Lumut is a great destination for those who would like to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Nevertheless, the most well-known beach to the locals is none other than Teluk batik. Located in the west coast of the state of Perak, the beach is about 10 kilometres away from Lumut town. Most of the locals here travel to the beach by cars. Well, if you are driving, no worries because there are plenty of parking spaces available to accommodate the growing number of visitors.
However, the beach can be crowded during the weekends and public holidays. The golden sandy beach is perfect for picnickers and campers. Visitors can swim here most f the time except during high tides as the water can turn murky. As the number of visitors increased annually, more developments can be seen such as renovation of big structures and spacious squares to convenient visitors to take a stroll and use the restrooms to shower after spending some time in the sea. Besides swimming, visitors can also rent tyre tubes, chairs and boats from a kiosk here.
The annual Sea Festival is held here between August and November. Even though during those months Teluk Batik can be crowded, the festival is one of the highlights on your trip to Lumut. Therefore, do not miss out the opportunity to join the locals in this fun-filled festival. Plenty of sea sports competitions and cultural shows will be arranged to attract more visitors to Lumut.
Spare some time to walk around the beach and figure out what souvenirs to purchase. There are several souvenirs shops along the beach selling coral painted and designed uniquely that comes in different shapes and sizes. You may also purchase other local products such as dried seafood. Hawker stalls are lined along the road outside the beach selling snacks and local delicacies.
If you prefer a quiet beach, head down to Teluk Senangin that overlooks the charming island of Pangkor though the beach is not as well established as compared to Teluk Batik. Located somewhere near the Damai Laut Swiss Garden Golf Resort and Spa, this beach is not crowded thus you can have it all to yourself. However, since the beach is less crowded, there is no international standard accommodation available here.
Another attraction of Lumut is The Mangrove Forest Park (Taman Paya Bakau). Also known as Lumut Mangrove Swamp, it is located opposite Venice of Perak, a newly developed area that comprises big residential and shop houses. If you are driving to the Mangrove Swamp, pay attention to a signboard along the highway to Ayer Tawar. Even though the swamps are muddy in nature, visitors need not worry about getting dirty as there is a walkway for people to walk around the forest.
The swamps here provide an eco-system to support plants and living organisms such as migratory birds, prawns, crabs, monkeys and other sea creatures. The wood from Mangrove trees are used to make firewood and charcoal for industrial use. A reminder for all – stay away from the monkeys as they will try to snatch and grab your belongings particularly food. The highlight of the trip is to pass through the hanging bridge overlooking various plants and small creatures in the swamp.
The walkway/platform was built to convenient the visitors to walk in the area. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the estuary. Along the way, visitors will be mesmerized with the panoramic view of the river. Even though this Mangrove Swamp is not popular or featured in information booklets, it still worth stopping by to check out the living organisms and take a picture or two here.
A few kilometres out of town, there is a little Indian plantation temple known as Kaliaman temple. This is one of the most interesting temples you can find not far from Lumut. Built right in the middle of an estate, the temple is dedicated to Hindu goddess Kali (also known as dark goddess).