Things to do in Penang

Penang

If there's a more thrilling cocktail of eastern cultures than Penang, we've yet to find it. Penang has long served as the link between Asia’s great kingdoms and an important outlet to the markets of Europe and the Middle East. At its heart is diverse, cosmopolitan George Town, Penang Island's main city and an urban centre that delivers old-world Asia in spades; think trishaws pedalling past watermarked Chinese shophouses and blue joss smoke perfuming the air. The freshest aspects of modern culture are present, too, in an exceptional art scene and free-spirited carnivals, all fed by an infectious local enthusiasm for Penang's long history and kaleidoscope of cultures.

Things to do in Penang 

1. Take a walk along Penang’s Harmony Street

Penang’s Street of Harmony is found along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and is by far one of the places which best reflect the multi-cultural uniqueness of Malaysia as a country. The street is filled with multiple places of worship catering to different faiths and it’s not uncommon to see devotees pouring in and out on a weekend or religious holiday. Some of the buildings include the Masjid Kapitan Keling (duh!), Kuan Yin Temple, St. George’s Church, the Sri Mahamariamman Temple and many more. 

2. Stay at a heritage building or museum

When visiting a place as steeped in history and heritage as Penang, it’s safe to assume that not all buildings were built in the past 20, 30 years. This includes some restaurants and hotels. Known as refurbished heritage sites, visitors are allowed to spend the night in these buildings much like any other hotel or hostel. Some places, like the Blue Mansion, even has a museum within the vicinity! Other possible options include the Seven Terraces, a Perankan-themed boutique hotel refurbished from 19th century Anglo-Chinese terrace houses. These places carry a deep link to Penang’s history and certainly projects a different ambience compared to the Hard Rocks and the BayViews.

3. Play Hide & Seek With The Street Murals of Penang

I think it was around late 2009 or early 2010 when my friends started posting pictures of themselves standing next to creative murals along the streets of Penang. It wasn’t long before tracking down these works of art became the next ‘it’ thing in Penang tourism, even for locals! The streets of George Town are literally filled with these interesting pieces and is one of the main reasons why there are so many more bicycles on the street on the island now than say, 10 years ago. Due to the sheer number of art murals in the city, hunting for them all is a legit day-long activity and most likely (and for your sake of convenience), it would be ideal to rent a bike (some hotels have rental services specifically because of this).

4. Embark on a culinary marathon

Having covered Penang’s street art, I think it’s only fair (and probably required by law) to start talking about Penang Street FOOD. Penang is consistently ranked as one of the best food paradises in the world and it would take a brave soul to argue against that. From hawker food staples like Char Koay Teow to delicious broths like Penang Laksa, and even to scrumptious after meal delights like Rojak, Penang has it all. So much so that ‘Penang’ has become a sort of brand in Malaysia’s culinary field. I swear, while studying in Kuala Lumpur, I’ve had my fair share of ‘Penang Famous This And That’ which I’ve never actually seen in Penang before! Hah! But certainly, if you don’t go on a food hunt in Penang, your palette might just hate you forever. There are many food courts and hawker centres across the entire island, but a good place to start would be along Gurney Drive. Be warned as it could get really crowded on certain days and seats would be at a premium.

5. Go Café/Bar Hopping across the island

As a bustling port island city, Penang has no shortage of cozy concept cafes, classy bars and party-like-there’s-no-tomorrow clubs throughout the island. One of the best things to in Penang on your first visit is to go on a day-long café and bar hop. Some cafés which I personally recommend are the Mug Shot Café (great yoghurt and sandwiches AND you get to take a mug shot!) and Tavern in The Park (takes the word ‘class’ to a whole new level). If you’re looking for a fun night out with drinks (do it responsibly though), then head on over to Straits Quay which is something like Singapore’s Clarke Quay, I suppose. It’s got a wide selection of chain pubs and independent bars with a killer night view. 

6. Throng the Little Penang Street Market for bargains

As it is with many top tourist destinations in Asia, street markets are a thriving business in Penang. The Little Penang Street Market, however, is one of those fairy tale stories of how a little community project that was started in 2006 somehow manage to grow into a staple of Penang street market lore. Every last Sunday of the month, the Little Penang Street Market brings to the streets beautiful hand-crafted souvenirs and (was there any surprise about this?) food, along with lively street performances and sometimes even book readings. It’s usually a brilliant atmosphere perpetuated by friendly vendors. The street market opens from 9a.m. and buzzes until about 5p.m.

7. Hop on a trishaw for a breezy tour of George Town

Well, in Penang, apart from cars and buses, there are bicycles and…trishaws. Though it’s gotten a little bit tougher to find these three-wheeled vehicles compared to the past, you can still find a number of trishaw peddlers around the George Town area and some near the pier of the SuperStar Libra cruise ship. It’s a nice and traditional way to get from point A to B in the city or simply for a breezy tour around Georgetown. (Psst, it’s a great way to beat the crazy traffic in Penang). Though prices may vary between drivers, the general hourly rate should not exceed RM30.

8. Pay a visit to the Kek Lok Si Temple at night

The Kek Lok Si temple is one of the finest and largest temple complexes within the region. Adorned with many sculptures and carvings, and even more images of Buddha, the temple is an essential aspect of Buddhism and Chinese cultural rituals in Penang. The temple’s architecture, with its many pagodas and archways, is even more enchanting during the Chinese New Year and Wesak Day celebrations as the temple will be covered in dazzling lights. It is also during those times when the temple is most crowded, usually by worshippers but also tourists who wish to soak in the serene atmosphere.

9. Get your feet moving and visit the waterfall hilltop temple

Moving now from a temple dedicated to Buddhism to one dedicated to Hinduism, the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple is one of the island’s oldest Hindu temples. It is built in dedication to the deity Murugan and to get to the top, you would have had to climb…wait for it…500 steps. Make it and you’ll be rewarded by a spectacular 180-degree view of the area near Gurney and Mount Erskine. While most people associate Thaipusam with the Batu Caves, the waterfall hilltop temple in Penang is the main attraction and star of the festival within the island state.

10. Visit one of the world’s largest reclining Buddha statues

In case you weren’t keeping track, we’ve gone from a Chinese Buddhist temple, to a Hindu temple, and now we’ve arrived at the Siamese Wat Chayamangkalaram Buddhist temple. The temple was commissioned in 1845 by Queen Victoria and it houses a 180 feet, gold-plated reclining Buddha statue, one of the (if not THE) largest in the world. The temple is located on Jalan Burma and it is just a stone’s throw away from Bangkok Lane (because, obviously) and is truly a remarkable sight to behold.