Penang is a great destination and I think you should include it in your Malaysia itinerary besides Kuala Lumpur. In this blog post I will share the best area to stay in Penang when you visit for the first time to help you plan your trip. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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Georgetown
Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the capital of Penang Island. It has a rich history, plenty of heritage buildings, great restaurants, and street art.
I think it’s the best area to stay when you’re in Penang for the first time since a lot of the attractions are within walking distance. This is where I stayed too when I visited Penang.
Savv Hotel
I stayed at SAVV Hotel, a boutique hotel by the Chew Jetties. I got a cozy single room that had a view of the water and the Jetties.
The windows had an oval shape that was trying to mimic the windows of a ship. I found that really cute.
The hotel was clean, the staff was friendly, and the location was perfect. I could walk anywhere in Georgetown.
The room was not very large, but you still had plenty of space to walk comfortably from one spot to another. The air conditioning was powerful and working well, which is a must in the hot and humid weather of Penang. The free wifi also worked great.
The hotel had an outdoor pool as well. It wasn’t very deep, but it was great to cool down a bit after exploring in the hot and humid weather. The hotel provided free towels to use at the pool, you just need to go to the front desk to get them.
I can’t tell you how good the breakfast buffet is because I opted for a stay without breakfast. Penang has such good food, so I didn’t want to waste any meal. I recommend you do the same so you can try as many restaurants as possible in Penang.
Overall, it was a very comfortable stay. The hotel was in a central location and the price was very affordable. And I loved that you can get a single room, which is perfect for solo travelers.
Eastern & Oriental Hotel
Malaysia has affordable hotel prices, so if you prefer staying in luxury hotels, this is the perfect opportunity to do it. I recommend Eastern & Oriental Hotel because it is one of the top hotels in Penang.
The hotel is in a British colonial-style building that was built in 1855. It used to be the best hotel back in the day. The founders had such great success with this hotel that they opened Raffles Hotel in Singapore and The Strand Hotel in Burma.
Unfortunately the founders did not adapt to the competition after World War II, so the hotel had a period of decline. But it was reconstructed in the late 1990’s and reopened to the public in 2001.
It’s one of the heritage hotels in the heart of Georgetown that managed to survive across centuries.
The hotel has an ideal location facing the sea, so you’ll be able to enjoy a beautiful view.
It offers plenty of on-site dining options for all tastes. There is a restaurant serving European dishes and another one serving Asian dishes. The hotel also has a cocktail bar and a lounge.
You can also take advantage of their swimming pool facing the sea and their spa.
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (The Blue Mansion)
Another really cool accommodation option in the heart of Penang is the Blue Mansion or The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. This is a historical mansion with a lot of history that was also featured in many movies, including Crazy Rich Asians.
It is one of the two most famous Peranakan mansion on Penang Island. The other one is Pinang Peranakan Mansion.
The term Peranakan describes the descendants of Chinese men who came to Malaysia and married Malay women. The other word for it is Baba-Nyonya, where Baba is the name used for a boy and Nyonya for a girl.
Many Chinese men came to Malaysia to set up the tin mining business since they had previous experience with it. And of course, they stayed and built families there, which led to the creation of this new culture.
Cheong Fatt Tze was a very successful businessman, nicknamed the Rockefeller of Asia. He used to be the richest man in Asia.
He expanded his trading and banking businesses to Penang, where he used to reside occasionally. So he built the Blue Mansion in Penang.
This building was restored and it is now part hotel, part museum.
Staying here is a great choice if you like historical buildings with spacious rooms and modern amenities. Just make sure to book in advance since the hotel only has a few rooms available and it’s a very popular accommodation choice among people visiting Penang.
Campbell House Penang
Campbell House is one of the best boutique hotels in the heart of Georgetown. The building has been around since 1903. It used to be a budget hotel and then in the 1920’s a working place for the upmarket ladies of the night.
The current owners bought the hotel in 2008 and did a major renovation to preserve the original structure, but create luxurious rooms and modern amenities.
I love the story of the two owners of the hotel. They are husband and wife. She is British-Malay and he is Italian. They met in London while working in hospitality and decided to pursue their dream of owning a boutique hotel.
They gave up their corporate life in London and bought this hotel in Penang. And the rest is history.
Since he is Italian the hotel has an Italian restaurant on-site. And there are plenty of other restaurants nearby since the hotel is located on Campbell Street, right in the heart of Georgetown.
They got multiple awards for this hotel, including the 2023 Traveler’s Choice Award.
If you like boutique hotels that are family businesses then Campbell House could be the perfect place to stay.
FAQs about Penang
Is there a local guide you can recommend?
Yes! His name is Lee and you can reach out to him here. Lee was my Grab driver when I went to Penang Hill. That’s how we met, as he drives Grab on the days he doesn’t lead tours.
He was so friendly and told me about other areas of Penang I should explore when I visit again (it was my last day in Penang).
He used to work in sales and he realized he didn’t like his job and life, so he pivoted to offering guided tours. We bonded because I have a similar story where I worked in corporate, I was miserable and then I left to become a travel blogger.
I’m glad he decided to be a tour guide because he has the right personality for this job. He’s bubbly, funny, and you can tell he loves showing people around. Next time I’m in Penang I will definitely book him to show me the hidden gems of Penang I didn’t have time to visit.
How many days should I spend in Penang?
Two days is enough time to see the main attractions, but it will be a fast-paced trip. If you like to explore at a more relaxed pace then you should aim to spend 3-4 days in Penang.
What should I eat in Penang?
I highly recommend you book a food tour on your first day in Penang so you can learn about the different types of food and the best restaurants. Here are some of the dishes you must try:
Char kway teow
This is a stir-fried dish made with flat rice noodles, shrimp, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, and sauce. I loved it!
There is a bit of a competition between Penang and Singapore for who makes the best char kway teow. I tried it in both places and I think Penang is the winner. Go to Gou Lou Hong Kee Chao Sar Hor Fun & Noodles or Ha Fu Sheng.
Nasi kandar and banana leaf
Penang also has delicious Indian food. You can try nasi kandar or a banana leaf meal. They both come with rice and curries. You can eat in Little India.
Nasi lemak
Nasi lemak is one of the most famous dishes of Malaysia. It has rice, chicken, egg, peanuts, dried salty fish, and cucumbers.
Chinese food
There is a large community of Chinese people in Penang. You can try authentic Chinese food at one of the mom-and-pop local restaurants such as Kedai Makan Fok Kee.
Baba Nyonya food
Baba Nyonya is the term used for descendants of Chinese men who came to Malaysia and married Malay women. It’s a different culture compared to both Chinese and Malay cultures and they have their own unique food. There are Baba Nyonya restaurants in Penang. I recommend Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay.
Chendol
Chendol is a traditional dessert made from ice, pandan flavored green rice flour jelly, coconut milk, and palm sugar syrup. It also has some interesting toppings such as beans. I tried it at Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul.
Kaya toast with half boiled eggs and kopi
This is the traditional Malaysian breakfast. Kaya is a jam made from coconut and eggs. I loved it! They spread it on toast that is charcoal-grilled. And then they dip it in half boiled eggs.
Now the half boiled eggs will be an acquired taste, but I never acquired this taste. I don’t know when I see that runny egg white consistency my stomach just turns.
I wasn’t able to eat that. My egg whites need to be cooked. I’m ok with runny egg yolks, but the egg whites is where I draw the line. Maybe you’ll like it. Give it a shot.
Kopi is the traditional coffee in Malaysia (and Singapore). It is black coffee with condensed milk. There are 2 other variations: Kopi O and Kopi C.
Kopi O is black coffee with sugar and no milk. Kopi C is black coffee with sugar and evaporated milk.
Milo
Milo is the traditional chocolate powder in Malaysia that’s used to make hot or cold hot chocolate. They don’t call it hot chocolate, but Milo. That’s how you’ll see it on menus.
There is also a drink that’s a mix of black coffee and milo. It’s called hor ka sai. I tried it iced and it was surprisingly good.
What is the best time to visit Penang?
I visited early April and the weather cooperated for the most part. No matter when you visit it will be hot and humid and temperatures will be around 25-32 degrees Celsius (77-90 F). However, because of the humidity, it feels like it’s even hotter.
There will most likely be thunderstorms. It happened almost every day when I was there. But the good news is that they mostly last for a few hours. And other than that it tends to be pretty sunny.
How can I get to the city center from the Penang International Airport?
Public transportation
In Penang the most common public transportation option is the bus. You can take the Penang Airport bus to George Town. This is also the cheapest option to get to the Old Town.
Grab
Grab is the most popular e-ride app in Asia. It’s basically the Uber of Asia. So make sure to download the app before your trip.
The app is super easy to use. The service is very reliable and you can easily get a car.
This is the most convenient option to get to your hotel from the airport. Plus, Grab is really affordable.
If you don’t want to download yet another app, then you can schedule a private transfer.
How can I get around Penang?
George Town is a walkable area of Penang. You can cover the entire place by walking.
When you have to go to the Kek Lok Si temple or other attractions that are further away from George Town I recommend you get a Grab car. The prices are really affordable. It usually costs only a few dollars and it’s the easiest way to get around.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Is Penang safe for a solo female traveler?
Yes! I felt safe the entire time I was in Penang. I didn’t see any pick pockets or scammers. People are used to seeing tourists and are very friendly.
Penang, along with Kuala Lumpur, could be great destinations for a first solo trip to Asia since they use the Latin alphabet, they speak English, and they are more developed compared to other places in Southeast Asia.
Do I need cash for my trip to Penang?
Yes, you need cash when you visit Penang. Most local restaurants and stores, as well as street food vendors, only accept cash. Compared to Singapore, cash is a lot more used in Malaysia.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the country you’re visiting instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Penang?
No, you do not have to tip in Penang. Malaysia does not have a tipping culture.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
I highly recommend you book all the tickets online in advance of your trip. The popular tourist attractions can get sold out if you don’t book in advance.
Do people speak English in Penang?
Yes, they do. The level of fluency varies from person to person, but I had no problems communicating in English with everyone during my trip.
Do you recommend Penang as a solo destination?
Yes, I think Penang is a great place for a solo trip. There are plenty of things to do, the food is delicious, the people are friendly, and I felt safe.
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Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 80K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.