WANderlust - Penang 2014

[wanida]

Having seen so much about Penang on television, I finally made a trip in April to see (and taste) first hand what Penang has to offer. We got a pretty good deal on Air Asia and it was off to Penang for 4 days with my mom.

We stayed at the Museum Hotel Penang and got an upgrade to a duplex room which came with beds for FOUR though there were only 2 of us. The living room was on the first floor, while the sleeping area was on the second. It was nice and spacious, with the only downside being that the hotel was a 10 minute walk from Georgetown (if you can even call that a downside).

The highlight of the trip was DEFINITELY the food! Penang has so many great eats, 4 days was simply too little to cover them all. My mom got rather annoyed at me for eating so much. Some of my favourites are:

• Kheng Pin cafe for the to-die-for lor bak. To Singaporeans, it would be better known as ngoh hiang. These were delightfully crispy yet not oily, and the uncle won't even let me order more because he said we won't be able to finish it! :(
• Char kway teow at Ho Ping. I'm not a fan of char kway teow, be it the Singapore or Penang version, but this changed my mind.
• Nasi Kandar Line Clear for the huge and delicious servings!
• Penang Assam Laksa at Nan Guang although based on recent reviews, it seems like the standard has fallen? :( I really did enjoy it when I was there, having tried it thrice in 3 days and this was my favourite place.

Now as much as I wanted to spend all my time eating, that would not be physically possible. Hence, we did some sightseeing. It was scorching unfortunately, so that took away a lot of the enjoyment. Some of the places I would recommend are:

• Pinang Peranakan Mansion for a glimpse into the unique lifestyle of the Peranakans.
• The Blue Mansion with its distinctive indigo-blue walls and with splendid Eastern and Western influences - do go for the tour!
• Beautiful Khoo Kongsi said to be the most impressive clan house in South East Asia.
• Ghee Hup Nutmeg Factory where I picked up a ton of knowledge relating to nutmeg (did you know there're male and female nutmegs?) and bought a ton of nutmeg-related products. It is rather out of the way so I would only recommend this only if you're visiting the Balik Pulau area.
• The Weld Quay Clan Jetties for a blast from the past - I imagine this would be how Singapore was like LONG AGO. Depending on the tides, it also presents many good phototaking opportunities.

It would also be remiss of me not to mention the street art around Georgetown, although I would be very surprised if you have not heard of it. Scattered around Georgetown, these murals have been the reason many have visited Penang in recent times. Exposed to the elements, some of them have faded but new ones are also introduced from time to time. Gimmicky as it may be, it does add a certain charm to the town.

Lastly, in case you are not aware, Penang's Georgetown is also on the UNESCO world heritage list, and that in itself would be worth the visit. I am definitely looking forward to my next trip back!

Photos on Flickr and Instagram.