Looking Back at Our Time in Penang
We visited in January 2024
A year ago we had just completed a 10-day stay in Penang, Malaysia, following our three weeks in Kuala Lumpur. We were there to see how it compared to KL as a potential place to live. While we liked the quieter nature of the island and the fact that it was right by the water, it didn’t have as much to do and was basically just as hot and humid as KL. Plus, you couldn’t reliably swim in the water because of jellyfish and water pollution. We didn’t know that before we went; what a bummer!
Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. We found an apartment in Batu Ferringhi which, as soon as we arrived, we knew would not be an ideal location. While it had a lovely view of the water, it was far too removed from the places we wanted to explore. Getting taxis turned out to be difficult and it took time to get to the main parts of the island. Plus, the apartment overlooked the main road and there was a lot of noise, even on into the night because the windows didn’t block the sound well.
That said, we had a lovely host who drove us to the grocery store and back on our first night there so we’d have something to eat, ensured that the AC unit in one of the bedrooms got fixed when we discovered that it didn’t work, sent someone to check out water on the floor in the laundry area, and arranged a taxi ride for us to the airport at the end of our stay. She also brought us fresh fruit whenever she’d stop by.
Chris and the girls were eating gluten free while we were in Penang; the girls were trying to see if it helped with some health issues they were experiencing. One of the girls was also trying to be dairy free. Let’s just say that it added complexity to feeding ourselves while there because of the distance to the grocery store and the challenge of getting there (it required a taxi ride), plus the state of the kitchen. While there were a plethora of pots and pans under the stove, they were all end of life. We kept using the same 2-3 skillets because they were the only ones that were still slightly non-stick.
On the positive side, the apartment complex had a large pool and we definitely took advantage of swimming in it. It was also near one of the international schools we were considering because of its IB program, so visiting there was easy. In fact, that was one of the most useful school visits we had of anywhere.
The head of secondary spent quite a long time with us explaining how the academics differed from the American system. It followed the British curriculum through Year 11 (10th grade), requiring IGCSEs. And then in the last two years it offered the IB diploma program. We had tried to understand IGSCEs (vs A-levels) on our own and it just didn’t click, but we finally understood it at a high level after our meeting. We actually really liked the school, but the girls didn’t because, wait for it: They hated the color of the uniforms. And they were against going to a school where they hated the uniforms. Adolescents have strong opinions and want to be able to individually express themselves. Noted!
While in Penang, we went to several meetups with other homeschoolers/ worldschoolers, including the park, an art class, and roller skating. The park was tough because a) it was hot and humid and b) the girls didn’t really know anyone and kids were either older or younger than them, so they just felt awkward. N enjoyed the art class (S didn’t go) and it gave me a chance to have coffee with some other parents. Roller skating was a blast! S didn’t go, which was too bad because the music was all K-Pop (which she’s obsessed with). N was self-conscious at first and was struggling to skate, but she grew in confidence and ended up have a lot of fun. If you ever go to Penang, I highly recommend Rollerka.
One day we tried to ship the items S had collected throughout our travels for her friends back in California. I knew it wasn’t going to be cheap, but when we were quoted $80 USD, I nearly fell over. The stuff she wanted to ship wasn’t even worth half that! (It was mostly candy and snacks, plus the stuffed Stitch she had won at a claw machine in KL.) I put my foot down and we scrapped that plan. (As it happens, we ended up planning our trip to Thailand and then Japan, followed by a stop back in the US where she offloaded the gifts.)
We were in Penang just before Chinese New Year and decorations were up everywhere. It was beautiful to see all the reds and pinks.
One of the historical places we visited was the Pinang Pernakan Mansion in Georgetown. The Pernakans are a fusion of Chinese culture and Malay customs, and the museum is a fabulous piece of intricate architecture with tons of antiques and collectibles. Our guide, Stanley (the same one mentioned in many TripAdvisor reviews), was outstanding. Many of the antiques reminded me of some of the ones my grandmother had collected and, while antiques aren’t my thing, I loved how they reminded me of her even though we have no related ancestry to the Pernakans. (Just another example of the big-small world we live in.)
We ended up at a yummy Australian cafe, Urban Daybreak, for a bite to eat afterward. We went back a second time later in our stay. We also visited Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, a historic Chinese clan temple and museum. And we discovered Nala Designs, an amazing clothing and accessories boutique with distinctive colors and patterns. We wanted to explore more of Georgetown, but the distance from our apartment and the heat and humidity made it tough. It was hard to walk around outside without melting into a puddle of sweat. Again, that was our biggest issue with Malaysia in general; otherwise, we really liked it.
One afternoon we went to the science museum. We got there late in the day and practically had it to ourselves. Our favorite part was the zero gravity area. C and N both tried this gyroscope they could sit in that spun them around and around. S and I weren’t quite brave enough to try it and the area was closing soon, so we skipped it. But we had a blast watching C and N; their reactions were priceless.
Towards the end of our stay we went to a board game cafe that was lots of fun. In general, while Penang didn’t offer as much to do as KL, it still had quite a lot of places we wanted to explore that we ran out of time for. We know a number of families who did long stays there (1-2 months). Some have even gone back or plan to go back, so it’s certainly worth considering if you’re living nomadically.
I would just say don’t stay in Batu Ferringhi unless you specifically want to be removed from the main area of the island or you want to explore some of the places that are over that way, including Tropical Spice Garden (I really wanted to do a cooking class there with the girls, but the GF diet made it challenging and I just didn’t plan well), Monkey Beach/Penang National Park, the Butterfly Farm, and Escape (a water park that other families love but the girls had no interest in going to).
Have you been to Penang? What did you enjoy about it and what part of the island did you stay in?