Penang Travel Answers

Bus 101 goes there (from Weld Quai, Jalan Chulia, Komtar..), takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on trafic, get off at Golden Sands Hotel, 2,70 Ringit exact fare! Or use a taxi, no meter, you have to agree about the price before. Also a nice beach Pantai Kerachut, go with bus 101 to the last station at the entrance of the Penang National Park, you will have a nice walk trough some forest for about 1 hour. Bus 204 and 201 brigs you to the Penang Hill cable car station. rapidpg.com.my/journey-plann...

If you have not booked where to stay, then I strongly suggest you make a night at either one of the Batu Feringhi beach hotel, you have many choice and they are not expensive, have a walk or jogging, may be some water sports and you can enjoy sea swim if you like. The most important thing is at night time you can have a walk along the night market, to shop for souvenirs you can bargain. The other 2 nights you may either stay on Penang Hill, George Town or across the Penang Bridge to peninsula. Travelling across the Strait of Malacca you can have a look on one of the Asian longest bridge ( you can not stop on bridge as the traffic are very busy ) and go back to Penang may be by ferry, then you experience more during your stay in Penang. I am glad you have fix Penang Hill in your programme. You should not miss the chance to have some beautiful photo shootings. Welcome to Malaysia. Enjoy the foods and your stay.

Thanks a lot for your advice! i have booked Tune Hotel, Georgeown for te 3 nights that i am there. But a room was only RM2.99 since i booked it during promotonal time. So i dont mind getting accomodation at Batu Ferringhi if its worth it! Out of the 3 days,which day do u suggest i stay at Batu Ferringi? 1st 2nd 3rd? Also, are cabs expensive to and from Georgetown to Batu? Looking forward to my trip!

We did the opposite of you. we stayed at the beaches and then took the 101 bus to Georgetown for the day. I really liked Georgetown. The beach area was scenic but the sea was a little murky and we preferred the hotel pool, hense a night in a hotel near the beaches may be a good idea. I also enjoyed a visit to the butterfly farm which was near the beach area, however my visit was a long time ago, not sure how things have changed.The view from Penang hill was very pretty.

Thanks Irene. My husband just tells me he doesnt wanna keep checking in and out of the hotel many times so i guess we will be staying in Georgetown the full three nights. However, trying to organise lunch / dinner at Bayview hotel in Batu Ferringhi as that hotel seems beautiful! Hope we can try that out.

I love Penanga dn especially George Town. I go there every year and will be back again in june. But i must say that i never liked Batu Feringhi. Expensive, out of the way and full of retired europeans. If i want to the beach then there are better places than Penang if you ask me. Penang should be visited for other reasons than the beach in my humble opinion.

Of course preferences are different, i prefere to stay in Georgetown and go to the beach if i feel like it in the daytime. In Georgetown is more choice of food and shopping as well as sightseeing. Transpotation becomes difficult (or expensive) in the late evening. Tunes hotel is excellent value for what you have payed for it, the cheapest you can find in Batu Feringghi would be about 40 Ringit.

Welcome to Penang. I live in Penang Island. It is fine to stay in George Town and take day trip to the beach strip. I would recommend Golden Sands Hotel or Lone Pine Hotel which are more central location than Bayview Beach hotel wbere in the evening, there are tourist stalls are set up along the road in the evening.Of course, you can still go to City Bayview and then the bus to Golden Sands area. The Rapid Penang bus runs late until 10pm between Batu Ferringhi to George Town. So you can take the bus to go to the beach near Golden Sands in the afternoon, have dinner there at the hotel or neighbouring restaurants or cheaper food courts and walkabout the tourist stalls at night.

Thanks SL! let me check out the golden sands now. Will e-mail them and inquire about lunch at the hotel and if possible a swim in their pool. Your reply has been most helpful!

Hi, from your post on New Zealand, you work for Citibank, suggest you make arrangement to get your oversea colleague in Penang office who also love travelling to be your 3 days guide in Penang then you will maximise your time to the things you like most in Penang. You are so lucky getting Tune Hotel so cheap. Hope your good luck continue to get someone who are able to help and be a good guide. Do not miss : 1. the beach and an evening walk along the street stalls, 2. go up The Panang Hill by tram as per your original plan ( today I read on the news that a new OWL museum that keep all about owl just started its operation ), 3. Hunt for Malaysian foods in hawkers' centre( Chinese, Malay, Indian ) 4. Penang Museum, 5. The Little India, 6. the Chinese temple, the Hindu temple, the mosque ( along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling ) 5. the Little India, 6. the Fort Conwallis + Port Swettenham ( all 4-6 are close to each other ) 7. a return ferry ride to the peninsula from Penang Port( will take you about less than a hour but sure worth an experience ) Getting a good guide is most important then you can go further for 8. Tropical Fruit farm + Butterfly farm, 9. Batik painting factory and etc Hope you enjoy your trip to Penang. I Welcome your family to Malaysia.

it worth, esspecially for the night market(b ferringhi). i am based in town, perhaps, we could meet up for a coffee or two.