Sky Mirror is a hidden gem to many tourists, but a must-visit attraction among locals. It doesn’t yet have the international fame of the Bolivia’s Uyuni Salt Flats!
You’ll need a tour to visit it, and this post is all about our experience taking one of these tours!
What Is So Special About This Place?
Firstly, you can only see the “Sky Mirror” during certain hours (typically during low tide). The exposed sand bank in the middle of the sea creates an unusual backdrop for photos.
And at low tide, the water is almost still too. So, it reflects the sky perfectly! Especially during a sunny day when the sky is a bright blue!
When Should You Plan Your Visit?
The tours to visit the Sky Mirror in Kuala Selangor only run a few times a month, depending on the tide.
To be exact, the 1st and 15th of lunar month. And 4 days before and after these dates (new moon and full moon periods). During those days, the tours will have a few slots spread throughout the day.
Photography Tips (Cloudy Vs Blue Skies)
If your goal is to get blue skies in your photographs, then you should check the weather ahead of your trip too.
During our visit, the sky was overcast. Hence, we didn’t have a “perfect” sky in our photos. On the plus side, it won’t be as hot as going in the afternoon. We got the early morning slot, so it was not hot at all.
A cloudy day creates a moody feel in the photos. We did find that there were occasionally patches of blue sky when we walked around. So don’t be too disappointed if you were hoping for blue skies.
Another silver lining for a cloudy day is that nobody needs to squint their eyes in the photos!
What To Bring
- Colorful clothes are definitely a good idea.
- You’ll need a hat, slippers and plenty of sunscreen too. Sunglasses are up to you.
- Bring figurines or toys of your favorite characters, colorful umbrellas, scarves, etc. We even saw someone with a kite too!
- A jacket or scarf if you are afraid of getting cold (during the boat ride).
- Tour operators do provide water in plastic bottles, but we felt that this was not environmentally friendly, so we brought our own.
- Something to take photos with! Although the tour service may have photographers at hand, bigger groups are quick to book them. Doesn’t hurt to bring a selfie stick or tripod either.
- Unless you don’t mind leaving your things on the boat (at your own risk), bring a waterproof bag that you can put on the ground close to you. There is nowhere dry at the salt lakes.
Don’t forget to use the toilet before the boat ride! There are no facilities at the Sky Mirror.
What A Sky Mirror Tour Is Like
This was the tour company we chose, skymirrortour. We just went for the Sky Mirror as we have already seen both the fireflies and blue tears before on separate occasions.
We booked our spot on the Sky Mirror Tour a month ahead at RM80 per person.
You will get around 2 hours max during this tour to enjoy the Sky Mirror due to the tide coming in. This includes the journey to and from the flats.
We booked the morning slot. And on the day of our tour, we met the rest of the group at 6:30am in a kopitiam close to the docks. Our homestay was a little far, so we drove to the jetty from Sasaran town.
Tip – The kopitiam opens at 6am but even so, you might want to get there before all the tables are taken by the other people in your tour group.
At the jetty, we waited with the rest of the passengers before boarding a small boat to head for the sea. It was a 30–40-minute journey before we reached the salt flats. The ride was quite bumpy and the boat passed many mangroves along the way.
What We Did At the Sky Mirror
When we arrived, we saw that there were already many brightly clad tourists with other tour operators. But overcrowding to pick the perfect photo spot didn’t seem to be an issue since the area was quite large.
Our tour service had a couple of professional photographers, but they always seemed to be busy with bigger groups, so we just took photos on our own.
There were props we could use for the photos as well.
While moving around, we were surprised to see many little hermit crabs in the sand. There are less of them near the edge of the salt flat where the boats are docked but we didn’t mind them too much.
There are some interesting looking crabs (see pictures below). Be careful not to step on the bigger shells.
When we felt that we had taken plenty of photos (no rushed us either), we followed our group back onto the boat. We reached the jetty with enough time to pack and check out of our accommodation.
Overall, we personally had a pleasant experience with Sky Mirror Tour with no delays or complications. Communication with the tour service was done through WhatsApp (in Mandarin) with fast response times!
Sky Mirror Tour Operators
Mind that tour slots are limited and are held only a few times per month. Book early to avoid disappointment. This is more important when a long public holiday is approaching as the tours are very popular with families.
Here are some tour operators you can try:
- Sky Mirror Tour & Travel Sdn Bhd: Their website is here.
- Sky Mirror Bagan Datuk Perak / 9 Island Agency Sdn Bhd (环岛旅游有限公司) Website link here.
- D Tours Kuala Selangor Go to their website here.
Wave Rest House & Cafe provides a combination of accommodation and tour package. It is run by a family, and they have a Facebook page (link here). The main host, Steve pretty much does everything. Acting as tour guide, driver, photographer, etc.
Their 2-day itinerary includes a visit to the swamp to see wildlife (mostly birds).
It does cost extra if you want to go to the Sky Mirror (involves a boat trip to Pulau Angsa) during the 2-day stay. There also needs to be a minimum of 7 visitors before this tour can run. Please allocate 5-6 hours for this. Insurance is included.
Other Popular Tour Activities
In general, most of the tour operators in this area usually provide a combination or all these same activities.
Listed in no particular order here:
- Eagle feeding/bird watching during the day
- A boat tour to see fireflies in mangroves at night
- Boat tour to see the blue tears (glowing plankton) at night
- Clam catching
- And of course, a boat tour to visit the Sky Mirror during the day
Notes:
- The order of activities depends on the tide.
- All the tour companies seem to be run by Chinese groups. So, it would be convenient if you know Mandarin or have a friend who does.
- Some tour operators combine Pulau Sembilan and the Sky Mirror into a 1-day package. You can read about that in the next section
A Note On Blue Tears
There used to be an overnight (or full day) tour where you could stay over at one the Pulau Sembilan islands to see the blue tears (glowing plankton) wash ashore at night. You can read about our overnight experience to see blue tears in Pulau Sembilan from this post.
But in early 2017, visitors were no longer allowed on the island.
Some tour operators try to offer both the blue tears and sky mirror to their customers. For example, a visit to the sky mirror in the first half of the day. Followed by another trip to see the blue tears at night.
Both activities will require a boat ride to the sea. For the blue tears, the tour guide will use a net to scoop some up for visitors to have a look. It is not quite as impressive (depending on the season and weather) but take what you can get.
Hotel Suggestions
VI Boutique Hotel – This boutique hotel is walking distance from the jetty and close to many popular seafood restaurants in Kuala Selangor. Rooms are basic and clean with comfortable beds, but WiFi is only available at the lobby area. There is a swimming pool and lots of parking spaces available. The hotel can be noisy at night (some rooms face the road) on public holidays and weekends. Check Price Now On Booking.com | Agoda.com
De Palma Eco Resort Kuala Selangor – This hotel also has a fairly large pool and free parking. Breakfast and WiFi is free of charge. You can even get room service here! And some of their rooms have a kitchen. The rooms are big but have satisfactory cleanliness and thin walls.
Grand Kapar Hotel Kuala Selangor – This is a good budget hotel for families. Rooms are spacious and clean enough (sometimes not) but the walls are not soundproof. There are local eats nearby. Their Wi-Fi is not reliable. Check Price Now On Booking.com | Agoda.com
Homestay Suggestions
Both accommodations listed here are close to the meeting point for these two tour operators:
- Sky Mirror Tour & Travel Sdn Bhd
- D Tours Kuala Selangor Sky Mirror & Eagle Feeding Tour
The Lucky Star Homestay – There’s ample beds (5 beds) and baths (2 baths) in this clean and cozy apartment. Perfect for a large group or a family. And although there is no WiFi provided, there are a lot of amenities. For example, towels, bedsheets, soap, hairdryer, free parking, a TV, etc. Guests are free to use the kitchen and fridge too. The building exterior is rather old, but the inside is new. The host speaks English, Mandarin and Bahasa Melayu. Check Price Now On Booking.com | Agoda.com
Homestay Blue Tears KS Botanic – You can rent out this whole spacious 2-bedroom house (that can fit up to 8 people) for your group. Breakfast and WiFi are included as well as free parking. There is a tea or coffee maker in all the rooms too and guests are also welcome to use the kitchen. Other things that are also included are board games and toiletries. The host is friendly and helpful.
Conclusion
Visiting the Sky Mirror is great fun for anyone who likes to have photos taken with their loved ones. If not that, then it’s something you don’t see every day.
With all the tours and accommodations available, it’s all too easy. More so, if you can speak Chinese!
Sekinchan
This little town has a lot of visitors coming for their beautiful rice fields and fishing village. We highly recommend you check it out too since it’s not far from where the Sky Mirror tours are held.
Things To Do In Kuala Selangor
Kuala Selangor has many other places to visit. If you’re thinking of taking the weekend off to explore this area, read this guide!
