A village on the water
Houses and jetties on stilts.
Slleong — CC0 · hams Nocete — CC BY-SA 2.0 · udeyismail from Cheras, Kuala Lumpur — CC BY-SA 2.0
A coastal fishing village on a river mouth west of Taiping, its houses and jetties raised on stilts over the water and its colourful boats coming and going between the fishing grounds and the fish farms. The British knew it as Port Weld, the terminus of Malaysia's first railway line, which linked it with Taiping in 1885 to carry tin to the sea. Around it lies the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, among the best-managed mangrove forests in the world, planted and harvested on a careful system since the early twentieth century. On the edge of the village stand traditional dome-shaped kilns where charcoal has been made from mangrove wood for decades, and visitors can watch the work and learn its stages. Wandering the village is free; there is a wooden boardwalk through the mangroves, and local boatmen run trips to the river mouth and the fishing villages to spot eagles and sometimes dolphins, at varying prices. Its restaurants are known for fresh seafood. It is about a quarter of an hour's drive from Taiping, so make it a half-day trip, come in the morning or late afternoon, and ask about the tides before taking a boat.
Houses and jetties on stilts.
A traditional craft from mangrove wood.
A coastal forest managed for a century.
On the coast west of Taiping, about 15 km from the town centre
Yes for nature lovers: the boat winds between the mangroves and fishing villages to the river mouth, where eagles circle and dolphins sometimes appear. Agree the price and duration with the boatman before setting off.