Penang -- any advice?


Priscilia

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Jun 20, 2006
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Hi all,

I am in Penang now.

Any places worth seeing and snapping? I am thinking Kek Lok Si, Batu Ferringhi.

For nice food, anywhere else besides Gurney Drive? Heard it's touristy though...

thanks...!
 

Hey, I just came back from Penang a few days ago....

If u like macro photography, u can try the Penang Butterfly farm, pretty interesting and lots of insects to shoot.

Batu Ferringhi has got nice beach, not bad to shoot landscapes and long exposures. I also like the Penang Bridge.. great landscape shots...

Kek Lok Si Temple is not bad for shooting too...

As for food, we all didnt like Gurney's food... not really nice... prefer those near Komtar, like Jln Penang, Macaslister, Jln Burma etc. Their prawn mee soup and Ngoh Hiang is nice...

You can also go to Him Heang for their Tao Sah Piah... quite nice. .. and good to buy back from friends and family.

Hope you have fun there! :)
 

The only thing that is good in gurney is the fruit rojak... and yes, it's very touristy!

Go to Lebuh Keng Kwee for the famous chendol if you like this dessert. The coffee shop next to it have pretty good assam laksa and kuey teow ting.

New Lane (or Jalan Macalister, depending on which one you chose to remember it, just next to Sunway hotel) has pretty good fried intestine congee & good cuttlefish kang kong; Heck, most of the stuff there are above average.

Of course if you go Kek Lok Si, might want to take the famous assam laska at the corner of Jalan Air Hitam & Jalan Pasar, but the quality not as good as last time. The other place people swear by for assam laksa is Balik Pulau, not sure where as I don't like that version. My favourite is at Farlim which is difficult to give directions to...

Some like Penang char kuay teow at lorong segamat, and the 2 sisters...

Oh heck, why not check ieatishootipost blog for some of the places they went - most of the eating places are blogged there... I think they also went places to shoot as well and is also listed there, but don't quote me on that.

Photos, I guess the usual suspects are the old georgetown area, Penang Hill, botanical gardens (look out of fierce monkeys... used to be there but I have not been there for a long time), the burmese temple (lying buddha), snake temple, etc. Have not really gone around to take pictures there as I was too busy eating all the stuff I like, and I have been to penang almost every year - more for visitation than photo sessions.

Him Heang is good for Beh Teh Saw, Tambun (Tao Sah Piah), & Phong Peah (is just bigger size Beh Teh Saw from what I can recall); Ghee Hiang for Hneoh Pneah (made of brown sugar) & Oriental Almond Cookies. Of course Ghee Hiang has Beh Teh Saw, Tambun, and Phong Peah, so different people like different store's version. Both have stores along Jalan Burmah.
 

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Esorlegin made a list of 100 places to eat (October 2008) which may or may not be helpful to you (depending on your tastes and if the restaurants are still around).

It is a useful list to keep with you in Penang just in case you happen to be in an area and are hungry for food.
 

Food wise, you can try.

Dim Sum at a coffeshop called Long Ji (龙记) along Lebuh Kimberly.

Murtabak at Hameediyah restaurant along Lebuh Campbell.
 

Avoid the Gurney drive hawker market, very touristy, very poor quality. The food court under the near by shopping mall is far superior.

For pictures go to the butterfly farm, the spice garden, botanic gardens for the natural stuff and some of the temples for something different.
 

Wow wow wow... thanks for all the recommendations!!! Most of the foods I haven't even heard or read in the guidebook! :thumbsup:

But that's quite a handful or rather mouthful of places to visit. How do you guys move around? I don't drive here... So I suppose got to take bus or cab?
 

Can get a cab to take you places for 1 whole day. Prices varies according to driver though. Should be in the region of RM100-RM180.

They will be able to show you the local specialties as well.
 

Wow wow wow... thanks for all the recommendations!!! Most of the foods I haven't even heard or read in the guidebook! :thumbsup:

But that's quite a handful or rather mouthful of places to visit. How do you guys move around? I don't drive here... So I suppose got to take bus or cab?

check out rapidpenang.my for buses to move around.
Taxis are rip off unless they on their meter.

Go pick up some Penang guidebook from your hotel. There's a food trail guide. You can move along Jalan Penang for nice food.

Shopping at Komtar and Queensbay Mall. I recommend Queensbay Mall. :)
 

Planning to go Penang aroung late Nov. Wonder how's the public transport there? I'm planning to rent a car there and drive around, no sure if it's a good idea. Any advice?
 

Planning to go Penang aroung late Nov. Wonder how's the public transport there? I'm planning to rent a car there and drive around, no sure if it's a good idea. Any advice?

Having worked in the island from 04-08, I can only say: DON'T RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT!!!
Driving there is crazy too.
Taxis don't run on meter, gotta bargain. Don't let them know you're from SG, else you kenna chop.
 

Having worked in the island from 04-08, I can only say: DON'T RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT!!!
Driving there is crazy too.
Taxis don't run on meter, gotta bargain. Don't let them know you're from SG, else you kenna chop.

Like tat... siao and no fun liao ... If all transport sucks, may just join the local tour there.
 

I just returned from penang and the cab there is quite cheap... but gotta bargain and fix a price first as they dun run on meter. The hotel recommended us a day tour guide... which is pretty good coz he will drive you to places of interests and u can tell him which ones u wanna go and which ones u dun wanna go.... there were 6 of us and we paid around S$20 plus for 6 hours of tour. Coz if you drive, you dun really know the directions or where to go, what stalls are nice etc.

you can also take bus.... pretty ok.. we tried that.. cheap and good... but u must know where to alight lah..... there is this penang tour bus that drives one round in penang that takes u to various tourists spots.. that is free.....
 

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I just returned from penang and the cab there is quite cheap... but gotta bargain and fix a price first as they dun run on meter. The hotel recommended us a day tour guide... which is pretty good coz he will drive you to places of interests and u can tell him which ones u wanna go and which ones u dun wanna go.... there were 6 of us and we paid around S$20 plus for 6 hours of tour. Coz if you drive, you dun really know the directions or where to go, what stalls are nice etc.

you can also take bus.... pretty ok.. we tried that.. cheap and good... but u must know where to alight lah..... there is this penang tour bus that drives one round in penang that takes u to various tourists spots.. that is free.....

Can post or PM me the hotel and the tour guide details? My group is 17 people. Is 2 days 1 nite enough for Penang?
 

Can post or PM me the hotel and the tour guide details? My group is 17 people. Is 2 days 1 nite enough for Penang?

Depends on how much you can eat per night :bsmilie:
Lemme count the things from New Lane.
Char kuay teow, kuay teow thng, lor bak, prawn mee, fried intestines porridge... okay, I think I'm going for breakfast now.
 

Wa 17 pple is alot, not sure if can fit into van? Maybe need 2.

Anyway, we stayed at Traders Hotel Georgetown (previously was Shangri La but name changed to Traders). Rates was S$100 per room per night. Location is pretty good and central. But dun expect it to be posh as Shang in Sg. But it is reasonably good.

The tour guide details as follow:

Name: B A Tan
Tel: 016-486 2277

Btw, when I mentioned $20 plus for 6 hours of tour, it's per person, not total :p

We stayed there for 3 days 2 nights and actually found it abit too short. Din get to go to alot of places. So I think urs will be rather rush........

Can post or PM me the hotel and the tour guide details? My group is 17 people. Is 2 days 1 nite enough for Penang?
 

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