Kuala Penyu

Kuala Penyu, a small seaside town located on the Klias Peninsula, about 130 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu. It is one of the gateways to Pulau Tiga, the Survivor Island of Sabah.

The old rusty barge-like chain ferry has become a relic since the launch of a new bridge linking Binsuluk and Kuala Penyu across Sungai Sitompok.

Before the bridge was completed in March, 2012, the ferry shuttled vehicles daily, so that motorists did not have to drive to Beaufort first before making a turn back to Kuala Penyu.

With the new bridge, the distance from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Penyu is about 100km. The alternative route via Beaufort is about 130km.

The new Sitompok Bridge of Kuala Penyu cost RM60 million is a boon for the 23,000 people, most of them farmers and fishermen.

Many local are now involved in tourism, especially with the popularity of Pulau Tiga, about 30 minutes from the town, and the nearby Sungai Klias and Sungai Gerama, which are famous for their Proboscis monkeys and fireflies.

KUALA PENYU BRIDGE : http://sabahkini.net/index.php?option

50 years ago, Kuala Penyu town was made up only of a row of shops built with palm trees and nipah leaves and surrounded by muddy mangrove forest.

Kuala Penyu district covering a 45,326 square km and 80km of beaches.

Previously, Kuala Penyu only had a health clinic and the nearest hospital was in Beaufort, about 40km away. Today it has its own RM76 million hospital. The 76-bed hospital, built on a 13ha site, was opened in March2006.

Kuala Penyu district is located within the Beaufort parliamentary constituency.

Kuala Penyu has a 22,000 population mainly of indigenous people like Dusun Tatana, Bisaya, Kadayan and Bajau and Chinese and Bruneians.

There are 26 primary schools, four secondary schools, 15 Kemas kindergartens and a Mara vocational institute.

The newest primary and secondary schools in Kuala Penyu are
1) Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Kuala Penyu (1,500 Students)
2) Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pekan Kuala Penyu (1,000 Students)

SMK Kuala Penyu
Peti Surat 29, 89747 Kuala Penyu, Sabah

SMK St Peter Bundu
Peti Surat 17, 89747 Kuala Penyu, Sabah

SMK Pekan Kuala Penyu
D/A Ppdk Kuala Penyu, Peti Surat 24, 89740 Kuala Penyu, Sabah

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pekan Kuala Penyu is built on a 10ha site and cost RM56mil.

The Fire and Rescue Department has a new RM22mil office building in Kuala Penyu. A police complex costing RM9mil is also completed.

Fast travel: The ferry is the main means of transport to Kuala Penyu town.

Pulau Tiga is well known for its mud volcano and was a shooting location for the popular American TV reality programme “Survivor” in 2006

The beaches are beautiful and clean while Tasik Sitompok is suitable for visitors who love mangrove swamp forests.