Penang

Feng Shui Harmony... The Blue Mansion that represent Penang.....

Penang is an island off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is also the name of the Malaysian state which is made up of Penang Island and the facing strip of territory on the mainland called Seberang Perai (formerly Province Wellesley).

Penang's beaches are nice, though a little lackluster when compared to those in some other Malaysian states, but this is more than compensated for by the island's rich multicultural history which is full of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European influences. Penang is also well known for being the "food paradise" of Malaysia.

Get there

By plane

Recently refurbished Penang Bayan Lepas International Airport (IATA : PEN) is one of Malaysia's larger and better-equipped airports, operated by Malaysia Airports.

The airport is on the southeastern coast of the island, some 30 min from Georgetown. Take Rapid Penang bus no. 401E from the terminal building to KOMTAR (first bus 5:30AM last bus 11:35PM, every 30 min; fare 2.70 RM), ☎ +60 4 6434411

The airport is serviced by Air Asia, Firefly, Cathay Pacific Airway, SilkAir, Jetstar Airways, Tiger Airways, Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines.

Move around

By bus

RapidPenang, the local bus service, features new buses. All bus stations and bus stops which are serviced by the RapidPenang buses are labeled with proper signboards to ensure user-friendliness. Buses are somewhat frequent on the main artery to Batu Ferringhi. Rapid Penang bus 101 bound for Teluk Bahang goes through midtown Pulau Tikus, (northwest end of) Gurney Drive, Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah, Batu Ferringhi and terminates at the Penang National Park entrance. Avoid so-called 'minibuses' because they usually go as far as Tanjung Bungah and can be poorly maintained.

Rapid Penang bus 203 and 204 to Air Itam (RM1.50 adult) departs westward on Lebuh Chulia (the main backpacker hotel road) or southbound from the KOMTAR building are handy for visiting both Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) Funiciular Base Station, approximately 30mins south west of the city center. The driver will inform you of when to alight. Bus 204 departs from the funicular base station to return to Komtar and onward.

The main hub for buses in Georgetown is KOMTAR, the tallest building in town. The secondary hub is located at the Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay) ferry terminal. All buses depart from the ferry terminal will stopover at KOMTAR, but downtown-bound buses destined for KOMTAR may not go all the way to the ferry terminal; ask the bus operator. There is a new long-distance bus terminal at Sungai Nibong, refer to by bus entry.

Municipal Council of Penang Island provides a free shuttle bus service in Georgetown which runs approximately between the Pengkalan Weld ferry terminal and KOMTAR every 20 min daily 6AM-12am, (including Sundays & public holidays). Visit for more details.

Also, foreigners can purchase a Rapid Passport for only RM30 and enjoy a week of unlimited travel onboard all rapid Penang buses.

Buy

Outdoor markets

Flea Market at Lorong Kulit.

Pasar Malam (Night Market), (along Batu Ferringhi). 8PM-12midnight.

Little Penang Street Market (showcasing Penang's creativity and heritage, combining stalls with performances) happens on the last Sunday of every month, (at Upper Penang Rd, near the E&O Hotel). 10AM-5PM.

Bakeries

Penang is famous throughout the country for its Chinese bakeries. For ethnic Chinese tourists from Singapore or elsewhere in Malaysia, a visit to one of these bakeries is a must, and friends and office colleagues would generally be expecting some pastries as souvenirs from someone returning from a trip to Penang.

Ghee Hiang(义香), 95 Beach St, ☎ +60 4 262-0635, Fax:+60 4 263-5158. 216 Macalister Rd, ☎ +60 4 227-2222, Fax:+60 4 227-2522 info@ghee-hiang.com The oldest bakery in Penang, established since 1856; other well-known product includes sesame seed oil.

Him Heang (馨香), 162-A Burma Rd ☎ +60 4 228-6129, +60 4 228-6130. Arguably the most famous Chinese bakery in Penang, popular among locals and Singaporean tourists. Its most famous products are Tambun Pneah and Beh Teh Sor. Go early in the morning or order through phone first due to limited daily production.

Ng Kee Cake Shop (伍记), 61 Cintra Street, ☎ +60 4 261-2229. The shop produces and sells Cantonese traditional biscuits including wedding biscuits. One of the famous biscuits is pepper biscuit (咸切酥, Ham Chit Soo).

Sin Hock Seng (新福成), 316, Penang Rd, ☎ +60 4 263-2667. The shop sells more than one hundred different types of biscuit. Basically, you can find any kind of traditional biscuit there.

'Heap Hoe Hin {協和興}, 6743, Jl Raja Uda, Butterworth. ☎ +60 4 3239812. The shop sells more than 450 kinds of biscuits. Open since 1949.

Penang cuisine

If you've been travelling in Singapore or elsewhere in Malaysia, you'll see some familiar names, but don't be fooled: Penang laksa or hokkien mee are quite different from what you'd get in, say, Kuala Lumpur.

Topping the list are:

Mee Sotong - at the Kota Selera Hawker Center in Padang Kota Lama (Fort Cornwallis) for nearly 30 years.

Assam Laksa - Famous assam laksa include Air Itam market, Gottlieb Road, Gurney Drive, etc.

Penang Char Koay Teow (炒馃条) - at Lorong Selamat but it costs at least RM5 per plate and that only if you have the patience of a saint to wait for it. Another choice is Ah Leng Char Koay Teow and the Char Koay Teow in Bukit Emas Restaurant, Seberang Perai.

Penang Nasi Kandar - at Nasi Kandar Line Clear in Penang Road , Restoran Kapitan at Chulia Street and Kayu Nasi Kandar in the Bayan Lepas area.

Hokkien Mee -

Koay Teow Th'ng - at Hutton Lane and a couple of shops opposite Tandoori House are a good choices for this dish. You can also get good KTT at Gurney Drive, though at higher prices.

Lobak, or Lorbak - at Gurney Drive's hawker center and New World Park.

Penang Sar Hor Fun (炒河粉) - at fishing village of Teluk Bahang in the north, or go to Batu Maung / Teluk Kumbar in the south for fresh fare at local prices. You can also get good seafood at Batu Ferringhi beach.

Or Chen (Oyster Omelette) - at Gurney Drive is a tourist-friendly place to get an oyster omelette. It is next to the Gurney Plaza shopping center and a stone's throw away from G Hotel. Expect to queue for ten to fifteen minutes; the price ranges from RM 8 to RM 16 depending on the portion you are ordering.

Pasembor (Indian mixed fruits) - Prices range from RM 5 to RM 20, depending on the ingredients you want on your pasembor. Available at the food center at Gurney Drive.

Lor Mee (Noodles) - found on the road called "Lebuh Presgrave" in town. There is a little link house converted to a restaurant that serves them. Lor mee are commonly served with shreds of chicken breast and some pork slices. Prices range from RM 3 to RM 6.

Nutmeg, (豆蔻) products - In traditional medicine, nutmeg oil or balm were used for illnesses related to the nervous and digestive systems. Preserved nutmeg strips either in dry or wet form are used as the snack by locals.

Desserts include:

Kaya - at a little coffee shop at the end of Madras Lane. To impress the locals, order some kaya toast and dip it in some half-boiled egg.

Coconut tart - at Cintra Lane.

Cendol - the best is at Penang Road.

Durian Fruit - The medium durian will cost RM8-15. Stalls are usually located by the roadside next to durian plantations, along the road from Teluk Bahang (almoust end station of bus 101) to Balik Pulau (end station of bus 401E or 401), and along the road from Air Itam to Relau. Within Georgetown, there is one at Jalan Anson, opposite Jl Dunlop, and another along Jl Macalister.

And wash it all down with some...

Teh Tarik - along Penang Road in the evening.