Penang Travel Forum

Hi All
I will be coming to Penang in Sept of this year with my wife and daughter age 10.
I have been looking at the Holiday inn as the place we would stay. I have been reading all of the posts here to get a better idea.
I read here that perhaps there is not that much to do during the day around the Holiday inn so I started to look at the Paradise Sandy Bay Beach Resort.

We like to be able to get out during the day and explore and think that it will be better at the Sandy bay.
We normally go to Bali but wanted a change of shopping and culture.

So to get to the point would the Sandy bay be better that the Holiday Inn? Or is there another place that might be good.

Sorry for the long post :)
Thanks
Andrew

Personally I would choose to stay in Georgetown. There's some great value hotels such as Traders, Cititel, City Bayview. There is more to do during the day and you can spend your days exploring the smaller backstreets. If you wanted to visit the night markets at Batu Ferrighi you can alway catch a bus or grab a taxi out there.

You can find more information at www.penangtravelforum.com

cheers

Hi Andrew

I don't think you will be any better off at the Sandy Bay. We had our first visit to Penang last month and stayed at the Bayview Beach. We absolutely loved it, and we hired a car and driver most days to take us out and about the island. We tended to return to the resort by early to mid afternoon and spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool or doing water activities. It was a wonderful holiday.

I think Georgetown would be good to stay for adults, but we had our kids with us and they didn't like Georgetown at all. I think the beach resorts are much better for families and most of the resorts have activities available if you don't want to go out one day.

Hiring a car and driver is incredibly cheap so it isn't a problem at all. There are also local buses if you want to save money.

Deb

I would also stay in Batu Ferringhue and travel to georgetown when you want.

If you stay at golden sands or rasa sayang you can get a coach into the traders hotel and then always get taxi from there. The coach is free.

Golden Sands is a great hotel for children - always lots of different nationalitys which is always part of the holiday for a 10 year.

Thanks everyone for your help, I have more to think about now :)

What would be the cost that I can haggle for a Taxi into Georgetown?
Or if we get a bus in, is it hard to work out what bus to get back?

All the best
Andrew

Hi

I think you got stuck now, town or beach area? This depend on what you want most, enjoying the beach? Shopping? Taxi from beach to town is not really cheap, bus would be definately cheaper. The is this new hotel named G Hotel, it is between town and Batu Feringghi (Beaches), next to it is a shopping mall, night time this place is busy with a little small local food eating stalls just within walking distance. In front of the hotel is seaside but you cannot swim, if you like swimming then take the hotel at Batu Feringghi, Rasa Sayang is just newly renoveted with good security. Holiday Inn also just renovated not long ago. I don't quiet recommend Sandy Bay.

Hope this help.

My wife and I with our grand daughter have for the past three years stayed at the Paradise Sandy Beach .. our grand daughter is 14 .. we did prior to this always stay at Batu Ferringhi .. for ten years in a row .. and there is nothing much to do during the day
At the Paradies Sandy if you book a family suite at round RM450 you will get two bedrooms .. two toilets/showers .. large living room and dining area plus cost includes a very good buffet breakfast.
The hotel is situated about half way between Batu Ferringhi and Goergetown.
Hotel has it's own taxi service and "cheap" .. it will cost you RM 15 from the hotel down to Batu Ferringhi for the night markets and restuarant area.. same cost RM15 to go the other way to Gurney Drive
Paradise Sandy Beach does not get as crowded as some of the hotels on the strip .. and you wil always be able to get a deck chair to relax away the day.
Swimming in the ocean is NOT a good thing .. there are lots and lots of jelly fish .. that punch a mighty sting

Holiday Inn is much better than Paradise Sandy Bay. There are more things to do like night stalls of the Batu Ferringhi tourist belt and the beach area is much better. Paradise Sandy Bay is at Tanjung Bungah area. Of course, my personal preference is Golden Sands but it much more pricey.

There is a new bus service Rapid Penang has new aircond bus and ply reliabily between Holiday Inn or Sandy Bay area to downtown and other tourist destination. So the older bus companies like KHG have up their service in competition.

Taxis can be hired for a day or half day and quite cheap after converting into US dollars. The hotel staff will be able to advise you the going rate.