Would any expat living in Thailand consider Penang for a holiday?

[thaibeachlovers]

Having just got back from there I'd be surprised if anyone that knew the place would holiday there.

The beaches are ruined with huge hotels and jet skiis.

Many things cost about twice the price as in Thailand.

Low end accomodation is inferior, but costs as much or more than in Thailand.

You have to pay extra to eat in ( as against takeaway ) a McDonalds restaurant ( ? all fast food places ) and food costs more in general.

Despite charging 2RM a night on all tourists for the "purposes of tourism" there is very little done for tourists. eg bilingual signage is very lacking.

The train station ticket office on the mainland is closed for 2 hours, TWICE, during opening hours. The one at Penang ferry pier doesn't open till 10 am.

To get to the train station ticket office on the mainland one has to climb a very high overbridge, which is very hard for the elderly or with luggage. There is a gate, but it is locked except when the train comes.

The cable car charges 33RM which is pretty outrageous. Malaysians get it very cheaply.

Even the toilets in the shopping mall were inferior to those in an equivalent Thai shopping mall.

The bum guns are just a piece of hose- don't have a tap on the end-

7/11s are few and far between, and not a lot of minimarts.

And, of course, the totty is very lacking.

I saw everything in a couple of days and cut my holiday there from a week to two days.

If going for a visa, I accept that it would be OK for a couple of days. Almost everyone speaks English, the buses and the ferry are cheap, there appears to be little crime and I felt safe. Also the people are quite friendly- even people with nothing to gain from me said hello on the street.

The thing that did impress me was the ferries. They appear to be the same ones I used in 1973, but are in good condition, unlike the Chinese rejects that go to Samui and Phangan, and the piers are in good shape and don't look like they'd fall apart if hit by a boat, like the Don Sak rust junk. They even have lifebelts available.

Bottom line- Thai beaches are way better, there's more to do, and the totty is far, far better in LOS, so why would an expat resident in LOS go to Penang for a holiday?

My excuse is that I remember it as being a nice place in the 70s and it's been ruined since, but I didn't know.

[craigt3365]

About 5 years ago I did a "visa" run to Penang and decided to make it into a bit of a holiday. We spent a week at a hotel on the beach. The first day it rained pretty heavy and the runoff from the river was disgusting. No way were we going to swim in the ocean.

I had a friend staying in the main town, so we visited him a few times, but traffic is pretty bad. We walked around the old town a bit, and it was OK. Food was kinda nice in that we could sample some good Indian and Chinese, but it was fairly expensive. Good Indian food here in Thailand is also expensive, but harder to find.

We thought it was OK, but not a place we'd go back to, as there are so many other options. It was funny to be on the beach, wifey in her bikini, and all these muslim women in their burkas. They'd just sit there and stare at her. Kinda strange.

[kurnell]

I like Georgetown

[poohy]

IMHO you either like Georgetown or you dont.

I love wandering around Georgetown spice buying etc, downside the rats there are bigger than cats!

I used to go for visa runs when i had a non B/O, now purely for the food , personally I recknon Penang has the best food in Asia, i am not a fan of Thai food and crave proper indian food and rice , plus having friends there. yes beers expensive and girls well not really an issue with Mrs Poohy in tow.

Penang is a port so stands to reason beaches arnt up to much, Battu Ferrangi was ok but the last time i went there was about 10 years ago

[craigt3365]

We were on Battu Ferrangi and the runoff from that river near the end was terrible. Bad timing I guess????

Don't get me wrong, I think Georgetown is OK. But for sure wouldn't go there for the beaches and nightlife.

[StefanBBK]

Did a visa run - vacation there a couple years back with the misses and we both decided it is not worth it. Not a nice place for vacation.

[my friend I]

There are many beaches with no buildings at all. And just a few small fishing boats.

Prices seem to be about the same to me.

Hotels cost more. People have to pay land tax unlike Thailand. The 2 ringgit hotel levy was introduced recently.

Penang has some of the worlds best food and a lot of variety and its not all full of sugar and rot dee. MacDonalds!. The net is full of blogs about Penang food. People queue in the hot sun for a taste.

1st Avenue has spotless toilets and lots of totty - I'm assuming you mean women.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g660694-d1994555-r150576114-Penang_National_Park_Taman_Negara_Pulau_Pinang-Penang_Island_Penan.html#photos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Abdul_Halim_ferry_terminal_bridge_collapse

There is a serious crime problem with gangs running drugs. Last year the police were doing the lod shoot first ask questions later.

[my friend I]

We were on Battu Ferrangi and the runoff from that river near the end was terrible. Bad timing I guess????

Don't get me wrong, I think Georgetown is OK. But for sure wouldn't go there for the beaches and nightlife.

At CNY the 2 rivers running into Ferringhi beach were black. One tested positive for e.coli.

[craigt3365]

We were on Battu Ferrangi and the runoff from that river near the end was terrible. Bad timing I guess????

Don't get me wrong, I think Georgetown is OK. But for sure wouldn't go there for the beaches and nightlife.

At CNY the 2 rivers running into Ferringhi beach were black. One tested positive for e.coli.

Wow...just read this. Glad we didn't swim!

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/water-pollution-persists-penangs-batu-ferringhi-beach/

[zeichen]

I absolutely love Penang. I will echoe others about the food. I find it quite cheap there compared to KL. The beaches aren't great but there are other things. A lot of the historical architecture and the history is interesting. After spending a few days in KL I find it hard to decide which one I prefer. KL is very contemporary and hip. For beaches though in Malaysia go to Lankawi. There is so much to see and do in Malaysia, for a week I wouldn't just stay in Penang but for a few days it is nice.

[lust]

It was so humid there and not even a slight breeze, that I couldn't even wear my sunglasses when i was walking because my sweat kept dripping onto the lenses. The curbs are all like 3 feet high too so a simple walk is like a workout.

Beer/accommodations are expensive. Not a lot to do. Most people are friendly but there are many perverts there too. I suggest using the private toilets unless you don't mind people standing beside you staring at your weiner while taking a piss.

Good food though and there's a cool little jungle trek that you can do for free if you take the city bus out North of the island.

[phuketrichard]

I have been to Penang 3 times in the last year but have not been to the beaches there since the 80's

love Georgetown, the food, walking around, the people.

[aarn]

Jellyfish equipped with stinging capacity have taken over the beaches.

Traffic is overwhelming, thus not a haven for bicyclists.

Batu Ferringhi now has soi dog problem cf. LOS.

BUT

Georgetown maintains a certain charm.

KOMTAR good place to buy IT with English keyboard.

Food is good and getting better with influx of Nepalese working in restaurants.

Cheapish duty-free grog if you know where to look, also four legal toddy shops.

Good bush walking possibilities,

IMHO - but no comparison with LOS. AA

[Sampradaya]

One cant always just worry about the cheapest.

The people are friendly, helpful and speak English. Wonderful food market.

[duanebigsby]

Three things I'm not interested in while travelling...McDonalds, 7/11, and whores.

Maybe I'd like Penang.

[Alwyn]

I can think of two reasons and no more. 1, Slippery Senoritas and 2, Tandoori Chicken

[crazykopite]

Spent a weeks break there with no complaints, it's what you make of a holiday go with a negative and you will hate it would I go back yes and if the Thai Bubble Bursts I will move there !!

[wilcopops]

I drove there a few months back....only stayed a few days, but loved it.

We found a chalet right on the beach with parking, about 800 baht p/n. Unfortunately there were stiningiing jellies about, but at least the locals were both willing and able to tell us.

Drove around the island quite a bit and took in some great scenery.

Down on the southern end of the island found some great sea-food in a fishing village and because of the ability of so many to speak good English we were able to get a lot of info about were to go and wharf to sea.

People were friendly, food was fantastic, just by our chalet was a seafood place that obviously had a good reputation as it was full every night.

Loved the architecture in Georgetown, got sorted with SIM at the Techno-mall and had some brilliant curries in Little India.

Driving in Malaysia is particularly easy as the roads are built to a much higher standard than in Thailand with proper signage etc........

Will definitely go again and maybe head towards Singapore.

Has anyone taken their car in Singapore?

[dao16]

I am not sure why you had such a bad experience. Yes, it is more expensive than Thailand (Malaysia as a whole), but I had a great time there about 7 years ago. Maybe it has changed.

We liked KL more, but Penang was still fun, once we got to the beach area. Everyone spoke English, which I was not prepared for...so that was a nice surprise. Didn't drive, just cabs and the occasional bus, so signs didn't matter much. Even so, when walking, we found it easy to get around. The beach was pretty and I saw girls in bikinis and not in burquas, although some girls were also swimming in their clothes, as they do in conservative places sometimes.

A for food.....sorry, not eating at McDonald's anywhere, even in the US (and yeah, I am American). We ate Malaysian and Indian food the entire time and it was always really good. As for beer...the muslims didn't care if I had a beer. Yeah, it is pricier there due to the taxes, but I was never harassed about it and even had a beer while talking with muslims who were drinking tea.

I am not implying that you didn't have this experience, but it does sound completely different to what we experienced there.

[thaibeachlovers]

Spent a weeks break there with no complaints, it's what you make of a holiday go with a negative and you will hate it would I go back yes and if the Thai Bubble Bursts I will move there !!

I went with good memories from the 70s, but it's just nowhere near as good as Thailand ( except for the ferries ).

[thaibeachlovers]

About 5 years ago I did a "visa" run to Penang and decided to make it into a bit of a holiday. We spent a week at a hotel on the beach. The first day it rained pretty heavy and the runoff from the river was disgusting. No way were we going to swim in the ocean.

I had a friend staying in the main town, so we visited him a few times, but traffic is pretty bad. We walked around the old town a bit, and it was OK. Food was kinda nice in that we could sample some good Indian and Chinese, but it was fairly expensive. Good Indian food here in Thailand is also expensive, but harder to find.

We thought it was OK, but not a place we'd go back to, as there are so many other options. It was funny to be on the beach, wifey in her bikini, and all these muslim women in their burkas. They'd just sit there and stare at her. Kinda strange.

I don't know if there were less Muslim women in burkas when you went, but now Batu Ferringhi is packed with them.

[thaibeachlovers]

I like Georgetown

Reasons would be nice.

[thaibeachlovers]

I absolutely love Penang. I will echoe others about the food. I find it quite cheap there compared to KL. The beaches aren't great but there are other things. A lot of the historical architecture and the history is interesting. After spending a few days in KL I find it hard to decide which one I prefer. KL is very contemporary and hip. For beaches though in Malaysia go to Lankawi. There is so much to see and do in Malaysia, for a week I wouldn't just stay in Penang but for a few days it is nice.

I appreciate what you are saying, but this thread is about Penang and do people think it's worth going on holiday there as opposed to a Thai location.

Personally, I consider Thailand to be far superior to Penang- cheaper, better accomodation for the same price, nicer beaches, more totty ( yes, cute females ), and the nightlife in Penang is nothing at all in comparison.

Granted, the food doesn't make a difference to me, so if that was important I might have been keener. I was hoping to have some decent satay, but at 14 RM for 5 sticks, I'll make my own at home.

[thaibeachlovers]

I am not sure why you had such a bad experience. Yes, it is more expensive than Thailand (Malaysia as a whole), but I had a great time there about 7 years ago. Maybe it has changed.

We liked KL more, but Penang was still fun, once we got to the beach area. Everyone spoke English, which I was not prepared for...so that was a nice surprise. Didn't drive, just cabs and the occasional bus, so signs didn't matter much. Even so, when walking, we found it easy to get around. The beach was pretty and I saw girls in bikinis and not in burquas, although some girls were also swimming in their clothes, as they do in conservative places sometimes.

A for food.....sorry, not eating at McDonald's anywhere, even in the US (and yeah, I am American). We ate Malaysian and Indian food the entire time and it was always really good. As for beer...the muslims didn't care if I had a beer. Yeah, it is pricier there due to the taxes, but I was never harassed about it and even had a beer while talking with muslims who were drinking tea.

I am not implying that you didn't have this experience, but it does sound completely different to what we experienced there.

<I am not sure why you had such a bad experience>

Not really a "bad" experience. It's just so expensive, the accomodation cost too much for what I got, and it was just soooooooo boring after 2 days during which I saw everything worth seeing. The thought of paying to be bored just didn't appeal.

Had the beach been acceptable, I'd have stayed on, but the ones I saw were revolting- I loathe jet skiis.

[thaibeachlovers]

One cant always just worry about the cheapest.

The people are friendly, helpful and speak English. Wonderful food market.

Thailand is cheaper, but the people also speak English, people away from the tourist areas are friendly, most are helpful if you ask nicely, and there are plenty of food choices available.

LOS is just better value IMO. I just want to know other people's opinion, which I have been getting. Thanks for all the responses.

[thaibeachlovers]

Three things I'm not interested in while travelling...McDonalds, 7/11, and whores.

Maybe I'd like Penang.

Plenty takeaway places, McDs, KFC etc there.

In the shopping mall, except for the burkas and head scarves, you could be in Thailand.

[shaurene]

I have been there 2 times and have booked another trip in October up the North end of the island, very nice beach do not have problems with jet sky's. Stay in a hotel right on the beach, Flamingo. Great Holliday for me and my wife, she is Thai and loves it. Close to shopping malls and good shopping, never thought it expensive.

[thaibeachlovers]

I have been there 2 times and have booked another trip in October up the North end of the island, very nice beach do not have problems with jet sky's. Stay in a hotel right on the beach, Flamingo. Great Holliday for me and my wife, she is Thai and loves it. Close to shopping malls and good shopping, never thought it expensive.

Hmmm. Pity I didn't go farther than Batu Ferringhi then. Perhaps I'd have still been there if it is that nice up there. Is it on the bus route though?

[duanebigsby]

Three things I'm not interested in while travelling...McDonalds, 7/11, and whores.

Maybe I'd like Penang.

Plenty takeaway places, McDs, KFC etc there.

In the shopping mall, except for the burkas and head scarves, you could be in Thailand.

Your OP complained about it being more expensive to sit in McD's. I wouldn't sit in or take out that crap.

Lack of 7/11's doesn't detract from a holiday for me.

Poor beaches, yes.

[ChrisY1]

Penang....No.......I think it's a dump.....and muslim.....

Give me the Amalfi coast for 2 weeks.........