Travel: Malaysia - Penang

[ahkeong]

JR:

I was thinking of driving up to Penang in June. Surprised that you are able to make it to Penang at 1.30pm... :salute: How did you do it? No toilet break, eat lunch in the car?

I have tried driving up to Ipoh. Starting at about 7am. Reached Ipoh at about 4.30pm. Breakfast in Machap, teabreak/toilet stop at Ayer Keroh, lunch at Sungei Buloh.

only 2 short breaks.. heehee
usually i wont stop until i hit ayer keroh, took me less than 2 hrs to reach there..

den its all the way until i reach ipoh before i take a break again.. my time to ipoh was slower cos 2 cars.. i left around 7am, only reach around 2.30pm.. quite slow pace..

[kohbee2.06303gmail.06303com]

ahkeong:

only 2 short breaks.. heehee
usually i wont stop until i hit ayer keroh, took me less than 2 hrs to reach there..

den its all the way until i reach ipoh before i take a break again.. my time to ipoh was slower cos 2 cars.. i left around 7am, only reach around 2.30pm.. quite slow pace..

2 hours from Tuas to Ayer Keroh? Wow! :salute: You must be driving a fast car! Won't be able to do that in my car.

[penglee]

We stayed over at Hard Rock Hotel during March holidays.

The slides and water feature are ideal for young families.
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac124/penglee1/20120313b.jpg\">
But if you wish to be near to the best food, nothing beats living in Georgetown.
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac124/penglee1/20120313a.jpg\">

Checkout our 4D3N itinerary at my blog -->
http://sengkangbabies.com/holiday/penang-itinerary/

.

[kohbee2.06303gmail.06303com]

Need advice on my plan for my family trip (2 adults and our 8 year old son)to Penang in June. Decided to fly instead of drive.


(a) Plan to stay at Hard Rock Hotel. Heard about the kids club and the swimming pool. How is the beach near the hotel? Is it private?

(b) Any recommendation for food near the hotel?

I plan to spend some time at the Adventure Zone in Golden Sands. How much time should I cater for?

(d) Is it difficult to get a taxi around Batu Ferringhi? Thought of going to Butterfly Farm. Or is it better to rent a car?

(e) We also plan to stay at Georgetown for a day or two. Other than food, Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill, any other recommendation of things to do there?

Thanks in advance.

[Dnls_mum]

JR:

Need advice on my plan for my family trip (2 adults and our 8 year old son)to Penang in June. Decided to fly instead of drive.


(a) Plan to stay at Hard Rock Hotel. Heard about the kids club and the swimming pool. How is the beach near the hotel? Is it private?
I stayed at the Rasa Sayang both times that I was in Penang, but went to check out the Hard Rock when I was there last year. I think it is the same stretch of beach as the Rasa Sayang and if so, the sea around that area seems to have jelly fish around certain time of the year. Just be careful. But the pool there is nice so you may not want to go into the sea.

(b) Any recommendation for food near the hotel?
I don't like the food around there. Nothing outstanding. There is a big Thai restaurant that is terrible called the Golden Thai restaurant, avoid it! Stay at batu ferringhi for the resort, no good eating places. they are all in town. There is a night market along the street, but nothing great, just like our pasar malam

(c) I plan to spend some time at the Adventure Zone in Golden Sands. How much time should I cater for?
Sorry have not tried this

(d) Is it difficult to get a taxi around Batu Ferringhi? Thought of going to Butterfly Farm. Or is it better to rent a car?
Not that easy. But can still get. At night seems easier than day time. We did manage to get one taxi after struggling for a while on a Fri morning. Finally decided to book the guy for several hours to take us to the eating places in town. No problem getting on at night to go to Gurney Drive.

(e) We also plan to stay at Georgetown for a day or two. Other than food, Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill, any other recommendation of things to do there?
Nothing else for me. In fact, I don't like all these places. For me, it is just eat eat eat :rotflmao:

Thanks in advance.

Pls see my response in blue. Sorry, not much help :oops:

[Vevey]

JR:

Need advice on my plan for my family trip (2 adults and our 8 year old son)to Penang in June. Decided to fly instead of drive.


(a) Plan to stay at Hard Rock Hotel. Heard about the kids club and the swimming pool. How is the beach near the hotel? Is it private?

Hard Rock is sharing the semi-pte beach w Bayview next door where we had stayed for a couple of times.
U may want to go over to Bayview's adventure centre (a beach hut, accessible from Hard Rock via the beach) to check out the sea sports/beach actitivies.
My kids loved the horse riding & 4-wheel tractor rides at the beach. Precisely bcos of such activities, plse b careful when at the beach.

In fact, a few mths later, I chanced upon a local newspaper commentary on the safety issue (for other beach-goers) & the police's unsuccessful operations to stop the on-going problem & it really gave me food for thought.. :sad:

Bcos of the jelly fish advisory, we only swam in the pool. Bayview offers foot reflexology ard the pool but it was solid booked, so we went to the row of shops across the rd from Hard Rock for pte back & foot massages.

(b) Any recommendation for food near the hotel?

Again, the kids love the Ship, a nautical themed restaurant. Food is quite ok. I guess u will definitely try HRC itself?
Is breakfast provided by hotel? Else there r plenty of local choices in the nearby small town.
We preferred the lobster seafood at the fishing village near police station. It's a small kampong rd beyond another Chinese restaurant 天涯海角 (at the roundabout) that we had tried too. But you would need transport to get there.
There's a v expensive seafood restaurant near the hotels, think the same Thai 1 mentioned in the earlier post?

(c) I plan to spend some time at the Adventure Zone in Golden Sands. How much time should I cater for?
No comments.

(d) Is it difficult to get a taxi around Batu Ferringhi? Thought of going to Butterfly Farm. Or is it better to rent a car?

Having a car at disposal is definitely convenient (& cooler in hot weather) but parking is quite a problem at Georgetown itself. Some hotels hv shuttle services to town too. U might want to get a taxi for half/full day & plan ur sight-seeing/local produce purchases ard it.

DH is not in town now, but if u r interested, I can check if he still hv the taxi-driver's contact whom he always used when flying to Penang on biz years ago. Otherwise, u can confirm w a suitable driver on ur way from Penang airport. That's how he had gotten the contact in the 1st place.

(e) We also plan to stay at Georgetown for a day or two. Other than food, Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill, any other recommendation of things to do there?
Shopping?? Queensway bay etc.
I don't like the snake temple. :nailbite:

Thanks in advance.

Hope this help as it had been a year+ since our last trip to Penang, so a bit hazy le.

[mgnvr]

Hi vevey,


I am planning a family vacation to Penang in June. Can you PM the taxi driver contact? We are driving up but will be needing the services of a local taxi driver for a half day tour. Thanks.

[Vevey]

mgnvr:

Hi vevey,


I am planning a family vacation to Penang in June. Can you PM the taxi driver contact? We are driving up but will be needing the services of a local taxi driver for a half day tour. Thanks.

Ok, let me update u next week.

[kohbee2.06303gmail.06303com]

Thanks Dnls_mum and Vevey for sharing your experiences. Vevey, appreciate if you could update me on the taxi driver’s contact too. Thanks.

[Vevey]

JR:

Thanks Dnls_mum and Vevey for sharing your experiences. Vevey, appreciate if you could update me on the taxi driver's contact too. Thanks.

Sure, next wk.