Penang Island trip Xmas 2015.

This Christmas was our first opportunity to travel in round and outside of Malaysia, But before we headed off to different countries, we really wanted to visit Penang an Island just off the coast of Butterworth two hours north by bus or car from Ipoh. In Malaysia the bus companies the their prices are managed by the government or possibly they subsidise them I'm not sure either way it makes bus travel very cheap indeed and allows for peeps on a budget to get around very cheap indeed. So bus tickets to Butterworth are £3 each (its a 3 hour trip).

Moonlight bay...

But we decided to drive in the car, probably not the best move but we are learning as we go, you have to cross a huge causeway, onto the Island and you are supposed to pay the toll, but we didnt no one stopped us we just kept driving? when we arrived we struggled as you do to park, anyway id seen these pod sleeping capsules that are becoming popular they were like a posh backpackers and were priced very high for what they were at 80 ringets a night each!!! (£12) shocking...we went in we looked around and we booked, but once inside the pods which were cool in there appearance we relised that nothing worked, the aircon was making a racket and not even the TV worked and it was all in Chinese so it was such an anticlimax as is so much in Malaysia that we demanded our money back, which they did do for us...

Bar on top of Penang Hill 800 or so metres up. 

we then walked across the road and found what looked like a Hotel of mediocre standing and booked in at 150 a night, less than the pods for two of us, we had aircon, our own bathroom and TV etc etc...and it all worked. so we settled in.

Cheap £3 a night hostel and our bike...

During our stay in Penang we went up the mountain on the cable car and had a very twee posh lunch on the restaurant at the top (about 800 metres up and looking over the island below) and stayed in a fairly nice hotel as well as a very basic hostel (to compare the two), we also hired a bike which I think is crucial in these places to really get to see the area properly, but my oh my the roads are a little hectic and scary at times, you have to be careful and never take any risky moves when going through traffic like the locals seem to do so effortlessly, the bikes were cheap to hire as well. This allowed us to visit the isolated beaches that Penang has and made getting around a breeze, if only we knew how to not get lost that is.

its impressive engineering for sure. 

Love lane is a famous street in Penang and what we learnt was that the hostels are very very cheap here, some better than others but you can get a bed and a safe nights sleep for about 20/30 ringets which is £3/£4.50.

Street art is everywhere in Penang and is very good indeed. 

The live music scene is alive and kicking in penang as is the arts scene and some of it really did remind me of the art centres at home, the Island is well kept and looked after and seemed loved by the locals, and it has its own Marks and Spencers enough said really.

We loved Penang and will return it is a really likeable place and it it kind of gets you after a while, we obviously paid a high price to stay in the hotel but with a little research I have found a cheap way of seeing it all next time I go, I have worked out a great way to see it cheap as -

• Bus to Penang - 20 ringets (£3)
• Get off bus at Butterworth and catch ferry across water 1.40 ringets (18p)
• Get off ferry go across road to free CAT bus for tourist terminal and get on free bus go into old town. 
• Get off bus and go to hostel a short away down love lane slightly out of the way of all the night life, i know where these places are but you'd find them too. 
• Book in for 30 ringets a night (£4.50)
• Get a scooter for 30 ringets a day (£4.50) and your off.......

This is one of Malaysia's highlight islands and look at the costs of getting there and about, and remember the CAT bus takes you around a central loop in old town for free, and if you use another bus, its only 3/4 ringets anyway. So it is so cheap, so so cheap. Its a bargain, I even think they have made it too cheap.

The classic shop houses. 

After the luxury of the hotel we thought we try an old shop house type hostel down past Love lane, we found one with beds for 20 ringets (£3) a night and booked in, sadly on this night they were re tarmacing the road outside and the noise for our cheap bed was horrendous and no we did not sleep, but on any other day it was fine, no bugs, nice location, nice peeps and a nice comfy bed...great showers etc etc...breakfast was a bit basic just mangy toast and a 3 year old pot of jam...tasted great though for £3 a night. You can if your posh now book into flashpacker hostels and they just cost 40 ringets and have rooms of 4 instead of 10+

We left got the car which we stored at the previous hotel took the bike back, and drove around the island and went for a swim on Moonlight Bay which was the best one we have found on our scoots around. Then we were contacted by Mei and Lachie and they were on the island and so we met them for some food and some beers, after that we drove home late tired but having loved our time in Penang. we now had to pack for a trip by train to Bangkok.

Haze has gone...

As quickly as it came it has gone, the haze it seems does have a time limit and probably in the 2nd week of October blues skies resumed and everything was back to normal, we could see the horizon line and the backdrop of the mountains and beyond and we are surrounded by mountains and limestone outcrops which just seem to rise up from nothing in a straight line. This could be a mecca for climbing but alas not so, the Malaysian culture doesn't seem to promote much outdoor activity, it is about but only for the likes of tourists or rich Chinese.

Next year i will consider going north backpacking during the haze period as it is so bad for your lungs, i have had to take drugs to assist with throat issues and coughing problems. suffice to say though that it also seems to perk people up a bit more.

So the haze has gone API is about 27 most days we now just have the monsoon to deal with.

The monsoon is not as impressive as you'd think, yes it rains but it seems to rain much less than in the UK where you get drizzle for days and days, here it rains for short bursts and is torrential, when driving all cars slow down to a crawl and you cannot see the cars in front for brief occasional moments and some times cars on the other side will completely soak you in water like a wave crashing over you from huge puddles mostly unseen produced from the deluge.

It is a dangerous time to be driving, scooter riders hide under bridges and only the very bravest carry onwards, the puddles and areas that get flooded can lift the bike wheels off the tarmac and so thats it for a scooter rider there off....it is of course for someone like me who loves driving through puddles the best time ever I transform into a child, luckily there are very few pavements here in the same way we have them at home and so you dont soak people....so i can drive into as many as i like, and rest assured i have nearly stalled the car in deep ones, some round abouts (they only have a few) all the water gathers around the centre island and when you whizz through its like a huge spray being thrown off, now just think if i do that in my 2L imagine if you will what a an overloaded timber lorry does at speed....its superb to watch.

As well as the crashing rain you have the lightning as well and its mostly fork ligtning too, and the noise...its from another world.

And then .......silence, its stopped just like that, your wipers are flying and doing two to a dozen but the rain has vanished as if you'd just driven out of a rain room...incredible and so enjoyable...

Afterwards you can target the puddles as you can see more of them....but after the rain the moisture in the air is at its highest and wow it can get stuffy in a steam room type way but without the steam, its time for air con after rain here and all the bugs get flooded and wake up and come looking for food...YOU.