Malaysia is often overlooked as a South East Asian destination. People will often think of Thailand and Bali as the first beach destinations. But don’t be quick to dismiss Malaysia. This multicultural country is one of our favourite destinations. It’s a perfect mix of culture, great food and beautiful beaches. Penang Island in particular is the place we all adore. Jay and I fell in love with it way back at the beginning of our relationship. I just know that you’ll love it too! Welcome to Penang, the best beginner’s guide!
Getting there
From the UK, there are currently no direct flights to Penang despite it having an international airport. There are lots of options to get there though. And they all open up the possibility of making it a twin-centre trip. Of course, if you want to keep it to a single destination break this is possible with a short stop-over. The total flight duration is around 13-14 hours from the UK. Airline options are so good now, the major scheduled airlines that service the far east are all fantastic.
We last visited and twin-centred our break with Singapore. Flying internationally from Birmingham to Singapore with Qatar Airways via Doha. Singapore to Penang is around a 1-hour flight which we did with Air Asia. I loved both to be honest but they couldn’t be more different!
On arrival
Arriving in Penang you realise just how laid back the whole island is! Despite being an international airport it’s very small. Small but perfectly formed! Once through baggage reclaim and security, you enter the arrivals hall. While you’re here the bus stops and taxi ranks are clearly marked. And if you are organised enough to have booked a transfer, your driver will likely be in this area holding a clipboard with your name on it.
Making you feel full in VIP. Beware of many people who will say they are cheaper than the taxi rank. They come into the arrival hall to prey on weary tourists, telling you they’re half the price of a taxi from the rank. Just walk on by, they aren’t cheaper, in fact, more likely at least twice as much.
George Town
The capital of the Island was named a UNESCO site in 2008. Recognised as having a “unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia“. George town has long been the hub of the island. It’s a bustling city, the second largest in Malaysia. As a multicultural island, this is evident in George town more than anywhere else on the Island. There are colonial buildings, Chinese temples and big, modern hotels.
George town is known as the food capital of Malaysia too. Here is the place to try ALL of the street food. The food on offer is honestly unreal. My favourite meal of the whole trip in 2019 was in a street food hall. We asked our driver for the day to take us somewhere he would eat. I have never had such good food in my life!
Batu Ferringhi
The beach resort in the north of the island has expanded so much over the last 20 or so years. Way back in 2004, Jay and I visited on our first trip away together. We didn’t stay in the resort but we visited every single night to visit what was then a handful of bars and restaurants. Fast forward to 2019 and our last visit, this small sleepy beach town has expanded with almost 100 restaurants and eateries plus the food stall. There is a huge range of places to stay from small 2* places and private villas to big 5* beachfront complexes like the Shangri-la Rasa Sayang and the Hard Rock Hotel. We stayed in the lovely 4* Bayview beach resort.
Batu Ferringhi is well known for its night market. It stretches along the whole resort now with a huge range of goods and wares available. We had a great time buying replica football kits, electricals and toys.
Out and About in Penang
Botanical Gardens
Way back in 2004 on our first full day in Penang we visited the botanical gardens. We fell in love with the lush grounds and the wildlife. I’d never been anywhere like it before. There are monkeys and other animals roaming wild. We couldn’t wait to take the kids when we returned. It didn’t disappoint. It’s still as pretty, the monkeys are still as beautiful but terrifying and the monitor lizards still made me jump when I came across one. There’s no charge to enter the gardens and it’s easy to reach. We got a taxi here both times, but there is a bus that runs near here.
Entopia
Entopia is a butterfly farm just north of Batu Ferringhi. It wasn’t high on my list of places I wanted to visit but the kids were keen to go. I’m so glad they were, I really think we’d have missed out on a great day if we hadn’t. This is a butterfly farm on steroids, it’s huge! So well looked after, a huge range of butterflies and other insects through various stages of life. We actually had a great day, the kids found it really fun and it was educational too. Entrance costs aren’t expensive – adult tickets are RM69 (approximately £12) with family ticket costs
George Town Street Art
George town is renowned for its street art. When we first visited in 2004 the street art was not an attraction at all. In fact, there wasn’t any, just the odd graffiti tag! Fast forward to 2012 a Lithuanian artist was commissioned to paint 6 murals and since then it has just grown. Well worth a visit to George town just to take pictures of this amazing artwork!
Temples
Malaysia is a multicultural country, home to many cultures and religions. This means there are many places of worship and many that are open for visitors. My personal favourite I visited is Kek Lok Si. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and absolutely beautiful. Built upon a hill overlooking George Town. This temple is free to look around, however, there are lots of ways that the temple makes money. Buying offerings and incense is one way. There’s also a small shop which sells souvenirs too. I really recommend it, even if you are not religious at all. Everyone can appreciate the serenity, the beautiful grounds and the amazing city view.
Penang National Park
Malaysia’s smallest national park may be small in size but it’s big in beauty. Lonely planet says; “At 23 sq km, this is Malaysia’s smallest national park, but its beach-fringed forests are home to silvered leaf monkeys, flying lemurs, leopard cats and abundant bird, amphibian and reptile species. You can easily fill a day with activities such as jungle walks and boat trips to serene golden-sand beaches. Bus 101 runs here from central George Town. From the park entrance, a return boat trip should cost RM100 to Teluk Duyung (Monkey Beach), RM200 to Pantai Kerachut and RM220 to Teluk Kampi.”
Many trip advisor posts over the last few years have reported that the path to Monkey beach is almost impassable, and I cannot say in good faith that I know this first-hand. I wish I had been though, it looks absolutely stunning!
Other things not to miss!
We visited the Upside down museum whilst we were visiting George town, this was great fun with some brilliant photos! The first time Jay and I visited we visited the snake temple – this wasn’t an option for me this time around. It’s one of those things that through age and experience I’ve realised I no longer feel comfortable with.
Khoo Kongsi Clan Temple is a really interesting temple to visit. Its entrance hall is adorned with majestic stone carvings, and inside the temple are pavilions, various murals and a total of 36 divine guardian statues. Step inside and be amazed by the stunning ceramic sculptures, set in a beautiful interior with gorgeously-massive overhead paper lamps glowing in orange.
Gurney plaza is a great place to spend the day. This huge shopping centre has big-name stores and small independent stalls. Lots of international brands and eateries. On top of that, there’s a cinema and an arcade too. A great place to spend a day.
Accommodation Options
There are many choices of accommodation in Penang. A lot of bigger beach resort-style hotels are in Batu Ferringhi. Including some big-name hotels like Hard Rock, Shangri-La and Holiday Inn. There’s also a good selection of villas available to rent for your holiday. These are great for bigger groups or those who want a little privacy.
The accommodation in George town is very varied. The range is from backpacker hostels to 5* hotels! The island’s capital has something for everyone. Elsewhere on the island, you will find a good selection of hotels that are usually better price-wise. We stayed in Tanjung Bungah on our first stay, which is around 5 minutes taxi ride from Bat Ferringhi. We stayed in a beachfront hotel for a fraction of the cost.
What to eat
The food options in Penang are unreal! This island is a foodie’s paradise. With its years of multi-ethnic history, there’s something for everyone. With 3 young children, we ate in a huge range of places. Small beachfront cafes, food halls, bigger traditional restaurants, and international brands such as Mcdonald’s, Wendy’s and Hard Rock Cafe. The food halls were my favourite, so much choice and the food was so good!
Basics
- Flight time around 13 hours
- Time zone GMT+8
- Language Malay
- Currency Malaysian Ringgit
- When to go May – October
- How to get there From the UK there are indirect flights daily
- Who should travel here? Everyone, singles, couples, families… There’s something to suit everyone.
Thank you for reading my Penang beginner’s guide. I hope to inspire more families to take their children to Malaysia for a holiday. This island is often overlooked for the Thai islands or Bali, I promise you’ll love it. From the moment we first visited in 2004 we fell in love with this place. I really think you will too!
Thanks for reading as always!
Becky x
