Penang Diaries- Malaysia- Day 2

Now there are several activities in Penang ranging from museum visits to beach activities its easy to loose track of time with so much to do. But some activities are an absolute must to capture the essence of Penang and its proud heritage. In 2008 Penang was designated as a UNESCO world heritage centre. The untouched buildings speak volumes of history showcasing local architecture and design. There's a mix of old and new unravelling a unique culture pot.

Source: All About World Heritage Sites

We decided to explore Penang national park. There are several trekking options in this park to explore the entire area and if you rather not walk there's a sea option via boat to get you to different areas of the park. Our itinerary included monkey beach and turtle sanctuary looked after by a local family. The package cost MYR 200 ($50) which is pretty decent as we were about 7 people. The weather was extremely hot hence keep yourself hydrated and use the loo before going on the boat as there aren't any toilets on the islands itself. The entire tour was about 2 hours which is ample of time to capture the beauty of the place and enjoy a calming boat ride. 

Monkey beach

Dad quite enjoyed the ATV ride at Monkey Beach MYR 70 ($17.51) per person for 15mins.

On the way back the friendly boatman pointed out some interesting rock structures shaped as animals. It was a pleasant ride back to our next sight.

The rock in the centre is shaped like a turtle.

This rock is shaped like a crocodile which was quite eerie. 

Next up we decided to head towards Penang Hill which is quite a popular location. Since it;s raining at times its better to call in advance and ensure the sight is not closed or check the weather forecast. Penang hill is located 6 km west of city centre of George town. It is the first colonial hill station built in peninsular Malaysia. Set 833 meters above sea level, it provides viewers with a panoramic  view of the city stretching beyond the horizon. The deck above can be accessed by Penang hill railway a one section funicular railway. Cost :- MYR 30 ($7.50) for foreigner and MYR 10 ($2.50) for locals. Penang hill is a cool getaway from the hot weather of Penang , it is about 3 degrees cooler than the coast line.

 Penang hill has rich flora and fauna all throughout the hill station and you can enjoy that with a buggy ride which would cost MYR 50 ($12.5) for a maximum of 4 people per buggy. There is also an owl farm, mosque, restaurants and other activities to do at leisure whilst enjoying the cool breeze. Once we finished soaking in the city scape of Penang from above and enjoying hot chocolate at the local restaurant we decided to head back home but not before stopping at the famous Penang chendol stall located in Georgetown. Chendol is a popular local dessert which provides soothing relief in the heat. It consists of scraped ice topped up with some palm sugar syrup, coconut milk ,green rice noodles and red beans which is quite a unique combination.

Mural Art adds a burst of culture to the otherwise simple stall.

Thus ending this blog on a sweet note. I did not cover several other activities in Penang and I do plan to go back and do an entire food tour of all the famous eateries. Meanwhile I hope this information was insightful and entertaining. Have a good weekend guys. Cheers!