Penang Island is a well-developed region in the northwest of Malaysia. It features a big hill in the middle of the island, a national park in the northwest, and the island’s capital, Georgetown, in the northeast.
How to get to Penang from Phattalung
From Phattalung, you can catch a train down to the Thailand/Malaysia border.
Once you reach there, you first have to get through the Thai immigration checkpoint to get your exit stamp and enter a kind of no man’s land. You have to do a short 2-minute walk to reach the Malaysian entry point. There are drivers who offer an overpriced transfer, but it can really be done very easily on your own; you can hardly get lost between the two border points. Once you reach the Malaysian immigration checkpoint, it is usually a quick process to enter, especially if you come from one of the many countries that don’t require a visa to enter Malaysia.
After you enter Malaysia, head right for the train station to catch another train down to Butterworth. These trains seem to go once per hour, so it should be very easy to catch one. You can also buy a local SIM card at this train station.
Once you arrive in Butterworth, go to the ferry terminal to cross over to Georgetown.
Georgetown
Georgetown is a city of immigrants. It is not possible to define a Malay ethnic archetype. Some of its residents have clear roots in China, while others’ ancestors came from India or other parts of the world. There is such a vibrant mix of cultures and religions in this city that it reminds me of New York City. You can find Chinese temples, Islamic mosques, and Christian churches all on the same street. Rest of the world, have a look: peaceful coexistence IS possible! Georgetown’s skyline is dominated by several tall buildings and Penang Hill behind it all.
While exploring the city, don’t miss out on its amazing street food (yet again defined by its different immigration cultures), the abundance of street art (you can discover something on almost every corner), and the wooden jetties near the quays.
You can also visit the 249-meter-tall Komtar Tower, from which you have a splendid view all over Georgetown.
Outside Georgetown
- Penang Hill offers similar views over the city as going to the top of the Komtar Tower. You can either use a cable car or hike up the hill.
- Kek Lok Si is a beautiful Chinese temple complex. It is located very close to the Penang Hill cable car station, so the two can ideally be combined.
- Penang National Park is located in the northwest of the island. You can grab a bus or a cab to go there; the trip will take somewhere between 45 and 60 minutes. It is another nice tropical forest, right next to the shore, featuring a Monkey Beach and a Turtle Beach. The latter features a turtle sanctuary. From the entrance, you can hike to either beach and then join one of the boats returning people back to the entrance, or you can hike back. There is no need to book a boat in advance; there are many, and none of them are fully booked. Just negotiate your way through it.
- Beaches. Besides the two beaches at the national park, the island has several other beaches which can be reached by bus or cab.
Click on one of the pictures to open the Penang gallery :
![Malaysia penang georgetown travel](https://letzexplore.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PXL_20240606_052941415-scaled.jpg ""Dragonbeard" sweets")
![Malaysia penang georgetown travel](https://letzexplore.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PXL_20240606_061449106-scaled.jpg "Elephant decorations inside "Green Mansion"")
