PULAU KETAM (Crab Island) is the most popular fishing village in Selangor. The easiest way to get to Pulau Ketam is to take the commuter train from KL Central Station in Kuala Lumpur to Port Klang. Although on the surface, the island is not as attractive as other islands in Malaysia, it is still a popular destination for families, especially on weekends and public holidays. Pulau Ketam is the best opportunity for visitors to experience the unique lifestyle of a fisherman. It also serves as an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Pulau Ketam is strategically located as a stop and transfer point for fisherman heading beyond the regular fishing grounds. Pulau Ketam is a thriving fishing hub that now covers a bustling harbour frequented by countless floating vehicles, from forceless sampan to fishing boats. All buildings are built within three to five feet from the swampland. During high tide, the houses appear to float on the water, giving a wonderful, surreal feeling.
Here are some activities to include in your itinerary on your next visit.
Getting there
The only way in to Pulau Ketam is by taking a ferry from Port Klang jetty. The ferry tickets can be purchased at the jetty, or by booking online. It costs about RM10 for a one-way ticket and RM18 for two-way tickets. It would be a smart idea to ask about the type of ferry you would like to travel on before purchasing the tickets, as there several options available, and also to avoid wasting time deciding.
Transport
The main mode of transportation on the island is by bicycle, other than walking. There are no cars here; the only way to get from one village to the other is by boat or ferry. Although the island isn’t that big and can be explored by walking, it is best to hire a bicycle or motorbike. It can be exhausting to walk around, especially on a hot sunny day. Renting a bike would be more convenient to explore without getting tired. As paths are often narrow, uneven, and unprotected, visitors must be careful not to collide with other bikers or cyclists.
Temples
Despite its small size, Pulau Ketam is home to several beautiful temples. Those temples are pretty much the central attractions in Pulau Ketam. One of the biggest temples in Pulau Ketam is the Hock Leng Keng Temple. The best time to visit is on the 28th day of the 4th month of the Chinese Calendar. On that day, the temple deity’s birthday is celebrated with a grand celebration featuring Chinese opera performances, mini-concerts and a ceremonial parade to bless the island. All temples are beautiful with intricate carvings and colourful paintings. The temple is also said to be the cleanest and most well maintained on the island.
Food hunt
One does not go to a fishing village and not try their delicious seafood. And Pulau Ketam has plenty of scrumptious delights. The typical Chinese dishes include butter cheese prawns, chili crab, steamed fish, clam curry and more. If you’re not a seafood lover, the market has plenty of stalls selling street food and local produce. Seafood is a natural wonder of this isle, and Pulau Ketam is renowned for fresh crabs, prawns and fish. It is indeed a seafood gourmet’s paradise!
For the ‘gram
Pulau Ketam has a vintage vibe. It’s usually crowded on the weekends, but trips to the island on weekdays give photographers a shot of idyllic village life with its narrow roads and winding wooden ‘streets’, colourful wooden houses built on stilts and fishing boats moored in the harbour. If nature photography is your thing, check out the hundreds of tiny crabs and mudskippers that live on the island’s shallow, muddy shores. There are also beautiful murals on the walls that are worth taking pictures of.
Fishing
Due to its proximity to larger cities, Pulau Ketam is a popular destination for anglers living in the Klang Valley. Remember to bring your own bait and jump on a speedboat to the floating rigs called “kelongs”, which are basically huge platforms made of wooden planks and plastic barrels that keep the structure buoyant on the surface of the sea. There are also aquaculture farms where visitors can catch red and golden snapper, grouper, sea catfish and salmons.
Walk around and explore
It definitely feels good to see the laid-back pace of life and the spirit of good neighbourlinesss in a small community. Unlike in a city where we couldn’t even imagine not locking our house gate, the doors of almost every house here were wide open when we visited. While some houses had small compounds, none of them had tall gates like the houses in the cities have.
Most importantly, it’s so clean and quiet at the island! Pulau Ketam is certainly a very refreshing place to escape and chill. You will probably spend about an hour or two looking at the way of life of the villagers. You may notice the villagers manually peeling prawns, or discover salt dried fish hanging and drying under the sun, or villagers repairing damaged fishing nets outside their house.
Fish farm
Fish farms can be found floating on the sea. It takes about 10 minutes journey to reach by then boat. As their name implies, popular fish are reared here. Most of the living fish will be transported to restaurants.
