Penang, Malaysia Travel Blog (August 2024)

Malaysia Trip Overview

We travelled to Malaysia for our third time this Summer during August 2024 for two and a half weeks. Previously, we had visited KL and Langkawi in Malaysia but this time we decided to explore Penang, Sabah and Kuala Lumpur.

Penang

This was our first visit to Penang. We heard so many raving food reviews about Penang and it is an island renowned for having the best food spots in Malaysia. The population of Penang in 2024 is estimated to be approximately 1.8 million. Considering it is a fairly small island, it is very congested as many people get around in their cars or motorcycles. Sometimes, the traffic is so bad that you can be stuck for hours! The local language is: English, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, Hindi and Tamil.

We decided to stay at the Angsana Teluk Bahang resort located on the Teluk Bahang beach. The hotel is fairly new and opened in late October 2020. We stayed here for six nights and the experience was amazing! The above picture is the view we had from our room in the morning. The hotel staff were all very courteous and friendly. The rooms were spacious and very well maintained. The Smart TV with additional media connections helps to keep kids entertained and room amenities were very clean.

The infinity rooftop pool was the highlight for our stay. As a family, we were able to enjoy a relaxing swim in both the infinity pool or family pool overlooking the amazing Andaman Sea. Children can spend a joyous day by the children’s pool with fun waterplay features and a waterslide. In addition, the resort has their own children’s club (Rangers Club) which offers a wide range of fun educational activities for children up to 11 years. Children four years old and below will require parental supervision or must be accompanied by an adult. The games room was another favourite part of our stay, which includes: pool table, arcade games, board games and TV’s which show regular sports and entertainment.

The food at the resort was delicious and we were spoilt for choice by their breakfast options. The Jendela Restaurant has 100+ items on the breakfast buffet daily and there are some in-house restaurants for lunch and dinner. The breakfast options contained traditional Malay, European and pan Asian inspired dishes. They also have a separate breakfast station specifically for kids to enjoy. On our last night in Penang, we had ordered some burger dishes from their pool menu and the fresh drinks were really refreshing. Within the hotel, if you sign up to their members club you can get some cool offers which include free drinks and a free 15 massage at their in-house Angsana Spa.

The views of the Anadaman sea from our hotel room were unforgettable. At sunrise or sunset, you just cannot help but appreciate Allah’s endless beauty and the moments felt serene. Will definitely be back here again, Insha’Allah!

The oldest mosque in Penang

Masjid Kapitan Keling was built in the 19th century by Indian Muslim traders in Georgetown. It is probably the most well-known mosque in the state of Pulau Pinang and on the mainland. Unlike earlier vernacular mosques in the region, it combines the influences of Indian-Mughal architecture with Gothic, Moorish and Roman Renaissance designs. The mosque is named after Caudeer Mohideen Merican, popularly known as Kapitan Keling, the leader of the Indian Muslim community during the early 19th century. He was granted the 18-acre plot of land on which the mosque stands today by the Lieutenant-Governor of Pulau Pinang, Sir George Leigh in 1801. The mosque’s Moghul design was the creation of German architect Henry Alfred Neubronner. This Masjid is a must visit if you’re in Penang as it allows you to explore and appreciate the history of Islam in Malaysia. This is the first ever Masjid to have been built in Penang!

Penang Hill

Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks near the center of Penang Island, Malaysia. It is located within the Air Itam suburb, 9 km west of the center of George Town. Penang Hill is also known by the Malay name Bukit Bendera, which actually refers to Flagstaff Hill, the most developed peak. The Penang Hill funicular railway was a fun experience and is 2km long. It is one of the longest funicular tracks in Asia and a one-way trip took us approximately 4-5 minutes. There are some beautiful rainforest and scenic walkways in Penang Hill which we enjoyed. You can typically spend 5-6 hours here and they have a cool 20-30 mins buggy ride around Penang Hill which you can enjoy. The drivers stop at some viewpoint sites so you can take pictures of the views and continue. The Habitat in Penang Hill is a must visit, which has a rainforest experience including trekking, wildlife and breathtaking viewpoints.

Penang Food Spots

Char Koay Teow is a signature Penang dish of the city, consisting of flat rice noodles stir-fried in sticky sweet soya sauce, typically topped with chives, bean sprouts, and prawns. Chinese dishes are extremely popular in Penang too.

We found a very cool Halal food court very close to Speakers’ Square (approximately 3-5 mins walk) in Penang. The above pictures of the food was what we had ordered from there. They are famous for grilled chicken with rice, coconut soup and a range of noodles dishes with sambal. Kimberley night market was a food spot which had raving reviews online but unfortunately when we had visited, there was limited halal food options. You have to be very careful and ask around for halal dishes and many food spots in Penang serve pork etc due to huge influx of Chinese locals and tourists.

Chulia Street Hawker Food market is another good spot for exploring the Penang food cuisine. Some other popular halal food spots in Penang include:

Nasi Kandar Nathrah A popular halal stall with a long history that serves a variety of side dishes 

Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang A cozy hawker stall run by a Halal-certified family that’s been open since 2000

Little India Penang is located in Georgetown, the capital of Penang. It is in the centre of Penang Heritage zone and covers the area around 3 streets. They are Lebuh Chulia, Lebuh Queen and Jalan Pasar. Once you are in Little India Penang, you can hear traditional Indian music playing. Along Market Street (Jalan Pasar), there are many fashion Indian stores. They sell mostly saree, silk and cotton, almost anything that has the essence of India. Apart from the interesting shops with vibrant colors, there are multiple shops selling delicious Indian culinary. The food is affordable and tasty. There are roti canai, thosai, briyani rice, tandoori chicken and more. There, you can experience to taste the food on a banana leaf with your hand and no utensils. Of course, you can request for spoon and forks. They sell fresh coconut juice there too. This is definitely the must-visit place when you step foot in Penang.

Penang Floating Mosque

We offered our Jumu’ah prayers at the Penang Floating Mosque and it was an incredible experience. We arrived an hour earlier than the Jumu’ah prayer which was useful as the Masjid gets really busy on Fridays. The Penang Floating Mosque is unlike any other mosques because it was built on piling and tilts above the sea (hence the nickname Floating Mosque). Officially opened in 2005 and located in Tanjung Bungah near George Town, Penang, this over-water mosque appears as if it is floating on sea water at high tide. The beautiful mosque features a mixture of Middle Eastern and local architecture. It can accommodate up to 1,500 worshippers at one time. The mosque is built with a seven-storey high towering minaret that is used for announcing calls to prayer at different times of the day. The Masjid also has a dedicated outreach team which serves tourists and non-Muslims. In addition, it runs a dedicated Tahfidh (Qur’an memorisation institute). If you get a chance to meet with the Mosque caretaker, he knows the full history of the Mosque and is usually available for a conversation after the Jumu’ah prayers. One of my favourite aspects of Malaysia is the inclusivity of the Mosques and how welcoming they are to all attendees, regardless of race, ethnicity and cultural background.

Places of Interest in Penang

Up to a week in Penang is recommended and there’s a lot to explore in this vibrant island. These are some places of interest we had researched:

  • Penang hill and fennecular train
  • Upside down museum
  • Wonderfood museum
  • Floating mosque
  • Street art
  • Little India
  • Queen victoria memorial tower
  • Penang Municipal Park
  • Batu Ferringhi Beach
  • Kapitan Keling Mosque – mosque built in the 19th century by Indian Muslim traders in George Town
  • Taman Rimba Teluk Bahang – Matural forest. Free to enter. A few nature trails, water pools to swim in and small museum (MYR 1 to enter). This is near the Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm
  • The TOP Penang, Theme Park Penang – This is the largest indoor theme park  which offers you more than 18 themed attractions in one iconic destination. The Rainbow Skywalk and Observatory Deck offer stunning seamless views of George Town and beyond. Located at George Town’s highest point, the open-air Rainbow Skywalk is at Level 68, on the rooftop of Komtar tower, offering visitors the thrilling experience of walking on air 252 meter above sea level.

In terms of getting around in Penang, here are some recommended e-hailing apps: MyCar, Airasia Ride, Mula, InDrive, EzCab, Maxim, and Ryde.

There is a free CAT Bus is a free shuttle service that runs from 6am to 11:45pm on a loop from the Jetty (Weld Quay) in Georgetown. Try to snag a seat on the left side of the bus for the best views of the sites.

Rapid Penang Buses: Great to use and cheap. Kids 6 and under free. Prices start from RM1.40 – RM5. Best to use this to get from Ferringhi Beach to George Town.

We didn’t hire a car in Penang so cannot recommend any car hiring companies but from research, many tourists utilise the public transport and taxi services in Penang as the roads get very congested, so you’d be sitting in lots of traffic as opposed to driving around in Penang!