Bukit Merah Orangutan Island in Perak, Malaysia is a rehabilitation center of 35 acres just for orangutans.
And since it 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 how do you get there? Find out in this post!
Why You Should Visit
Besides what we already mentioned, it is an educational outing that’s family friendly. During our visit, we got the opportunity to see many orangutans up close!
They have around 20 orangutans here, in different life stages too. And the island is built with a cool concept. Where people will pass through a caged tunnel to see the orangutans that are roaming outside!
By visiting the sanctuary, you are supporting the center’s cause. The proceeds go to looking after the resident orangutans and to maintaining the center. If you want to help them further, bring cash for donations!
Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island runs a nursery and research center for orangutans too. In addition to the rehabilitation facility.
Their rehabilitation programme works hard to get their orangutans back into the wild in Borneo. And in the meantime, the orangutans in the sanctuary get to live in natural surroundings instead of cages with dedicated staff to look after them.
Another important motive behind the sanctuary is to bring awareness to locals and tourists on the need for conservation of this endangered species.
When 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!
In the dry season (June to July especially), the lake may dry out, reducing to a few inches of water. This is too low for the boats. And since this is the only way to ferry visitors to the island, the sanctuary may be temporarily closed to visitors.
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. The boat schedule depends on the water level of the lake and the number of expected visitors. Sometimes there are big tour groups that will fill up the boats fast.
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)!
How To Get To The Sanctuary
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!
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
But 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 RayTheTour a message on WhatsApp!
Regardless of your starting point, you will have to set your destination to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort first. 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.
The island is where the sanctuary is and it can only be reached by hopping on a boat that departs from Bukit Merah Laketown resort.
The price of the boat ride is included with entrance tickets to the sanctuary. And the ride itself is enjoyable 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.
- Contact: +605-890 8110 / +6019-578 3015
- Official Website: https://www.pulauorangutan.com/
Where To Get Tickets
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.
Besides the boat ride, tickets include a guided tour by a staff member once you get to the center.
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
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!
We didn’t though and headed back on the next boat. Our visit here took us less than an hour.
What The Tours Are Like
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.
For our visit, it was a lady who spoke English to our group. Because of her accent, it was not that easy to understand what she said. But we could still catch some of her words throughout the tour if we didn’t stray too far from the group.
The background information and stories she shared about the sanctuary and individual orangutans were interesting and insightful.
She was patient and never rushed us. There was ample time to interact with and observe the orangutans during the tours. A guide leading another group had brought sweet potatoes and the orangutans were very happy to see and approach him.
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.
The caged walkway through the enclosure is 100-200m, and our tour ran for about as long as it took the group 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).
Personally, we would have enjoyed the tour a lot more if the group wasn’t so big. Or if the lady guiding us had a microphone. We didn’t get to hear everything she said.
Tour Duration: 30 minutes and up to 1.5 hours to complete the tour.
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 orangutans.
- Toilets at Bukit Merah Laketown Resort and along the walkway on the 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.
We did not regret our visit even though it was very short and we didn’t get to see or interact with any baby orangutans.
National Zoo Of Malaysia
Another alternative to see orangutans in West Malaysia is over at the National Zoo of Malaysia in Selangor. There are a lot of other animals as well and the panda exhibit is impressive!
Traditional Charcoal Factory In Kuala Sepetang
Kuala Sepetang is not far from Bukit Merah and the traditional charcoal factory by the mangrove reserves is a main attraction with guided tours.
