Cliff Chen

The “floating houses” that come to view as visitors approach the island are a sight to awe any city slickers. Perching casually on long wooden stilts, these dwellings are suspended about one to ten (1-10) metre above sea level.
Pulau Ketam which means Crab Island, is a small island with a fishing village located off the coast of Port Klang. It is among a group of several mangrove islands.

Access to this island is only by boat. Passenger ferries are available at frequent intervals from Port Klang’s South Port. To get to the South Port’s jetty, you can choose to drive or travel by rail (KTM Commuter last station Port Klang).

As of now, the actual jetty is currently closed for upgrading works and the temporary jetty is located a few hundred meters down the road. Do note that the entrance to this jetty is obscured and there are obvious signs from the outside. If you are coming from the KTM station, it is located at the back of a building on the left just before a blue and white colored building belonging to the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Do check with the operators at the jetty on the types of boats available and the prices. Speed boats with outboard motors are very fast but passengers will often get wet from the sea spray – pricey too. Ferries with aircon are fast and very comfortable. However, their enclosed hull and the small scratchy windows offer little to see. The cheapest way to get to the island is by wooden ferries. They are noisy and slow, but you get to enjoy the beautiful view along the way.

This village is built on stilts as high as 10m above the seabed. Bicycles for rental.