Georgetown: Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si Temple & Botanic Gardens

An action packed day in Georgetown. I hit the major tourist sites today and I did it on my own without any tour guides. It seems like low season here and most of the sites are fairly empty so no need to pre-buy tickets to beat the crowds.

Penang Hill

My first stop was Penang Hill. I took a Grab from my hotel and then took the funicular up to the top.

There are great views from the top and there are many places to walk about so plan on at least 45 minutes to see most of it or longer if you want to explore more.

There is also a skywalk that provides a large field of view. Watch weather forecasts to make sure you don’t get rained on or fogged out.

There is a Hindu temple at the top as well.

And there is also a Mosque.

One of the views from the top.

I was fortunate to miss the rain. It seemed it rained before I got there and after I left.

Kek Lok Si Temple

Next stop was Kek Lok Si Temple and definitely worth a stop. It was only about 5 ringgit Grab ride from Penang Hill so if you’re doing one you should do the other on the same day.

This is the largest Buddha in Penang.

Size and scale photo.

There are also many stone animals throughout the base.

There is a beautiful temple on the grounds of the complex.

Intricate designs on this mosaic.

There is also a Pagoda on the campus and it’s fairly tall and imposing as well.

The grounds here have many colorful flower, far more than the Botanical Gardens!

Penang Botanical Gardens

The most challenging place to visit was the Penang Botanical Gardens. This site is in the vicinity of the other two so add to your outing if you have the energy to do three sites the same day. Note that it is hot and humid here so pace yourself and bring plenty of water, sunglasses, hat and maybe a sun umbrella.

The main road to the gardens is CLOSED so you’ll get dropped off about 500 yards from the main entrance and have to walk the rest of the way. There is construction at the site which is why the road is closed.

The gardens are impressive, it’s a very large area that would take hours to see all in one go so you may need to strategically pick key sites you want to visit or plan on several visits if you love gardens.

There are monkeys all over the place and while none were aggressive toward me while I was there, they can be a bit mischievous and steal certain items like sunglasses, hats or other items on your person.

During my visit, the clouds became darker and darker so I opted to call it a day and head back to the drop off point. I made it to my Grab car just in time to avoid pouring rain. Weather can be fickle here so be prepared or plan on getting wet.

Ironically, as soon as I got back to the hotel and took a shower, I hit the pool to soak and relax.

The next two days are expected to have rain here in Georgetown area so I may be doing indoor activities.