Bukit Merah Orangutan Island In Perak, Malaysia. This is a rehabilitation center of 35 acres just for orangutans.
And as Orang Utan Island is close to Taiping, Ipoh, and Penang, it’s worth your while to visit it! Instead of going all the way to Borneo (East Malaysia) to see orangutans!
What is it like here? And more importantly, how do you get there? Find out in this post!
Table of contents:
- Why You Should Visit
- Mission Of Orangutan Island Foundation
- Best Time To Visit
- How To Get To Orangutan Island
- Jetty To Orang Utan Island
- Tickets
- How Long Should You Stay
- Orangutan Island Tour
- Facilities
Why You Should Visit Orangutan Island
Besides what we already mentioned:
- It is an educational outing that’s family-friendly
- Opportunity to see many orangutans up close!
- Support the center’s cause. The proceeds go to looking after the resident orangutans and to maintaining the center
- Cool concept – people will pass through a caged tunnel to see the orangutans that are roaming outside
- They have around 20 orangutans here, of different life stages
If you want to help them further, bring cash for donations!
Mission of Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation
What’s the purpose of the foundation running the center?
Their programme works hard to get their orangutans back into the wild in Borneo.
And in the meantime:
The orangutans in the center get to live in natural surroundings instead of cages. And with dedicated staff to look after them.
Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island runs a nursery and research center for orangutans too. In addition to the rehabilitation facility.
Another important motive for them is to bring awareness to locals and tourists on the need for conservation of this endangered species.
Best Time To Visit
Check the weather forecast before you go.
The center has a knack for closing during rainy days or even if it looks like it’s going to rain. And anyways, the orangutans will be hiding when it’s raining too!
Note: If the lake is dry, the place may be temporarily closed too. Always call their office +605-890 8110 (from 9am-4pm) for the status and boat schedule before making a trip to Bukit Merah.
And in the dry season, the lake can be reduced to a few inches high which is too low for the usual boats to reach the island. Thus, the place may be temporarily closed.
Hence, we recommend calling their office directly before you make a trip here. The number is +605-890 8110 and their office hours are from 9am-4pm.
At the same time, you should check their latest boat schedule (and book a spot on the boat) before your trip to Bukit Merah.
Furthermore, we suggest going as early in the morning as you can manage to catch the first boat to the island.
Especially if you want to avoid the worst of the heat (or the crowds)!
Read more: Kuala Sepetang – A quaint fishing village close to Taiping
How To Get To Orangutan Island
If you happen to be in Penang and want to head south to Ipoh or Kuala Lumpur (or vice versa), then it’s convenient to include this location in your travel plans!
Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation
- Address: Jeti Pulau Orang Utan Bukit Merah, Jalan Bukit Merah, 34400 Semanggol, Perak
- Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
- Contact: +605-890 8110
- Social Media: Facebook, Website
Regardless of your starting point, you will have to set your destination to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort first as this is where you can take a boat to the island!
Park at the same carpark as regular visitors just in front of the entrance to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort. There are no applicable carpark fees here.
Driving distances from different cities/ towns:
- From Kuala Lumpur: 3-4 hours’ drive (depending on traffic)
- From Penang: 1 hour drive via the North-South highway (i.e. Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan)
- From Ipoh: ~1 hour drive via the North-South highway
- From Taiping: 30-40 minutes’ drive
If you are starting your journey from Ipoh, you can book a private tour service (RayTheTour):
- Comfortable transport for your whole group
- Flexible and customizable itinerary (they can cover Cameron Highlands, Taiping and Ipoh too)
- Rates include transport (i.e. car, fuel, toll fees) and an Ipoh-born tour guide to escort you and show you the local sights!
Book by sending us or RayTheTour a message on WhatsApp!
Jetty To Orang Utan Island
Orang Utan Island can only be reached by hopping on a ferry from Bukit Merah Laketown resort.
The ride itself is enjoyable too and takes less than 15 minutes!
Note: You are expected to don a life jacket during the boat ride. The boat ride is smooth (and slow) throughout.
- Schedule: the ferry schedule is 9:45am, 11:15am, 12:45pm, 2:15pm, 3:15pm (minimum 4pax)
- Note: Call them for the latest boat schedule (it does depend on the water level and number of expected visitors) and when the next available boat is (sometimes there are big tour groups that will fill up the boats fast.
- Duration: about 15 minutes
- Address: Jalan Bukit Merah, 34400 Simpang Empat Semanggol, Negeri Perak
- Contact: +605-890 8110
- Price: Included with the entrance fee
Read more: Taiping Lake Gardens – pride of Taiping
Tickets For Orang Utan Island
Buy your tickets at the end of the ferry dock at the Bukit Merah Laketown Resort.
If you happen to miss the boat, you can wait at the benches at the ferry dock or wander around Bukit Merah Laketown Resort.
For Malaysians:
| Malaysian | Peak | Non-Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Adult* | RM28 | RM25 |
| Child** | RM18 | RM15 |
| Senior Citizen*** | RM23 | RM20 |
| Disabled | RM18 | RM15 |
Peak: School Holiday, Public Holiday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Non-Peak: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday
For Non-Malaysians:
| Non-Malaysian | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult* | RM40 |
| Child** | RM22 |
*above 12 years old
**4 to 12 years old
***55 years old and above
Tickets include a guided tour by a staff member once you get to the center.
Tip: Beware of buying tickets from other websites claiming to have the lowest prices.
How Long Should You Stay
Each tour session usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes before the next group arrives.
So, if you want to hang around the center longer, you can! (e.g. 90 minutes instead of 45 minutes). Just take a later ferry back instead!
Read more: Bukit Merah Laketown Resort – Affordable Family Fun Theme Park
More details on the tours:
Orang Utan Island Tours
Tours are usually conducted by a knowledgeable staff member (in English too) that will elaborate more on the center’s conservation efforts as well as their resident orangutans!
You might even get a chance to meet the medical team that cares for the orangutans! The resident vet is an expert in orangutan diseases!
They do have an orangutan infant care unit so depending on your luck, you might be able to see a baby orangutan on the day that you go!
We didn’t get to see any babies on our visit but the infant care unit has a large window that you can peep into to see all their equipment. It’s surprisingly very much like a human infant ward.
And of course, visitors will get ample time to interact with and observe the orangutans on the tours.
Note: The inner fences are electric with no signage so be sure not to touch them and keep an eye out on kids who might want to get closer to the orangutans.
Don’t be shy to ask the helpful staff about the character or background history of an individual orangutan.
And since the caged walkway through the enclosure is 100-200m:
These tours generally run for the time it takes to cross to the other side.
Note that there is some plant cover over the walkway but there’s no roof over the walkway. So, we still recommend bringing a hat (and protection against mosquitoes).
Tour Duration: 30 minutes and up to 1.5 hours to complete the tour.
Read more: 5 Theme Parks To Check Out In Ipoh & Perak
Available Facilities
Facilities on the island are more for the orangutans than for the visitors!
However, you’ll find the following facilities (Besides the orangutan center) available. Some are back at the resort.
- Ample and free parking at Bukit Merah Laketown Resort
- There is a small gift shop – profits go to the cost of caring for the orang utans.
- Toilets at Bukit Merah Laketown Resort and along the walkway on Orangutan Island
The walkway into the sanctuary is not completely flat but a wheelchair and baby pram should still be able to pass through without too much trouble.
There are some ramps as well.
But when it comes to getting on and off the boat, you’ll need to be able to fold and store the wheelchair/ pram and there are some steps to access the boat.
We didn’t see any wheelchair friendly toilets at the sanctuary so it’s best to use the toilet over at the resort.
Note: Have some loose change (i.e., coins) ready to use the toilets at the resort
Conclusion
Some people may find it disheartening to see the orangutans in captivity. Even if they are kept in a free-range area like the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island and well cared for.
But on the other hand, this is how the public can learn more about orangutans and be exposed to the plight they face.
Another alternative to see orangutans in West Malaysia is over at the National Zoo of Malaysia in Selangor.
