Passenger Ferry Penang -> Sumatra stopped?

[timae]

hi guys,

I was told by a backpacker in Singapore, that the passenger ferries from Penang to Medan recently stopped running. As always there's no reliable source online to be found.

Anybody got any news?

I also wrote the company, but they didn't answer yet, also couldn't get anyone on the phone.

Cheers
Tim

[somemustard]

Hi Tim,

We are currently near Penang so I gave the ferry office a call, and the information that you have is correct.

There is no longer any ferry service between Penang and Medan you have to fly, there is a passenger ferry between Dumai and Port Klang we used this service and bought the bikes over on an onion boat.

Regards

[timae]

Ah damn it. Thought so.

Thanks a lot for the fast answer.

I also received a mail from the company today confirming exactly what you said, also that Klang is the nearest possible option.

[albert wildgen]

We are now on the east coast of Malaysia and intend to ship our bike to Indonesia next week.

Please keep us updated on how you managed to get to Indonesia.

Albert

[Xander]

Originally Posted by somemustard

Hi Tim,

We are currently near Penang so I gave the ferry office a call, and the information that you have is correct.

There is no longer any ferry service between Penang and Medan you have to fly, there is a passenger ferry between Dumai and Port Klang we used this service and bought the bikes over on an onion boat.

Regards

We are intending to do this in a couple of months (in Malaysia now but will still intend to do the northern countries). Any way could you please tell us, how long it took to arrange the shipping (i think it only runs once a week (is this correct), and how long the shipping took. Also was it a RORO service or do we need to sorce a crate. How much did it cost? and what did the flights or ferry cost for you to travel as well.
Cheers
Tam and Xander

[somemustard]

Hi Tam and Xander,

Below is the link to the original post that we did for the onion boat from Dumai to Port Klang,
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/trip-transport/shipping-the-bike-dumai-melaka-35519

This is the company that handled the bikes once they arrived in Malaysia
Osfacs Sdn
(Orchid Shipping Forwarding Services)
Operations office
T1-21 Kompeks Barter Trade
Lot 14473 Jetty Asa Niaga
Jalan Pelabuhan Klang
the operations manager is Abdul Razak (Sham)
PH: 03-3166-1264
Mobile 019-311-0652

Sorry we do not have any details of the people that we used in Indonesia.
As for the passenger ferry I think it runs every day and costs around 100RM.
There is no RORO service and we did not have to crate the bikes.
Regards

[Xander]

Cheers mate

[timae]

Just so this is complete:

I didn't know about the possibility of shipping out of PT. Klang and so took the little detour described above.Shipped it, like everyone, with Cakra, contact data see here. Highly pleased with the service and the folks in Penang. The only little thing was that I couldn't be there while loading cause Friday was a holiday, but I guess that's not really a sensible point on the con-list.

If you are not as dumb as I am you can take one of two daily AirAsia flights to Medan for only 129 MYR including everything.

The other option is Port Klang, BUT instead of taking the Dumai bound ferry there is a second Ferry going to Tanjung Balai, no visa on arrival, though the 1-month Visa is even more of a joke than the 2-month one. This cuts your Bus-Time in Sumatra from near 20h to 4h. They are not used to foreigners taking that route I think as everyone from customs officer to daily users was very interested (starring). It was crowded as hell that day, delayed by around 3 hours and so full, people had to wait on the outside deck. Customs was a mess as everything was done in the ship and took ages. Though I was told it's usually way less crowded, just the holiday playing me again. To get from there to Medan you either take a share taxi or the train.

Private cars go for 200.000 Rp, at least I was told so by a friendly local working in KL and speaking English sharing the taxi with me and explaining and helping me loads (yes, shitluck), might even go cheaper. But for a 4 hour ride I considered it OK. So if you're more than 3 people it's pretty much a nice deal. If you're alone it's a little ruff.

I later was told in Medan there are also trains running for 10.000 Rp. I did neither see a train station nor did it look like there'd be one, but Lonely Planet says the same. 2 daily trains, no idea about the times.

There's also supposed to be a hotel in town somewhere the custom guys told me.

In Belawan the agent was a dick. Tried to overcharge me on official fees and was still sleeping when I called, after finding the closed office, at 9am and told me to wait 2-3 hours. Again it's Ramadan, and so this might be a bad day, but still, I got pretty pissed after getting up at 6.30 myself to get out there in time. After I told him I'm going to the customs myself he magically appeared within 30 minutes.

So for all: Official Harbour-Fee is 800.000 Rp, at least the main customs office and Cakra told me so. He tried a million first, wanted 900.000 for 20 Minutes, he even called Cakra who told me not to pay so he gave up after a little more.

The customguys were great, fast and friendly.

Hope it helps.

[ricktherider]

Hi I new of Medan as a crossing but Port Klang? I looked but can not find it, is it north east of Medan ?

[farqhuar]

Originally Posted by ricktherider

Hi I new of Medan as a crossing but Port Klang? I looked but can not find it, is it north east of Medan ?

Port Klang is in Malaysia Rick - just west of KL. I shipped there from Oz 33 years ago - interesting town, I got to see a FAIR bit of it due to shipping delays.

[beddhist]

Timae: I'm confused. You say you shipped with Cakra to Belawan, then you describe your experience on arrival in Dumai? What am I missing?

Last I heard customs in Dumai confiscated a friend's bike, saying you need a permit to drive in Indo.

[timae]

Sorry for the confusion.

I shipped with Cakra from Penang to Belawan. Then I, without my bike, took the passenger ferry from Port Klang (Malaysia) to Tanjung Balai (sumatra).I took Tanjung Balai instead of Dumai because the ferry was cheaper and the bus/taxi ride in Sumatra only1/5 of the time from Dumai up to Medan.

But as I said before,this is my own fault simply because I am stil lhoping to make it till Oz without planes.

[beddhist]

Gotcha.

I wonder how you will get from Indo to Oz by boat...

[timae]

Originally Posted by beddhist

Gotcha.

I wonder how you will get from Indo to Oz by boat...

so do I

[Lisa Thomas]

timae
I think you will need to go from East Timor to Oz.
good luck