What to do? – The top 3 places to keep your memorial steps & shots

Soak in the sun at one of the many beaches, explore the quaint nooks and crannies of George Town, feast on delicacies from hawker street stalls, shop at the many quaint night markets and much more. Offering the best of Asia, Penang 's sights and sounds reflect the colourful heritage of her many races and the pride of her people. Be it lush tropical gardens or ornately designed temples and unique heritage buildings, Penang will give you a glimpse into a world where nature, tradition and history blend into a rich cultural tapestry. Live like a local and see what laid back Penangites love to indulge in - travel in trishaws and shop at the many quaint night markets. Be adventurous and explore!


Top 1. Activities at Batu Ferringhi

Batu Ferringhi is famed for its beaches. Acres and acres of smooth, sandy beaches along its coastline provide the perfect avenue for a variety of beach sports and water sports activities, with a few companies along its length offering such facilities. Foot reflexology and fish spa centres are also aplenty here, with many hotels and resorts along Jalan Batu Ferringhi offering foot massage services. The contrasting beaches of neighbouring Teluk Bahang are popular spots for snorkeling.

Wave Runner Watersport The smooth sands of Batu Ferringhi’s beaches are ideal spots for beach sports. Beach buggy, horseback riding, Frisbee throwing and beach volleyball are some of the games that are commonly enjoyed here. There are a few companies along Batu Ferringhi coastline that offer water sports facilities such as jet-skiing, parasailing and deep-sea fishing, such as Wave Runner Watersport Centre. Alternatively, aside from indulging in some physical activities, visitors have been known to come here for a spot of sunbathing or just for lounging and relaxing on the beach. The beaches of the neighbouring Teluk Bahang has contrasting yet equally beautiful landscape with huge rocks and boulders lacing its coast, offering perfect spots for snorkeling.

Highlights: Among the activities are jet-skiing, water skiing, parasailing and deep-sea fishing trips.

Location: Jalan Batu Feringghi (Opposite Waverunner Beach Chalet)

Contact: +604-881 4753

Foot Reflexology & Fish Spa

There are plenty of health and wellness centres along Jalan Batu Ferringhi offering foot reflexology and fish spa services, lasting from 30 to 60 minutes, such as Deluxe Foot Reflexology and Marine Fish Spa. Foot reflexology services can also be found in most hotels and resorts in Batu Feringghi.

Deluxe Foot Reflexology

Location: Next to Batu Feringghi Bistro, opposite Baba Guest House

Contact: +6017-4290722

Happy Feet Fish Spa

Location: 3A, Jalan Sungai Emas (Off Jalan Batu Feringghi, near Golden Sands Resort)

Marine Fish Spa

Location: Jalan Batu Feringghi (Near D’ Feringghi Hotel)

Pasar Malam Walk at Batu Ferringhi

At night, you may visit the Batu Ferringhi night market, otherwise known as the sidewalk bazaar, proves to be one of the area’s major pulls. The Batu Ferringhi night market’s reputation is so legendary that some have been known to come here on a regular basis solely for the night market.

Stretching along Jalan Batu Ferringhi from Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa all the way to Shangri-La’s Golden Sands Resort, Batu Ferringhi’s night market is not to be missed when visiting the northern part of Penang. Comprising hundreds of stalls offering everything from fake designer bags to dirt-cheap pirated DVDs and home deco items to souvenirs, the night market may amaze you as what it meant for. Best of all, you can still bargain for the best prices. One word of advice: If you like something, don’t buy it first. Have a look around, as chances are, there are other stalls offering the same goods at much better deals.

Highlights: Pirated DVDs, handmade crafts, home decorative items, art, clothes, snacks, touristy souvenirs, fake designer accessories.
Location: Along Jalan Batu Feringghi, from Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa to Shangri-La’s Golden Sands Resort
Business Hours: Daily, 19:00 – Late

Top 2. Bird Eye View From Penang Hill

Penang Hill was the first colonial hill station developed in Peninsular Malaysia. Comprising Western Hill, Bukit Laksamana, Tiger Hill, Flagstaff Hill and Government Hill, it is located six km away from Georgetown. The hilly and forested area is the state's primary hill resort. Set 821m above Penang’s capital, islanders call it Bukit Bendera and it is generally about five degrees cooler than Georgetown. It is the last patch of tropical rainforest in Penang so the flora and fauna here have been protected since 1960. It does not have the same prominence as Genting Highlands, Fraser’s Hill or Cameron Highlands but it is one of Penang’s best-known tourist attractions due to its fresher climate.

View From Penang Hill

Penang Hill was the first colonial hill station developed in Peninsular Malaysia. Comprising Western Hill, Bukit Laksamana, Tiger Hill, Flagstaff Hill and Government Hill, it is located six km away from Georgetown. The hilly and forested area is the state's primary hill resort. Set 821m above Penang’s capital, islanders call it Bukit Bendera and it is generally about five degrees cooler than Georgetown. It is the last patch of tropical rainforest in Penang so the flora and fauna here have been protected since 1960. It does not have the same prominence as Genting Highlands, Fraser’s Hill or Cameron Highlands but it is one of Penang’s best-known tourist attractions due to its fresher climate.

Penang Hill History

Penang Hill was discovered when soon after British settlement; Francis Light commissioned the area to be cleared to grow strawberries. Though it was never fully developed (it was difficult to carve out the forest area), it became a favourite expatriate refuge before the advent of air conditioning. Its oldest bungalow, Bel Retiro, is the holiday residence of the Governor of Penang. Today, the ridge on top of Penang Hill is known as Strawberry Hill.

Views from The Top

From the top of Penang Hill on a clear day you can see the mountains of Langkawi and north Kedah but it is the night time sight of lit-up Georgetown that is especially rewarding. Most people simply come to enjoy the cool, unpolluted air and walk under 30m-high trees along the nature trails. Additionally, over 100 species of birdlife, ranging from ordinary garden species to exotic deep forest inhabitants, call this hillside home. Two kilometres away from Bellevue Hotel is the Canopy Walk: this 220m walkway suspended between towering trees 30m above the dense jungle offers great views of the hillside. Opened in 2003, it was operational for a short time, and since then, due to its failure to attract sufficient customers, it has opened and closed without much announcement.

Penang Hill Railway

The most popular way to the top of the hill is the Penang Hill Railway. Located at the foot of the hill, this Swiss-designed funicular starts out from Air Itam. Built in 1923, it is one of the world’s oldest funicular systems and has a 2,007m-long track that climbs the hill at a crawling 30-minute pace. The journey takes you past luxuriant greenery and the occasional macaque plus the bungalows originally built for British officials and other wealthy citizens. The queue for carriages can be quite long especially on weekends and public holidays: passengers have to change trains midway. Another way to the top of Penang Hill is by a five km drive up a private road accessible only to the vehicles of hillside residents: this jeep trail is a popular hiking route and starts out from the quarry at the entry of the Penang Botanic Gardens. There is a well-marked eight km path leading up from the Moon Gate (between the post office and police station) at the Botanical Gardens: it is a steep one-hour climb, but a delightful walk with plenty of places to rest along the way. There is a food court, fruit and souvenir stalls, some gardens, an exuberantly decorated Hindu temple, a mosque, a police station, a post office and an 11-room hotel (Bellevue Hotel) at the upper funicular station: the original funicular train, built in 1897, is also on exhibit here.

Top 3. A Leisure Walk at Clan Jetties

Clan Jetties form part of the Penang Heritage Trail. There used to be seven jetties until one was demolished by fire and now six remain. Billed as one of the last bastions of old Chinese settlements on the island, this waterfront society is home to houses on stilts of various Chinese clans. Located straight down from Lebuh Chulia (beside the Kapitan Kling Mosque) at Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay), these water villages are over a century old. Each jetty is named after a Chinese clan – the Chew Jetty is the most tourist-friendly with the most stilt-houses, the longest walkway, a temple that is worth stopping by and plenty of places for those Kodak moments. You may walk or take a fun ride with trishaw - while going around between the jetties or even seeing the different heritage areas in Penang.

History of Clan Jetties

Initially, the area where the Clan Jetties now lie was a char hionh (wood yard) littered with planks and firewood. After the construction of the Quay in 1882, the waterfront was developed with short public landing stages or jetties. Settlements grew on these foundations and they were used for the loading and unloading of goods and for the mooring of sampans (boats). Gradually, each jetty became identified and dominated by certain clans and over time more huts sprung up. Due to constant rivalry over access and monopoly of work consignments, relationships between the clans were very antagonistic and often led to bitter fights and disputes.



Bare Necessities

In the early 20th century, the jetty settlements expanded but as squatters, residents did not have basic amenities like water and electricity. It was only after the Penang municipal election in 1957 that the Clan Jetties began to join the modern era; before that they carried their water in kerosene tins from the main road. When the government first developed the jetties, a shed was built to provide shelter and rest for those waiting for the arrival of the cargo sampans and when the clans took over the jetties, this shed was converted into a communal house. Seven different clans still reside at the Clan Jetties: the Lim, Chew, Tan and Yeoh jetties are the oldest and the Koay, Lee and Mixed Surname jetties were built afterward.

Good To Know

The Clan Jetties are situated close to the Penang ferry terminal, with the entrance to the jetties located through the temple on the quayside. Fun fact: to this day none of the families pay any tax as they are not living on land. As people still live in this area be mindful when you take pictures: if you are wondering when or where to click, then wait for sunset – the splash of orange contrasts beautifully with the turquoise-blue sea and it makes for an even more spectacular shot when you can get a shot of a sampan in the foreground.

Location: Weld Quay, Georgetown