Once we got settled into Penang and found a good place to drop our bags, we were off to explore the capital city of Georgetown. Luckily, Georgetown is an incredibly easy place to get around both on foot and by bus. There is even a free public bus you can take though you have to follow the set route that it’s on within the city that follows along its heritage sites. The main station where all buses route through is the Komtar of which we spent plenty of time in. It seems no matter where you start or end your trip in Penang, you were nearly certain to end up in this bus station at least once a day! For those looking to travel for free in Georgetown, as well as just getting around, check out this link for the transportation in Penang.
City streets in Georgetown
Since I never like to travel with a set or structured ‘plan’ I decided it would be best to just go exploring the streets and different ethnic districts within the city. As you may have read in my last post on Georgetown, there are several different cultures mixed within this city and it seems the Chinese and Indians make up the largest and most influential groups.
What good is traveling if you can’t appreciate some ‘Engrish’ along the way?
The first section we explored was Little India… And after having spent a full six weeks in India itself, it was interesting to see how close some of the restaurants and shops were that resembled India here in Penang. The food was definitely similar, that much I can say for sure. And if you don’t like spicy, you had better ask them for special treatment! But for those of you who do (like me), get ready to enjoy some authentic Indian cuisine!
Little India in Georgetown – Penang
When was the last time you had your dinner on a banana leaf?
We also spent the better half of our day in Chinatown. Even after having spent 6+ months in the country of China, there were still some things here in Penang’s Chinatown that were unfamiliar to me. Some of these being the foods offered by street vendors while others were simply things being sold in Chinese shops and stores. Maybe some of what I came across was simply unique to Penang itself? I wasn’t sure. Nor could I ask… not much English was being spoken around here! But it didn’t matter, we were having a blast just exploring on foot.
The cane sugar drink I first tried in Cambodia, but now in Malaysia… in Chinatown. How random…
There were also a lot of little bars and coffee shops within the city worth checking out. It seemed everyone wanted to capitalize on the diversity offered within this Southeast Asian city and cater to all different kinds of people. We found Irish bars, French pastry shops and various coffee shops and cafes of all types. You could also find yourself listening in on conversations trying to discern the language being spoken.
If you go, try a few of these little pancakes called “Apom Manis”… Delicious!
Normally I wouldn’t have faced such a challenge but here in Penang, it seems there were more than 4 languages being spoken throughout the city and I realized it may just be commonplace… I’m not sure. What I am sure of is the fact that this city was definitely unique and I knew I’d be looking forward to the additional days I’d be spending here. Stay tuned for more as we hit up some of the more ‘sightseeing’ type places in the days to come…
0 Comments... Be the first to comment