Penang National Park. Hiking or Trail Running ?

How do you celebrate Malaysia Merdeka Day? For most Malaysians, the best time to go for bargain hunting is the Merdeka Day. Instead of shouting "Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka", they will be shouting "Offer, Sale, Discounts". So a lot of Malaysians will be thronging the shopping malls.  Who would want a visit or a hike at the Penang National Park ? But I am a person who crave for physical activity. So a hike at the Penang National Park will be a better option. Penang National Park (formerly known as Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve) also the world's smallest national park has seen much changes since my last visit a long time ago. (Must have been ages since I last visited the place). In addition, it is a good time to test my new Merrell Trail Glove which has been used for running the Green Run MPSP.

Scenic view of the Penang National Park

I have chosen Pantai Keracut and not Muka Head as it is a shorter hike. The hike to Muka Head will take about 1 hour and 45 mins.  However, my last adventure at Muka Head was an overnight BBQ at the beach and a hike up to the light house in the middle of the night which was such a memorable experience. I would love to recapture the experience again in another time.

You have to turn left to go to Pantai Keracut and right to Muka Head.

The elevation based on my Garmin watch

You can actually do trail running at the Penang National Park as the steepness of the hike is not as steep as the Penang Hill. The distance to Pantai Keracut is about 3.36km and we covered the distance in about 1 hour and 25 mins. But if you are not taking a boat ride back just remember you have to hike the same distance back. The attraction of Pantai Keracut is of course the meromictic lake. Pantai Keracut is also an isolated beach and pretty clean. Of course, the best part of the hike is the orchestral sounds of the forest, the greenery and the fresh air. A nice and relaxing short trip if you could just spare half a day !!

Meromictic Lake and Suspension Bridge

Pantai Keracut

My Merrell Trail Glove has performed remarkably well on the road, the beach and now on trails. The grip of the shoe is good for hikes and trail running. I would say a multi-purpose shoe. But you have to get used to barefoot  running because it is a minimalist shoe.