20+ Things to Do in Penang, Malaysia - 4K Penang Travel Guide

Penang, Malaysia's most iconic island. It's known worldwide for its food and culture, but it's also a place full of stunning natural attractions, beautiful beaches and intriguing wildlife. It's also home to the UNESCO World Heritage City of Georgetown. After exploring most of what Penang has to offer, we've created a comprehensive video guide to give you inspiration on the top attractions. Watch our video to discover Penang's latest habitat attraction, quaint heritage hotels, street art, temples, beaches, markets, malls, mansions, colonial fortresses and everything else the island has to offer. Join us as we explore the island of Penang. We're starting off our video with Penang Hill, a towering hill resort area with stunning views of Penang's largest city, Georgetown. Penang Hill is a place you can visit to get lost in nature and admire the view. It's full of hiking trails, viewpoints, a handful of unique attractions and most importantly, an abundance of wildlife and jungle scenery. Many monkeys, flying squirrels and tropical birds make the hillside their home. To get to Penang Hill, you can take the challenging hike up the stairs, alternatively take the fun and most popular route, the Penang Hill funicular. The queues for the funicular can take over an hour when it gets busy, so we recommend arriving first thing in the morning. At the top of Penang Hill, you'll find one of the island's latest attractions, the Habitat. It's a biosphere nature reserve that was created to protect the beautiful forests and wildlife of the region, but also to give people a glimpse at Penang's ecosystems. The park is home to many species of birds, wild animals, insects, reptiles and a variety of flora and fauna. For a small entrance fee, you can walk around the jungle paths of the Habitat. It has a series of large jungle canopy walkways, a circular overhead bridge and lots of viewpoints. The entire area is awe-inspiring to see and it will be a highlight of your trip to Penang. We recommend visiting the Habitat as soon as you arrive on Penang Hill. There's less crowds and the temperature is more comfortable. Kek Lok Si Temple is one of the best places to visit in Penang if you want to see Malaysia's largest Buddhist temple. It's a complex of impressive temples that were built between 1890 and 1930, serving as a popular pilgrimage spot for Buddhists from across Southeast Asia. We've been to a lot of temples in this area of the world and Kek Lok Si is one of the best. Wander through the temple complex and you'll find a series of towering buildings, shrines, statues, lanterns and a waterfall. The most notable area of Kek Lok Si is a giant Buddhist statue that sits underneath large stone columns at the highest point of the temple. Kek Lok Si is free to visit. It's less than a 10-minute drive from the base of Penang Hill, so we recommend seeing both attractions on the same day. Our visit to Penang is not complete without a multi-day trip to its capital. The living, breathing heart of the island, Georgetown, is a UNESCO protected city that's full of history. It was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia and has a colonial past dating back to the East India Trading Company in 1786. Colourful colonial architecture is everywhere to be seen. It's also full of artwork, cool cafes, unique attractions and amazing food. Penang is known for its street art. Giant, colourful wall murals and historical paintings depicting past events are apparent all over the island. To see the best street art, you can join a guided tour or simply pinpoint the artwork locations on Google Maps and discover them on your own self-guided tour. See if you can spot famous murals such as The Child on a Bike, The Lost Kittens and the many works of talented artist Ernest Sakharovic. You can't visit Penang and not sample its delicious food. It's known as Malaysia's food capital for good reason. Hawker markets and street food stores can be seen across the island. They're a great place to sample affordable local food, drinks and sweet treats. Penang's food combines flavours from across Asia and is widely regarded to be one of the world's top cuisines. Spend plenty of time trying new dishes at the food markets and hawker centres. Here's a list of dishes we recommend trying. Armenian Street is one of the best places to visit in Penang to experience the city's rich culture. Originally named after the nation of Armenia after seeing an influx of Armenian and Chinese immigrants in 1808, Armenian Street is a multicultural, narrow street in Georgetown. Intricate Chinese temples, old shops, paper lanterns and traditional rickshaws set the scene for one of the most unique streets on the island. Armenian Street is quite commercialised these days but it's well worth a visit. It has some of the most famous street art murals, some excellent temples and lots of good cafes, restaurants and shops. In the Armenian Street area you'll find the largest Hokkien clan house in Malaysia, Kukongsi. Hidden in a back street, this impressive building was built in 1851 by the forefathers of the Ku family who emigrated from South China. Stop by Kukongsi to see its intricate carvings and complex architecture from afar. You can then walk inside to learn about the building's history and gaze at its grand golden hall. Entopio is a Penang attraction that simply blew us away. Unlike any other butterfly farm or man-made nature attraction we visited, Entopio is a thrilling biome that shows you the many species of small insects and reptiles that make our planet their home. It surrounds you with many tropical plants, walking trails and most of all butterflies. Walk through Entopio and you'll be surrounded by many species of colourful butterflies flying all around you. You'll also find waterfalls, ponds, exotic plants and some interactive exhibits. Learn about the life cycle of the butterfly and get up close to a variety of live bugs and reptiles. Entopio is great for both adults and kids. If you like our video so far, be sure to subscribe to our channel and like the video. Batu Fringi Beach is Penang's most popular beach destination. Located on the north of the island, Batu Fringi has long been a top spot for those that want a relaxing beach escape in a nice hotel. It has a long sandy beach, water sports and sun lounges that you can hire for a few hours. It also has a good selection of bars and restaurants with a typical beach atmosphere. We stayed in the Shangri-La Rata Sayang Hotel which was without a doubt our favourite hotel in our entire Malaysia trip. It has a beautiful garden area, well-equipped rooms and an excellent breakfast. It's also right in front of Batu Fringi Beach. Check the description box for our full review and guide to this stunning hotel. Whilst in Batu Fringi, you have to check out the night market. Every evening, the street adjacent to the beach comes alive with market stores, food vendors and lively bars and restaurants. The atmosphere is great fun and you can pick up a bargain if you're looking for some clothing or accessories. One of our favourite areas of the night market is Long Beach Food Court. It has cheap and tasty Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese and seafood options set in a buzzing hawker market. Spend the whole evening at Batu Fringi Night Market and end your night in a beach bar. Next on our list is Penang Tropical Spice Garden. Located next to Batu Fringi, it's a paradise of nature, wildlife and many tropical spices and flowers. For a small fee, you can enter the spice garden and wander around the terraces at your leisure. The tropical garden will awaken your smell and other senses, giving you an up-close experience of Penang's nature. Take in the beautiful scenery and watch out for some elusive dusky leaf monkeys hiding in the trees. There are many species of plants and flowers and you learn about the local spices as you walk around the garden. It's surprisingly large and there's a lot to see here. There's even a cooking class. Set up by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century, the clan jetties are a series of fishing villages along the shores of Georgetown. Each set of jetties belong to different Chinese clans, some of them being larger and more diverse than others. The old style and unique wooden walkways of the clan jetties make them a cool place to visit for a couple of hours. Although many people still live on the clan jetties, they're open for tourists to visit. Chu Jetty is the largest of the fishing villages and is the one most people visit. Walk along the wooden planks, browse the gift stalls and get up close to the unique over water houses. If you're looking to see some of Penang's best temples, add this stunning Thai Buddhist temple to your list. It features shimmering golden pagodas, giant statues and most notably a huge dragon sculpture at the entrance of the temple. Inside, it has a giant golden Buddhist statue lying down. We've been to Thailand many times and this temple perfectly represents Thai temple architecture. It's colourful, golden and full of reflective panels that shimmer in the sun. It has a small entrance fee and you'll need to cover up to enter. Opposite the Thai temple, you'll find an equally as impressive Burmese Buddhist temple. Golden columns, a giant Buddhist statue and several pagodas, shrines and garden areas make up this beautiful temple and its grounds. It's the largest Buddhist temple in Penang and was built in 1803 by the island's Burmese community. The temple is completely free to visit and is well worth checking out, but be sure to bring a shawl and some long trousers to cover your arms and legs. Shopping malls are a big thing in Malaysia and Gurney Plaza is Penang's offering. It's full of international brands such as Uniqlo, Nike, Adidas and Innisfree but also some local fashion brands. You can find anything you need here and prices can be quite affordable. We also found it to be a great place to eat. Add Gurney Plaza to your list of things to do if you want to do some shopping on an evening or for when you want a break from the sun. Wandering around an air-conditioned shopping mall to cool down is always a good idea. Fort Cornwallis is a bastion fort that was built by the British East India Trading Company in the late 18th century and has served as a key island fortification for many years. Today, many areas of the fortress still stand, including its fortified walls, cannon batteries and lighthouse. You can see many areas of the fort from the outside by walking around the fortifications yourself. Alternatively, pay the entrance fee and see the inside of the fort. Next to the fort there's a long promenade, which is a relaxing place to go for a walk morning or evening. After visiting the fort, we went for a long walk along the promenade and admired the view from a park bench. There are several viewpoints in this area and it's full of beautiful colonial buildings. Penang Peranakan Mansion is one of the most beautiful buildings we visited during our time in Penang. Once a mansion house, it's now a preserved museum with hundreds of artefacts from the Peranakans that once made this area their home. It's a must-see for those that want to learn about Penang's rich cultural heritage. The outside of the building is a vibrant shade of green. Inside, you'll find more bright colours and a style that combines Chinese and European design. Pay the entrance fee for the mansion house and you can explore each room on a guided tour. The colourful walls, ornate decor and old artefacts make it an interesting place to browse for an hour or so. Visit Georgetown's Little India to be transported into a unique community of colourful streets, Hindu temples, Indian shops, restaurants and other local businesses. The Indian culture is immediately recognisable and the area appears very different to other corners of the city. Wander around Little India at your leisure, see the local attractions and try some authentic dishes. While you're in Little India, stop by the oldest Hindu temple in Penang State. It's adorned in colourful sculptures of gods and goddesses and has a grand entrance. The Blue Mansion is Penang's most recognisable heritage hotel. A UNESCO World Heritage protected building that was constructed before the end of the 19th century, the mansion is known for its vibrant indigo colour inside and out. It showcases Chinese architectural styles from the period and was built by merchant Chiang Fat-Zi. Visit the mansion on a tour or book in a room for a night. Penang is full of excellent heritage hotels, many of which have been converted into boutique accommodation. We stayed in Yen Keng Heritage Hotel and we loved how quaint and colourful it was. These hotels will immerse you into Georgetown's culture and are well located for sightseeing. Chilia Street is the go-to place in Penang for great nightlife. During the day it's a quiet street with old buildings and some excellent cafes. On an evening it comes alive with vibrant music bars and karaoke spots. It also hosts an evening street food market and some excellent restaurants. Adjacent to Chilia Street you'll find the iconic Love Lane. The narrow street has some excellent street art, restaurants and cafes and a section dedicated to nightlife. Visit Goddess of Mercy Temple to see one of the island's oldest and most respected temple buildings. It's an active place of worship and regularly hosts annual festivals and events. The last attraction in our video is Penang's Floating Mosque. Situated on the north of the island, this grand white mosque has been built on a platform over the sea. It sits just off the beach and is instantly recognisable for its towering minaret. That wraps up our video on the best places to visit in Penang, Malaysia. We hope we inspired you with attraction ideas and you can now explore this beautiful island for yourself. If you like the video please subscribe to our channel, give the video a like and be sure to check out our other Malaysia travel videos. Thanks for watching!