Live Your Best Lives
Many people know Penang from the movie “First Love Red Bean Ice” directed by Ah Niu: “First love is like a bag of red bean ice, which melts away in the blink of an eye. What remains is the slightly astringent sweetness hidden in the heart.”
The ocean's tides convey the turmoil of their hearts, and even through the screen, one can feel the freshness of the old city. Sunshine abounds, the atmosphere is relaxed and leisurely, and there are bags of red bean ice and drinks. The story of time always brings to light an old city with a story to tell—Penang.
Penang is Malaysia's second-largest city and home to the largest overseas Chinese population. Quanzhou, a key starting point on the ancient Maritime Silk Road, is a renowned hometown of overseas Chinese, with Quanzhou residents spread across the globe, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Penangcheck the details
Penang, encompassing the island of Penang and mainland Seberang Perai, was the first city in Malaysia to be designated a city. Penang, a small, turtle-shaped island situated across the Malay Peninsula, is lushly green and verdant, earning it the nickname "The Emerald of the Indian Ocean." A trip to Penang requires two things: a relaxed heart and a strong stomach. A relaxed heart is suited to Penang's slow pace of life, while a strong stomach is prepared for its enticing cuisine. In 2014, Lonely Planet magazine ranked Penang as the world's top foodie destination, demonstrating its culinary appeal. Besides the highly acclaimed fried kway teow, Penang Hokkien mee, and laksa, the diverse snacks here are enough to keep you eating something new for a week. This fusion of cultures creates a multifaceted Penang, reminiscent of the gentle rhythms of a South Sea maiden and the sentimental sentiments of Anna and the King. Even if you've never traveled abroad, or even if you only know how to say yes, bye, and thank you in a foreign language, Penang will still make you feel at ease!
Recommended months: June to September
6513 recommendations, 5224 visits
This time I flew to Penang on Qingdao Airlines, which provided excellent safety, facilities and details.
The opening of the Changsha=Jinjiang=Penang route has greatly facilitated Fujian friends to travel to Malaysia. Departing from Jinjiang at noon, you can arrive in Penang in the afternoon!
Everything on board, from the meals to the surrounding details, makes people feel happy, and even the scenery they encounter is surprising.
① Phone card
A more economical option is to purchase a Malaysian data plan on Taobao in advance for NT$19 for five days, using it solely for internet access. While it's inexpensive, the downside is that you need to understand your internet needs in advance, as unlimited 4G data isn't available in Penang. Another option is to apply for a slow travel plan within China, which costs around NT$30 per day.
②Conversion head
Remember to bring an adapter (I'll tell you, if the boss hadn't given me an adapter when I bought the phone card, I would have forgotten it)
③ Visa
Is there anything else that Taobao can’t solve?
④ Change
Although some places in the local area accept Alipay payment, you still need to prepare some change on you, which you can withdraw from the Bank of China.
Located in the coastal area near Taiping, Perak, Sepang is blessed with a unique natural environment, including the largest mangrove forest in the Malay Peninsula. It was incredibly quiet, and it felt like we were the only people in the vast Sepang area.
But what's surprising is that this area was once a vital port for tin exports, thanks to its booming tin mining industry. However, with the decline of the tin mining industry, Sepang gradually declined, and the first railway line built on the Malay Peninsula has long since disappeared. The small fishing port has lost its charm, continuing to rely on the sea for survival.
A 30-minute boat ride from Sepang brings you to Laogang, nestled among mangroves. This is a microcosm of most fishing villages: a small fishing village connected to the outside world by a tiny wooden bridge, with a dozen or so households huddled together. There's no running water or electricity, but there's a Chinese primary school, a church, a coffee shop, and more.
I was particularly impressed by the students at Pei Zhi National Type Chinese Primary School. This year, there are only six students left, with three about to graduate. We traveled a long way to get here, like intruders at a late-night study session, chatting with them.
Despite their small size, they won second place in the Perak Robotics Competition last year and represented Perak in the Malaysian competition. This small fishing village is gradually gaining attention, and things seem to be changing for the better. It's as if their small strength has suddenly gained immense power.
There is a floating fishing village called Guogang in Sibu, which exudes a strong fishing village style and customs. There are stilt wooden houses on both sides of the river, and many wooden fishing boats are moored on both sides of the river.
The largest area of mangroves in the Malay Peninsula is preserved in Sepang. Locals said that Sepang was not affected by the 2004 tsunami due to the buffer protection of the mangroves.
The mangroves have also spawned various traditional industries here, such as charcoal production. At its peak, there were hundreds of charcoal kilns here, supporting generations of people. These kilns were often built along small rivers in the swamps, and the mangroves used for charcoal production were brought here by boats at high tide.
The first time I visited a charcoal kiln, I learned that charcoal is not made directly by burning, but by using kiln fire and heat to evaporate the water vapor from the wood. The whole process takes about a month.
So you see, even if it is a small town that is almost forgotten, its unique cultural style can keep its beauty and simplicity alive.
Reason for selection: A quiet but extraordinary fishing village
A tour route:
Drink Tiger Bite Lion at Laogang - go out to sea to feed eagles - see pink dolphins - feed fish at fish fillets, see pufferfish, see horseshoe crabs - watch fireflies at night - eat seafood!
Transportation: There are buses from the airport to Taiping and buses directly to Sibu.
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One of the reasons I love Penang is the variety of artworks scattered around the streets. The lively and interesting murals on the walls tell stories about the city to visitors from afar.
Perhaps you are also familiar with the street mural "Sister and Brother Riding Together". Some people say that two children riding bicycles changed the fate of a city.
These murals were created by Lithuanian artist Ernas in Penang in 2012. He painted a total of 8. Later, local artists also joined in, adding a lot of artistic atmosphere to the ancient streets.
It is quite easy to find murals, as they can be found everywhere. These murals are painted on low walls, and many of them have become mottled and peeled, and the original colors and complete appearance can no longer be seen.
The mottled walls record the traces of time, but this does not prevent them from being scattered in every corner of the city, continuing to embellish this beautiful old city.
George Town's street art can be divided into two categories: street murals and iron sculptures. After viewing the street murals, we boarded a fancy tricycle and began our journey to discover the iron sculptures in Love Lane.
I really like their humorous interpretation of folk history, culture and anecdotes, which adds a historical flavor to this land.
The process of searching for murals is both novel and fun. You never know what kind of scenery you will encounter around the next corner.
Grab a cold drink and slowly explore the city's streets and alleys, or take a stroll on one of the beautifully designed tricycles – you'll likely stumble upon something unexpected.
Popular murals
They are mainly concentrated around Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Victoria. Iron sculpture comics are mainly concentrated around Jalan Muntri and Love Lane.
How to choose the check-in method
Walking is more free, you can eat, walk, take photos, stop and go, and you can visit Mural Street, Clan Bridge, and Love Lane in a whole day; you can also find a small bicycle rental shop, most of which open after 10:00 am to pick up the bicycle, and return it around 6:00 pm, about 15 Malaysian ringgit/day.
Another option is the local shared bicycle Link bike, which is charged based on usage time and is free within 30 minutes. There are many locations in the old town to rent and return bikes, which is very convenient.
Take the free CAT bus. The free buses in George Town, Penang start with CAT. They mainly run between Komtar Building and the pier, and basically go around the old town of George Town.
Use maps well
You can see maps at Penang Airport or at some hotel front desks. Be sure to take one, they are very practical!
Penang’s most famous attraction is probably Penang Hill. It takes less than 5 minutes to take the sightseeing train from the starting station to the top of the mountain, giving you a panoramic view of Penang.
Penang Hill is the best place to watch the sunset and night view of Penang. You can also see the Penang city at the foot of the mountain, the boundless sea, the Penang Bridge spanning the sea, and even Seberang Perai on the other side, as well as the Central Mountain Range in the distance...
There is a 130 million-year-old natural ecological park on the top of Penang Hill. Spending an afternoon there is like taking a nature lesson.
The most surprising thing was the Tree Top Walk circular viewing platform, where towering pillars reached the sky. Standing on the viewing platform, the breeze seemed to reach the height of the trees.
Transportation:
① Take bus No. 204 from George Town to Penang Hill Station;
②Taxi from Batu Ferringhi is relatively quick and convenient;
③Drive to Air Itam and you will find the Penang Hill sign.
Cable Car:
①Operation time:
6:30-22:00
The end time of holidays will be postponed to 23:00
②Ticket Price:
Foreign tourists, adults and senior citizens: 30 Malaysian Ringgit
Fast pass ticket 80 Malaysian Ringgit
Half price: Children (4-12 years old)
Note: It's cool on the mountain, but remember to wear sunscreen and be careful of mosquitoes.
Nestled within Penang National Park, Monkey Beach is much quieter and more secluded than Batu Feringghi and Treasure Island beaches. A 30-minute boat ride takes you to the uninhabited Monkey Island. Its white sandy beach is fringed by coconut trees and is frequented by monkeys from the nearby jungle.
Monkey Island is one of the few pristine beaches in Penang, so it's home to crab-eating macaques. These playful monkeys seem to be telling you, "Life is weird, so I have to be cute!"
In addition to watching monkeys, you can also go sea fishing. Unlike other beaches, this beach can be found with a large number of jellyfish, especially in summer, when the number of jellyfish increases rapidly.
The island also has common water activities on the beach, such as jet skis and banana boats. Anyway, there are activities that you can fly in the sky and dive in the water, but I would not dare to challenge them even if I had a hundred times the courage.
How to get there:
It takes about 1.5 hours to hike from the national park entrance.
Alternatively, you can take a boat (80RM per boat, you can share a boat with other tourists) which takes about 20 minutes.
Opening Hours:
8:00-19:00
Admission: Free
Dining:
There's a barbecue area on the beach, so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery while eating your own homemade food! Kill two birds with one stone.
We experienced making a traditional handmade batik cloth with strong Malaysian characteristics. It uses solid-color fabric as the base and uses a pen called chanding filled with melted beeswax to draw patterns on the cloth.
Then dip the paint in the paint, lightly apply it on the canvas, and then blend it. Different colors can be combined to create thousands of styles.
Because of the wax, the different colors will not mix together. After coloring, the steps of cooling and drying, boiling to remove loose colors are repeated, and a beautiful batik work is formed.
Although these fabrics do not have popular colors and styles, they are still the most representative and ceremonial items in Malaysia, reflecting the city’s passion and colorful history and culture.
Craft Batik is the largest batik cloth manufacturer in northern Malaysia. Visitors can visit the batik cloth making process, but it takes some time to make the finished product. You can arrange your trip in advance and the store will deliver the finished work to the hotel where we are staying.
How adorable is Penang? It even has a museum dedicated to teddy bears!
The museum displays numerous teddy bears, many of which were antiques acquired through bidding in Europe. Some are from the last century and are still in excellent condition.
The Penang Teddy Bear Museum has up to 30 teddy bear display spaces with different themes. It not only allows you to appreciate teddy bears of various strange shapes, but also uses virtual characters to showcase Penang’s unique cultural history and priceless authentic cultural essence in an interesting and funny way.
Look, it tells you that in Penang you can still find bread vendors riding bicycles everywhere. Their existence is very meaningful to many Malaysians.
Indian hawkers selling roti or bread along the streets were a familiar sight to children in the past. By honking their horns, children would know that the bread vendors were approaching.
Opening Hours:
9:00-6:00 every day
address:
Ground Floor, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Penang
How to get there:
① By car: 7 minutes from Batu Ferringhi; 15 minutes from Georgetown;
②Bus: Take Penang Express Bus 101 or 102 and get off at Batu Ferringhi Beach Hotel stop. It is a 1-minute walk from the bus stop to the museum.
Penang is known as a "foodie paradise" and there's so much to eat! Mingling among the Malays at the Gurney Drive Food Court, you'll feel confident that you can order anything you want without any mistakes.
People at the night market hide their tiredness in food. The market is colorful and lively.
Fried rice noodles, satay skewers, pig intestine rice noodles, Hainanese chicken rice, grass juice, etc. are all good and recommended to try.
The food stalls in Penang are arranged like this: the various hawker stalls at the entrance specialize in selling food, while the stalls only serve drinks. So if you want to sit in the stall, you can:
①Order a drink from the shop
② Pay a table usage fee (1RM)
Then you have a table and can go to the vendors outside and order whatever you want. When the food is ready, the vendor will bring it to your table and you pay. What a great sharing economy!!!
I stayed in two hotels this time, and the comfort level made me want to stay in the hotel to eat, drink and have fun.
I stayed in the five-star hotel Lexis Suites two days ago. One standard room was over 80 square meters and came with a private swimming pool and bathtub!
For a standard room, this hotel has only one feature: big! The bed is very big, the bathroom has two sinks, and the toilet and shower are separate.
I stayed at the Parkroyal Penang Resort in George Town for the next two days. The rooms were similar to those in China, but the hotel's large swimming pool, beach, and lounge were a pleasant surprise...
In just five days, even though it was just a short visit, I was able to feel the leisure that belongs to this city. It was like I suddenly jumped out of the busy daily life and lived a life of someone else 🐒
