Agenda of the trip: A visit to a relative's home while CNY was still in celebration, Makan-makan, Jalan-jalan dan lain-lain.
It was a rather spontaneous decision to make for this Penang trip I would say and it was decided just a week before the Lunar New Year commenced.
Preparations were light, as this would turn out to be a free-and-easy trip. All that needed doing was to search for hotel rooms and service the car for a moderately long drive.
The hotel was an easy find through Agoda.com. There were a variety of reasonably rated hotels (Both in price and other amenities) but ultimately I have chosen Cititel Penang, located in the heart of George Town, which is also distanced rather closely to Gurney Drive (Our intended destination on Saturday night). My thoughts on the hotel in a later post.
23rd February 2013 (Chap Goh Meh-eve) 6.30am
We started our journey at exactly 6.30am on Saturday (Well, supposedly at 6 but we opted for a quick dim-sum breakfast in Taman Megah to kick-start said journey. ;-P ). The drive was particularly fun and it wasn't as exhausting as it was back when we made the trip sometime in September 2012. The Penang bridge was sighted some 4 hours later. Didn't make a lot of pit stops in between to expedite the journey.
10.15am
My initial plan was to stop by at my Uncle and Aunt's place close to the bridge upon arrival, however, some clash in timing changed all that. I opted for the visit the next day right before we leave for KL. We were then free to go about as we please at the mean time. First thing came to mind, Brunch/Lunch. I wasn't farmiliar with the roads, nor could I recall the exact food court I was taken to before, hence I went in circles (Passing by the UMNO Penang HQ TWICE... Bluek*), then decided to adjourn to our hotel first before heading out again.
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| View from our room |
The receptionist was kind enough to allow us to check in an hour earlier than expected and we set our things down before starting our walk-about in the vicinity and breaking for lunch. We settled at the Ah Keong coffee shop along Upper Penang road where it's somewhat famous for these delicacies: Asam Laksa, Char Keoy Tiow with Duck Eggs and of course not forgetting... Cendol.
12pm
Then it was off to Komtar for a quick stroll which is located just across the main road. Be warned of sneaky peddlers trying to sell you stolen phones along the way..
Komtar is a relatively sleepy place, but good news is that you can walk across to other newer and established malls nearby. We did so to Prangin mall and the place is a resemblance to our very own Sungai Wang plaza @ KL. Definitely busier with better shops around. Felt a tinge of 'light-headed-ness' (Due to our old bones) and decided to head back to the hotel for a quick snooze.
4pm
We were out for a walk-about near the hotel. *Heart wanted to experience the historical essence of town and so we covered a distance. Interesting note, there are really awesome street art pieces to be found in every nook and cranny of George Town. You can read about it Here (Murals) and Here (Wire Frame Art). We didn't cover all the pieces, but bumping to some unexpectedly really left a wonderful feeling. Along the way, we could see a lot of caucasians and other asian tourists exploring the tiny steet alleys with cameras in their trigger-itchy hands. What a wonderful way to promote Penang, I thought to myself. =)
There are many chinese temples in the area too. Oh yeah, not forgetting that we also walked passed Cheong Fatt Sze mansion located very near our hotel. Unfortunely we didn't go for the tour.
The walkabout lasted till 6.30pm. Our last stop was near Little India where there was an event happening (Rather, to happen later that evening) hosted by Astro I think (And their apparent guest of honour was our Tourism minister... Ng Yen Yen... another Bluek*). We paid no heed and after passing through some street food, went back to the hotel for a quick break before heading out to Gurney Drive for dinner.
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| View in the evening |
Smooth sailing to Gurney drive, traffic was brisk. Parked at Gurney plaza and walked around the place prior to dinner. Headed out after an hour to the Gurney Drive outdoor food court.
In our previous trip, we stumbled across this stall selling Oh Jien (Fried Oyster). I wasn't a fan of oysters but after having my share the last time, I have sworn to have it again this very trip. The fact that there are NO better substitutes in PJ make this a MUST HAVE! *Heart can attest to how good it is.
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| Oh Jien Stall @ Gurney Drive Open Air Food Court |
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| The Orgasmic Oh Jien |
We ordered some grilled stingray at the side and both were very contended indeed. *Heart had one serving of Penang rojak as well (Apparently this stall was voted the best street food of year n - I could not remember when).
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| Penang Rojak Stall @ Gurney Drive Open Air Food Court. This stall is located closer to the edge of the road (Near the roundabout) |
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| Tantalizing Penang Rojak |
Tummies filled... Satisfaction had, and thus it was time for an early retirement to our beds. Headed back to the hotel and was stuck in a short crawl along Gurney drive, which was actually a beautiful sight. The crowd was at its peak then and the warm atmosphere could be felt. Street peddlers, people flying kites, fireworks... the lot.
24th February 2013 8am
Wasn't exactly filled with adventure, just the basic drive-about for breakfast places and to soak in the cityscape. Passed by Lam Wah Ee hospital in which *Heart has not seen before. Had breakfast at this coffee shop that I could not remember, and I could not even recall where. All I can, is that it's near Anson road. It's just next to some wet market, and they have 2 stalls selling Roast duck/pork in the alley.
1030am
Back to the hotel for a quick swim/splash about and it was check-out time at exactly 12 noon.
1230pm
Stopped by Uncle/Aunt's place for about half an hour, had lunch nearby and it was off to KL/PJ.
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| Greeted by cloudy weather down South |
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| Downpour soon after |
The drive wasn't so bad (compared to the previous trip as I partially drifted off on several stretches) but some heavy showers at a few points slowed traffic down a little. Overall, it was smooth sailing back too. Stopped by for dinner at Kota Damansara and it was back to our own crib for a good night's rest.
Overall
It was a fun trip, but definitely could use slightly more thought and effort into the itinerary for a fresher/more productive experience. 4/5.
Disclaimer: Photos are taken by *Heart
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