I thought, 4 million visitors on an island that is 8 miles (13km) wide and 16 miles (26km) long? I won’t be able to brush my teeth without elbowing some total stranger brushing their teeth next to me. But I was wrong. Sure, the place isn’t big, and most tourist activities are concentrated in the northern half of the island, but Penang is like a small car that can comfortably carry six 7-foot basketball players and their luggage.
Some of the beaches are beautiful and fine for swimming, and there is so much else to do and see that I didn’t think about what I wasn’t doing. Because the weather was great (a bit hot and humid, but it’s Southeast Asia, right?), it was easy to get around, it was surprisingly inexpensive and it was safe.
Plus, the food was great and there was so much of it, George Town was a never-ending source of amusement and pleasure, the hikes through the tropical rainforest were wonderful, if a little testing, the boat and kayak rides were outstanding . . . . In short, a place doesn’t have to be perfect to be, uhm, perfect, if you see what I mean.
The correct name of the island is Pulau Penang, as Penang is the name of the province that stretches along Malaysia’s northwestern coast. It’s an incredibly diverse place, with ethnic Chinese and Malays each representing about 40% of the population and Indians constituting another 9%. That mix makes for a similar salad of religions, with Sunni Muslims making up about 45% of the population, Buddhists 38% and Hindus between 8 and 9%.
This fascinating diversity has produced a rich culture and some incredible food, which is best eaten in bustling food markets that are a gas to visit.
How to Get There
I’m delighted to report that Penang Island actually has an international airport, so you can fly there from Europe, with a stop at Kuala Lumpur. The trick is to find the cheapest direct return flight to and from Kuala Lumpur, if offered where you live – as they are in Paris and London. If you’re lucky, the price difference between the fastest flights and the cheapest route will be inconsequential, for example, a difference of €0 to €100.
That’s right, it’s possible to book the fastest flight at the lowest price, but start looking and booking as early as you can. And be patient. But for a change you won’t have to compromise too much on your budget, if at all, by choosing the fastest flights.
At Kuala Lumpur you pick up your connecting flight to Penang. The Penang International Airport is located 16 km (about 10 miles) south of the center of George Town, the capital of Penang province, and a really wonderful place to explore. Total flying time, to Penang and back home, is about 32 to 36 hours, depending on where you’re coming from.
When to Go
Easy. Pretty much any time of the year. Penang is hot, humid and rainy year-round, with average temperatures of 24°C to 32°C. However, the area is affected by the so-called Southwest Monsoon, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in September-October and April-May. But that shouldn’t put you off either, since the rain generally falls in the form of brief, violent showers that cool things off for a while.
May is when Penang holds its Flower Festival and the George Town Festival takes place in August. But because of the diversity of ethnic groups and religions, there are festivals pretty much year-round. So if that interests you, do a little bit of research and maybe time your visit according to the celebrations you want to see.
Where to Stay
Because most of what you’ll be doing and looking at is located in the north of the island, that’s where you’ll want to be staying. If you’re on a budget and want to have the widest choice possible, then George Town is the place to check out.
It has many inexpensive hotels and hostels – but choose carefully and confirm their Google reviews. If they include complaints, then you can take them seriously. Some of these places are so inexpensive, you may consider checking out mid-price places, especially if you’re planning to stay a week or two.
George Town is a big city with a population of about 800,000, which may be too much to take for a week or two. So you may want to be up the coast at Tanjung Bungah or the more touristy Batu Ferringhi, near the large beach of the same name. Or at Teluk Bahang, on the northwest coast.
How to Get Around
Local buses are cheap, convenient and reliable. However, traffic can be heavy, so buses may run behind schedule
Grab Taxis are pretty inexpensive, very convenient and usually fast – though a driver may be hard to find at peak hours.
Car Rental: Not for the budget-minded, though you might want to rent one for a day to see the rest of the island, including Long Sand Beach at its southern tip. This is probably the most beautiful beach on the island, and the most frustrating, since it is forbidden to swim there because of the strong current.
For short trips, you could rent a bike, though they’re only practical in George Town.
What to See and Do
The Beaches (and the Penang National Park)
To begin with, a word about the beaches. The water at some of the beaches, especially those near large resorts and other population centers, are pretty dirty and some are plagued by jellyfish. That’s why you’ll see lots of people at the Batu Ferringhi Beach, for example, but few of them in the water.
The best beaches, Turtle Beach and Monkey Beach, are located in the Penang National Park. You can get to them via a MYR 100 (€21.60) round-trip boat ride or a tricky 3.8km hike of about an hour and a half, including some sweaty climbing, through the rainforest. Bring plenty of food and water, mosquito repellent, a hat, sunglasses and sturdy shoes for the hike. Get to the park entrance as early as possible, at 8 a.m., for example, to book your boat ride and buy water, etc.
Turtle Beach has lots of soft sand, trees for shade and may be the cleanest beach on the island. There is also a lake at the entrance to the beach in which fresh water and saltwater combine to create a singular ecosystem that turtles apparently like. There is also a turtle sanctuary at the beach.
If you get hungry and/or thirsty or want a change, you can walk to Monkey Beach from Turtle Beach (or vice versa). There are lots of crab-eating and tourist-stuff-stealing macaques there (hence the name), so secure your tourist stuff. It has a few bars and snack joints as well as a campground, if you have a tent.
Most of the island is covered in tropical rainforest, and a trek through the National Park to the beaches, or just for pleasure of the hike, offers you the opportunity to explore the ecosystem without hassles or worries about getting lost.
Not far away from the National Park, on the road between Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahan, you’ll find a small sandy beach called Pantai Tropical that is quiet and easy to reach. A bus runs along the route, so there’s no need to hire a boat or undertake a long trek. A couple of local food restaurants overlook the beach and the Tropical Spice Gardens are right there.
Kek Lok Si Temple
Take a Grab Taxi from wherever you are to the Kek Lok Si Temple, which is located on the White Crane Mountain at Ayer Itam. It is the largest Buddhist temple in the country and an important Buddhist pilgrimage site.
The complex is divided into three distinct sections and is as beautiful as it is fascinating. Get there as early as possible and spend the entire morning. You won’t forget it.
George Town
UNESCO placed the city of George Town on its World Heritage List in 2008 and has this to say about it: “The establishment of the port made George Town a center for global trading, attracting foreign merchants, largely from China, India and Arab countries. As a result, George Town developed a multi-ethnic society that still exists today. This diversity is reflected in the architecture of the city, as well as its rich intangible cultural heritage.”
The city may be too big and populated to suit more than a weekend stay, but it is definitely worth a visit, for the diversity of its population and architecture, its culture, its many inexpensive eateries and all the other activities it offers.
Because it’s a big city and there’s so much to see, you might want to hire a trishaw – a bicycle that pulls a seat on wheels big enough for two – for 30 minutes or an hour to get a feel of the place and come across sites you will want to revisit.
Hire your trishaw on Armenian Street. They cost MYR 40 (€8.60) for a half-hour, double for the full hour. Bring sunglasses and a hat. You’ll pass numerous churches and temples, as well as an astonishing amount of street art.
Over the past 15 years, the city of George Town has become an enormous open-air museum for some remarkable works, which you will run across in surprising places and just about anywhere in the city. Fortunately, George Town is a great city to walk through, especially mornings and late afternoons, when it’s cooler. Just keep your eyes peeled and take in the sights.
Whatever you do, don’t miss the Clan Jetties, a series of waterfront stilt-house villages, each belonging to a different Chinese clan. The wooden buildings sit on stilts over the water, with temples on either end of the jetties. There are also small, family-run restaurants where you can eat. It’s a unique neighborhood, with each jetty having a different ambiance.
The temple at Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi (Khoo Kongsi for short) is an astonishing eyeful of stunning beauty.
The amazing Jalan Kek Chuan, named the 17th-prettiest street in the world by an American magazine, is multicolored and drop-dead gorgeous. Its colors will tickle your eyes and make you smile.
George Town is a museum of museums, containing a variety of odd museums, such as: the Wonderfood Museum, the 3D Trick Art Museum, the Ghost Museum (with actual ‘zombie rooms’) and the – wait for it – Upside Down Museum, to name just a few of the many fascinating indoor sites in the city.
It is also a great city for food. Which brings us to:
Where to Eat
There are more food markets in George Town than you can shake a stick at (but bring a stick anyway). These are large places that offer small indoor restaurants as well as the mobile hawker stalls that Southeast Asian street food is known for. This is where you’ll eat better for less than anywhere else on the island and will dazzled by the vast array of dishes to choose from.
The Red Garden Food Paradise is one of the better food courts in George Town and is quite lively in the evening, starting around 8 p.m., and on weekends. It’s an enormous place and contains the One Stop Penang International Hawker Centre. It offers local and international dishes.
The Kimberley Street Food Night Market is a street on which both sides are lined with small restaurants and hawker stalls. The dish to try here is Duck Kway Chap at a stall (if you find it) made famous by this dish. This traditional Chinese noodle soup is usually made with pork. But since Muslims don’t eat pork, duck is used instead. This stall has been serving it for over 30 years, using hand-rolled noodles made according to a venerable family recipe. At this market, also try the chicken feet. (Really!)
The dish to try at the New Lane Hawker Centre is the Ayer Itam laksa, a spicy-and-sour fish soup that will dazzle you with its deep flavors.
The Macallum Street Night Market is great for small dishes, such as karipap, aka curry puffs, and for buying very nice handicraft souvenirs at excellent prices.
The Chulia Street Hawker Food Market offers a dizzying array of small eateries and hawker stalls serving up Malay, Chinese, Indian and fusion dishes.
There are other food markets around the city that offer similar experiences, if different menus and dishes. Most of them come to life after sunset. One piece of advice. Try to find a stall where many locals are eating. That will tell you that the food is fresh and worth a try. And remember, it’s best to try several small portions, rather than one big dish, to be able to taste a greater variety of dishes without stuffing yourself.
Last Words
As already said, a place doesn’t have to be perfect to offer a perfect holiday. Penang Island isn’t perfect – it’s crowded, hot and humid, the beaches are tough to swim at – but you quickly forget what you’re not getting because of everything that you are getting. To be immersed for two days or two weeks in such a diverse society, in which different ethnic groups live together without losing their identities, is life-affirming.
As is the great variety of wonderful food you can dazzle your taste buds with. I admit, like Napoleon’s army I travel on my stomach. The variety and creativity of what we like to call street food on Penang Island was both enlightening and overwhelming. It was also a reminder that there is so much more to life than swimming on a sand beach.