Today I spent time in the northern part of the Island. The northern area is where a large number of expats/foreigners live. It is also where some of the higher end malls are located. I visited Gurney Paragon Mall & Gurney Plaza. Two large shopping centers near each other and walked the surrounding neighborhood.

The image below is from within the mall looking out at some condominiums.

The image below is of Gurney Paragon Mall

There are 8 stories in the mall and every kind of shop. The one below called Mr. D.I.Y caught my eye and it’s something like Home Depot in the U.S.

They sell a variety of items.

Razors seem fairly inexpensive.

Cooking gear.

I use gloves when cooking and these seem like a bargain.

Not sure why they sell a lot of winter gear here where it’s always hot but I guess people do travel.

These are the list of shops at Gurney Paragon Mall.

I did end up stopping by at a mobile phone shop and bought a sim card for my phone because my carrier from the U.S. was very spotty. It would work fine then stop working suddenly for no reason. I have 5 bars now with the service I got on the card.

Pre-paid sim card for mobile: 20 ringgit ($4.76), 50 gb data, unlimited local voice, text. Note: In Malaysia, you are REQUIRED to provide a passport for all sim card purchases.

I visited the malls today because the weather was expected to be heavy thunderstorms for the day so I opted to go check out the movie theaters here and watch a movie. I ended up seeing the Conjuring which should have been called the “Dozing” because I nearly dozed off a dozen times on how boring this movie during it’s 2 hour run time.

Ticket to movie: 16 ringgit ($3.81)

Popcorn and drink: 19 ringgit ($4.50)

Total $8.81

There is a grocery store at Gurney Plaza below are some of the items. To get the cost in dollars divide by 4.

I had lunch at the mall and it was a great deal. All the food below was $7 USD. It included an iced tea, chicken quarter, rice, bok choy salad, soup, egg-roll like, and a fruit-jelly bowl. I was unable to finish all the food.

As expected, it was raining heavily when I finished my mall tour. It took almost an hour to get back to the hotel in my Grab from the North side of the island to the southern part.

I will be changing hotels tomorrow to move further south in the island. More tomorrow!

Categories: Georgetown Penang
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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.

Categories: Georgetown Penang
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What an incredible day! It started with the fabulous breakfast buffet at the hotel (free for Titanium members). There are many food stations with plenty of options. I usually stick to my morning soups and noodles.

Indian food station.

After breakfast, I took a private car (courtesy of hotel) to old Georgtown center. There is a rich cultural history in the old city center and lots of artistic flair.

The image below shows giant burning incense. They can be found around some of the Buddhist temples.

There are many famous art works on walls throughout old Georgetown, some of them explain the area’s history.

After walking in the intense heat and humidity, I stopped for lunch at a nearby Indian restaurant. Food was good.

Then washed it all down with this blue concoction.

After walking around for a while, it was time for an hour long foot massage. The cost for an hour was 68 ringgit ($16). After that I did a 90 minute body massage which cost 130 ringgit ($31). The therapist was amazing and removed all the sore spots on my back.

Food Tour

After the massages, it was time for my 3 hour, 15 sampling. food tour around Georgetown. The tour focused on three major cuisines: Malaysian, Indian and Chinese dishes. There is a complete description of the tour foods down below so as to not clutter the blog with text and images.

Malaysian

Indian

Chinese

Food & Restaurants

Nyonya Palazzo

• 017-222 6178
• https://g.co/kgs/cgzoEQK
• Nyonya Palazzo : Kuih Talam, Pulut Tai Tai, Radish cake

Sri Ananda Bahwan

• 04-331 0781
• https://g.co/kgs/w9Lyg76
• Ananda Bahwan : Banana Leaf Rice & Paper tosai

Penang Famous Samosa (Michelin noted) – This is a street corner vendor stall.

 Tea Kadai

• 012-496 8938
• https://g.co/kgs/a7GFVkp
• *Masala Tea, Original pani puri&chochalate pani puri* 

Fruit : Guava & Jack fruit & Langsat & Longan

Gou Lou Hong Kee Chao Sar Hor Fun & Noodles

• 016-548 1248
• https://g.co/kgs/wCkfwsv
•  *Dry Char Hor Fun, Tai Lok Mee(Fatty noodle)*

Cintra Street (food stall at street corner)

• *Sesame ball (Coconut & Peanut) and Hum chim peng (Chinese donut)*

Sun Yoon Kee

• 016-401 3133
• https://g.co/kgs/NcyVqsG
• Roast pork stir fried with dark soya sauce, sourplum chicken

Chill Night Restaurant 

• Dessert :  Aiyu Jelly

Lebuh Kimberley 

More adventures tomorrow!

Categories: Georgetown Penang
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Just got in today to Georgetown Penang and the city is alive and the hotel fabulous. Normally I would wait till the end of the stay to write a review but with this amazing gem there is no need to wait. It’s a great hotel.

As Titanium member, I got upgraded to a Junior Suite and it’s a great suite with a great view.

Bathroom has a rain shower and tub with a view of the skyline.

The facilities are nice. The gym and pool are on the same floor and the pool has a great bar.

Platinum and Titanium members get access to the lounge which is self serve and features some snacks and drinks.

The lobby is impressive!

As a Titanium member I was invited to the special members only area at the pool with a spread of amazing food.

I dont know the names of this stuff but the flavors are amazing. The quiche like pastry has salmon in it. The noodles are tender and spicy. The round mini-cupcake is another amazing seafood dish. The beef cracker has a unique taste as well.

The staff have been excellent catering to my every need.

More tomorrow.

Categories: Georgetown Penang
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