Malaysia – Penang & Batu Ferringhi – Woke and Awake Travel

To & From:

We did Penang as a lovely restful add on to Kuala Lumpar.Penang is a Unesco World Heritage site so you can combine heritage & culture with sunbathing!

See 3 in Useful Links

A good option if you have not booked through to Penang with original carrier is to fly internally from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB), which is closer and much smaller than KUL. Plenty of flights at cheap rates. Flight is about 1-hour long, Penang airport is about 20Km and a 30-minute transfer time to Georgetown in a taxi.

Georgetown.

There is only one address in this Unesco World Heritage site to stay at and that is the Eastern Oriental Hotel, simply known as the E&O…See 2 under Useful Links

A seamless arrival into the elegance of the building’s colonial past, we stayed in the Victory Annexe, the Heritage Wing has undergone extensive renovations completed in 2019.

Woke Tip : opt for the club upgrade which may seem an expensive option, but in reality provides for a very civilized cocktail hour with some decent nibbles in sumptuous surroundings.

Figure 1 Planters @ E&O

Once settled in time to explore the town named after George III. Plenty of references to past colonial rule, with Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, to the South East of Fort Cornwallis, the original HQ of the East India Company, today little remains other than the outer fortifications and the inner area is a park. Sir Francis Light‘s statue can still be found at the Fort, honoured as a founding father.

Figure 2 Victoria Memorial Clock Tower.

Penang’s thoroughfares are manic, so time left in the late afternoon to enjoy the outdoor pool at E&O, and then cocktail hour at Planters. Head down Jalan Penang road to find all types of restaurants to complete a hectic day.

Figure 3 Outdoor Pool View over Straits of Malacca from E & O

Lots of eateries & bars very close to the hotel so well covered for lunch & dinner if you wish to dine outside the hotel.

Batu Ferringhi

We headed to Batu Ferringhi a half hour drive from Georgetown for a complete chill & relaxation at the fabulous beach resort Shangri- Las Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa.

Batu Ferringhi is known for water sports and seafood restaurants. There is a very interesting seafront night market selling Street food, household goods and batik clothing . Batik pieces are also on display at local galleries and shops. To the west, the Tropical Spice Garden has spice terraces, a bamboo garden and tropical flowers.

Shangri La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa – see 1 under Useful Links