Penang

Ali n Pete in Batu Feringgi Beach

Chinese Lanterns in George Town

Not long ago we had an email from friends of ours who we knew from Berlin, saying they now work in Asia and will be going for a holiday to the Island of Penang, (Photos here) which is 2hrs 45min by ferry, from Langkawi. Fiona and myself had planned to go there anyway, but with the chance to meet Pete and Ali again we thought it was a good idea to bring our plans forward.

The Ferry from Kuah left at 2:30 pm and the price was 115 RM p.P. return and the crossing was very smooth. We are normally quite well prepared for travelling, but this time we forgot to bring our micro-fleece (30°C + and warm clothes?) well, wherever you travel in Asia with A/C it can get cold...and it did. We covered ourselves with a towel as best as possible, but still arrived in George Town, Penang freezing. Once we got there though, it was a really nice surprise to see Pete and Ali waiting for us at the Ferry harbour and after big hellos and laughs we went on to find our accommodation "The Old Penang Guesthouse" in the centre of George Town. The place had a lot of old Colonial Character, high ceilings, wooden floorboards and shutters.

Snake Temple

But the room came as a bit of a disappointment as there was no window, just a double bed and....nothing :) the shared bathroom was clean, but on our floor there must have been about 20 people and only 2 showers and 2 toilets. It is ok to stay there for a short period but I would not recommend it for longer (at least not in our room) Breakfast consists of toast, jam and fresh fruit, tea/coffee, also hot/cold water so  adequate for 65RM a night....

Next day we hired a scooter for 25RM and went on some tours with P&A mostly ending up with a meal, some beers and enjoying each other's company in the afternoon. We were surprised how busy Penang was, high rise buildings and tons of traffic. It was like going from a village to a city. There is plenty to see in Penang, but due to Fiona getting bad flu and not able to leave the hotel for two days, we could not fit it all in (see what happens if you forget your warm clothes?!) We still managed to do some shopping there, which is a lot better than in Langkawi, more choice and bigger shops. Before we left Langkawi we were told about the poor quality of beaches on Penang, but we managed to find some nice places there, which we really liked. To see where we have been on Penang and what we did, check out our Photos.