A weekend in Penang

Penang is one of Malaysia’s most vibrant destinations, known for its blend of cultural heritage, street food, art, and coastal scenery. Penang offers plenty to fill a short trip. If you’re planning a weekend visit, this guide outlines the key attractions, and neighborhoods to help you make the most of a weekend in Penang.

What to do in Penang for a weekend?

Visit George Town, a UNESCO Heritage Site

George Town is a cool place to visit. It’s relatively touristy, as in, it has many stores and restaurants, and you can feel that the prices are higher than in Ipoh, for instance. However, it also has the cool vibe of a beach city. I woudln’t say there’s a must-do spot in the city, but walking around is really nice. There’s a small pier area, with temples, food stands, and art stores called Lim Jetty, there’s quite a few temples around to which you just happen to stumble upon, and there’s cool touristy streets such as the Umbrella Alley, located next to the Armenian Street.

Overall George Town is hot, caotic, lively, and with a personality. You’ll have to fight for your space with the cars, learn the Malaysian way to cross the streets, and find places to hide from the heat during the early afternoon. It’s definetly worth the visit.

Pinang Peranakan Mansion

The Peranakans were affluent Chinese that had a particular lifestyle around 100 years ago. The men were called Baba, while the women were Nyonyas. This was my first Peranakan mansion, and it was really beautiful! You can see plenty of artifacts, furniture, jewelry, and fashion items in the mansion. We didn’t get to the guided tour, but could walk around the place. Without the tour, there were not that many explanations of the culture or what you were seeing. The admission was RM30.

There were some ladies who dressed up in Peranakan clothes for a fee, so there’s this option too if you’re interested.

Street art in George Town

One of the things to do in George town is to check out the street art. I found it very interesting that the street art available here is interactive in a way. There’s not only the drawing on the wall, but there’s also some elements to it. One had a bicicle, another had a swing, and so forth. It’s pretty cool as a photo-op.

The Habitat Penang Hill

My friend and I took a grab, which dropped us at the entrance of the funicular. We bought the tickets for RM40 and took the car. I think I’ve never taken such a fast funicular in my life, and I’ve been to plenty in Switzerland. It felt like it was flying towards the top, which was slightly concerning. We later learnt that the funicular had been built by a Swiss company, which was a fun link.

Once on the top, I thought we had been scammed. We hadn’t done much research about the place except for finding the spot on Google Maps, and now were seeing many shops, restaurants, and overall, a pretty developed area. Where was the forest?

It was only after we walked for a while that we found the indications towards the rainforest. It was real after all! The Habitat is part of the UNESCO Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, and very well-organized once you find it. We paid RM60 per person to enter The Habitat, and then followed the marked path. There were some plaques dedicated to Dr. Jane Goodall (who has recently passed away), and a nice way through the rainforest. The highlight was the tree walk, where you can go up and walk around a platform. There’s good views of the island from it. If you’re afraid of heights, you’re not going to have fun on it, so skip!

At the end, there is a bus that picks you up and brings you back to the entrance of the park. Overall, I found it a nice activity. It’s not the type of thing to do if what you’re looking for is a real hike, but it’s a nice experience if you just want to do something chill next to nature.

Batu Ferringhi Beach

At the end of the day, my friend and I came to Penang to have a relaxing holiday, so we just chilled at the beach. There’s quite some water activities that you can do in the beach as well. I didn’t see many people swimming, so I assume it’s not the right season for it (I heard there might be jellyfish in these beaches).

Where to stay?

I stayed in two hotels in Penang and both were really nice.

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang

Located on the West side of the island, the Shangri hotel is a great 5-star resort place. It is right in front of the beach, has a few cute swimming pools, and an amazing buffet breakfast.

Victoria Garden Hotel

Located in George Town, it’s at walking distance from the ferry port, and was my obvious choice for the first night. This 3-star hotel has all you need, with clean and light-filled rooms, and it’s location is perfect to explore the city.

Practical Information

How to arrive to Penang?

You can fly to Penang, as they have a small airport. However, be aware that, contrary to Kuala Lumpur, they don’t have eGates if you’re arriving from an international destination, so you’ll have to do the line for passport control. This might take a while.

You can also arrive to Penang by taking a train from Kuala Lumpur (or other cities) to Butterworth and then taking a ferry. The ferry station is walking distance from the train station, you’ll just have to take a couple of elevators if you’re carrying a suitcase. The ferry is very cheap (2 MYR) and you can pay by tapping your card. It’s a short 10 min ride form one coast to the other, and the indications to and from the ferry are pretty good.

How to get from the airport to the city?

Take a Grab. There’s also some buses around the island, if you so prefer.

How to move around the island?

The easiest alternative is to use Grab. There’s also the possibility of joining tours or grabbing a bus. George Town is quite walkable, so there’s no big need for a bus.

Is it safe for women alone?

During the day it was perfectly fine, as there’s plenty of locals and tourists everywhere you go. However, George Town gave a bit of a party town vibes, so I’m not sure if I would be very comfortable walking around at night by myself. Be aware of pickpockets and scams.

Are two days enough?

Two days felt plenty to see the attractions in Penang. It’s also going to be a relaxing weekend, unless you intend to visit all temples and museums available. Be aware that the Botanical Garden is closed on weekends (who had this great idea?).

Continuing your trip through Malaysia?

Check out this post on Ipoh for a day tour, or a weekend in Kuala Lumpur as an addition to your Malaysia trip! If you want to go international, expand your trip by visiting Singapore or Bintan (Indonesia).

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