Overview

Penang is a city that is referred to as the 'Pearl of the Orient'.  That is, for many good reasons...  It is food paradise.  Many travel from all parts of Malaysia and South-east Asia to experience the mouth-watering food.  Your taste buds will thank you once you sample some authentic local food.

Penang is also the ideal place for a holiday in Malaysia.  Hotels are affordable, transport is cheap and people are friendly.  The beach areas are quite pleasant too!  Also well known for its chaotic driving (locals admit it), you need to be quite a 'aware' driver or pedestrian who is always on the lookout for potential hazards.  

Language

English, Mandarin, Malay and Penang Hokkien

Currency

Malaysian Ringgit

Timezone

UTC/GMT +8 hours

Electricity connections

Dialing code

International country code: + 60 (Malaysia)
Area code: 4

How to get there

  • Bus or train from major cities such as Sydney (3 hours) or Melbourne (9 hours) take you to an interchange right in the heart of the city
  • A connecting flight from any major city such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane etc. and take a bus or taxi from the airport to civic.

Food & dining

Before dining out, your best bet is to check out a review suitable to what you want to eat, what your budget is and the time and date and where you want to eat. My biggest tip is to head to urbanspoon.com before you decide to go if you want a better chance of having a good meal. The other tip is that a lot of restaurants will close between dining hours – that is, after lunch hour, most restaurants will close until dinner service at 5 or 6 o’clock. There are plenty of cuisines to try: African, East-Asian, European, Indian, Australian amongst all.
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Key attractions

Canberra likes to boast of its status as the nation’s capital and will not hesitate to remind you of it by adding ‘…of Australia’ or ‘National’ or even both to any name.
  • George Town
  • Penang Hill
  • Botanical Gardens
  • Temple of the reclining Buddha
  • Toy Museum
  • Snake Temple
  • Penang Bird Park
  • St George's Church
  • Raffles Hotel
  • Victoria Memorial Clocktower
  • Queensbay Mall (largest shopping complex)

Accommodation


Transport & getting around

  • Komtar bus station is a great hub to catch buses to different parts of Penang

Local secrets

  • Batu Ferringhi night market
  • You can't leave Penang without sampling the famous roti break and 'Milo-Ice'
  • Visit shopping centres such as Tesco and Komtar complex for cheap shopping

Money-saving tips

  • Travel by local bus
  • Bargain hard with Taxis.  Though they don't always 'cheat' you, they will give you a high initial price

Nearby destinations

  • Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia