main road, we cannot see this shipbuilding clearly. Not far from this deep-sea shipbuilding area, there is a Penang ferry named Feri Pulau Rawa.
Built around the 1970s, this ferry was used as a medium of transport connecting the island to the mainland for the people of Penang. This ferry was last used in 2012 and was later purchased by a Teluk Intan cement business tycoon to be turned into a floating restaurant.
After finishing the cruise along the Perak River around Batak Rabit, participants will be taken to the most important place on this tour, which is Pulau Bangau. Around this area, there is
an old steamship engine
stranded in the river near Pulau Bangau.
It can only be seen when the river water is low. It is believed that this steam engine came from a steamship involved in an accident in the late 18th century. However, many think that this engine is a train locomotive because its shape is somewhat similar.
At Pulau Bangau, we can see hundreds of egrets that make this island their habitat. Added to the calming evening scenery and the egrets flying about, it makes the experience of visiting this place indescribable. In May, we can see the egret eggs hatching. It is truly a uniqueness not found anywhere else. So, what do you think? This Teluk Intan tourism product is quite interesting, and many people do not know about it. So, if you have some free time, you can go to Teluk Intan and experience the things described above for yourself. You can contact the management directly at 012 596 6375 to join.
