I wasn’t planning to spend very long in George Town, Penang while in Malaysia. I arrived here from Bali at the start of my trip in Malaysia and was thinking I would spend a few days seeing the sights, then start moving around the country. It turned out to be my favourite place in Malaysia and I ended up spending around two weeks here in total. With countless heritage houses and pieces of street art to see while walking around the city, an amazing food scene, areas of natural beauty, quality remote working spaces and plenty of bars to enjoy the nightlife in, there was a lot to keep me busy here. I’m going to detail some things to do in the area as well as good places to work remotely from.
Penang in brief
Situated in the north west coast of Malaysia, Penang comprises of an island (imaginatively named Penang Island) and, across the Penang Strait, Seberang Perai on the mainland. The capital city is George Town, which is on Penang Island and where I based myself for my time here, as most visitors do.
Due to George Town’s location along the Straits of Malacca, it was an important trading hub for Europe, India, the Middle East and China for centuries. This mix has given the city a multicultural heritage, not to mention loads of delicious food! The historical core of George Town has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
The biggest town on the mainland section of Penang is Butterworth. I considered visiting for a day from George Town but, from what I read about Butterworth, nothing there seemed overly exciting to me. That isn’t to say there aren’t any nice things to do on the mainland, it just wasn’t a priority for me. If I visit Penang again, which I’d like to, then I would head over to the mainland for a day or two, at the very least to see Guar Petai by the township of Kubang Semang, which looks stunning.
Getting around Penang Island
Getting around here is easy. The main area of George Town is walkable (and you should walk it to catch more of the street art!). Bicycle and scooter rentals are available to get further afield. Grab (similar to Uber) operates in the area so you don’t have to bother haggling with taxi drivers looking to take advantage of foreigners. There is also a public bus service which can take you to many attractions around the island. Finally, you can take a trishaw ride around George Town. It’s slower than walking but, if you’re exhausted or want the experience, there are trishaw drivers hanging around different parts of George Town ready to give you a ride. Make sure to haggle with the trishaw drivers first as they will try and overcharge.
To visit the mainland, you can get from George Town to Butterworth by ferry (20 minutes) or taxi (around 40-60 minutes depending on traffic).
English is widely spoken and people are mostly friendly so you should be able to ask for help if you get confused with anything.
Coworking Spaces in Penang Island
I’m going to detail the places I worked from below. There are several other coworking spaces in Penang so this isn’t by any means a comprehensive list, this is just my experience of the places I tried. In brief, Settlements Penang (open Monday to Friday 9am-6pm) was the best coworking space but if you want to work at night or during the weekend, then I would suggest MSOGO Coworking Space (open every day 10am-10pm).
1. MSOGO Coworking Space
Opening hours: 10am-10pm Monday to Sunday
Hot desk price: RM30 for a day pass, RM499 for one month
This was the first coworking space I tried in Penang and, in many ways, this was excellent. Wi-Fi was fast, facilities were modern and clean, opening hours are long and you could help yourself to free drinks and snacks in the kitchen area. These offices are located within Prangin Mall so there are a number of nearby places you can go for food. There was one problem though – the place (which was huge) was practically empty. MSOGO is a great option if you want an extremely quiet coworking space to work from with no distractions, but I prefer to work somewhere with a little atmosphere.
At RM30 for a day pass, this was more expensive than the other two coworking spaces I used, which were RM25 each. For reference, RM10 is £1.86, $2.35 (US) or €2.07 at the time of writing.
2. aCAT Penang
Opening hours: 9am-6pm Monday to Friday, closed weekends
Hot desk price: RM25 for a day pass, RM150 for ten days and RM300 for one month
The busiest of the there coworking spaces I used, I thought aCAT was ok but, considering the other options, I probably wouldn’t use it again. I didn’t have any issues working here, facilities were adequate, there was a good atmosphere here and the staff were friendly but, I just felt the other places were better. It’s worth noting that the Wi-Fi speed is quite poor according to the speed test I did (see the table further down). In practice, I had no issues with the Wi-Fi for the day I was here although I don’t understand why – usually the Citrix network I work inside would be constantly freezing on a Wi-Fi network with the speed of aCATs. Opening hours are officially 9am-6pm Monday to Friday which is fairly normal, but obviously doesn’t give you the flexibility that MSOGO does. The girl on reception said I could actually stay until about 6.30 when she had to leave, but I had to go then as a day pass holder. People with monthly memberships were able to stay a little later. At RM25 for a day pass and RM300 for a month, this option is kinder on the budget. There is also a 10 day pass available for RM150.
3. Settlements Penang
Opening hours: 9am-6pm Monday to Friday, closed weekends
Hot desk price: RM25 for a day pass, RM99 for five days and RM320 for one month
The last and, in my opinion, best coworking space I used while in Penang. In terms of facilities, they were of a similar standard to MSOGO, with the only notable difference being that MSOGO had free snacks in the kitchen. Settlements does have food available in the kitchen but you need to pay. The main drawback in Settlements compared to MSOGO were the shorter opening hours so, if you do need to do a lot of work in the evenings or weekends, I would recommend MSOGO. The location of Settlements was slightly less central but it was still within walking distance of the heart of George Town. What made Settlements better in my view, was that the office had some life and atmosphere to it whereas MSOGO just felt dead. While Settlements was fairly quiet and had a number of empty desks, it was a friendly workplace. It was easy to focus on work and get things done, but you could also socialise. A Turkish guy who was also working there started a conversation with me and we ended up meeting up for drinks that night, along with a couple of other digital nomads he knew who were living in Penang and working from Settlements. Another nice thing at Settlements, which is located on the 8th floor of an office building, is that you can get a nice view of the city, bonus!
With the monthly pass being just RM20 more than aCAT and RM179 less than MSOGO, Settlements is easily the best value option of the three if you’re planning on a long stay in Penang.
Wi-Fi Speeds
| Download | Upload | ||
| MSOGO | 80.1 Mbps | 95.8 Mbps | |
| aCAT | 3.42 Mbps | 3.73 Mbps | |
| Settlements | 71.0 Mbps | 102 Mbps |
The above is based on a test I did on my phone at each location using the Speedtest app. With aCAT, I tested it a few times during the day as I was surprised how poor it was and got similar results each time. As I covered earlier, the Wi-Fi actually worked fine for the one day I was at aCAT, but the low speed is worth bearing in mind.
Coffee Shops for Working Remotely
There are many coffee shops and cafes around Penang that are suitable for working on your laptop. I didn’t work extensively from the coffee shops, so here is a blog post from Local Nomads which has a number of good recommendations.
I worked from The Mugshot Café (open 8am to midnight every day) during a few evenings. I wouldn’t say it was amazing to work from but the coffee was good, the late closing time came in handy a couple of times and the Wi-Fi was fast. And, yes, there is a spot to take your mugshot!
10 Things to do on Penang Island
1. Street Art in George Town
Possibly the most famous attraction in George Town. In 2012, a Lithuanian artist called Ernest Zacharevic did a project in conjunction with the Malaysian Tourist Board to create a series of street art pieces around the city. While street art existed in George Town prior to 2012, this project stood out as some of the art created uses real objects, such as swings, a motorbike, or part of the building, to enhance the pieces. In total, he painted 24 murals around the streets of George Town. In addition to this, other artists have added their own pieces over the years. If you’re looking for a detailed article on the street art, including a Google Map showing the location of many of the pieces, I’d suggest reading this post from Nerd Nomads.
Slightly away from the main street art area is an old bus depot, Hin Bus Depot, which has been transformed and now offers some art work, a café, a weekend market and live music at times. This was a nice place to relax for a couple of hours.
2. Food!
Seriously, the food in Penang is amazing. Drawing inspiration from Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine, Penang is a melting pot of delicious food. You don’t have to spend a lot either, cheap and tasty night markets and hawker centres are popular here. You can find great street food all over George Town. There are so many great dishes to try here, such as asam laksa, curry mee, char koay teow, oyster omelette and Hokkien prawn mee – don’t be afraid to get stuck in! For hawker centres – check out Red Garden Food Paradise and Esplanade Park Food Court. Another area to check out is Little India, a small neighbourhood in George Town. Finally, while you won’t get authentic or cheap food here, ChinaHouse is an interesting restaurant/cafe to visit and the cakes are really good! Formed of three heritage buildings, the space also has shops, galleries, an open air courtyard and live music performances.
3. Explore the Heritage Houses in George Town
You might notice a bit of a theme here, but one of the main pleasures in George Town is simply walking around and coming across different street art, food, temples and heritage houses, with a stop at one of the many coffee shops when you need a break.
The most famous heritage building is perhaps Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, otherwise known as the Blue Mansion. Daily tours of this fully restored mansion start at 11am and 2pm daily and there are also some very extravagant looking suites available if you want to splash the cash and stay there.
You will come across many heritage buildings around George Town that are dilapidated and in need of restoration, I just hope they don’t gentrify the place to the point that it loses it’s charm.
4. Drink at the Speakeasy Bars
Apparently this wasn’t a thing in Penang until a few years ago, but there are now a number of ‘secret’ bars hidden around George Town. I don’t really see how a bar can be considered as secret when it’s easy to get the details on Google but, nevertheless, the unique entrances are fun! Of the speakeasy bars I tried, my favourite was the Chinese styled Manchu. I didn’t take any good photos when I visited as I was deep in conversation with a guy from my hostel, but the interior was stunning. There was also a live Chinese opera performance going on, which is a regular event there.
Another bar that stood out to me was Out of Nowhere Penang which, during the day, appears to be an ordinary coffee shop. In one corner of the coffee shop, you’ll probably notice an orange fridge which looks unusual next to the white décor of the place. Except it’s not actually a fridge, it’s the entrance to a cocktail bar!
5. Visit Kek Lok Si Temple
I thought this was the best temple in Penang, the place is huge and comprises of several impressive buildings. For a great view of the complex, make sure to climb the seven storey pagoda all the way to the top!
There is also a famous Laksa restaurant nearby called Pasar Air Itam Laksa, I stopped here for lunch after exploring the temple and it was tasty.
Kek Lok Si Temple is about 9km from the main tourist area and getting here by public bus is straightforward – take number 203 or 204 from the Komtar Bus Terminal to Air Itam bus stop, which is a few minutes away from the temple.
6. Ride the Funicular up Penang Hill and visit The Habitat
As you can probably guess, Penang Hill is a hill (well, actually a number of hills) which offers views of Penang and other attractions. To get here, ride the funicular from the foot of Penang Hill – a round trip costs RM30 for foreigners. Note that the funicular station is roughly a 20 minute walk or a short taxi ride away from Kek Lok Si Temple, so it makes sense to visit both of these sites on the same day.
Penang Hill is quite touristy and you’ll be walking through crowds once you get off the funicular at the Hill Top Station. Fortunately, you don’t have to walk far from the main area to get some peace and quiet!
There are a number of attractions at Penang Hill, the one that stood out to me was The Habitat. This is roughly a 20 minute walk from the Hill Top Station, with nice views along the way and not many other people. The Habitat is a nature reserve that gives you the opportunity to experience a Malaysian rainforest without damaging the environment. Entrance is slightly pricey (by Malaysian standards, it’s not that bad) at RM55 but it was the highlight of Penang Hill. Also, there were not many visitors there – a lot of the time it felt like I had the trails to myself. The Habitat also has a zipwire (extra RM80) and a ‘tree top walk’ on a steel structure (included in the entrance fee).
7. Go Temple, Church and Mosque hopping in the centre of George Town
Because of its diverse history, there are a large number of religious buildings in walking distance of each other in George Town. You’ll likely see many simply while walking around the area. Some of the notable buildings worth checking out are the Goddess of Mercy Temple, Khoo Kongsi, Han Jiang Ancestral Temple, Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Church of the Assumption and Kapitan Keling Mosque.
8. Climb 513 stairs to Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple
Otherwise known as the Hilltop Temple, this is a fairly new Hindu temple which opened in 2012. Make sure to bring some water and prepare to get sweaty as you head up 513 stairs to reach the temple.
Note that the temple is open from 6am-noon and 4.30pm-9pm. Unfortunately I wasn’t aware of this and arrived slightly after midday, annoying! I could still walk around the temple grounds but the opulent looking interior is closed outside of these hours.
Word of warning, when I got to the entrance to this complex (before the climb up the stairs), the place seemed to be empty… until I was greeted by two very angry dogs sprinting towards me. For a moment I wasn’t sure what to do but a local appeared and started shouting at them – the dogs instantly stopped and I was free to visit without any aggravation. I don’t know if this is a common occurrence here, but it’s something to be aware of.
The Hilltop Temple is approximately 7km from the main tourist area and you can get here using the public bus service – take number 10 from the Komtar Bus Terminal and get off at Penang Botanical Gardens, which leads us to…
9. Stroll through Penang Botanical Gardens
Another green spot in Penang, this is a park containing forests, monkeys and a variety of flora and fauna. Best of all, it’s free to enter! Visiting these gardens and the Hilltop Temple makes for a good day out and, aside from food and transportation, doesn’t cost you anything.
While the park is public, there is also a private waterfall which cannot be entered without getting prior approval from the Penang Water Authority (Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang). I don’t know the process for this but you can try contacting them here if you’re interested.
Note that shortly before the entrance to the gardens lies Moon Gate 5, which is the entrance to a hiking trail up to Penang Hill. There wasn’t time to do this hike, the Hilltop Temple and the Botanical Gardens in one day but I hiked a short way up (about 1km) to a rest area, took in some views then turned back and went to the gardens. I didn’t see anything particularly noteworthy, but you might want to try the full hike if you have a spare day – the whole trail is 7.2 miles.
10. Walk along the Clan Jetties
A Chinese waterfront village which forms part of George Town’s UNESCO world heritage site, there were originally seven jetties, though one burned down so six remain.
Chew Jetty is a nice spot to take photos, although this isn’t a secret so it is the busiest of the jetties. The other jetties are quieter, ideal for walking around in peace and getting a glimpse into life here. Bear in mind these are residential areas so don’t make too much noise (tourists are welcome though – many of the residents benefit from tourism).
A few other things to do
Just briefly, since I didn’t visit these attractions and dislike blog posts that recommend a load of things that the writer has no clue about, here are a few other popular spots on Penang Island that you might want to check out:
Beaches – There are several beaches around the island. Batu Ferringhi is the most well-known (and presumably busiest), some of the other beaches are Kerachut Beach, Monkey Beach, Gertak Sanggul and Teluk Bahang Beach, which also has a ‘floating’ Mosque next to it.
Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm – As well as butterflies there are lots of insects and reptiles here. I didn’t make time to visit but the reviews online are mostly very positive.
Museums – There are a number of these around George Town, some which can inform you about an aspect of Penang’s past, such as the Colonial Oenang Museum and Penang House of Music, and some more arty/fun places like Upside Down Museum and Penang 3D Trick Art Museum.
The Top – The Top is a rooftop observation deck in George Town, which includes a bar and the Rainbow Skywalk, a transparent glass ledge on the side of the rooftop which you can walk around… if you’re brave enough!
Accommodation
I stayed in two hostels/guesthouses during my time in Penang:
Heritage Sixteen – I don’t recommend staying here. The location is ideal for George Town and the dorm beds were excellent, but the place wasn’t very clean or well maintained and their apathetic employees suffer from major smartphone addictions – one of the girls didn’t even look up from her phone when I asked a couple of questions and gave abrupt answers. There wasn’t any social atmosphere either, which is something I look for as a solo traveller.
Rope Walk Guest House – Just a few minutes’ walk away from Heritage Sixteen, this was much better. The staff here were very friendly, breakfast and coffee (not included in the dorm price) were good and it was easy to get chatting to other backpackers while there.
Note that the Wi-Fi in both of these places was poor. I usually do some work from my accommodation but it was far from ideal in these two. The internet was slow and, at Rope Walk Guest House, the Wi-Fi went down at night on a few occasions during my stay there and didn’t come back on until the morning, not ideal if you’re trying to get some work done at night. Fortunately, The Mugshot Café (which I mentioned earlier) is open until midnight and nearby – I had to head over there a couple of times late at night when the Wi-Fi went down at Rope Walk.
If you’re looking for something more upmarket, there are a number of extravagant heritage houses in George Town that offer accommodation. Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, has rooms available and, as a guest, you have more access to the building than other visitors. If I go back to Penang in the future then I’d probably stay here for at least one night, just for the experience.
Gyms
There’s a number of gyms around George Town if you want to keep fit while staying there. I tried two of them:
The Olympic Gym – Cheap and cheerful, at only RM10 per day this is great value. Locals and staff are very friendly and welcoming to tourists. It has enough equipment for a good workout but the place is small and crowded. The gym is slightly away from the main tourist area but not that far – it’s about a 10 minute walk south from Komtar Bus Terminal. This is a great option for keeping your costs to a minimum, but don’t expect anything fancy.
Ultimate Fitness Centre Penang – Significantly more expensive at RM25 per day but a better gym. It was only 3 minutes away from Rope Walk Guest House as well. There is a large amount of weight and cardio equipment and you’ll have it almost to yourself – the place was practically empty each time I visited (mornings and afternoons).
Getting to/from Penang
By air: This is how I arrived. Penang Airport is roughly a 30 minute taxi ride or 1 hour bus journey from George Town. I flew into Penang Airport from Bali via a connecting flight in Singapore, then took a taxi into George Town.
By boat: There is a ferry service which runs between Penang and Langkawi, an island in the north west of Malaysia and close to the Thai border. It’s quite common for backpackers to go from Koh Lipe in Thailand to Langkawi, then onto Penang after spending a few days in Langkawi (or vice versa). I took the ferry from Penang to Langkawi and back during my time in Malaysia. The ferry journey took just under 3 hours each way. From George Town, take the ferry from Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal, which is in walking distance of the main tourist area. In Langkawi, the Kuah Ferry Terminal is a taxi ride away from the main tourist area where your accommodation is most likely to be.
By bus: Buses from Penang can take you to many other locations around Malaysia, such as Ipoh, Cameron Highlands and Kuala Lumpur. I arranged a bus through my hostel (Rope Walk) to get to Kuala Lumpur. There was a hostel pickup which took me and others to the bus station – from there it was a direct bus to KL, which took approximately 5 hours.
By train: Probably the least convenient option as the train station in Penang is in Butterworth, not George Town. Butterworth is 20 minutes by boat from George Town (from Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal) or around 40-60 minutes by taxi depending on traffic. From here, you can get a train to various locations around the country.
Visas
The visa situation in Malaysia is better than most. Holders of passports from a large number of countries, including all EU citizens, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are granted 90 day visa free entry on arrival. Citizens from many other countries are granted 30 day visa free entry on arrival. Always check the entry requirements before booking a trip and don’t overstay!
Summary
Overall, Penang was a surprisingly good location as a digital nomad. It’s cheap, there’s plenty to do around the area, the food scene is fantastic and the nightlife is decent too. It isn’t widely popular like Bali or Chiang Mai but there’s a growing scene of digital nomads who base themselves in Penang and I can see why.
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