Introduction To Penang

Penang is another highly visited Malaysian hotspot – aside from being host to Penang National Park (which offers some spectacular hiking opportunities), Penang has a lively, historically rich town called Georgetown (its capital) to explore as well as other highlights including a temple and plenty of great shopping opportunities.

You can visit Penang as a day trip from many other places within Malaysia, so you do not have to stay here to visit – though accommodation opportunities are pretty good.

Things To See & Do In Penang

Georgetown – Georgetown has a rich and colourful history, interesting architecture, good shopping and some lovely religious temples to explore. The majority of the town’s residents are Chinese, so there is a distinct and strong Oriental flavour to the place. Georgetown is Penang’s largest town. There’s quite a bit to see and do here including the Penang Museum which contains various exhibitions that catalogue the rich history of Penang through the ages. There is also the Penang Islamic Mosque, Chinatown, Little India and a variety of temples scattered throughout the city.

You’ll also find some excellent shopping opportunities, and if you’re traveling across Malaysia, you can in fact stock up on some souvenirs here at a much cheaper price than the shopping malls of Kuala Lumpur.

Penang was in fact an uninhabited island before Sir Francis Light discovered the place in 1786. Fort Cornwallis is the monument that celebrates this fact and harbours a chapel as well as a canon (Seri Rambai) among other interesting exhibits. Today, Penang is a modern and sophisticated state in Malaysia. It is connected to the mainland peninsula Malaysia by the Penang Bridge. This is the venue for Penang’s famous annual Bridge Run.

Outside Of Georgetown:

Penang Beach - Often called “Pearl of the Orient”, Penang beach is clean, sparsely populated and has very pleasant sands and water.

Above - Penang beach footage from Youtube

The Botanical Gardens are well worth a visit – the highlight is a stunning waterfall and the various monkeys that run around.

Penang Hill – These impressive hills can be seen from the Botanical Gardens and rise an impressive 820m above sea level. At the top there are a couple of temples and a museum that documents various events that the Hills have witnessed over the years.

Penang War Museum – located in Teluk Kembar, it holds some worthwhile exhibits and displays.

A whole cluster of attractions can be found in the pretty town of Titi Kerawang, including the Teluk Bahang Forest reserve, a butterfly farm and an Orchid Garden.

Penang National Park in the village of Teluk Bahang is well worth a visit. There are also more places to visit here such as the cultural centre and a spice garden.

Places To Eat & Drink In Penang

Penang is famed for its hawker food. They are often tasty and come in a variety of choices. And because they are sold as hawker food, they are very cheap compared to food in a regular restaurant. However, make sure you check the cleanliness of the vicinity and food when sampling hawker food. As for restaurant food, the majority of eateries in Penang are located within Georgetown although many other restaurants are to be found in other locations.

Wherever and whatever you choose to eat, the choices are plentiful and usually very, very good.

In Georgetown, there’s the ever famous Eden Seafood Village– try the various fish dishes, this is Georgetown’s best seafood place. Revolving Restaurant has some excellent scenery, or you can try the interesting Rainforest Restaurant in central Penang.

For Indian food, Little India has a huge choice of restaurants including the popular Woodlands restaurant and Jaipur Court. You should also head to Passage Through India, touted as the islands ultimate Indian restaurant. It’s situated on the northern part of Penang. For an Indian meal that’s closer to Georgetown Hameediyah is a popular choice.

Head to Chinatown for the best options for Chinese food – take your pick (vegetarians are also catered for with the Hui Sin restaurant). Midlands Court also has some nice dishes enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Hong Kong Tea Garden is also a moderately priced place to have freshly prepared oriental dishes.

If you’re in the mood for Italian, try Farfalla’s restaurant, located in Georgetown. Vintage also has some Italian and Mediteranean dishes.

There are loads of cafe’s and other simple places serving foods that are a little closer to home – for a quick snack pop in to Stardust or Bake N Take (ideal for a fast and cheap lunch).

Georgetown is Penang’s most bustling settlement – and there are more than a couple of bars for you to relax the night away. Farquah’s Bar has a good selection of drink and food and there are several other choices such as Pitt Street and Slippery Senoritas.

Other Interesting Attractions Within Penang – Places To Shop & Hang Out

Penang offers some very good opportunities for shopping – especially crafts and locally produced arts and ornaments. If you’re going to be visiting Kuala Lumpur too, make sure you do the majority of your shopping here because it will save you quite a bit of cash.

While there are no megamalls, a number of areas specialise in specific goods – Bee Chin Heong has many different types of artwork while Penang Pewter is the place to go for excellent pewter works.

For shopping that’s a little more standard, the biggest collection of shops can be located at Prangin Mall – not exactly up there with the likes of the Pavillion Mall in Kuala Lumpur, but well worth a visit if you want to buy attractively priced clothes and such. Other malls and markets include Komtar and Chowraster Bazaar (a market with a large variety of stalls).

Places To Stay In Penang

The biggest pool of hotels, guest houses and other accommodation types in Penang tend to be in Georgetown, though there are alternative places such as Teluk Bahang and Batu Ferringhi.

Luckily, even very good four and five-star accommodation can be experienced for a reasonable fee so you can stay in the lap of luxury without it breaking the bank.

Hotels In Penang, Malaysia:

Evergreen Laurel (Persiaran Gurney)

Bayview Georgetown (Georgetown)

Traders (Magazine Road)

Bayview (Batu Ferringhi)

Hydro Majestic (Batu Ferringhi)

Golden Sands (Batu Ferringhi)

Northam All Suite (Georgetown)

Lone Pine (Batu Ferringhi)