Penang

[Fiery Jack]

Still trying to get this fucking summer jaunt to Malaysia with my bird sorted out. Her latest bright idea is Penang, which she heard is "lovely" from some dippy cow she works beside.

 

I've done a search and whatnot, but can't work out whether Penang is great or shite ? seems to be either a grand version of Khao San Road with visa-run punters galore, or like Memphis after Elvis (i. e. fuck all to do), or a "vibrant, bustiling city full of history and culture, relaxing seascapes" depending on whom you believe.

 

Anyone know the score, please. I'm after somewhere to relax (are the beaches good?) with good grub and nightime entertainment (but not sanuk, as the bird's on tow) and a few shops to browse plus a bit of local history and flavour. If there's fuck all to do during the day, we'll go stir crazy. The original plan was to spend a few days in Melaka, but there's a new Malaysian bloke at my workplace who's from Melaka and he says no need to waste more than one day on that joint, hometown or not, no sir.

 

I was considering this hotel in Penang, since it's on the beach but connected to the main city area. There are some resort places, but they're all 20km from the town, apparently i. e. this joint .

 

And how does one get to Penang from KL? Flight, or can it be done by car?

 

As always, thanks for any advice in advance.

 

jack

[Old Hippie]

Jack old pal...If I am not mistaken, and I damn well could be, Panang Is acyually called Ko Panang, which would mean it is an Island, hence driving would be a bit rough, unless seriously experienced at holding your breath. Ireally know fuck all about the place, but am so damned board right now, I feel a need to comment...Hmmm, I wonder if this place in anyway is related to the Curry flavour "Penang..." sort of a red curry, tasty with duck...wait, what were we talking about...? oh yeah, Panang...I have no idea. Hopethat is helpful...

[Fiery Jack]

I know it's an island, chief, but it looks like it's connected to the mainland by, well, by some sort of fucking line on the map.

 

I'm not as stupid as you look.

 

I glanced at Malaysia Airlines flight schedules, KL to Penang, and it looks like a short one hour hop over, plenty of flights daily. Just wondered what car/ferry options might be ? i. e. the scenic route, old scout, bottle of cold heineken in hand and her indoors snoring away beside me, refraining from complaining awhile while Joe le Taxi reins out the horses.

 

How's the knee, boss?

 

Take care. Go kindly.

 

jack

[Old Hippie]

"...I'm not as stupid as you look..."

 

I don't know, I look pretty stupid sometimes...er ah...well anyway, the line on the map might incicate a boat going there on a regular basis, much the same as most of the Islands...check the map's "legend" to make sure.

 

"...How's the knee, boss?...'

 

Frankly, it's a real pain in the ass...crutches, can't walk on it, can't doggie style on it...etc...2 more weeks on the damned crutches and "CPM" machine (a device which flexes my knee while I lie in bed, trying to sleep...thank god for vicodin...which I suppose will be the next damned thing I need rehab for...oh well...

[cola4u]

Thank your Malaysian friend for giving you the straight scoop on Melaka. I was there for about 1/2 a day and that was about right. Actually, the taxi driver had trouble finding my hotel in the small historic area. By the time he found the hotel, I had seen the only interesting few blocks, and should have just headed back to the bus station.

 

I have not been to the beaches on Penang, but the City is really nothing special. I have read that the beaches are just OK. From what I remember, the beaches are a (short/long?) bus ride from that exciting vibrant city, not an ideal situation.

 

IMHO, you can find a better venue for holiday merrymaking than Penang.

[Old Hippie]

My understanding of Paneng is it is sort of like Khao San Road on Steroids...lots of younf dipshit psuedo hippie types, doing drugs uner a full moon and acting like theynare somehow more attuned to Thai culture then us drunken sots on Soi 7...frankly, I find that offensive...just what I heard anyway...

 

I seem to have once ended up with such a work, upon arrival at the Thai house inn, Soi 7, I happened upon a tall, large Euro type woman, with an even bigger backpack...Street name of Nancy, hairy armpits, unshaven legs, 17 teeth, 2 different sized sagging braless breasts, 19 piercings, many tattoos, but one notable one on her left ass cheek which read "Relieve pressure before servicing all ports." Hell of a shag though...But I'll skip Panang also...

[limbo]

Jack,

 

Penang has fuck all to offer.

 

Expats in the south went or still go there to get their visas sorted. I was there once with the missus and it's dead......

 

There's a ferry and bridges to Penang, there's a Penang museum, but not that much entertainment at night. Some mediocre shopping malls, movie theatres and that's about it.

Been there one time and that was enough for me.

 

Hope this helps.......oh, I think the beach resorts may all be at Langkawi, not sure how far that is away from Penang.

[Nervous_Dog]

Foods pretty good, thats about it

[Long Gun]

Oh well, this probably says a lot about me, but I actually rather like Penang! Seems to close down quite early - you are probably relying on hotel discos and the like for the evening - but there's lots of good street food, plenty of shopping - bit cheaper than Bangers, I think, some good Chinese temples that are different enough to the Thai stuff to be interesting, interesting old Chinese and colonial buildings, a really good fruit farm with tours and tastings, a nice butterfly/bug place, a bird farm. The bridge itself is amazing - 13.5 km - but the best bit is Penang Hill which you have to use the funicular ralway to get up and down, a great little ride, and a great place to sit and chill over a few evening beers in the hotel gardens, looking down on the island. Might be a nice place to stay for one night, though there's no beach up there!

 

That first hotel you've linked may have a 'seafront view' but it does NOT have a beach - I'm fairly sure from the map that that is overlooking the ferry port and the docks. I stayed at either the 2nd hotel you linked to or one next to it a few years ago when I wasn't paying. Yeah, it's a bit of a trek to the town but it doesn't take long and that seemed like a nice stretch of coast from what I remember.

 

I believe some sanuk is available via the Chinese hotels' 'health clubs' and I seem to remember getting a cyclo driver to take me to the actions and ending up in an extremely business like massage parlour (the manager's choice for me was a girl who I had spotted myself but she was snaffled up before I could work things out and then came back a full ten minutes later putting her lipstick back on! He then took me to a place that was scuzzier than the original Thermae!

 

All this plus a (former?) member of the board has a band that plays there Friday and Saturday nights.

 

Airasia fly from 2 or 300 baht each way if you book far enough ahead, 5 or 600 otherwise - fly and rent a car there, or just get a taxi for the day - did that with the wife and kids.

 

Given you've got company already, you could easily do 3 or 4 days there, IMHO

[soppy]

i too like penang

 

for bars there is the soho, and english type bar and farquhars in the e & o hotel.

 

there s also a bj bar there not that that would be of any interest to you.

 

avoid lebuh chulia unless you fancy visa run old farts and drugged up hookers or indeterminate gender

 

oh and the beaches ain t great but try and drive round the west of the island..

 

there is a brdidge or ferry accross from the mainland. the drive from kl is borin but quicjk, quite nice round ipoh, it s on the tollway but dunno how much you will have to pay