POOR GIRL'S GUIDE TO PENANG

Sunday, October 2, 2016


You would not believe how affordable this getaway was. Everything in Penang is so affordable that it should have been illegal HAHA. I think that only expensive part of the trip was the air tickets.

Total cost

To do a 3D2N in Penang, believe it or not, was under $300. We got our return air tickets from AirAsia for about $200 per pax. We paid about $50 per pax for our AirBnB. And we spent around $30 per pax while being there, living and eating like kings and queens. Oppa and I changed SGD300 to ringgit and was left with a lot of extra ringgit. Oh well, since we go to JB once in a while, I guess it is still not so bad.

Transport in Penang

I had known before hand from an ex-customer (she was from Penang by the way) that the transport system is Penang is quite a hot mess. So your best friend there, will definitely be Grab or Uber. We took Uber throughout our entire trip cause the Grab drivers kept rejecting our bookings. Once your Uber driver drops you, getting around the streets is fairly easy with Google maps. My kind AirBnB hosts also left Georgetown maps in our apartment and we referred to those maps as well.

Getting to and fro the airport was pretty easy. There was a taxi booth located right inside the airport, I think it was a flat rate of around MYR60 plus ? But we later discovered that it is cheaper to Uber instead, almost more than half the price cheaper. I dont know who isnt using Uber yet, but if you havent, use my promo code huishant3ue for discounts off your first ride !

Internet in Penang

Connectivity in Penang was hassle free. We bought their MAXIS sim card at MYR27 each, for 3GB data and some call time. On top of that, there was free 1GB so that is like 4GB of data. Oppa and I bought only 1 SIM and despite tethering, we still had quite a fair bit of data left on our last day. I read about people complaining that the connectivity was bad but it was totally fine for us.

Accommodation in Penang


Price : $234.00 for 4 pax, $58.50 per pax for 3D2N.

We chose to stay in Karpal Singh Drive. The hosts were friendly and helpful. They werent there at the point of check in but the information they gave us prior to the trip was enough and we found our way to our apartment easily. You can sign up for AirBnB here and get $40 off your first booking !

Things to Do in Penang

Honestly ? Eat. The food in Penang is way too good.



Penang Laksa @ The supposedly Joo Hooi Cafe lol.

We were headed for Joo Hooi to try their famous Penang Laksa, together with the other local delicacies but somehow there was no signs of Joo Hooi when we reached. We just roamed around and along the same stretch of road, we came across this store which claims to have shifted out of Joo Hooi. If you know what I am saying, that is.


Duck Meat Kueh Teow Soup
Between Lorong Ngah Aboo and Lebuh Kimberley, 10100, Georgetown, Penang


Curry Noodles @ Tuai Pui Curry Mee
23, Lebuh Kimberley, 10100, Georgetown, Penang


Muah Chee, Oyster Egg, Char Kueh Teow & Chendol @ Joo Hooi Cafe
475, Jalan Penang, Georgetown, 10450, Penang

And finally, we saw Joo Hooi Cafe. I think they had like a facelift or something ? Or was it not Joo Hooi at all ? Can someone please enlighten me ? It definitely doesnt look like the Joo Hooi that I see on Google. But the concept is still the same, with a cluster of stalls selling a variety of food. It is more like an open space hawker instead of a kopitiam.


Dragon's Breathe @ The Safe Room
42, Campbell Street, 10100, Georgetown, Penang




Dim Sum @ Prosperous Dim Sum Restaurant
202-G5, Aboo Siti Lane, 10400, George Town, Penang






Coffee @ Clash On Cafe
9, Lorong Abu Siti, Georgetown, 10400 Penang

It was a random encounter to this cafe. We were just done with our breakfast at Prosperous Dim Sum and had some time to kill before we uber to the airport and head back to sunny Singapore. We decided to just randomly google for nearby cafes and we found Clash On Cafe which was only 5 minutes walk away. And Oppa and the guys play Clash Royale so this cafe was pretty interesting to them.

Sightseeing / Heritage in Penang


You see that bag I was holding to ? That was all I brought for my entire trip hahahah.











Georgetown, is famous for their street art. They are literally all over Georgetown and it is not as easy to find as you think. We were not exactly on a street art hunt, just looking for specific ones that we really want to take photos with. We kind of cleared the arts by 3pm, plus all the eating and chilling at cafes. I am on a trip with 3 army trained guys so navigating around was never a problem.










As the trip was impromptu, we did not plan much and we coincidentally came across the Chew Clan Jetty. These clan jetties, now named as a UNESCO World Heritage site, are houses of the older generations of Penang population. It is quite an interesting thing to see, the old wooden houses on stilts, overlooking the waters/sea. As much as I enjoyed the heritage of the place, I cant help but feel sympathetic towards the folks of the jetties. I would not be pleased if there are streams of random people coming to my neighbourhood everyday, taking photos of my houses and all.

All in all. There is no denying Penang is awesome. It is definitely the perfect place if you are looking to travel cheap and quick. Penang has its own fair share of hipster cafe scene so do not be fooled by its worn down appearance. I had a lot of fun there despite the hot weather and I really want to bring my parents there one day.

Ending this entry with my usual Travel Vlog. See you in a few months Penang !!

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