Penang - Pearl of the Orient

In September this year, our rocket landed in the beautiful island of Penang, also known as the Pearl of the Orient.

Penang is an island located northwest of Peninsular Malaysia. 

It is named after the Pinang tree that is pictured on its state flag! Penang is very special to us, as our father was born there and we go there often to visit our grandparents and cousins! :) 

  

We stayed at the Golden Sands Resort, located in Batu Ferringhi, Penang's world-renowned beach strip.The Golden Sands Resort gives you access to one of the most beautiful beaches in Penang, where you can enjoy many types of water sport such as jet-skiing, parasailing and kayaking.  

The hotel has two pools and a fun water slide, along with a relaxing jacuzzi. It welcomed us with bright sunshine, a cosy room, and some delectable cookies and chocolate - yums! 

For kids, Adventure Zone is an absolute favourite. It is a thrilling play zone for kids of all ages, boasting 3 gigantic slides and obstacle courses. Wyn even conquered the red slide, which was extremely steep! 

Do remember to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks that will help protect you from scratches and abrasions! 

We rate Adventure Zone 4 Poo-Poo Rockets!

For families with children, we guarantee that you will like the Golden Sands Resort because of its many thoughtful child-friendly features! 

We rate the Golden Sands Resort 5 Poo-Poo Rockets!!!!

Besides offering beaches and plenty of sunshine, Penang is a food haven, with many world-famous dishes that people associate with this charming island. 

The most famous and well-loved Penang dish has to be Char Kway Teow. Do you know what Char Kway Teow is? It is a noodle dish, and your noodles are fried over a charcoal stove with prawns, cockles, eggs, bean sprouts and crunchy bits of lard! In Air Itam, there is an outdoor stall run by a man called Ah Leng who serves the best Char Kway Teow ever! This is a must-go for hawker food lovers! 

Ah Leng Char Kway Teow earns a smashing 5 Poo-Poo Rockets!!!! 

Another scrumptious treat we enjoyed was at a kopi tiam (coffee shop) in Sungei Tiram, a 5 minute drive from Penang International Airport. Joo Leong cafe Is an excellent breakfast spot serving crunchy butter toast, half-boiled eggs, nasi lemak (coconut rice) and much more! It is also especially famous for the seafood noodles served at dinner time.

We rate Joo Leong cafe at Sungei Tiram 5 Poo-Poo Rockets!!! 

On a hot day, quench your thirst with an icy cold, rich and coconutty dessert called chendol. The most famous chendol in Penang can be enjoyed at two rival stalls facing each other on Keng Kwee Street. You decide which one you like! Dig in with a metal spoon and relish the sensation of the chilled coconut milk gliding down your throat. 

Penang also boasts many old kopi tiam that have decades of history, such as Kek Seng along Penang Road, which is famous for its ice kacang with yummilicious homemade durian ice-cream. Check out the antique crockery and ice shaver! 

Other than its delicious street food, the old streets of Georgetown, Penang have preserved the traditional shophouses which have been enlivened by quirky and delightful street art at Armenian Street and Beach Street. The beautiful murals of Penang children at play were first painted by Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian artist. 

Since his murals became such a hit, more have sprouted on almost every street corner, painted by talented local artists.

 The street art depicts adorable animals, and scenes of daily life in Penang. 

1.  A family in an old coffee shop. (This can only be seen while inside a real coffee shop!) 2. A boy standing on a chair, reaching for a glass bottle. 3. A ginger cat. 4. A striped grey cat jumping up to catch an insect. 5. A grey cat in the midst of many Japanese ceramic cats. 6. A Peranakan lady kicking off her beaded slipper. 7. Some abandoned cats in a box. 

Our own DIY street art :) 

Of course, there are many more murals besides those pictured here and you can spend an entire day hunting them all down! :))) 

We rate the beautiful and creative street art of Penang 5 Poo-Poo Rockets!! 

For nature-lovers, the Penang Butterfly Farm will be your Penang nature escapade. This farm is actually a museum and garden that you can explore, featuring over 100 species of butterflies and other interesting insects. You can join a tour group and your guide will explain some facts on the many weird and wonderful creepy crawlies. At the end of the tour, you can also release a newly-formed butterfly! 

1. Stick insect on Papa's sleeve 2. Pitcher plant 3. Caterpillar on Wyn's palm 4. Leaf insect 5. Butterfly on Wyn's back 

We rate Penang Butterfly Farm 4 Poo-Poo Rockets! 

Another place that nature-lovers will adore is Penang Hill. It's the highest point in Penang and has a spectacular view of downtown Penang from its peak. To get to the top, you have to take a funicular railway, which takes about ten to fifteen minutes.

We rate Penang Hill 4 Poo-Poo Rockets! 

Penang is always an extraordinary 5 Poo-Poo Rocket experience for us and we can never wait to go back! Wyn is already thinking of our next visit....