I write this guide at the half-way point of Adam's and my big six month Asia trip. Recently I was catching up with a friend who asked which had been our favourite place so far. It took a minute - there were many strong contenders among the palaces of Rajasthan, pristine beaches of the Maldives, and incredible street food of Singapore. But in the end, we both settled upon the same place: George Town, Penang.
Now this may come as a surprise. Malaysia may receive its fair share of visitors, but is rarely talked about with the same fervour as destinations like Thailand, or Vietnam. In fact, George Town, though undeniably touristy, never feels overrun. But perhaps that's part of why we liked it so much!
George Town is the capital of the island of Penang, just off the west coast of Malaysia and a few hours north of Kuala Lumpur. For those interested in discovering the history, heritage, and rich culture of the country, it's unmissable. In particular, the old town is known for it's striking colonial architecture and Peranakan culture. Personally, I love just strolling through the streets, discovering the colourful facades of shophouses, and pockets of different communities in Little India and Chinatown.
I've been to George Town twice now, and so would like to think I've come to know the city just a little. Most recently we spent four nights seeing sights and eating our way around. I'll admit, my knowledge is mostly limited to the old town, where the bulk of the sights and tourist attractions are. But hopefully this guide to the best things to do in George Town will nonetheless inspire your future travel adventures...
How long to spend in Georgetown?
I’ve visited twice now and both times I wished I’d stayed longer! You can comfortably see the main sights of Georgetown in 2 to 3 nights. However, you could easily spend weeks just ticking off all the incredible places to eat around the city! If you have the time, I’d recommend 4 or 5 days, which lets you take it slow, eat plenty, and explore further afield in Penang.
How to get to Georgetown?
If you’re travelling from Kuala Lumpur, you can take a 3.5hr train to Butterworth station in Penang. From here, it’s either a half an hour Grab drive, or a 15-20 minute ferry journey. The latter costs 2RM, and is card only.
How to travel around Georgetown?
The centre of Georgetown is very walkable, with most sights and restaurants within a 20-30 minute radius. However if you want to travel further afield (or just don’t fancy the walking), the Grab app is a reliable cab option.
What to pack for Georgetown?
Due to the aforementioned walking, comfortable shoes are a must. For women, I’d recommend carrying a shawl to cover up when visiting temples and other places of worship. Oh, and a rain jacket or umbrella, because chances are you’ll get caught in the rain at some point!
What to read in George Town?
This isn't a section I usually include in my travel guides, however while travelling around Asia I've been trying to read books set in the places I've visited, therefore I thought I'd share my finds. For Penang, The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng paints a vivid picture of Penang during the Second World War. More generally for Malaysia, The Night Tiger and The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo are well worth reading.
Things To Do in George Town, Penang
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
Of all the things to do in George Town, I think this is my very favourite. The Pinang Peranakan Mansion is a vast estate and museum housing antiques and furnishings relating to the Peranakan community in George Town. Peranakan culture was born of the influx of Chinese immigrants who moved to the Straits and assimilated with local Malay communities, resulting in a unique fusion of both cultures. And spoiler alert, fellow maximalists, you'll feel right at home. The mansion is crammed with a wonderfully overwhelming assortment of vintage furniture, elaborate glassware, and more besides. The property itself is just as glorious as the artefacts it holds, providing a masterclass in colour styling.
The Pinang Peranakan Mansion is open from 9:30 to 5pm, at RM25 for adults. Complimentary tours are available, however I personally quite enjoyed wandering at my own pace.
Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi
Despite being in the centre of the old town, you're unlikely to stumble upon Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, the clanhouse and museum of a Hokkien Chinese clan association. Tucked away in a quiet back street, this prestigious house of the Khoos, whose lineage can be traced back 650 years, is carefully concealed. The complex comprises a number of buildings, including the main prayer pavilion, some small shophouses, a gallery and performance space. Visitors can learn more about the history of the clan and it's role in the George Town community through a small museum.
The main building and prayer hall are particularly magnificent, liberally decorated with gold awnings, delicate painted lanterns, and a strikingly ornate roof. George Town is a beautiful city, but this might just be the most beautiful architecture amongst it's many jewels.
Entrance is RM15, from 9-5pm. Make sure not to forget your camera for this one!
Explore the Old Town
One of the most charming things to do in George Town is to simply wander the streets of the old town, discovering the shophouses, street art, boutiques and cafe culture. It's a fairly compact, very much walkable area, and there's always new things to see and try. Armenian Street is the most touristy of the streets in the area, thanks to its street art and number of boutiques and souvenir shops. If you're getting hungry, or seeking a coffee break, nearby Beach St is a good bet. Follow it down to the end and you'll discover Fort Cornwallis and the esplanade, where locals hang out and watch the sun set. Or wander into Little India for a slice of India in Penang - although vastly cleaner and quieter than it's bigger namesake!
Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion
Another Peranakan mansion worth visiting in George Town is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, aka "The Blue Mansion". It's a popular spot for filming - you might for instance recognise the interior courtyard from Crazy Rich Asians. Named for its distinctive shade of indigo, it's worth wandering by to see the striking exterior alone. However the inside is equally worthwhile for those with an interest in interiors or Peranakan culture. To this end, there are daily tours, or a self guided audio tour. Or just go for a drink at the bar. Better yet, the Mansion also hosts 18 rooms for those looking to experience a truly one-of-a-kind George Town heritage stay. It's definitely on my bucket list for next time!
Kek Lok Si Temple
Kek Lok Si is Malaysia's biggest Buddhist temple, and one of the largest in all of South East Asia. Set in the shadows of Penang Hill, around a 20-30 minute drive out of George Town, it's a sprawling complex with temples, pagodas, and lush gardens laid out over several levels. So sprawling, in fact, that for a small fee an "inclined lift" will take you up to the top. Essentially a small cable car, there are two of these connecting the full height of the complex. You could walk, but, erm, I wouldn't. It's not particularly picturesque, as most of it follows a road, and it's fairly steep, particularly in the George Town heat. We chose to get the lift up, and walk back down.
At the very top is a 120ft statue of Guanyin, the God of Mercy. It's an impressive sight, towering over the streets of George Town below. The middle tier hosts a number of colourful temples and pagodas, as well as some beautiful gardens. I'd recommend carving out some time to sit amongst the flowers, enjoying the sounds and views. If you're here early enough, it's very peaceful. We went at opening, and had the place mostly to ourselves!
Somewhat at odds with what I know about Buddhism was the sheer number of souvenir stalls. But, if you're looking for a Buddha statue, Chinese astrology keychain, or any other tenuously related merchandise, you'll probably find it here.
Kek Lok Si temple opens daily from 08:30-17:30. Entrance is free, expect for the pagoda which is RM2, and the inclined lift. As this is a place of worship, it's important to dress respectfully, which generally means covering shoulders and knees.
Shop My George Town Wardrobe
Penang Hill
Where do the cosmopolitan George Town-ites head to escape the heat? Why, Penang Hill, of course! The hilly forest region on the edge of George Town is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, hosting a plethora of dining, accommodation and entertainment options. It's honestly a bit of a bizarre mishmash of things to do. Amidst the restaurants and view points, you'll also find an earthquake and typhoon simulator, and a "little village". Nope, I don't know what that is either. In George Town, you're never far from the nearest religious building, and this rings true on Penang Hill, with both a mosque and Hindu temple at the top. The hill was popularised as a retreat for the British during the colonial period, hence you'll also find a number of colonial bungalow properties nestled in amongst the dense forest.
On our visit, we chose to forego the earthquake simulator (shocking, I know) in favour of enjoying the nature and scenery. We followed the trails around the hill, to lead us to hidden cafe Kopi Hutan (pictured). It's a serene spot sympathetically designed amidst the greenery, serving up coffee, sandwiches, and cakes. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but you'd be remiss to skip the latter. The burnt Basque cheesecake and maple walnut cheesecake were polished off in mere minutes!
Getting to Penang Hill is an experience in itself, with the Hill being connected to the city below by funicular (details linked here). Side note: I've never seen such a fancy funicular station before - it even had it's own merch! I'd recommend combining the Hill with nearby Kek Lok Si temple for a full day out of town.
The Clan Jetties
As you'll soon discover, George Town is very much a city of immigrants. Many different settlers have made their way to this unique island over the centuries and, in doing so, have shaped the wonderfully rich design, architecture, and culture that make it such a fascinating place to visit.
One such example of this is the seven clan jetties. These floating villages on water were built by Chinese immigrants on their arrival in Penang. What started as a convenient base for loading goods and mooring sampans soon evolved into residential and business districts housing whole communities. Their existence has been under threat over the years, due to property development, fires, and various other causes. However George Town's recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 has turned the tide (excuse the water pun) and ensured that the significance of the jetties has been recognised and their upkeep prioritised.
The jetties vary massively - some are particularly built up and bustling, while others are quieter and more residential. In recent years they've become popular with tourists, as evidenced by the souvenir shops and street art along Chew Jetty in particular. This photo was taken on the wooden walkway at the end of Lee Jetty, one of the more picturesque of the jetties.
You'll find the jetties lining the South Eastern shoreline. You probably don't need to visit them all unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, however I'd definitely recommend exploring a couple to experience this unusual facet of George Town life.
Where to eat in George Town, Penang
As I write this, I'm still dreaming of everything we were lucky enough to eat in George Town. Malaysia (and neighbouring Singapore) are probably my favourite foodie destinations in the whole world, so best believe, the food scene in George Town is GOOD. There's Malay cuisine, plenty of Chinese and Indian, as well as Nyonya restaurants, where you can discover traditional Peranakan cuisine. Street food and casual food courts abound, as do chic cafes and bakeries piled high with decadent pastries. Oh, and if you're vegan or vegetarian, there's a number of specialised restaurants too. George Town truly is a foodie's paradise.
Bao Teck Tea House
Our hotel was situated on the same street as Bao Beck Tea House, and we wandered past several times during our time in George Town, vaguely aware of the grand doors and groups of people being ushered in and out, without taking much interest. On our last morning we finally decided to step in for ourselves for a spot of breakfast. I could not possibly have imagined what waited inside.
The interior of this traditional Chinese Peranakan tea house is a fantastical fairytale setting, with tables set against a backdrop of a mossy forest, complete with atmospheric mist. I half expected to turn a corner and discover a babbling brook, or maybe a fairy in a toadstool forest. Rather, you'll find a selection of Chinese teas, and an ample dim sum menu. Tick what you want off on the menu, and you'll be rewarded with steaming bamboo baskets of buns and dumplings. It's on the pricier side, but you're paying for a completely unique George Town experience.
Loong Fong Cafe
Both avid foodies, Adam and I put a lot of planning into where to eat on trips. This usually involves pinning lots of restaurants and cafes to a shared Google Maps list. And if we both happen to save the same place, well, it's a winner. Loong Fong Cafe was just that, somewhere we'd both stumbled across and thought, yes please. A long, narrow cafe set in a traditional shophouse, it's quintessentially George Town. There's lanterns, of course, as well as plenty of colour, foliage, and retro furnishings.
We popped in for breakfast, opting for a traditional Nasi Lemak, claypot Lu Shu Fun (rice noodles with egg), and fried carrot cake. The Nasi Lemak, served with chicken rempah (spiced fried chicken), was probably the best we tried on this trip. The Lu Shu Fun was more of an experiment, and probably not something I'd rush to order again. Fried carrot cake doesn’t taste remotely of carrot and is actually more fishy, but very tasty. The coffee is cloyingly sweet, so ask for no or less sugar unless you like it that way!
Somewhat confusingly, you'll also find Loong Fong Terrace just a couple of doors down. From what I gather, the cafe opens in the morning, whilst the terrace operates in the afternoon. Why, you ask? No idea.
BaBa Phang
A quick lesson in Peranakan culture for you: Male Peranakans are called "Baba", whilst females are called "Nyonya". A trip to George Town is a unique opportunity to try Peranakan food, known as nyonya cuisine. There's a number of restaurants around town, but we found ourselves at BaBa Phang, enticed by pictures of steaming plates of thickly glazed, richly caramelised pork belly. Are you drooling yet? I don't blame you.
The menu is truly exciting, at least for the adventurous amongst us. There's lots of pictures of delicious looking things, but you don't entirely know what you're ordering a lot of the time. Whatever you eat, it's all part of the fun! If you're sticking to veggie, like my parents were, be sure to check with your server. A lot of dishes in the vegetarian section actually have non-vegetarian components.
We got the pork, of course (tau ewe bak on the menu), as well as the kapitan chicken, spring rolls, cucuk udang (which turned out to be some very tasty vegetable and prawn fritters), and mixed veg. A word of warning, first. Dishes come in small or big form, however this is a family style sharing format, so small is what one might consider a standard size, and big is presumably, well, big. We ordered a number of small plates, thinking they'd be dinky bite size dishes. So used to miniscule London portions, I guess! But when the plates arrived, our jaws dropped. Turns out, we'd massively over-ordered.
The pork was as perfectly tender and richly flavoured as we'd hoped - although between just the two of us, I'll admit it got a bit sickly after a while! Definitely get the fritters and spring rolls too. All in all it's an excellent place to introduce you to nyona cuisine. Just be careful how much you order...
Red Garden Food Paradise
Before arriving in George Town, we'd been living on street food in Kuala Lumpur. So, we were excited to discover that George Town is just as great a street food destination. There's plenty of stalls serving up delicious street treats all over town, however if you want to visit a dedicated food court to try a little bit of everything under the sun, Red Garden Food Paradise is your destination. With countless stalls serving all sorts of cuisine from around the world, there's plenty of choice. We tucked into dumplings, skewers, noodles, and plenty more. Everything was delicious, and prices are affordable. Later at night there's live performances, and I imagine it becomes good fun - sadly we were there far too early though, as you can see from my empty pictures! It's right next to the Blue Mansion, so consider combining the two.
Plant A Seed Vegan
One of the most vivid memories of my previous trip to George Town is Adam and me heading to a sushi restaurant, only to discover on ordering that it was, in fact, vegan. Disappointment ensued. But we stuck it out, and it ended up being one of the best meals of the trip. This time, we were back in George Town with my vegan parents, and it was the first place on itinerary. The decor had changed, and the menu had expanded but, thankfully, it was still as good as we remembered.
Plant a Seed Vegan is a small place in one of the quieter streets on the edges of the Old Town. But it boasts an extensive menu of Japanese plant-based dishes, ranging from vividly hued salads to artfully arranged fried rices and, of course, plenty of the aforementioned sushi. We opted to share a selection of dishes; delightfully crispy morsels of fried popcorn mushroom, richly glazed miso eggplant, and kimchi fried rice (got to think of your gut health!).
Sushi-wise, there's slender plates of individual rolls, or family-style sharing platters. With four hungry humans to feed, the latter was our pick. Lots of beautifully presented bites of maki, gunkan, and inari, that tasted as good as they looked. Although I will admit, the couple of slightly sweet sushi rolls did trip us up! Overall, did we miss the meat? Not even remotely.
Chulia Street
Pretty much every Asian city with any sort of tourist industry will have a fairly similar sort of "bar street" with neon emblazoned pubs and bars trying to entice boozy foreigners with live sports and cheap happy hour deals. Most of these are usually the kind of places I'd avoid like the plague back home in the UK, but somewhere like George Town there's a certain charm. Or maybe I'm just being charitable. Regardless, if, like us, you find Chelsea are playing (I'm not the Chelsea fan, God forbid, but unfortunately Adam is), and you're looking for somewhere to watch the game, the rows of bars that line Chulia Street in George Town are your best bet. They're tacky, they're touristy, but they'll do the trick. Oh, and the area also hosts a small night food market, if you need some greasy fried goods to soak up the beers after.
I'll admit, some guides are a bit of a struggle to write. A slog, even. But George Town is somewhere I've found myself so completely enchanted by, that this George Town travel guide was one of the easiest yet. And one that I truly hope offers some small help or inspiration for your own adventures. If you have any questions, or more suggestions for things to do in George Town, please do pop them in the comments.
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