Short Trip to Penang Island

Beautiful Penang

Even though we live on a tropical island, you sometimes need a break from Paradise! Penang is the total opposite from Langkawi, lots of traffic, lots of shops (even 3 Tescos)  never ending amount of street hawkers with the most beautiful and cheap dishes on offer and a permanent hustle and bustle of people from all cultural backgrounds and nationalities.

Penang Sky Line

Sunrise on the 7:30am Ferry to Kuala Perlis

We decided to go to Kuala Perlis with the ferry from Langkawi, then by bus to Butterworth and again by ferry to Penang. Not only does this work out about half price compared with the normal 3 hour direct ferry from Kuah to Penang. but you get to see more and get a chance to meet people (which is what happened to us)

View from our "surprise apartment"

We were just about to leave the boat when a young looking Chinese man approached us and asked where we were going and once we replied "to Penang" he offered to share his car with us for 10RM each. We gratefully accepted and as it turned out he was the Operation Manager of Menzan Guest House in Penang. They have 21 apartments for rent of all different standards and prices. We had to haggle a bit but eventually he agreed on 60RM per night and we accepted, not knowing what we would get, but were positively surprised (photos of the apartment can be seen here) We all have our skeletons in the cupboard though, so it did not come as a surprise to find one in our apartment too......(see picture below)

Mummified Gecko in the cupboard :)) 

Christopher of  Menzan Guest House with Fiona

more photos of the apartment can be seen here

The pool at the apartment

After attending some business on Penang we decided to take the bus (last stop after Batu Ferriggi) and go for a walk to monkey beach, a 2hr walk along the coast right through the national park jungle. Not a good idea to just wear flip flops though, as it is quite steep and rough in parts. You come across some breathtaking scenery
and if you are lucky see monitor lizards  snakes, spiders and different kind of flora and fauna. We stopped one beach before reaching monkey beach because we were tired from the heat and the beach itself was nice and empty of pesky monkeys (presumably all the monkeys hang out at monkey beach waiting for the hoards of tourists to feed them!:))
Next we walked to the hanging canopy where normally you can walk in between the tall jungle trees, but as it was Friday it was closed. We wanted to take some pictures, but by meeting Folker a German traveller with some interesting stories to tell, we forgot all about it!

Can you spot the spider?

The scenery was fantastic

Nice

Not a postcard, reality ;)

After we got back to civilisation we decided it was time for something to eat and boy was this worth it.
Claypot is one of our favourites now. Rice, chicken, a little bacon, herbs, spices,egg and some secret sauce, all prepared and heated up right in front of you. Costs??? 4.50RM = just over 1€

Claypot YUMMY

They say in Asia they eat some weird things and just to prove it, here it is. Anybody for some clams????

Clams??? Sure???

Or how about some Moray eel????

Not for me!!

There is lots more strange stuff out there, but I thought this will do as a little appetizer.
We loved our stay in Penang and we are defenitely coming soon and.......

What a sunset

....who would not enjoy a cold beer watching this sunset after a days shopping, hiking and eating funny things.

All photos of Penang