Famous Penang
Penang is an island off the west coast of the northern part of Malaysia. Internationally famous for its food, Penang boasts of delicacies like the Penang laksa, hokkien mee, spring rolls (~poh piah) and chendol. There are many Penang restaurants located in foreign countries but nothing beats its hometown for its food. Not yet..
Hotels and Beaches
Batu Ferringhi in Penang, is where most hotels are located. A stretch of coastline lined with hotels and restaurants and nice beaches with roadside stalls set up at night, very much alike any other Malaysian state in Malaysia. For those who are looking for quality hotels, they are located further up the coastline. Many water sports activities like jet skis, parasailing and windsurfing can be found at the beach but expect a lot of vendors touting along the beach
Penang’s landscape is rapidly developing over the recent years. However, there is yet a lot of old charm of the Far East remaining on the island to be experienced; despite the unrelenting and seemingly never-ending development of condominiums and hotels popping up everywhere.
Explore Penang
There is exploration to be done near the beach as well. You will find a strong Buddhist and Taoist influence in Penang with many Thai and Burmese Buddhist temples about; a giant sleeping Buddha statue and a temple complex called Ke Lok Si, (where there is a pagoda and a giant statue of Guan Yin, Goddess of Mercy). The Snake Temple is also worth checking out. For those who are seeking a lazy day out- take a cable car to the top of Penang Hill and capture spectacular views of Penang from the top.
At the city center, its streets are lined with old colonial shop houses and a few colonial mansions. Walk to the heart of Penang and you will see the daily hustle of Penang. For those who want to drive and explore the island, be prepared. Penang drivers are notorious for their driving antics and manners. The traffic is “snail-like” and it is not helped much by the lack of proper road planning. Put your car horn to good use! For those who prefer being driven around- you can arrange for transport with your hotel to get you about Penang.
Getting to Penang
There are a few ways to get to Penang. There is an international airport located in Penang. If you are flying from outside of Southeast Asia, you will have to transit at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For those who are flying from within Southeast Asia, direct flights into Penang are possible. You can also travel by road- Penang is connected to the Malaysian mainland by a very long bridge. A ferry ride across the strait from the mainland may be interesting and engaging than air travel and road travel- there are many ferry cruises that make stopovers at Penang.