Kuala Gula, Perak

Kuala Gula, Perak (3 April, 2004)


Kuala Gula 瓜拉牛拉 (GPS: 4.93456, 100.46462) is a small fishing hamlet in northern Perak, about two hours from Penang. It is located next to Kuala Kurau. This place is famous for the Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary, where thousands of migratory birds roost in the mangrove swamps between August and December.

It so happened that a friend of mine Siew Pheng has relatives staying in Kuala Gula and its adjacent kampung Kuala Kurau. So I planned with her and a couple other friends to explore the fishing hamlet. The day we selected turned out to be a very wet Sunday afternoon in April, so there was no chance to see the birds in season. Nevertheless, we were warmly welcomed by Siewpheng's uncles. She has one uncle on her maternal side staying in Kuala Kurau, and another, on the paternal side, staying in Kuala Gula.

360° View of Kuala Gula on Google Maps Street View

Kuala Gula, Perak

Location of Sights in Kuala Gula

Sights in Kuala Gula

Sunset cruise on board Siew Pheng's uncle's fishing boat (3 April, 2004)


Exiting the North-South Expressway at Bagan Serai, we first reached Kuala Kurau. It is a riverside hamlet with a predominant Chinese population. There is a free ferryboat ride took us across the river. We picked up Siewpheng's maternal uncle and cousins. After that, there was still a long way on a dirt track before we finally arrived at Kuala Gula.

With her maternal uncle acting as a dropped-in tour guide, we explored a fascinating Chinese temple. I said "fascinating", because in addition to the prayer halls, the temple doubles as an amusement park, complete with grottoes that transport visitors on a walkabout tour of Hades.

Angler on his boat at the mangroves of Kuala Gula. (3 April, 2004)


After visiting the temple, we proceeded to look for Siewpheng's paternal uncle. And that's the start of a rather amusing incident. Siewpheng has never seen him before, and neither has he her. To make the connection, she had to called her mother at home and asked her to help identify the uncle!

Needless to say, we eventually tracked him down. We then sat down to a great seafood dinner at one of the coffee shops. The specialty of the area is crabs fried with beehoon. It was very tasty indeed!

After filling our empty tummies, we proceeded to explore the coastal village of Kuala Gula. Siewpheng's uncle has a boat, so he took us for a spin around the mangrove swamps famous for its migratory birds. We did see some herons, but not in great abundance, since it is outside the migratory season, and also because of the rain.

The road to Kuala Gula. (3 April, 2004)


By then, the sun was setting, providing us many scenic views of the Straits of Malacca, where fishermen have erected huts over the sea. These huts, I learned, were used as breeding stations for fish, clams and other marine life. In places sea appeared like it has been fenced up.

After the sea excursion, we proceeded to visit another Chinese temple. It appears that the fisherfolks are a rather pious lot, judging from the number of shrines and temples in the area. They have to be, I suppose, since their fortune is at the mercy of the rather unpredictable sea. Both of Siewpheng's uncles are fishermen, the main job available at this riverside community.

The village of Kuala Gula. (3 April, 2004)


The final temple we visited was one with a big statue of the Goddess of Mercy. By then, night has fallen. We bade farewell to Siewpheng's paternal uncle, and adjourned to Siewpheng's maternal uncle's house in Kuala Kurau. This village is famous for its traditional Chinese biscuit, called the Hniau3 Pneah4. I bought a couple of packets for myself. Siewpheng's uncle then treated us to dinner at the nearby eatery before we started our journey back to Penang.

It was an interesting day well spent.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.