George Town or Penang city is the emerald for food lovers in Malaysia . Here you can taste Indian , chines , continental , Burmes , Thai and lastly Malay food . In the evening , certain streets were closed for street food vendors such is the craze for food in Penang . Georgetown penang attractions are some magnificent churches , Buddhist and chines temples , some wonderful beaches , unique three wheel beca ride and lots of Parties . It also have some ravishingly build supermarkets , some natural gardens and also some magnificent heritage building .
I started my journey from the Malacca City in a Night bus . After punching the ticket , you can enter the boarding area of th Malacca Bus Terminal . Tickets can be purchased both from the counter or from the ticket vending machine . Price of a ticket is around 49 RM from malacca to Penang for one way journey . It is almost 500 km and you can reach there in almost 6 hour . Roads are extremely good and car runs frequently over 100 kmph. I almost reached there at 3:30 am . In Penang city , City buses runs from 6:00 am . so I have to wait there almost 2 hours to get the first bus toward my hostel . It is situated near to the Komtar point (city centre of Georgetown).
Sleeping city :
Penang city is bit lazy . In this city , there is lots of late night parties and very late morning opening of the Markets . When I reach Komtar it was hardly 6 : 30 am . At that time , every shops were closed and I have to reach to my hostel by walking .
After reaching , I found that the reception will open around 12 pm . Somebody was coming out from the hostel , she opened the Door to rest inside . All hostels and hotels in Penang city have digital Lock system where door can only be opened by the digital Card . But after seeing the situation I choose another Hotel .
After reaching there also , found no receptionist were present there . The receptionist finally come here around 9 am and almost around 10 am I got my bed . Everything opens very late in Penang . So If you come early then be better prepared . You may have to wait too long for check in . In the street you may got lots of food to eat but regular shops will open only , after certain time .
In the hostel I meet some Iraqi and Syrian guys , they are saying that in their homeland there is very few tourist . so , if you visited their country , you will be like a Celebrity . Wars have mostly destroyed their land .
After a short chat I go for sleep as I did not sleep in the previous night . I wake up around 2 pm in the afternoon and at that time , I was super hungry . First I search some vegan restaurant in the google maps and goes fort that . Suddenly I saw a restaurant with Almost 50 people in a queue for food .
Hameediyah Restaurant :
Lot’s of famous persons from Malaysia , India and other country come here and taste food in this restaurant . Price was little in the higher side but the food was excellent . I need to wait almost 45 minutes to get my food . I was seated in the upper dinning hall of this restaurant .
Price : price of my food was 25 RM .
This is one of the oldest Restaurant in the Penang City . This is actually , a Tamil non-vegeterian restaurant . In this restaurant you can get fish , chicken , shrimp , beef , biriyani and polao . Food here are such a tasty that you have to wait 30 minutes to 1 hour to get your food .
After ordering the rice and chicken , they will put all different types of curry in it . That gives it a totally different flavor .
Attractions in Georgetown :
Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion :
It was build in the later 19 th century by a rich chines merchant Cheong Fatt Tze . It was a blue house and was the residence of the businessman Cheong Fatt Tze . Now it is like a heritage home which can be seen by the guided tour from the care takers of the building .
Dhammikarama Burmese Temple :
This is a buddhist temple of Mayanmar style . In the main temple there is a big buddha in the sleeping posture .
This temple is situated in the both side of the road . In the temple there is lots of buddha statues and also the message of buddha . On the wall there is pictures which describe different stories of buddha . There is also a big buddha statue .
There is a stupa which was build in 1805 by the burmes community lived here and constructed temple later .
After visiting this temple the sky already becomes darker so I started to return toward my hostel . In the night I eat poha , which I bring from my home . I soaked it in the water and eat with Curd . In lots of time when I stayed in a Hostel , where is no shared kitchen , I do like this to save my money , have a taste of Home and also for good hygienic food . I normally don’t prefer to roams around the streets in the night . Although , Malaysia is safe , not the every country . Mostly they targeted the foreigners . My advise will be , try to avoid traveling in the night , if not necessary . Next day was sunday so most of the attractions were closed and I go for a ferry journey toward the Butterworth .
Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal:
This is the ferry terminal , from where you can get the ferry toward the mainland Malaysia as Georgetown is a island . This ferry will charge just the one way ticket and from the Georgetown to Butterworth ( mainland Malaysia ) , there is no return ticket . In one way ticket they included the return cost . This ferry is air conditioned and take just 10 minutes .
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower:
This monument was build in the year 1897 for the Diamond jubilee of the queen Victoria . This monument is a 60 feet tall and there is a clock in that tower .
Fort Cornwallis :
This fort was build in the later 18 th century by the British East India Company . This fort was named after the British general lord cornwalis .
In this fort there is a special canon Sri Rambai canon . People thought that , it has some magical power .
This fort has been situated just beside the sea beach and canons were faced toward the sea .
Just next to the Fort cornwalis there is a beautiful seating area just beside the sea . This area is quiet high from the sea . So you can enjoy the beautiful panoramic view of the sunset in the sea . There is also a wide walking area on that spot . People prefer this area for the evening walk .
Next day I planned to go little outside of the city to see the mountains and the forest situated in this Island . Mainly the western part of the island has more greenery . Eastern part is more like city and the airport is situated in the further south . If you want to travel to the western part of the island , then you have to hire a bike or private vehicle , as only up to a certain distance the public buses runs . On the way toward Batu ferringhi there is quiet some fun spots .
Tropical Spice Garden :
Tropical Spice Garden is a place where you can experience 500 species of plants and herbs . I don’t went inside , as this was little expensive . On this tour you can see lots of herbal trees .
Price : Entry price for the adult is 28 RM
Just opposite to this Tropical Spice Garden there is a wonderful white sand beach . This beach is stopped by a limestone mountain .In this area sometimes there is mountain sometimes beach . The beach is very clean and on the beach side there was food stalls selling snacks . I spend little time there and take another bus toward Entropia .
Entropia :
This is a glass house butterfly farm . Inside this area there is lots of different varieties of butterfly . The ticket is very costly , so I don’t went inside .
Escape Penang :
This is a adventurous theme park which holds two Guineas World Record . It has the world’s longest tube water slide of length 1111 meter and also the world’s longest zip coster 1135 meter . This two fact attracts lots of tourists to this theme park . It is very expensive for my living standard , so , I don’t went it . You may do it . It might be around 100 – 150 RM .
Up to this park , the public bus runs and next you can see the Teluk Bahand Dam .
After walking little bit there is a tropical rainforest . Under which there is natural swimming pool . In this forest there is lots of different types trees . I mainly walked through the guided route as there was no guide in this forest . After walking a mile I come back and goes toward my Hostel .
New Lane Street :
Penang is like the heaven for the food lovers . Here you can get the fusion of the Indian , Chines , Malay , thai and Burmes food . In this city certain streets become the hub for the food lovers in the evening . Mostly the traffic is closed in this streets except the inhabitants of that area . Here you can find 40 -50 shops selling different types of foods . The foods you can find are Assam Laksa , beef ball soup , Chee Chong fun , Ice kachang , different types of noodles , berbecue meat and lots more . At the begining of the street in the right side you get a shop selling the Durian . In most of the area , you have to buy a full durian which is almost 40 RM .
This street foods are such famous that you can see long lines in front of certain shops . First I taste the Oyster omlet which is very famous here . The omlet is made of the Duck egg . Here in this area I first taste oyster . The area is filled with the smoke of the grilling meat and fish . When they serve , first they wanted to give chopsticks , but I insists them to give a spoon as I can not eat with the chopsticks . Cost of the Oyster Omlet is 13 RM . There is a eating place in the left hand side but if you eat there you have to book a drink as those seats belong to them . So I walked little bit and almost crossed the market and eat in a porch of a house .
Next I eat Chee Chong Fun . It is a burmes dish . Here rice noodles are first chopped in small pieces and then beans paste , shrimp paste and sesame seeds were put above it . This costs 6 RM . I have a mixed feeling with this dish . I will give 5 out of 10 as the shrimp paste I don’t like .
After eating this two my stomach was totally full . There was lots of delicious dishes but I feel to end todays food tour by the Ice Kachang . This is a type of ice cream where ice dusts were mixed with some cooked beans , vanilla ice cream , different types of nuts and some other ingredients . This costs 7 RM . After that I finished this day and come back to hostel .
Kek Lok Si Temple :
This is the most famous Chines temple in the George Town . This is the combination of the three chines and Buddhist philosophy . The temple has a very big Pagoda from where you can see the whole city . This tower can be climbed by the round stairs . This is the largest Buddhist Temple in Malaysia . The temple construction started in 1899 and finished in 1930 . People said there was all together 10000 bronze buddha statue . First you reach to a temple where a big golden statues of Buddha were kept .
In this area you see a Giant golden pot . Inside this people put Dhupa and the fragnance spread everywhere . There is a long wooden stick where people put their wish list . It is believed that after hanging the cloth of the wishes , it will be full filled .
After you cross this place there is a gate where you have to buy tickets for the Pagoda . In this place there is a huge temple . Lots of statues were present there . There was some big pictures which tells the stories of Mahatma Buddha .
In this area there is a big metal bell which can be ring by a big cylindrical structure .
After that you can climb up to the Pagoda . except than this pagoda , there is also lots of statues and temples situated here . This whole complex is situated on a hill and have a clusters of the chines style building .
Goddess of Mercy Temple :
This is the oldest Taoist temple in Penang . It was first established in the year 1728 . It is temple of deity Kuan Yin . She is the goddess of good health and Good Luck . Every year in the time of chines new year people come here and prey for maintaining good luck through out the year . Inside the temple I saw some older guy practice some rituals with the stick . He said he want to learn his fortune . This temple is very popular among the chines people in this city .
St George ‘ s Church :
This is the oldest Angilican Church in Malaysia . After British occupied this place they started to build a place of worship around 1810 . This church is made in the style of Armenian , english architecture . I visited this church from the outside . It was a white colored church with a big clock in the top .
Church of Assumption :
This church was build in the year 1786 . It is a roman catholic church . This church is quiet bigger in size . Inside the window , there is multi colored glasses .
Kapitan Keling Mosque :
It is the most magnificent mosque in the city of Penang . It was build in the Indian Architecture and made by the Indian Muslims traders in the 19 th century . It has some beautiful multicolored domes and beautiful arched door . This mosque have been the part of the UNESCO’s World heritage area .
Non Muslims can not enter the prayer room . But can pretty well seen the Architecture of the Mosque .
Near to this mosque there is lots of money exchange shops which give very good exchange rate . I personally exchange in a shop for some RM with doller .
Summary :
Penang is the combination of the Indian , Chines and the Malay and other Culture . This city has been true sense , a Cosmopolitan city . This city has a very late rising and night life culture . Heritage part of the city has been listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage list . There is lots of places to visit in the penang city from the religious place to fun park and eco parks and lots of natural places . Often called penang as the food capital of Malaysia . There is some streets in Penang which completely closed in the evening and become food street .
