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Legendary Grab driver gives students secret directions to “the best fishing stop in Penang.”

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By Nate Johnson

Over spring break, a small group of my friends—including Abraham Latham, Kyra Brewster, Sabrina Boyd, and I—decided to take a fishing trip to Batu Ferringhi for the day.

Our day began at the Tanjong Bungah morning market, where we bought bait and fueled up for the adventure. We chose fresh prawns for bait, though we sometimes use chicken or squid. For breakfast, we had roti canai and wonton mee, accompanied by drinks like Milo, teh ice, and kopi ping. As we ate, we cheerfully discussed the kinds of fish we hoped to catch and our plans for the day.

Not long after, we booked a Grab, loaded up our fishing gear, and hopped in. The drive along the ocean road toward Batu was scenic. Our Grab driver noticed our fishing poles and asked if we were heading out to fish. Smiling, he shared his own love for fishing, and we asked if he could point out the best spots along the way. Little did we know, he wouldn’t just point them out—he would take us to an entirely different destination.

"If you want to catch kerapu (grouper), you have to go to this spot," he said, suddenly making a sharp right to turn off the main road. We found ourselves on an overgrown path leading toward the ocean, with no signs indicating beach access.

“I promise I won’t kidnap you,” he joked, sensing our hesitation at the secluded road.

When we reached the end, we thanked him and got out, only to realize he wasn’t just dropping us off—he actually walked us to the fishing spot. As we arrived at the shoreline, we saw massive boulders lining the edge of the land and sea.

The Grab driver stoically pointed to the area with the best fishing and left without another word.

Abraham had this to say about our new friend and his fishing tips: “It was interesting to see where the local fisherman choose to fish and how open and friendly our driver was.”

Little did we know, the real challenge was just beginning. The boulders were large, slippery, and difficult to climb. With our fishing gear in hand, we carefully made our way across the rocks, ready for the day ahead.

With our hopes high we carefully made our first casts into the crashing waves. We hooked things that day that were too large to reel in and too heavy to pull out of the water. Our fishing poles couldn’t stand a chance against their weight and their immovability. We mostly just hooked rocks… but we did have one good catch that day. 

PC: Sabrina Boyd

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