Detailed Travel Guide to Penang Island for Beginners

Nowadays, many are still wondering where Penang Island is that attracts so many visitors. In fact, Penang Island is a famous tourist island in Asia in general and Malaysia in particular. When visiting this place, you will not only enjoy the beautiful natural scenery but also explore the beautiful Penang Island hidden in the unique local culture. Let's join Vietjet to see if Penang is really that special!

1. Where is Penang Island?

Penang Island belongs to the state of Penang located on the west side of Malaysia, about 380km from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The state of Penang is bordered by Kedah to the north and the town of Taiping (Perak state) to the west. Notably, Penang Island is only about 130km from the Langkawi resort island, so you can quickly move between the two islands by high-speed ferry.

In 2008, George Town - the capital of the gem island of Penang was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site. Especially, in 2016, Penang was voted by Lonely Planet as one of the 10 most attractive cities in the world. Penang also boasts the longest bridge in Southeast Asia - the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge with a length of 24.5km.

2. The Ideal Time to Visit Penang Island

The period from April to August is very suitable to visit Penang Island. During this time, Penang has a slightly humid atmosphere, occasionally with quick passing showers that make the weather cool and comfortable. Especially, May is when Penang holds the Flower Festival, and the George Town Festival takes place in August. Additionally, if you want to participate in Jazz festivals, you can travel to Penang in December every year.

April to August is the most suitable time for tourists to visit Penang Island.

3. Instructions on how to travel to Penang Island in Malaysia

After knowing where Penang is, you can travel from Vietnam to Penang Island Malaysia by the following 2 routes:

3.1 How to get to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

To get to Penang Island from Vietnam, you need to book a flight ticket to land at Kuala Lumpur airport, Malaysia.

Currently, Vietjet is offering a variety of flight tickets to Kuala Lumpur at good prices and many incentives. Quickly order Flight tickets to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Vietjet to enjoy a comfortable and economical journey.

3.2 Instructions on how to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Penang Island

After the plane lands, you can travel by the means below to get to Penang island.

• High-speed train: You can buy high-speed train tickets to Penang for 2 trips a day. Specifically, the fast train departs at 4:15 p.m. and arrives in Penang at 10:00 p.m. There is a slow train that will travel from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

• Bus: Right at Kuala Lumpur airport, you can easily catch the Rapid Penang bus to travel to Penang's George Town. Normally, there is a bus every 30 minutes and the travel time is about 5 hours.

3.3 Means of transportation in Penang Island

There are many types of means of transportation to help you easily move around the Pearl island of Penang. You can refer to the table below:

 

4. Explore the beautiful scenery and cuisine on the pearl island of Penang

When you come to Penang Island, you will visit attractive tourist attractions and enjoy unique culinary dishes here:

4.1 Where to go when traveling to Penang Island

Your Penang travel itinerary definitely cannot miss the following destinations:

- Penang Hill: You can climb to the top of Penang Hill yourself, sign up for a buggy tour to explore ancient houses or go by rail to save time and ensure your health. From the top of Penang Hill, you will enjoy the cool air and fully admire the beautiful natural scenery.

You will fully admire the beauty of Georgetown from the top of Penang Hill.

- Georgetown: Georgetown is an ancient city with a diverse culture and unique beliefs that help you have many interesting experiences. You can visit the clock tower or Fort Cornwallis to admire the beauty of ancient architecture. Georgetown also has a full range of modern fashion brands and handicraft shops to help shopping enthusiasts choose the items they like.

- Street Art: In the early 2000s, the Penang government invited famous artists to paint unique art paintings on the walls. This has attracted tourists to visit Street Art to see the murals firsthand and check-in to keep beautiful memories when coming to Penang Island.

- Kek Lok Si: Kek Lok Si Pagoda opened in 1905, located on the top of Air Itam hill with the front facing the sea. Here, you can visit the monastery, prayer room, flower garden, 30m high Guanyin statue or visit the Koi fish pond in Kek Lok Si Pagoda. You can spend a small fee to take the elevator to the top of the mountain to breathe fresh air and fully admire the city view.

Kek Lok Si Temple located on top of Air Itam hill is the largest temple in Malaysia.

- Burmese Dhammikarama Buddha Temple: As the oldest Buddhist temple in Penang, Dhammikarama Burmese Buddha Temple stands out with its vibrant red and yellow tones and two elephant statues guarding the entrance. You can visit the main shrine with a pair of lion statues guarding it or go deeper inside to see the Buddha statue made of gold. If you visit the temple on Vesak Day in May, you will witness people splashing water on each other to show respect to the elderly.

4.2 Enjoy unique cuisine on the pearl island of Penang

Besides attractive destinations, Penang Island also offers a colorful cuisine with Asian specialties such as:

- Roti canai: Roti Canai cake has a crispy crust and the dough inside is soft and chewy, making it a very unique taste. When eating, you will dip the cake in spicy and salty curry, creating an extremely unforgettable flavor.

- Mee Goreng: Mee Goreng is a specialty dish of Penang Island, Malaysia, at a glance similar to Vietnamese fried noodles. After being boiled, the noodles are stir-fried with shrimp, chicken, beef and fresh vegetables, adding a little soy to create a rich taste for the dish.

- Assam Laksa: Assam Laksa has white, large, chewy and crispy noodles, combined with broth made from sweet and sour mackerel soup to reduce the taste when enjoying. Assam Laksa dish has the sweetness of mackerel, the sourness of broth and the spiciness of chili, served with vegetables such as ripe pineapple, cucumber, herbs, red pepper,...

- Nasi lemak: Nasi Lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves and looks quite similar to Vietnamese banh it. Taking a bite of Nasi Lemak, you will feel the greasy taste of coconut water, eaten with dried anchovies, roasted peanuts, boiled eggs and a layer of delicious and rich sambal sauce.

Nasi Lemak is a traditional Malaysian rice dish cooked in coconut water.

5. Some notes to know when traveling to Penang Island in Malaysia

The most popular religion on Penang Island, Malaysia is Islam, so you need to keep in mind some important notes when visiting here, specifically:

- Leave your shoes outside when entering the mosque.

- You are not allowed to touch the idols and paintings in the temple.

- Eat, drink, give and receive things with your left hand because Malaysians believe that the left hand is unclean.

- Do not rub other people's heads and backs when coming to Malaysia.

- Some sea areas will prohibit wearing bikinis.

- Malaysians often touch the other person's palm and then clasp their hands to greet.

- Don't point fingers at others.

- Do not shake hands or touch Malaysian women.

- Women are not allowed to touch or give food to monks in temples.

6. Some frequently asked questions

If you are still wondering about your trip to Penang Island, the answers to the questions below will help you better understand the journey to visit this land:

6.1 What should you buy as a gift when traveling to Penang Island?

When you come to Penang, you can buy souvenirs here to give to relatives or friends such as: Batik silk fabric, antiques, handicrafts, nutmeg (Nutmeg), Tau Sar Piah cakes, etc. .

6.2 What festivals does Penang Island have?

Traveling to Penang Island during festivals will bring many interesting experiences, giving you the opportunity to fully explore the unique culture here such as:

• George Town Cultural Festival (August 1 - 31)

• Darkroom Photography Festival (June 21 - 30)

• Penang Durian Festival (June - July)

• Hot Air Balloon Festival (February)

6.3 What famous culinary areas does Penang have?

You can visit food areas here such as: Gurney Drive, China Town, Little India,... This place helps you easily find delicious restaurants to enjoy famous Penang dishes.

Gurney Drive area has many delicious restaurants with most of Penang's famous dishes.

The above article has answered the question of where Penang Island is for many people today. Not only can you admire the ancient beauty, Penang Island will give you the opportunity to explore unique cultural beliefs and enjoy delicious dishes with typical flavors of Asian cuisine. With the information in the article, please plan in detail and carefully your journey to explore Penang to bring back many beautiful memories in your upcoming trip!

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