Exploring and eating my way through Penang
We recently got married in Penang and while I’ve visited before, we still managed to discover new places that we’d either not visited in the past, or have since opened. So, I thought I’d share some of the places I loved visiting.
Places to see
I found this garden on Google when I was searching for potential wedding venues. I really wanted a garden wedding but after being persuaded that there are too many mosquitos here, I relinquished and chose a venue in George Town. The garden is close to Batu Ferringhi, which is a bit of a drive out of George Town, so it’s easier to visit if you happen also to be going to Batu Ferringhi or one of the other nearby attractions. The mosquito rumour turned out to be true, as we were encouraged to drench ourselves in large quantities of citronella upon arrival, but thankfully, this kept the mosquitos at bay. The gardens are as beautiful as I expected with a picturesque big lily pond and plenty of sections of the garden to explore, covering herbs and edible plants, through to poisonous plants. We also chanced upon a large group of monkeys, which added to the entertainment.
Tropical Spice Garden
We were warned against going up the hill due to large volumes of domestic tourists swarming there following the recent post-pandemic re-opening. It turned out that we didn’t have to wait in a queue at all, but I think this may have been down to it being mid-week and a day that started out a bit cloudy. Thankfully, it turned into an absolutely gorgeous day, with sweeping views down the hill into Penang, and across the water. I especially enjoyed The Habitat, the tree top walkway, which is further up the hill and offers a stunning view while feeling like you’re up in the sky. Hot tip: When you reach the end of The Habitat, instead of exiting via the shop, turn around and retrace your steps. This is far more scenic than the walk from the shop back to the main area of the hill. We took the historic (but new) funicular up the hill, but it’s also possible to get up in four-wheel drives, or even hike up.
Habitat at Penang Hill
This was the first time I’d visited this mansion and while it may not be as famous as The Blue Mansion (Cheong Fatt Tze), I actually enjoyed it more. The Peranakan Mansion is filled to the brim with interesting artefacts, from colourful glassware to furniture and clothes - it really is packed with collectors’ items and tells a rich history. The website doesn’t do this beautiful house justice.
Peranakan Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze’s Blue Mansion
This huge mansion is famous for its original owner, Cheong Fatt Tze, an incredibly wealthy businessman from the 1800s. Unlike The Peranakan Mansion, this building is quite sparse, but that’s not the focus, this is all about the history and incredible rag-to-riches story. Today, it’s one of the main icons of Penang and an almost unavoidable spot to visit.
Street art
A trip to Penang isn’t complete without viewing the varied and interesting street art. There are many blogs covering the art so to save repetition, I recommend looking up the locations via this handy Google Maps list.
Places to eat
Food really is the focus in Penang, and a very good reason to visit. Since we were there with family for our wedding this time around, we didn’t get to eat as much of the amazing street food that we otherwise might have, but we certainly tried a lot of new cafes and restaurants.
We went to this restaurant on our second night in Penang and it was a winner all round. It comes with the cleanliness and service of a restaurant (it certainly isn’t a hawker centre), and delicious, authentic Hainanese food. I definitely recommend Hainanese Delights if you’re looking for somewhere to eat in George Town.
We went here on our last night in Penang with relatively low expectations. After a last-minute decision to find a steak restaurant, we called a few restaurants to discover they were full, before landing on a table at Steak Frites. The menu is exactly as it sounds - there are literally no choices, other than how you’d like your steak cooked, but it was delicious.
I loved this trendy brunch spot. The serene decor with pebbled flooring and curved benches is more than half of the attraction, but the food was also great. Expect an Australian-style brunch menu with good coffee and creative egg dishes.
Brunch at Norm Micro Roastery
This pristine, new hawker centre is a great place to go if you’re a bit scared of the dirtier, more traditional hawker centres. It has a reasonably good variety of food, nice tables and happens to be near the water. We had dinner here the evening before our wedding, which worked well.
Coco Island
