Lady’s Itinerary for 3 Days in Penang, Malaysia

Today I want to bring you my travel itinerary for 3 days in Penang. This island in Malaysia is known for its delicious food, sandy beaches, and vibrant culture. It’s a great place to visit on a trip to Asia.

3 Days in Penang

Penang is a Shangri-La. Nicknamed the Pearl of the Orient, it’s the meeting place of Easterners and the coveted jewel of Westerners. It’s also the final destination on my Malaysia travels.

How to Get to Penang

My train from Ipoh pulls into Butterworth station right on time, and I cover the short distance to the ferry terminal on foot.

Soon I board a barge for the 20-minute crossing to Penang. The skyline of Georgetown, the island’s main city, emerges before me. It’s a mix of modern skyscrapers, colonial constructions, and old Chinese shophouses.

Georgetown, Penang

When my ferry arrives, I start my 3 days in Penang by walking down the narrow streets of Georgetown, admiring the hodgepodge of architectural styles.

The long-standing mix of cultures is evident as the colorful fabric shops and spicy aromas of Little India melt into the temple incense and spicy street food of Chinatown.

My destination this evening is a hotel in the heart of Georgetown called Coffee Atelier. It’s set in a row of five heritage houses, all painstakingly restored to create an authentic boutique hotel.

The restaurant, 55 Cafe, is where I’ve been invited to dinner.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by Stefan, the Swiss expat owner, and his wife, Lorina, who’s from Hong Kong. They show me the beautifully restored guest rooms and the hotel’s art gallery, then we sit down to dinner with their children.

A wide variety of Mediterranean plates and tapas comes to the table. They’ve worked with the chef on each dish to ensure the food stays true to its traditional flavors.

And they do a good job. Just ask the vacationing couple at the next table; this is their fourth visit in as many days.

On the next of my 3 days in Penang I have the good fortune of meeting some other expats. Two of them take me on a walking tour of Georgetown.

Lorina is kind enough to introduce me to Rebecca and Caroline, the former of whom is an artist who’s worked with the Penang Heritage Trust.

Our tour begins with the most important thing in Penang: street food. From a vendor by the Goddess of Mercy Temple we sample peanut sweets so good they satisfy even my savory-loving palate.

From there we visit Rebecca’s house, China Tiger, an indescribably beautiful gesamtkunstwerk adjacent to her shop on China Street.

Nearby is the Ren i Tang Heritage Inn. Rebecca knows the owners, and takes me inside for a look at the unique guest rooms and former traditional Chinese medicine shop.

She also takes me to see the Seven Terraces hotel. It has a gorgeous restaurant that serves traditional local Nyonya cuisine like the kind I had in Malacca, but with a modern twist.

And speaking of modern, our next stop is China House, a long, narrow passageway filled with several trendy restaurants, bars, cafes, and art galleries.

It’s the place to be in Georgetown, and it’s home to some of the most popular cafes and restaurants in Penang.

Down Beach Street is another cafe. It’s a small, light space that looks like the perfect place to have lunch or coffee.

As we walk, Rebecca explains that because Penang is so famous for its street food, most restaurants specialize in non-local cuisines.

It makes sense, as nobody wants to pay up for local food in a restaurant when they can get the same dishes on the street for a fraction of the price.

Which brings us to Edelweiss Cafe, the original heritage shophouse-turned-restaurant. There we meet the owner, Teresa, a pioneer and visionary who was the first to restore one of Penang’s historic buildings and turn it into a business.

As I sip a dragon-fruit-and-beetroot juice, she shows me a book of before-and-after photos of the restaurant, the result of which is a gorgeous space that started a citywide trend.

Away from the cafes, I spend more of my 3 days in Penang walking down Armenian Street with Caroline to get my culture fix.

She takes me to the Sun Yat Sen Museum, where the former Chinese leader once spent time.

Parting ways with her, I walk past the famous Kapitan Keling Mosque and Sri Mahamariamman Temple, a riot of color and sculpture adorning its pyramidal tower.

At the north end of the street, I explore the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower and Fort Cornwallis, sturdy relics of the British colonial days. I then make my way to the famous Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

The historic hotel’s restaurant has offered me a dinner during my 3 days in Penang, and I revel in the five-course tasting menu. It features everything from lobster bisque and pan-seared scallops to baked Wagyu filet mignon.

The highlights of the meal are the scallops and beef, both of which are tender and flavorful.

The last meal I eat in Georgetown during my 3 days in Penang takes place at ET Steamboat Restaurant, which comes recommended by a fellow London food blogger.

The no-frills dining room is packed with families enjoying steamboat meals like the one I had in the Cameron Highlands. But my friend told me in-the-know locals and visitors order Nyonya cuisine.

I do as she recommends, and the somewhat surprised staff prepares a plate of Nyonya food for me. The mix of pork, tofu, and rice is cheap and good, and I’m glad to have had my fill in a city famous for it.

Batu Ferringhi, Penang

My Georgetown fix done, I spend the rest of my 3 days in Penang in Batu Ferringhi, a resort area located 30 minutes down the coast.

My hotel is the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, a fitting place to stay in a location that feels very Penang.

My room, which the five-star hotel has generously offered me on a complimentary basis for my 3 days in Penang, is in the luxurious Rasa Wing.

The wing is a subset of the hotel that the Director of Communications tells me is the equivalent of first class, with business class being the domain of the adjacent Garden Wing.

The Rasa Wing has its own restaurant, which guests can use exclusively for breakfast (although the breakfast buffet at the Spice Market Cafe in the Garden Wing blows me away with its size and variety).

It also has a private adults-only pool and a lounge with complimentary afternoon tea and happy hour each day.

My room at the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa is huge. It has areas for sleeping, living, working, and bathing. It also has a spacious balcony with a big bathtub.

The decor is all neutral, which feels a bit business-like for a resort hotel (although I’m traveling on business, after all). But it has every amenity I can imagine, from WiFi to a cosmetics kit and hair care products.

The balcony overlooks the extensive gardens and saltwater swimming pool, beyond which is the beach. Next to the pool is the Chi spa, where the hotel sets me up with a complimentary Rasa Asmaradana massage.

Sandalwood, cinnamon, and nutmeg all play a role in the therapy in a nod to Penang’s identity as a spice island.

My therapist takes me into my own private villa, complete with a separate changing room, outdoor tub, and dedicated treatment room. As she kneads the knots in my back, I drift off to Shangri-La, both real and imagined.

3 Days in Penang

It’s ironic, though, as the massage is the last thing I do before my 3 days in Penang come to an end. Back on the ferry I go, and back on the train. And back to Kuala Lumpur. To be continued…

Want to see more? Watch my Malaysia travel video.

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