Discover George Town In Penang Malaysia – Top 6 Things To Do To Make Your 3 Days Visit Worth It!

[Read in 5 mins.]

Penang, Malaysia! Have you heard of this place? If you’re like, you may or may not have heard of this awesome destination. It’s not one of your typical ‘mainstream’ destinations to go to in South East Asia but I’m here to tell you that you should go! George Town, located on the eastern side of Malaysia, was in my 2 months South East Asia trip and it captured my heart! I think it gets overlooked at because everyone ends up going to Kuala Lumpur when in Malaysia and that’s about it. From food, culture, history, temples, and art, I’m here to let you know that this should be in your list of Malaysian destinations you should go to because it has so much to offer.

You probably would not have heard much about George Town or Penang in general when you think of Malaysia. The first thing that would come to mind is Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital or Johor Bahru if you’re close to Singapore and you end up taking quick trips in the border like I did. I wanted to go to another Malaysian city besides Kuala Lumpur so I looked up places. It was a family trip and my Tita (aunt in Tagalog language) and my Tito (uncle the counterpart) who were going with me have been to Malaysia many times suggested Penang! I was so happy they told me about Penang and obviously #noregrets.

Penang is the second most populous state in Malaysia behind Kuala Lumpur and George Town is the capital of the state so I think this city offers a lot more than it’s credited for. I was surprised myself so highly recommend you put this on your list to visit when you’re in Malaysia! Pro tip for those of you who wants to say the state properly and not become a noob like me. It”s pronounced ‘pen-EH-ng’, not ‘pen-UH-ng’. I kept saying penUHng at first and nobody understood me lol. Maybe it’s cause I try to say it the anglo way.

There’s lots of things to do in George Town. Though I was only there for 3 days as part of my 2 months South East Asia trip, I think I did all the top things to do to get the full experience. Short but sweet, I’m going to share to you all the awesome activities that made this short trip worth it!

1. Tour The Clan Jetties of Penang

The Clan Jetties of Penang is a very famous historic landmark in George Town. This cultural site is a floating village that was home to the prominent Chinese clans that settled to do business in the 19th century. This jetty, similar to a port with docks, was a trading port back in the day. There were 9 prominent clans that lived in the area and most of their houses have been converted to shops and restaurants. Why is it called Clan Jetties? The 9 Chinese families that settled here and did trade on the port brought over more of their families from China thus growing their population to a clan that lived in the jetty.

The clans have all settled elsewhere and now the jetty has become a tourist destinations with shops and restaurants selling local goods and serving Peranakan, Chinese, and Malaysian cuisines. The houses in the village are very much intact so you definitely get the feeling of what it was like in the 19th century. I really appreciate sites like this and happy to know that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Visit Kek Lok Si Temple

Kek Lok Si Temple is a very iconic temple in the city, the state, and the country! Very important to Malaysia because it is the largest Buddhist temple of the country and even in South East Asia! It’s located in Air Itam which is outside George Town but that’s okay because it is very reachable with public transportation or ride sharing so definitely worth the visit! The temple is on a mountain and you get to see a gorgeous view of the city up the top! Be prepared to walk up for a while to get to the main entrance it’s good exercise because you’re going to eat a lot while in the city. I went in and spent a good two hours inside exploring and learning about Buddhism and the ties it has with Malaysian culture.

4. Walk Around Downtown

The downtown core is close to the Chew Jetty and you’ll see many shop houses and heritage sites. This area is, as I said before, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking around you’ll see many British colonial building with multicultural vibes from the Chinese shophouses, mosques, and temples. Even after Singapore, I still enjoyed seeing them here.

3. Shop at Night Markets and Malls

Shopping is a must when you’re in Asia. Outside shopping and indoor air conditioned ones too. I think you should do both. Night markets at night and shopping malls during the day. It’s super humid and hot so just go in and freshen yourself. There’s Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon Mall for indoor shopping.

My accommodation was at Batu Ferringhi so I went to Batu Feringhi Night Market every night of my trip. This night market is one of the most popular ones in the island and it was only walks away or a minute ride. Be prepared to haggle to get the best price, it’s quite an experience so you should try it.

5. Eat Peranakan/Nyonya Cuisine

This. Right here. Peranakan, also called Nyonya cuisine (whichever you prefer), is a big reason why I went here. I prefer to say Nyonya because it sounds like a tongue twister. I wanted to try and eat many Peranakan dishes while in the city. Nyonya cuisine uses a lot of spices and herbs like the laksa leaf and lemongrass in their cooking. They also add tamarind for some sour taste. My love for flavourful rich food brought me to Penang of course! This cuisine is another ultimate fusion with many its influences coming from Chinese, Malay, and Indonesian cookings. Not limiting to George Town in general but no trip is complete in Penang if you haven’t eaten Peranakan cuisine.

Obviously, the best place to experience real local authentic Peranakan dishes is at hawker centres! Gurney Drive Hawker Centre right beside Gurney Mall is in between George Town and our accommodation at Batu Feringhi so we ended up stopping by to eat pretty much everyday. You can also get them at food stalls and restaurants so basically everywhere. There were amazing food stalls and restaurants across the Batu Ferringhi Night Market. We ate there before AND after shopping.

These places I highly recommend to get real nyonya food. You just need to know the dishes to order and you’ve done yourself a good job on the food experience. So those would be the signature dish asam laksa (spicy noodle soupt), nasi ulam (herby rice dish), mee siam (siam noodles), and the classic beed rendang. Eat chendol (South East Asian shaved-ice) for dessert.

6. See George Town Street Art

This one was an unexpected experience for me because I didn’t know they had lots of it! I didn’t know there were so many! I honestly went here mainly for the food. George Town stepped up their game at me when they had street art in the city! I have deep appreciation over street art. I find it gives character to the city. The fact that these are interpretations of Penang life made the experience super unique. I was very super happy to see them to the point that I’m going to write a separate post about it. Most likely the next one so stay tuned!