The Corporate Mommy Diaries: Around Penang

One of the places in Malaysia on my bucket list is Penang. Even before, I really wanted to walk the streets of Georgetown and have been intrigued by the street art.

The whole family including my mom, sister, nephews, nephew’s girlfriend, hubby and the kids flew to Penang via Air Asia. It was around 1000+RM for all 9 of us.

We decided to stay at a budget hotel to save a few bucks; anyhow most of the day will be spent going around town. Old Penang Guesthouse was one of the budget hotels that came out of my search with positive feedback. We got the whole dorm with 12 beds for 29rm each bed per night. The bathroom and toilet has to be shared with everyone else in the house. But our room was near the t&b so it was almost like exclusive for us.

Arriving at Penang International Airport, we took the bus going to Georgetown. We did not expect it to take more than an hour though. There were too many bus stops and there’s heavy traffic on some areas.

It was too hot that noon that we arrived. We immediately went straight to Old Penang Guesthouse to leave our things. Old Penang Guesthouse is an old house turned into a bed and breakfast. It has an old charm that's very appealing.

On our first day, we just went around the area near Old Penang Guesthouse.

Assumption Church

Assumption Church is the only Catholic church we found in the island.

St. George’s Church

The St. George’s Church is the oldest Anglican Church in Malaysia. it is one of the loveliest British colonial heritage building located in the core zone of George Town’s Unesco World Heritage site.

Makamah Sesyen and Majistret (Jenayah)

Not really part of the tour but the architecture of the building is admirable.

Kong Hock Keong

The earliest of the Chinese Taoist temples is Kong Hock Keong, better known as Kuan Yin Teng, or in English, the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy.

Han Jiang Ancestral Temple

The Han Jiang Ancestral Temple was awarded the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Culture Heritage Conservation in 2006. The temple serves as the heart of Teochew culture in Penang.

Kapitan Keling Mosque

Kapitan Keling Mosque is one of the major landmarks in Penang. It was built in 1801 by Penang’s first Indian Muslim settlers.

We wanted to explore the town more on our first day but it started to rain. We sought refuge at a coffee house close our hotel and waited for the rain to stop. But the rain continued until night so we just stayed indoors.

The following day, as we were about to start our exploration, we encountered a trishaw driver who gave us a deal. Due to the tiring first day as well as unexpected rain, we decided to take it. It’s 30RM per trishaw for an hour of tour. We needed 4 trishaws to accommodate all 9 of us including baby #2.

Here are some of the photos from our 2nd day of tour.

Penang Street Art

I personally wanted to see the Street Art of Penang. I’ve been fascinated by it since I saw my friend’s photos who went there a few years back.

A London-trained Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic was commissioned to paint Mirror George Town, a collection of murals within the inner city, for the 2012 George Town Festival celebrations. Since then the project has drawn much attention from the locals and tourists alike. It has enhanced interest in the streets of George Town. In his footsteps comes Louis Gan, a 25-year-old self-taught who also painted some murals around town.

Blue Mansion/ Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

This famous indigo-blue Chinese Courtyard House in Georgetown was the residence of a prominent Chinese figure in Penang, Cheong Fatt Tze,. The mansion was built by master craftsmen brought in especially from China, who used their skills to fashion the mansion with 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows.

Chew Jetty

Chew Jetty, an old Chinese waterfront settlement, is the largest and most lively jetty at the end of Gat Lebuh Armenian.

Penang Hill

Penang Hill is still about 30-45 minutes away from Georgetown, we took the bus going there from a bus stop by St George’s Church. Being a school holiday, Penang Hill was also crowded. The train that took us to the hill top was jam packed.

At the top of the hill, the view was breath taking.

Food in Penang

Penang is also known as a food trip destination. We were not able to exploit this though as we’ve been busy looking around town sight seeing. We really wanted to try the hawker food experience but our tight schedule did not permit us to do so.

We tried Danish Briyani House which is near our hotel in Love Lane. Their food was really good. We enjoyed the briyani rice though it’s spicy as well as the lamb and beef dishes. My tummy just didn't agree. I had tummy discomfort after we ate. The other thing I did not like was that the food was a bit pricey. We were all surprised when the bill came.

The following day, we ate at Peace and Joy Restaurant in Lebuh China after the Street Art tour. We so loved the food. They have the best siomai and noodles I’ve ever tasted in Malaysia. I give it 2 thumbs up and would recommend it to those traveling to Penang.