Teluk Kumbar, Penang

Teluk Kumbar, Penang (13 January 2016)


Teluk Kumbar (GPS: 5.28807, 100.23206), (Traditional/Simplified Chinese: 公巴; Pinyin: Gōngba; Penang Hokkien: Kong3pa1) is a small fishing village on the southern part of Penang Island. There used to be a depot for the Penang Yellow Bus here, but it has since become disused. In the pekan or town centre, you can see mostly Chinese-style rural houses with zinc roofs huddled close to the main road.

Teluk Kumbar was named after pokok kumbar, a type of mangrove palm similar to the buah salak.

Teluk Kumbar's call to fame among Penangites is seafood. At Teluk Kumbar are several seaside restaurants specializing in seafood, the most popular of which is a Chinese establishment called Good Friend Seafood, located behind the disused Yellow Bus Workshop near Pekan Teluk Kumbar, with a good view of the sun setting off Gertak Sanggul.

Measuring from Lexis Suites Penang as the heart of Teluk Kumbar (GPS: 5.287432, 100.232788), Teluk Kumbar is 20.4 km to Komtar, 14.4 km to the Penang Bridge, 10.0 km to the Second Penang Bridge and 6.0 km to the Penang International Airport.

Map of Teluk Kumbar

Neighbourhoods of Teluk Kumbar

Sights in alphabetical order

Apartments and Condominiums in Teluk Kumbar

Businesses in Teluk Kumbar

Chinese Temples in Teluk Kumbar

Eateries in Teluk Kumbar

Hotels in Teluk Kumbar

Houses in Teluk Kumbar

Markets in Teluk Kumbar

Mosques in Teluk Kumbar

Roads in Teluk Kumbar

Schools in Teluk Kumbar

Sights in Teluk Kumbar

Related Pages on Teluk Kumbar

Traffic in Teluk Kumbar

There is only one main road in Teluk Kumbar. It is the same Route 6 that circles Penang Island. Traffic along this route is heavy, particularly during rush hours. Those planning to purchase properties in Teluk Kumbar should also take note of the traffic lights at the intersection of Jalan Bayan Lepas with Jalan Permatang Damar Laut which causes daily congestions during peak hours. Often, you may be stuck in queue for twenty minutes or more.

Getting to Teluk Kumbar

Take Rapid Penang 308, 401 and 401E to reach Teluk Kumbar.

Updates on Teluk Kumbar

December, 2015 A new dispersal system has improved on the traffic at the Teluk Kumbar-Bayan Lepas Junction.

Teluk Kumbar road widening (29 November 2014)


6 January, 2015
The Star reports that a RM207 million project, part of a four-part traffic dispersal system, is expected to improve traffic flow between Bayan Lepas and Teluk Kumbar. The project comprises a 4-lane 750-meter elevated highway connecting Jalan Teluk Kumbar to the airport, with an elevated U-turn, and the widening of Jalan Teluk Kumbar from one lane each way to two lanes.

Jalan Teluk Kumbar (2 February 2013)


Another popular fare from Teluk Kumbar is mee udang, a spicy noodle dish cooked with big-sized prawns sold mostly at the Malay stalls, and available during lunch time. Many office workers from the Bayan Lepas Industrial Zone visit it during lunch.

Once a sleepy haven, Teluk Kumbar has in recent years seen much housing development all along Jalan Teluk Kumbar. This includes high-rise apartment blocks as well as upscale residential estates. Due to its increased population over the past decade, Teluk Kumbar now experiences traffic jams, particular at the approach to the Bayan Lepas intersection. At time of this update (April 2014), plans are afoot to construct an elevated highway to bypass Bayan Lepas town centre and alleviate the congestion. Once that is completed, it is hoped that the daily traffic jams will be a thing of the past.

Fishing boats, Teluk Kumbar (1 November 2003)


Jalan Teluk Kumbar is the only main road in the area. Branching off from Jalan Teluk Kumbar are smaller village roads which usually ends by the seaside. The include Jalan Sungai Batu and Jalan Gertak Sanggul, both serving their namesake villages.

Despite the recent development that Teluk Kumbar experiences, the town of Teluk Kumbar still provides a languid feel that is different form what you would experience on the east coast of Penang Island. The best time to visit Teluk Kumbar is on the morning of a weekend, when you can drive at a leisurely pace through this area and not having to get stuck in the traffic jams, which worsen as late afternoon approaches.

View from Teluk Kumbar towards Pulau Rimau (1 November 2003)

List of Beaches in Penang and Beaches in Malaysia; List of Towns in Penang and Towns in Malaysia