Malaysia | Penang's Lasting Impression + 3-Day Itinerary
Penang, a surprising Nanyang town 🇲🇾
It's like a "hybrid," with Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European blood flowing through it, giving birth to George Town's culturally diverse streets amidst the humid, hot, and vibrant tropics.
I spent three days exploring Penang on foot, capturing it through my eyes. What couldn't fit into a nine-grid photo collage will forever remain in my memory.
📸 My Itinerary
Day 1️⃣ Arrival Day, focusing on strolling ➕ beach sunset
Hin Bus Depot (Weekend market, only open on weekends, great for browsing) → Penang Street Art District → Chew Jetty → Batu Ferringhi Beach (watch fireworks ➕ sunset)
Day 2️⃣ City Walk Exploration Day
The FOUNDERS Hutton (Jay Chou's favorite bagel 🥯) → The Blue Mansion → Love Lane → St. George's Church ⛪️ → Penang City Hall → Old Gurney Drive Clock Tower → Pinang Peranakan Mansion (check Chinese guided tour times, there are very interesting interactive performances) → Little India → Beach Street Fire Station → George Town World Heritage Inc.
Day 3️⃣ Relaxed Hiking Day 🧗
Penang Hill → Monkey Cup Garden jungle cafe. 🐒 Although cute, don't stand under the trees where they are.
🍽️ Food Review:
1️⃣ BoraBora Batu Ferringhi Beach (Jay Chou's favorite bagel 🥯) The portion is generous, the bagel is chewy and delicious! 😋
3️⃣ Green House Prawn Mee: As someone from Sichuan and Chongqing, it was a bit too sweet. Perhaps friends from Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai would like it.
4️⃣ Joo Hooi Cafe: I passed by the day before and saw many people, so I went straight there the next day. It's like a hawker center; I ate two plates of Char Kway Teow! 🤤 The Laksa was also decent, a flavor I'd never tasted before. The nutmeg juice was pink and delicious, but the Cendol was a bit too sweet.
5️⃣ Monkey Cup Garden: A cafe in the tropical jungle of Penang Hill. The atmosphere is great, but the taste is very average, especially the desserts which felt very pre-made.
6️⃣ Nasi Lemak: A very famous coconut rice dish. Aside from not liking the rice, all the other ingredients were great. Very convenient, right next to the fire station.
7️⃣ Durian Mouthwatering Durian Shop: How can you come to Malaysia and not eat durian? The owner of this shop was very nice and even let us sample some. The price was also very reasonable, and kids eat for free. You can feast on it! 🤤
🏨 Hotel
I stayed at Citadines Connect Georgetown Penang. The room was indeed small, but it was very convenient, right next to the weekend market, and you could walk to most other places in George Town.
🔔 Tips:
Penang traffic is really bad 😭 If you're catching a flight, remember to leave very early. This is a friendly reminder from a lucky person who almost missed their flight due to traffic, but then the flight was delayed.