Penang, the only island-state in Malaysia, is known as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ to many, and attracts to its shores a multitude of visitors every year. In the final of this two-part series, writer William Chai details his experiences visiting Penang, the Pearl of the Orient. From sightseeing to food hunting, there’s no shortage of fun to be had in the island.
Mix of heritage, urban living, nature
MY recent trip to Penang Island was not purely for sightseeing but also for a food hunting tour.
Visitors to this food city are spoiled for choice when it comes to where to eat. You may sit down at the roadside stalls, open air food courts, traditional coffee-shop style eateries, air-conditioned restaurants, cafes or as well as high-class restaurants in the luxury hotels. Each has their own specialty dishes to meet your requirements.
Not only are there local cuisines of the major Asian races, like Chinese, Indian, Malay or Peranakan (Baba-nyonya) dishes, which are a blend of Chinese, Malay and Thai influences, but also western dishes.
Popular local dishes that are favourites of visitors include Penang Prawn Noodle, Penang Fried Kuey Tiau, Penang Curry Noodle, Penang Laksa, Hokkien Noodle, Chee Cheong Fun, Lok-lok, Kway Chap, Nasi Kandar, Nasi Lemak and the list goes on.
Plenty of seafood
As Penang is an island surrounded by the sea and has many fishing villages, there are plenty of seafood supplies to support the seafood restaurants and eateries all over Penang.
Many of these eateries are located near the beach, like in the eastern part of George Town. It was a fascinating experience to sit in the open dining area, enjoying the cool sea breeze and admiring the seaside scenery while eating the fresh seafood.
These seafood products are either fresh from the sea, frozen or sea products such as fish, prawns, crabs and shellfish are kept alive in aquariums or fish tanks for customers to pick and cook straight away to ensure freshness. To suit the tastes of the diners, they can be steamed, grilled, baked, fried, or prepared using other cooking techniques.
Batu Ferringhi Beach
Batu Ferringhi Beach is located in the northwestern part of Penang Island, about 16 kilometres from the centre of George Town.It has approximately four kilometres of white sand beach on which various leisure and recreational activities can be held.
Here, you can find resort hotels lined up along the beach, from the most luxurious to high-class and moderately priced hotel rooms, to suit your needs. There are also condominiums for rent. Budget hotels and homestays are located further from the beach.
The Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, a luxury beach resort hotel, is at the top of the list of Penang’s most expensive hotels.Other beach hotels here are the Hard Rock Hotel, Shangri-La Golden Sands, The Sea BeachFront, and DoubleTree Resort, just to name a few.
I visited the Parkroyal Penang Resort, a five-star resort hotel next to the sea that has two swimming pools, a water theme park, a water sports centre, a nice garden and a host of other amenities. I could see holidaymakers having fun by the beach, including strolling, sunbathing, swimming, water skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, motorised water sports and the like.
Penang Hill
Penang Hill, which is also called Bukit Bendera, is about 9 kilometres west of the centre of George Town. It is of historical importance as it was established by the British Colonial Government in the late 1700s as a retreat from the hot tropical weather.
It consists of a number of hills, with the highest peak being Western Hill, which stands at an altitude of 833 metres (2,733 feet) above sea level.
Penang Hill, which is accessible by means of a funicular train, is a popular tourist destination that tourists should not miss.
The funicular stopped at the Upper Train Station (middle hill area). We went around taking photographs and enjoying the cool, fresh air and the greenery surrounding the hill.
The weather that day was a bit gloomy, with clouds and mist covering the surrounding forest; this unfortunately prevented us from having a clear view of Penang island below.
We boarded a buggy car for RM30, which can carry 6 people, and drove around the middle hill area, admiring the natural beauty and colonial bungalows, before stopping at the Monkey Cup café for a cup of “Kopi Hutan” while seated in an open seating space under a shady canopy of the rainforest.
If you have the time, you can purchase a ticket to enter the Penang Hill Upper Station – The Habitat Penang Hill (a private park). You can have an exhilarating walk along the 230-meter-long Langgur Canopy Walk to reach the circular viewing platform (Curtis Crest) at the summit, the highest vantage point of Penang Island, and enjoy a breathtaking 360-degree view of the island and the surrounding pristine rainforest.
Upside Down Museum
Besides the many museums exhibiting artefacts of historical and cultural heritage in Penang, there are many new business ideas set up over the past few years by innovative and creative entrepreneurs to attract tourists, like the 3D Trick Art Museum, Magic World Penang, Ghost Museum, Food Museum, Glass Museum, and many more.
I visited the Upside Down Museum at No. 45, Lebuh Kimberly, in George Town, which was set up seven years ago.
This museum is housed in a traditional double-storey shophouse, where the interior is divided into many studio rooms where the furniture and decoration are all hanging upside down from the ceiling.
In each room, a staff member who acts as a director and photographer will help visitors do various interesting poses and help them capture the images using their own cameras. Visitors appear to be standing upside-down from the ceiling when these images or photos are inverted. It is a fun place that visitors to Penang should not miss.
The museum charges RM21 for an adult and RM12 for a child as an entrance fee.
There is more to discover in Penang if you have the time, or come back again in the near future.
