When you arrive in Penang and get your first glimpse of bustling Georgetown, you’d be forgiven for thinking: “Damn, this was not what I expected of a tropical island.”
The chaos. The traffic congestion. The crazy motorbikes weaving around you. Everyone seems to be in a hurry. There isn’t even a beach anywhere nearby.
We were here recently to visit family, and I still feel exhausted whenever I think about the traffic!
It’s common for a Penang travel itinerary to focus on the city center (Georgetown), and yeah, I get it. Georgetown is a UNESCO historic site, after all. That’s where the colonial architecture and street art and the majority of the attractions are, and you can get around easily on foot and by public transport.
So yes, you should definitely see all of that. But when you feel like you need a bit of a break, you can’t go past northern Penang.
Once you pass Gurney Drive, you start to exhale. The traffic clears up – by Penang standards, at least. After a while, you begin catching glimpses of the sea.
There’s a lighthouse. A gorgeous floating mosque. A temple by the sea.
Make it all the way north to Batu Ferringhi, and there’s a beautiful beach awaiting you.
How to get to northern Penang
Public transport
The 101 and 102 buses will stop in the vicinity of most of the attractions on this list, and they are reasonably frequent. They are also by far the cheapest way of getting to north Penang.
However, Penang is incredibly hot and humid, and you will be walking fairly long distances without shade sometimes. This may not be a problem for everyone, but I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to humid heat.
If you choose this option, you should read a guide on taking the bus in Penang first.
Grab car
Grab is the Malaysian version of Uber, and is an excellent way of getting around if you don’t want to drive.
It’s safe and convenient, albeit slightly pricey. If you’re from a country with favorable conversion rates to the Malaysian Ringgit, though, it’s not too bad.
You might have to wait a while for a driver on your way back, as they don’t always frequent the northern side of the island.
Rent a car
This is what we did, and it is the most convenient (and least heatstroke-prone) way by far.
The key here is that you do not want to be driving in the city center unless you are very confident. I’m from Malaysia and I still wouldn’t drive there!
Instead, you should aim to pick up your car from Straits Quay or Gurney, and only rent it for the day.
Once you’ve picked up your car, follow highway 6 northwards. It takes around 25 minutes to drive from Gurney Paragon Mall to Batu Ferringhi beach, the furthest points in this itinerary.
North Penang travel itinerary
Gurney Drive
Kick off your day at Gurney Drive. This used to be a scenic seaside road back in the day; unfortunately the land next to it was reclaimed recently and now is a construction site.
Don’t let that deter you. As strange as it may seem, you are here for the malls. There are two of them standing virtually next to each other – Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon Mall.
Why? Well, firstly, you may have noticed that it’s not actually that easy to get breakfast outside your hotel in Malaysia.
Malaysians often eat breakfast at home (or not at all), so the vast majority of food stalls and even cafes will be closed before 10am. There are some breakfast hawker stalls, but they are usually not conveniently located.
Gurney Plaza, however, is home to Oriental Kopi, a “breakfast” chain that is quite popular among locals. It opens at 8am, and if you are there when it opens, the long queue might not have started yet.
Try their immensely popular egg tarts and their kopi (coffee). Or, if you feel like a bigger meal, get their signature nasi lemak – coconut rice with sambal (a spicy sauce), topped with fried chicken and an egg with runny yolk.
Alternatively, you can have dim sum (also known as “yumcha”) at Bali Hai Seafood Market, which also opens at 8am.
You can then pick up your car rental from Gurney Paragon Mall and head off on your drive.
Floating Mosque
This recently-built mosque with pretty blue domes was constructed on stilts, giving it the appearance of “floating” on the water.
It’s a phenomenal sight, and the wooden fishing boats next to it make it even more picturesque.
You can enter the mosque to look around even if you’re not Muslim, as long as you are dressed appropriately. Entry is completely free, and the mosque has air conditioning inside.
The definition of “appropriate clothing” here is no shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops, or tight clothing (for both men and women). The Islamic dress code typically involves headscarves and long sleeves for women, however that doesn’t seem to be a requirement for visiting.
Unfortunately, we were wearing shorts and had forgotten to bring long trousers to change into, and there wasn’t anyone renting out sarongs, so we weren’t able to go inside.
It’s still worth a visit even if you don’t enter, but try to bring a sarong or long trousers/skirts to cover up!
There is ample free car parking just outside the mosque, and it’s easy to turn into the carpark from either direction.
Batu Ferringhi Beach
Yes, Batu Ferringhi is touristy.
It’s also beautiful and peaceful and quiet, and one of the few easily-accessible beaches on the island. There’s a sea breeze to cool you down, and lots of leafy trees.
It is, quite honestly, my favorite place in Penang.
The way I see it, there’s no harm in being a tourist sometimes, and I would’ve missed out on some amazing travel experiences if I followed a staunch no-touristy-places rule.
Go and wander through the quaint shops lining the beach, their tin roofs propped up by gritty wooden poles. Have a young coconut or an ice cream or two. Lay your towels on the sand and just… be.
There are several coffee shops and restaurants by the beach where you can get lunch with seaside views for less than RM20 ($4.50 USD) per person.
It may be worth noting that Penang lies on the Straits of Malacca, so the water isn’t clear. If you want crystal clear water and snorkeling, you’d need to head to either the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah/Sarawak instead.
Sri Aluvang Muneeshwarar Temple
I have never seen this place listed on a Penang travel itinerary, so I was pretty darn excited when I saw it on Google Maps.
This Hindu temple with a rooftop shrine sits right by the sea. Go down the long flight of steps by the side of the road, and you’ll be rewarded with views of the temple against the turquoise backdrop of the ocean.
Unfortunately the turn-in to the temple is very difficult to see, and there are only a couple of parking spots that aren’t always empty. We missed it twice, both on the way north and the way back.
From the pictures that I’ve seen online, I’m disappointed that we didn’t make it there. Hopefully you’ll have better luck than we did!
Straits Quay Marina
The Straits Quay Marina retail precinct was developed by the E&O Group, who were also responsible for the refurbishment of the famed Eastern & Oriental Hotel.
As soon as you set foot in the precinct, you can see the connection. The white colonial-style architecture, pretty balustrades, quiet opulence.
This area is very popular with upper-middle-class locals, for several reasons: Old-school charm; a long, wide, pedestrian street where they can walk their dogs (a rarity in Malaysia); and the fact that Malaysians just really, really like shopping malls.
Yes, you may have noticed during your travels in Malaysia that the two places where you see the most locals are shopping malls and hawker centers. This isn’t a coincidence.
Walk past the marina, and you’ll arrive at the Straits Quay Lighthouse, which also marks the start of the Seri Tanjung Pinang promenade. It’s a lovely spot to take an evening stroll with locals and watch the sun set.
You used to be able to enter the lighthouse, but to the best of my knowledge it is currently closed to visitors.
There’s a lot of food here, but not much local fare. Which is why we’re heading to…
Coco Island Street Food
If you picked up your car rental from Gurney Paragon, you can return the car anytime before 9pm, then head to dinner.
Coco Island Street Food is a large hawker center located on Gurney Drive. And yes, again, its a little bit “touristy”… in the sense that it’s clean and spacious, nicely-decorated, the hawkers put their seafood on ice (to avoid giving you food poisoning!), and the food there costs a bit more than average.
In terms of authentic local cuisine and sheer deliciousness, there is no difference.
The ikan bakar (grilled fish) that I ordered was divine. You can choose from among a few different types of fish – I chose the stingray, and it was perfectly charred, rubbed with a marinade of strong spices and served on a banana leaf with belacan (spicy prawn-based sauce) on the side.
I was really bad at taking photos this trip, so I didn’t get a photo of after I cut into the fish. You have my word, however, that the flesh was fresh, flaky and succulent.
As a bonus, this was one of the few hawker stalls I ate at that didn’t give me diarrhea afterwards, so I’d recommend it for that reason alone. Penang Belly might not rhyme as nicely as Bali Belly, but it’s just as real!
And, that’s it for my northern Penang travel itinerary! Feel free to post questions, comments and suggestions below.
