Things to do in Pulau Aman

It's pretty easy to explore the small island. Along its coastline, there is a 4 kilometer pathway that could bring you to the pebbled beaches which are shaded by coconut tree. There even a kayaks for rent for those who likes sea adventure. If you are physically fit, you can consider hiking to the top of the hill for a panoramic view of the Penang mainland. Else, just rent a bicycle and explore the details of the quaint village. 

Fresh Seafood Restaurant 

One of the major attractions of Pulau Aman is to eat "Mee Udang" (Prawn Noodles) at the restaurant located right at the village boat jetty.The fresh prawns run out fast and so do order early. Very often, the prawns will run out and you can still order other dishes like fried noodles or fried rice without the prawns. Disappointment. But if you hang around, new prawns may arrive by boat and then the "Mee Udang" is on the menu again.The cooking style is Malay frying with heavy soup gravy. The prawns is fresh. Each standard plate comes with 4 prawns at RM5. There are fizzy drinks and drinking water sold but do not expect to get alcoholic beverages as this is a Malay restaurant.

Boat trip to Pulau Gedong

The neighboring island of Pulau Gedong is isolated and uninhabited. You can arrange with the local fishermen for a group trip round the island. It will be more interesting if you are into fishing. At one time, there were plans of using the island as second home for Japanese retirees though today, the island is still very much "unused". There are a few legendary sites of the island of pirates, lairs, magical wells and rocks. You will get a closer view of George Town, Penang Island and Penang bridge too.There is a "Gua Lanun" or "Pirates' Cave" where pirates sheltered and hoarded their loot.  You can also find some of the World War II ammunitions depot here. 

There is also an old grave at the top of the hill near Batu Perompak which is believed to be the final resting place of a pirate chief called Panglima Garang. "Batu Perompak" literally means "Pirate's Rock" and in the olden days it was the haunt of pirates who plundered the waters around the island. A fishing excursion trip to the offshore kelong is another place not to be missed. You can make enquiry at the ticketing counter near the jetty for the different packages available.

Digging for shell fish at the beach

On departing Pulau Aman, you can see the happy faces of children and some parents with their plastic bag harvest of the day - a bagful of small shell fish (bivalves) which the locals call "siput".
It is a fun activity of two or more digging into a hole into the sandy or gravel beach near the water line, exposing these small bivalves and spoting them and catching them before they escaped deeper into the sand.These bivalves are great joy to catch and to eat too. You can soak them into water to wash out the sand and brine and then fry them for a tasty dish. The local Malaysian Chinese called this digging of bivalves "Oar-see-put"

For avid anglers

Many regular tourists come here for fishing. Do bring your own fishing gear and bait. Did not see any "tourist" shop for fishing enthusiasts. Most are busy out fishing or repairing their nets.You can arrange for boat fishing trips around Pulau Aman and the next-door Pulau Gedong. Or just fish off the boat jetties. The new boat jetty is hardly been used as it is a good 15 minutes walk from the village. It is built over a long stretch of the sea as it is shallow at low tide. Hence it a popular place for line fishing. Also on the mainland side, near Batu Kawan new jetty, there are anglers too.

Walkabout the Island

There are about 245 populations of 40 families in Pulau Aman. Majority of them are Kaum Melayu, and most of them workes as fisherman and some of them have small industry of process belacan, dried fish and shrimps, Buah Sukun crisps and Homestay. You can walk around the village and go by the houses. There are no fences and the locals are friendly. You can see them repairing their nets or sleeping on the hammocks.There are no cars on the island. The paths do have road names and many of the houses have the names of the owners displayed on signs.As the island is quite small, you will not get lost and will meet again those "strangers" on your boat arrival who are "familiar friends" by the time you depart the island

Telaga Emas

As you see the Pulau Aman Map, there's a Telaga Emas (Golden Well) along the island. According to the history, a villager around 1789, dugs a well and found a tempayan (large earthernware jar for storing water) that turned into golden tempayan. Then the British in Penang heard of the golden tempayan and came to dig and dig the well but they cant find any golden tempayan but a lot of golden coloured pebbles.