We had heard about the street art in Penang and decided to check it out. Some people say you need a week or two in Penang but we stayed four nights in George Town and thought this was enough. Getting here was easy and cheap – flying through Singapore or KL, it’s a $50 flight thanks to AirAsia and with a very short travel time.
Where to Stay in Penang
Penang is not known for private homes or villas, so we stayed at Dream Hotel in the centre of Georgetown – it was in a great location and a no-brainer. The restaurant turned out to be amazing and we had incredible meals here and enjoyed the rooftop bar on sunset with the complimentary wines.
Exploring George Town
The very first day we headed out in search of the street art. Our hotel provided us with a map with all of the locations clearly marked so it was super easy to navigate the streets without a guide.
The Blue Mansion
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, commonly known as The Blue Mansion, is a heritage building located on Leith Street in George Town. The building’s indigo-blue outer walls make it a very distinctive building, but it mainly reflects Chinese architectural styles of the Imperial Period. The mansion was originally built with careful attention to the principles of Feng Shui, and modern technology at the time it was built. Though white paint was most common, the indigo-blue was chosen because it added stature to the building.
Penang’s Fabulous Food
Penang is famous for it’s street food and restaurants. We looked up recent reviews on TripAdvisor and enjoyed meal after delightful meal all over town. Whether it be local Malaysian meals or western cuisine that really cater to all taste buds you can find everything in Penang. Our favourites were located in a district called ‘Love Lane’.
Meal name: Sotong ala Panggilan Pulau
Chew Jetty, Penang
George Town has six jetties along the waterfront. Each jetty has been named after a traditional Chinese family – the one we visited is Chew Jetty and it’s one of the most popular and tourist-friendly. Little shops selling shirts, souvenirs, bags, food stalls line the jetty while the stilt-houses either side still have locals living in them.
On Top of the World
On our last day we took a taxi to the base of Penang Hill and rode the funicular to the lookout. It was either that or walk. Yep, we opted for the 5-minute along the steepest tunnel track in the world rather than trek on foot. With amazing views from the top we recommend going up on a clear day.
Exploring the rest of Penang
We drove around Penang but apart from the big shopping malls and resorts we didn’t really find anywhere else that had the same amazing vibe that George Town offers.
Next, we take a 30-minute flight to the island of Langkawi – join us while we explore a new location with amazing villas!
