Penang Hotel Reviews
Penang Hill, the beach resorts, the Komitar, Gurney Plaza, China town and Little India along with the hawker stalls are all a must. There are plenty of restaurants if you like spicy food, temples to visit and the trishaw rides are fantastic. A great place to visit!
I only had 4 days to spend in Malaysia and had to pick only one destination to visit, and I was advised by trusted friends in Singapore to make it Penang. The city is known for its intriguing variety of Malaysian food. I am in the hotel/catering business, so this was a big attraction for me. My advice is to forgo the sit-down restaurants and take every meal at the local kopitiams (coffee shops) or food hawker markets. Don''t worry, the food is fresh and safe to eat at these establishments and you get to rub elbows with the locals at the same time. Besides all that, prices are dirt cheap. Be sure to try some of the local signature dishes: assam laksa, char kway teow, rojak to name a few. Do visit the merry old white colonial E&O hotel and have a frosty, tall ale in their Farquhar''s Bar while looking out at the sea or an iced coffee and scone in their charming European bakery cafe.
We spent a month in Malaysia. 12 days on the East Coast and the remainder spread between Ferringi Beach, Penang, Langkawi and then the 5 nights in Georgetown. We just loved Georgetown and will definitely return. People friendly, shopping great (I enjoyed it better than KL), food FABULOUS, and the lovely old buildings some restored, lent to a great Asian atmosphere. The Colonial atmosphere, plus the Chinese, Malay and Indian architecture made it all so enjoyable. We will definitely return to Georgetown.
Penang is a place not to miss. Please skip the beach, because there are much better ones in Malaysia and spend as much time as you can in the town. Great temples, old buildings and good food and if you are not staying in de Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion at least hop on a tour. Go to Penang as soon as possible, because it is changing fast. We have been there six years before and i is loosing charm rapidly. Altough it is still one of the most special places in Malaysia.
Penang is a pleasant surprise. The island is larger than we expected and you can spend a lot of money on taxis just to get around particularly if you are staying at any of the hotels on Batu Ferringhi Beach. For shopping, we tried Gurney Plaza (newly renovated and upmarket), Komptar (much more fun, lots of cheap shoes, DVDs, clothing) and the night markets at Ferringhi beach. There is not much of real value however you can really bargain for trinkets. If you are after DVDs, they can be picked up for around 4 ringgits each (about $1.30 AUD) however I can''t vouch for the quality yet. Penang Hill is worth a visit however you might need to pick your day - understand weekends are very popular and therefore very crowded. Also check the conditions - smoke haze from Sumatran forest fires totally obscured our view from the top. Butterfly Farm is also very worthy of a visit.
Penang has vastly developed since the last time I was there. About 10 years age. Their Gurney Drive is still there but I would say the standard and quality has gone down with time. The best "chendol" and "Penang Laksa" I had was at Lebuh Jeng Kwee, off Penang Road and directly opposite the Police Headquarters. The chendol''s stall is located outside the eating place and you would need to pay an additional RM0.40 cents to consume inside the eating place. The owner of the eating is not too friendly. There are many interesting places to visit, most of time within walking distance or short bust ride. There is a free shuttle bus to many interesting areas, but strangely enough they do not operate on Sundays & Public Holidays.
Independent travelling in Penang is almost impossible. Hardly see any cab driving pass, and the attractions (except for Penang Hill) are in quite remote places. Join either group day tours or book a van at your disposal. Average RM40 for one hour for a 10 seater van.
We loved Penang, despite the weather being really humid. Did a walking tour of the Heritage sites of Georgetown, which was both informative and interesting. The Blue Mansion was well worth visiting. Also took a trishaw ride to Fort Cornwallis and a fishing village. The driver had a wealth of knowledge about the local area, and I felt very safe with him, despite the traffic. Ate dinner one night at "The Lone Pine" at Batu Ferringhi, and nasi kandar at Kayu''s. Lunched at the restaurant next to Cititel--Mayflower garden I think it was called, and also at the Japanese rest in Cititel. Food everywhere of excellent quality and taste. People were most friendly and helpful. Shopping in Komptar was very good, tho I think we got a bit lost there--didn''t see many directions, but the person in the information booth was very helpful. Recommend change money with the licensed money-changers as they offer a better rate than the airports. Loved every bit of it--can''t wait to go back!!!
Check out "Jewel of the North" Indian Restaurant, food was excellent and value for money. Also the night market is great fun and bargains galore especially in DVD''s of the highest quality For 8 Ringgit.
As my friend and I took the whole day tour recommended by the hotel, we visited quite a number of places. We visited the Esplanade, Kek Lok Si Temple, Snake Temple, Wat Chayamankalaram, Dharmikarama Burmese Temple, Penang Hill, Butterfly Farm and other factory selling accessories. You will never go hungry in Penang. The food there is EXCEPTIONALLY DELICIOUS! Sedap!!! One thing you can''t miss is the Penang Laksa. With the mild sour gravy with thick bee hoon, its one taste you can''t forget. Other than that, don''t forget the roadside stalls and the night market in Lor Selamat and Lor Baru. The Chay Kway Teow there is excellent and not gorget the rest of the stalls that sell local delights.
We only stayed one night but location was good and close to some british bars which was handy and also short walk to china town and also Komtar which is a large super mall with everything you would want to find in there.
Whilst wandering the night markets, don''t be tempted to cross the road to the big club with the dolphin statue thingies out the front. We noticed some cultural show happening on stage so went in for a look. No cover charge to get in, but what prices for a drink was absolutely ridiculous.
Don''t take taxi if possible. Drivers never use taximeter and need hard bargaining to get a right price. Use the buses at the interchange of Komtar building. Following buses which I know pass to these places of interest. 1) Bus 130 and mini-bus 21 pass by KeK Lok Si at Air Hitam. One ringgit for 130 and 80cents for mini-bus. 2) Mini buses that ply Burmah Road will stop you at the Reclining buddha and Burmese temple. Drop at a blue police station post and walk straight from this small road known as Burma Road too to the temples. 3) To visit Gurney Drive hawker centre which opens after 6pm take any mini-buses from interchange that display show going to Feringhi. Food and buses are cheapest in Malaysia. Have a happy trip.
The Komtar Mall (connected to Shangri La Hotel) is run down and a waste of time, go to the Prangin Mall next door a much nicer experience. Lunch at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel is a nice treat and very resonably priced. Mosquito guard is essential if you visit the Spice Garden Park near Ferringhi Beach.
Pagoda temple and Gurney Drive. Take a cab to these breathtaking places and please negotiate price before taking. From Grand Cont to Pagoda, to and from was RM35. The cab driver gave us 3 hours to move around. Hotel to airport was only RM25.
Great location to shop around. Don''t miss the night market and make good deals bargaining. Also the hawker center in front of Golden Sands hotel is a good deal (beer is much cheaper here).
Licensed Taxi from airport to the hotel is RM$28. Taxi not so readily available on street compared to KL. but common on selected places (usual price of RM$10) such as tourist spots and hotels. Recommend visit to Gurney drive (Gurney Plaza plus Local Hawker food), Batu Fer Beach, Penang Hill, Kek Lok Shi Temple etc. Recommend to try local Penang Food.
In peak season, Penang hill railway gets quite crowded and you most probably would have 2 hrs wait to board the train. An ideal way to do this trip is to get the tickets and then go to visit the Chek Lok si temple during the waiting period (2hrs should be sufficient to do the main sights). From Komtar to Ayer Itam (where the Penang Hill Rly station is ) there are lot of buses, but most do not go to Rly station itself (only bus no 8 goes and the frequency is not good). If you''re ready to walk, take an Ayer Itam bus, ask the driver to drop you at the roundabout for the station and it is about 15min walk away. If you need to do the Lok si temple along with Penang hill, then it is advisable to have own transport as the distance between them is more than 25mnts walk and during peak season it is difficult to get taxis from Rly station to take you to the temple.
Botanical garden was fun with all the monkeys, tropical spices garden was peaceful and well-arranged, eventhough I was not interested in butterflies at all, butterfly farm was worth visiting. We had real good fun in Penang, local foods are cheap, cinema was also very cheap and it was shopper''s heaven. only thing we were disappointed at was the beach. IT''s not crystal clear as you might see on one of the brochures Malaysian goverment published.
It''s very easy to locate this hotel. Get a good map at the Tourist info center before departing. It will only take you less than 30 minutes driving from the Penang Bridge. I visited Kek Lok Si Temple, Botanical Garden, Gurney Drive, Fort Cornwallis and P. Ramlee''s House. I ate at Gurney Drive which served tasty foods. The Char Kuay Teow, Satay and Pasembur are delicious. Wish I can eat more but my stomach refuse to take. Hee..hee...Penang is a nice place to visit, whether you are alone, with family or friends.