Some interesting snippets of George Town, Penang:
Designer Jimmy Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia (15/11/1948) to a family of Chinese descendant shoemakers. Jimmy made his first pair of shoes at age 11 under his fathers guidance. His family name is "Chew" but this was spelt incorrectly on his birth certificate as "Choo"!
Jimmy graduated from London Technical College in 1983 and the rest is history!
Chinese New Year is a huge event in Penang given that nearly 50% of the population are Chinese.
Chai Sin Yah is the God of Prosperity and the meaning is "Grandpa God of Prosperity" in the Hokkien dialect.
Gurney Drive, named after Sir Henry Gurney, a High Commissioner of Malaya, offers a lovely seafront promenade and boasts the largest open air food market in Penang. With numerous hotels lining the seafront here, it's an ideal place to stay for those food lovers. Shoppers are also catered for in the Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon - upscale malls where you can browse all the international boutiques.
Batu Ferringhi has been a favourite for visitors since the Colonial era and still remains one of the main tourist areas in Penang. With loads of water sport activities and a huge beach, there is something for everybody. Ferringhi is an Arabic word meaning "Foreigners" and Batu meaning "Rock" This is possibly where Westerners came ashore and relates to the rocky coastline along this area.
Durian is a fruit native to Southeast Asia. Duri means "thorn" This fruit has an extremely unpleasant smell and many hotels ban this fruit from their premises! However, it is much loved by locals who can refer to Durian as the "King of the Fruits"
Trishaws used to be the primary mode of transportation in Malaysia and these are still seen in Penang and Melaka
There are two bridges linking Penang Island to the Mainland. The Penang Bridge Marathon was held on the first bridge from 1985 but this moved to the second bridge in 2014. The 2nd bridge is the longest in SouthEast Asia. The bridge is 13.5km long. The second bridge is 24km long.
Koay Teow originated in China - it's a type of Chinese Flat Noodle. Adopted by the Malays it is called Char Koay Teow and the dish can be found in various parts of Penang. It was originally a labourer's dish.
Let the adventure begin!
Penang - George Town
Today we visited the Tropical Spice Garden. The 8 acres of secondary forest offers winding paths and over 500 unique plants. The best for James was the Fish Spa - there were no fish to be seen but as soon as he put his feet in the water, there they were, nibbling away! It's a tranquil space for a wander in amongst all the greenery and plants.
The humidity was a killer today so we found a beach bar for a light lunch of the most delicious samosas.
George Town
Today we explored the Clan Jetties. At first we could not find parking, then it rained but eventually, after circling a few times, we found a parking place. Most of these places have booms but are not manned so the "Touch and Go" card comes in handy for payment.
The Clan jetties date back to the late 19th century. Each of these landing stages was populated and controlled by a Chinese Clan.
These jetties became the focal point for new Chinese immigrants. Specific clans took these jetties for loading and unloading cargo. Rudimentary structures were built and these became the residences of the clans. The Ongs, Lims, Lees and Chews were mainly boatmen while the Yeohs, Koays and Tans traded in charcoal and firewood. These are still home to the following clans - Chew, Lim, Tan, Yeoh, Lee and Koay. The busiest and most popular is Chew - there are many shops at the front of these houses. The houses seem to go quite far back yet there is only a narrow strip of water between them. All these homes are on stilts in the water and were originally the homes of the early stevedores and fisherfolk. We visited Chew Jetty, the busiest and most popular with tourists and also took a walk along Tan Jetty - which was much quieter as no shops, only homes.
The Koay and Peng Aun jetties were destroyed in 2006. However, the city centre was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008 thereby preventing further development of the Clan Jetties.
Due to the ongoing tourism to this area approx. 30% of the houses in Chew Jetty are now commercial outlets since around 2017. The houses are built with a certain type of wood that is resistant to sea water. Old traditions are still practiced with candles outside doors and often prayer temples inside of the home. A fascinating history of the Chinese immigrants and their homes, all built on stilts above the water.
Such an interesting part of George Towns early history that is still alive and well today.
A total must see!
The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower was paid for by Cheah Chen Eok to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The Tower is 60feet high and was presented to George Town in 1902. THis can only be viewed from the street and parking is always n issue!
George Town
This historic building is very much part of George Town history.
It was a "rags to riches" story of a 16 year old migrant who was compared to the Rockerfeller of the East, the JP Morgan of China, the Last Mandarin and the first capitalist of China. Apparently, Cheong's 7th wife was his favorite and lived in this mansion. Artisans from China, building materials from as far away as Scotland all resulted in "Feng Shui" perfection.
Cheong died in 1916 and mansion did deteriorate over the years. It eventually was inhabited by squatters and looked really run down.
Restoration was eventually completed in 1995. In 1996 Hammer Piling for a building close by caused severe damage. Court cases followed and the result was that no hammer piling was allowed near any heritage building.
Today this building is also a Boutique Hotel so you can stay here, eat at the on-site Indigo Restaurant or have a drink at the bar.
We chatted to a gent, born in Shanghai, now living in Victoria Island, off Vancouver in Canada. He loves Canada and has been there for 38 yrs. He came to Malaysia for an airshow!
The Blue Mansion provides an interesting slice of Malaysian/Chinese History.
There is a huge mix of cultures here, Chinese, Indian, Malaysian with various religions such as Hindu, Buddhist, Islam and various Christian sectors.
George Town
Today we went looking for street art. Parking was a nightmare so after going around the block a few times, we headed to our known parking place near Chew Jetty. This is a "Touch and Go" parking so no worries about parking fines.
The recommended roads are Lebuh Armenian, Lebuh Ah Quee and surrounds. However, the art scene is all over George Town and there is a map available listing all the steel rod sculptures. George Town was listed as a Unesco World Heritage site on 7th July 2008.
Founded 200 years ago the city has many historic buildings representing the cultural heritage of the Chinese, Indians, Malays, Arabs, Siamese, Burmese, and Europeans. Its a melting pot of cultures! The Penang State Government started branding itself through the arts. The project was named " Marking George Town " The stories introduce traditions, beliefs, practices and industries at key areas of the heritage city. As there are approx. 52 steel-rod sculptures spread across the city, it is impossible to see them all, especially given the parking issue. If you have the time, grab a map (Marking George Town) and explore to your hearts content!
The wall art is also fascinating and pops up all over but it does require lots of walking in high humidity that we Capetonions are not used to!
During our walk today we also wandered thru part of Little India. This is where the early Indian immigrants first settled in Penang. The scents and fragrances in these streets were amazing. From fragrant curries to the intense fragrance of incense, it was a sensory overload. Spices, restaurants, beautiful saris and jewelry- it's all available in Little India!
There are many rickshaw guys available for hire in this area if walking is not your favorite pastime.
The drive back to Batu Ferringhi is always a stop, start affair. And the drivers here are crazy. Most roads have 3 lanes yet it is still insanely busy.
We took a different route to get up to Penang Hill - lots of very fancy homes higher up rather than all the high rise apartments.
The staff at Penang Hill were really helpful in getting us near to the funicular without having to negotiate any stairs. Malaysia caters for those of us currently using a crutch!!
The views from the top are not great when it is so hazy and this is often the case in Malaysia. It was still worth the ride to the top though as the gardens are pretty and the buggy ride is very interesting for the history of the area. Elevation is 833m
This was a retreat during the British Colonial period. The funicular railway system is the only one of its kind in Malaysia currently. It's very steep! The bungalows used by the British are still in use today as private homes. Penang Hill is the oldest hill station in Southeast Asia, dating back to the 1700"s.
The funicular was first started in 1923, the current version started operating in 2011. The track is 1996 metres. The bungalows are more than 100 years old and the oldest was built in 1789.
One can hike up but be warned that the elevation is 2552ft and it takes approx.4.5 - 5 hours to complete the climb. The funicular takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get to the Upper Station!
Penang
Firstly, let me state that I resisted the urge to add to my Teddy Bear collection so Big Brownie points today.
The museum is situated at the Double Tree Resort in Batu Ferringhi.
It is extremely well done with loads of history of the island and it's a fun place to while away some time. There are teddy bears from various nations and some go back as far as the 1900's.
Sadly, our time in Penang is coming to and end. There is much to see and do on the island - impossible to see it all in a short visit, especially given the high humidity that we are not used to. So the stunning swimming pool at the Hard Rock Hotel beckons most afternoons!
Malaysia Self-Drive
We were the 2nd people in for breakfast at Hard Rock Hotel at 06.30! Sadly, time to leave and be on our way. We would certainly recommend ##hardrockhotel #penangisland - the staff are amazing, the breakfasts are superb, the pool is great and the beach is right there.
We left the hotel at 8.00am - it took ages to get to the bridge with morning traffic. Then it was highway all the way to KL. From 2 to 3 to 4 lanes and busy in both directions all the time. Loads of trucks, some very fast drivers, scooters, motorbikes and trucks pulling out to overtake as well. The scenery changes as one gets closer to the Cameron Highlands area, also large Quarry and then further on palm trees. We spotted smoke up ahead - thankfully, this was on the lane going north where a truck had overturned and was on fire. Very sad to see but some of the driving is very reckless. The tailback going north was huge - must have been about 10km. This must have been so frustrating for weekenders heading away from KL.
We arrived in KL at 13.00 hrs - a 5 hr drive at the speed limit of 110km per hour or less depending on traffic.
Then the fun started - we could not find the hotel that we had booked. Driving in circles was extremely frustrating. We eventually reached a hotel with the same name but it was not the correct one! So then another 24 min drive ended up taking even longer! One benefit was the drive on an elevated freeway where I could see the centre of town and the famous twin towers. High rises where ever you look in KL. Eventually, we reached the hotel Komune Living and Wellness at about 15.30!!
We had booked a Deluxe room. Well - if deluxe means a double bed with one side basically up against the wall, then I despair. Reception told us that they cater mainly for Chinese guests as if that was a valid excuse?
We were forced to pay extra for a bigger room with twin beds and on the 13th Floor! There is a 7Eleven on the ground floor so we could self-cater as our "fancy" and "expensive" room has a microwave, plates and cutlery but not a single glass! So water must be in the cup....
Most of the facilities here are not available to guests - only to Komune members. Never known a hotel like that where you cannot enjoy the warm pool because you are not a "member" It's weird. The ONLY saving grace is the park near by.
The driving in KL was fine - it was the Google directions that kept getting us lost and this is possibly the fault of the hotel? Inputting them incorrectly?
Tomorrow is another day!
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