A Weekend in Penang
We had a surprise three day weekend in Kelantan, so we hopped aboard an overnight bus to Penang on peninsular Malaysia's west coast! If you are traveling in Malaysia you could also tack on a few days in Penang from KL, since there are lots of transportation options that would have you up the coast in just a few hours. "Penang" is the state's name, while the actual UNESCO World Heritage Site is Georgetown, a former British colonial city that is now home to bustling Chinese and Indian influences, art, culture and the best food of your life. Here's a sample itenary of how to spend a weekend in Penang!
DAY ONE
6am: Start the ball rolling on your Food Tour
We loved Roti Canai and Teh Tarik!
7am: Take to the Streets
Georgetown is home to some GORGEOUS street art installations! We'd recommend grabbing a tourist map that has them marked, as they can be elusive and you could walk right past them. Some are even interactive!
On your way in the quest to art-spot, take side streets to explore markets (I felt like I was in China again!) and grab street food snacks. We enjoyed the Chinese peanut pancakes.
The city is extremely walkable even if you stay outside of downtown: only about a 20 minute walk across the whole city. Take your time, look for details and soak in the atmosphere during these cooler early-morning hours.
Some great streets to hit are Campbell (for red lanterns and street food), Armenian (for the famous bike painting and temples) and Chulia for the swing and basketball street art. I especially loved the cat street art, and the real life cats I got to pet!
11am: Second Breakfast
'nough said. Mango lassi is life!
Noon: Stop by Hindu and Buddhist Temples
We chose the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Little India, and a smaller Buddhist temple right across from it on Queen street. While we've had the chance to see many temples in our few weeks in SE Asia, we loved visiting these two temples and refocusing on religions and culture.
1:30pm: Museum time!
Georgetown is home to many museums. We chose the Pinang Peramakan Mansion, the home of a wealthy family in the late 19th century. The entry fee was RM20, and we spent about an hour exploring the opulent halls and rooms. I wasn't feeling it at first, but some of the artifacts were really interesting and a temple inside that houses a family of BATS!
2:30pm: Take a Nap
Maybe not if you aren't overnight busing, but napping during the hottest part of the day is a travel pro-tip!
3:30pm: Eat Again
Nasi Kandar is unique to Penang, so we had to try it! It is named for the style of cooking, not a specific dish, so we chose both chicken and lamb. While we've been eating lots of Malay food in Kelantan, if you're coming from KL Penang would be a great place to try Curry Laksa, Mee dishes, Nasi Lemak or Ayam.
4:00pm: Those Famous Colonial Buildings
Finally get to those main colonial buildings the city is famous for. We walked along Pitt Street to Light Lane and we able to see a lot of the architecture, including the Queen Victoria Clock Tower!
5:00pm: Ocean Walk and Clan Jetties
This was one of my favorite parts of the day! Sitting on the embankments along the ocean felt just like relaxing in Charleston or Savannah. I even got homesick sitting there with my friends! We chose to skip Fort Cornwallis in this area, instead heading to the Clan Jetties. (Pro tip: grab coconut water!)
Some of the Jetties are more commercial so you can shop or grab durian ice cream, while others are quieter and offer great views of the harbor. We spent over an hour exploring these!
6:30pm: Sunset at Batu Ferringhi Beach, Dinner and Night Markets
We found uber to be very inexpensive and available as a way to get around greater Penang, and jumped in one quickly to catch the sunset at Batu Ferringhi beach. It was gorgeous and the beach was very clean!
There is tons of street food available (SHWARMA!) and the night markets are worth exploring to grab souvenirs.
10:00pm
Maybe it's because we live in an Islamic state, but we couldn't resist the call to Georgetown's bar street. We found nice cocktails for only RM8, and had a great time!
DAY TWO
11am: Penang Hill
This stop ended up being more of a day trip! Students can ride up the hill in a cable car for just RM15, but the wait to get on a car can be quite long. Once up, we enjoyed walking around to all the look out points, where you can see the city and ocean from above! We also found very inexpensive and delicious Char Keow and Teh Ais. There are looks of other touristy options you can pay for, but we decided not to go in on any of them. Faced with another long line for the cable car, we chose to trek down the hill instead--and ended up on a 2 hour adventure of steep slopes that left us in fits of giggles and with very sore muscles today! The choice is yours :)
5:00pm: Kek Lok Si Temple
Ubering again, we were dropped off in the series of markets that lead to the temple. We spent over two hours in this massive Buddhist temple, perched above the city! Be sure to catch this temple around sunset, since it looks completely different at night.
We also had the best Chicken and Mushroom Pho in my life nearby!
We had to head home that evening, but we were pretty satisfied with all we were able to see in just two days. We will definitely be visiting again! Now back to teaching :)