Penang

[crizzlyhug]

We had a great time in Penang and were alongside from 8am - 9pm.

 

Got off the ship at 9am and went to the Penang Hill funicular first up before any of the Princess excursions got there and it was a really good way to get our bearings.

 

We then stopped at the top of Kek Lok Si, then took off for the Butterfly Park. I was happy with where we had decided to go and the times we went as we never felt there were any crowds.

 

There were six of us on this private tour and we were back at the ship for 2pm. The Butterfly Park was about 50mins from the pier and it was a great scenic drive there and back.

 

After a bite to eat, and a nanna nap (it was draining cos it was very humid), we went for a walk to look at the street art and the Chew Jetty.

 

Hi kjets,

 

Which company did you book your private tour through?

 

We wanna do almost the same for the 2 of us on the Norwegian Star cruise this year.

[ROCruiser]

Recently came back from a cruise that had a stop in Penang. We took bus 204 from near the port terminal to Penang Hill first thing before the cruise ship excursions. Bus only cost $2 (Malaysian) each way per person. We decided the bus ride to Penang Hill was the most fun. Saw the city's nooks and crannies along the way and talked to a couple of friendly passengers who gave us pointers about the city. There is a mosque, an Indian temple, and few other things up on Penang Hill worth seeing. The view was magnificent! We were not interested in Kek Lok Si, which is nearby so we took the bus (204) back to Clan Jetty, which is also near the bus terminal. Then we walked around the jetty area and then walked up to town through Armenian Street etc. checking out the street arts. Found some good local food for lunch, then walked back to port. Penang was a port that I looked forward to but found it a little disappointing. For one thing, as previous posters mentioned, it was very hot. The small covered parts of the street were blocked by various things so we had to walk under the bright, hot sun. I also found that most stores were not open during the day and was told that the town actually comes lively in the late afternoon. We walked past the Fort on our way back but decided not to go in because we were drained and getting back on the ship sounded much better!

I am still working on my blog post about this trip. Hopefully will have Penang up in a couple of days.

[kjets]

Hi kjets,

 

Which company did you book your private tour through?

 

We wanna do almost the same for the 2 of us on the Norwegian Star cruise this year.

crizzlyhug I am trying to make contact with the organiser of the tour as I only have a name (Mr Lee). Mr Lee was not available on the day and sent a colleague (who's name I cannot remember).

 

As soon as I have the details I will post it here.

[ROCruiser]

Our day in Penang here.

[crizzlyhug]

Our day in Penang here.

Thanks for the link. Nice pictures. Looks very interesting. Thank you for the explanations... sure will use them. :)

[clairebearinaus]

Our day in Penang here.

 

Very helpful and interesting, thank you!

 

I will be there next week on Sun Princess.

[jmlh]

We had a very good day with a driver by the name of Morgan (umogan@gmail.com). He picked us up at the port and was able to give us some good local information as we drove around. It was nice to be able to go at our own pace and to see sites of interest to us.

Enjoy Penang!

[ROCruiser]

Thanks for the link. Nice pictures. Looks very interesting. Thank you for the explanations... sure will use them. :)

Thanks for reading, crizzlyhug. We did not get to do all that we wanted because we were tired at the end but it was still a good day in Penang. Have a great cruise!

[ROCruiser]

Very helpful and interesting, thank you!

 

I will be there next week on Sun Princess.

 

Thank you for the kind words! Enjoy your cruise!

[hopestotravelmore]

Our day in Penang here.

 

ROCruiser

Thank you for the link. I am planning a cruise to this part of the world and your blog is a great help. I have already been your blog while I was searching for my New Zealand cruise and your blog was very helpful. Thankyou

[ROCruiser]

ROCruiser

Thank you for the link. I am planning a cruise to this part of the world and your blog is a great help. I have already been your blog while I was searching for my New Zealand cruise and your blog was very helpful. Thankyou

 

Thank you for reading and the kind words. We had a lot of fun on this trip and it was eye-opening. Have a wonderful trip!

[ROCruiser]

Just want to add this: if you are planning to take bus 204 from the port to Penang Hill, it is just a short walk to the bus stop. After you come out of the terminal, turn left to the main street where you see the clock tower. Continue walking on your left, past the big gate of the terminal which is not opened, then cross the street to the other side. You should be able to find the bus stop there. On Google map, it looks like the stop is on the other side, but you do have to cross the street for buses going to the Penang Hill direction. If you do not cross the street, you will find the bus terminal further down which should work also but a longer walk. Do not cross the street near the clock tower, it's very busy and dangerous. Have fun in Penang!

[rome2009]

Kek Lok Si Temple closes at 6. So if you are like us and got in at 3, you would be cutting it close. Otherwise, Penang was the most disappointing stop. Not a town to walk around. Nothing much to see, and most shops close around 4:30.