Ah, Penang. What do I say about this city that straddles itself so beautifully amidst the old and the new. Whether you want to soak in the old colonial charm of Georgetown, or drown yourself in the cacophony of the party scene at the Batu Ferringhi beach, Penang has something to offer.
First things first. The best way to reach Penang is by flight. We flew Air Asia from KL and it took us a mere 45 mins. There is a overnight train also that operates within the two cities- take it if you can spare the time.
Now where to stay? Since we were heading off to Langkawi from Penang, the beach part of the trip was taken care of. So instead, we chose to stay in Georgetown and soak in the sounds and sight of this quaint little UNESCO heritage city.
Georgetown is about a 45 min drive from the airport. But this time we were wise, and inquired about bus services- and what could have been potentially another 100RM ride turned out to be only RM 25 in total. Our hotel, The Royal Penang, was set in the heart of Georgetown, and is very close to the Esplanade & Gurney Drive (which translates into sea & food). Can you really ask for anything more? Can you? :D
Day 1 in Penang, we started with Fort Cornwallis. It is an old star shaped fort which overlooks the sea and is usually the starting point of the Georgetown heritage walks. It's a small fort, unlike the luxuriant, expansive forts of Agra & Rajasthan, though I would recommend going in, & climbing up to the Seri Rambon Canon (at the very top of the fort) for the expansive views of the city.
After the fort, we ambled around the Esplanade, watching the ships go by, and the other aesthetic buildings in the vicinity.
Oh, and before I forget, the jetty point for Langkawi is quite nearby to the fort, so we went got ourselves tickets for the paradise island. Afterwards, we hired a trishaw and just went about the town, soaking in the sounds & sights of Georgetown.
In the night, we decided to head out to the Night market of Penang, which happens to be next to the Batu Ferringhi beach. Though not much different from the night markets of Thailand, it was a pretty sight, with lights and food stalls all around. Feel free to bargain around, as the shopkeepers do seem to enjoy the bargaining process as much as the sale itself. We got some lovely string lights and other knick knacks from there and needless to say, pigged out at the local hawker food stalls. Afterwards we walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe, which is at the end of the beach, and ended the night before Christmas with a couple of drinks...
No post about Penang can be complete without a mention of its delectable street fare. Gurney Drive, a seafront esplanade is the most famous one, and the entire street is lined up with restaurants galore to suit all kinds of tastes and pockets. People buzzing all around, a heady cocktail of aromatic smell all around, you need to spend an entire evening in Gurney Drive to really enjoy it to the fullest. Needless to say, we left Penang with some extra weight :)
