Penang, MALAYSIA

June 5 – 7, 2008

It was school holidays coming to its end. The family had not gone anywhere during these holidays. I checked out some local island destinations but they were more expensive and troublesome to visit. To get to Pulau Perhentian, you need to take a flight to Kota Bharu and come down by taxi to Besut, a costly proposition. So, we decided to pay Penang a visit.

Ton & Anas, Our hotel in the background

It was already late when we left KL. I had a meeting with my bank earlier which dragged to lunch time. We stopped for lunch in Tapah and then straight to Bukit Mertajam where I had another meeting with a cabinet supplier. By the time we checked in it was almost dinner time.

Relaxing by the pool

We stayed at Golden Sands Resort, part of the Rasa Sayang hotel chain located along the famous Batu Ferringhi beach. We had stayed in several hotels along the strip before and decided to stay at Golden Sands for a change. It turned out to be a good bet.

Anas, first time ping pong player

There was a regular night market along the Batu Ferringhi strip and our hotel was just next to it. We took a walk along the main road browsing through cheap imitations before a heavy downpour sent us to the nearest food court. We had our dinner there while waiting for the rain to ease.

We spent the following day holed up in our hotel compound. For a change, we decided not to go anywhere but just took it easy and enjoy the hotel facilities. After all, it cost a bit to stay at this place. There were mostly Arabs and Aussies staying there. The 3 of us went swimming at the huge pool. It was a good time for Anas and I to practise our swimming lessons. After lunch, it was nap time.

Riding the sand buggy

Beach Bums

In the evening we went on a stroll along the beach. It was full of activities and crowded. Rentals were steeply priced to cater to the petro and Aussie dollars. A 15-minute sand buggy ride could set you back RM50. The same went for jet skis. Parasailing went for RM120 a ride. We didn’t bother to ask for the rests: horse riding, boat rides etc.
The beach was far from being pristine and quiet. It was a commercial center. Anyway, we had some good snapshots of the sun sets.

I am a certified sunset chaser

The weather was kinder on our second night in Penang. We had dinner at Eden Seafood Restaurant, a mistake financially speaking. Dinner for two ( Anas hardly ate), cost RM250. The menu was just a plate of steamed grouper, veggie, prawns and a bowl of Szechuan soup. The restaurant was set up more for tourists. It put on a traditional dance show during the meal time. The mostly young Malay dancers performed Malay traditional, Indian and Chinese dances, a showcase of multi racial Penang.

After dinner, it was another walk along the road at the night market. We bought mostly CDs. Anas and I gambled on “branded” watches for RM50 for 2. Unfortunately mine stopped ticking the next day when we left Penang on our way to KL. There went the guarantee!

Sunset at the beach

Landing Time

It was a good relaxing family outing. Except for the steep hotel and food prices, it was worth the long drive. The hotel was the best among those at the Ferringhi strip we stayed before.