Looking to take a Penang road trip without the stress of unexpected cancellations and compromises during your travels? Private vehicle hires give you complete control of your holiday plans.
Before we mention some attractions in Penang that you should visit, here is another guide to help you for your next visit. This is made possible and accessible through private vehicle hires, ensuring you can have a holiday at your own pace without being limited by time and costs.
Ready, Set, Go! Your Penang Road Trip Starts Here
TRAVEL ITINERARY #1, THE TOP PENANG
Our first recommendation is located in the heart of Penang, Georgetown, on top of the iconic KOMTAR building. The Top Penang is a theme park built on top of the Komtar building that is the perfect place to go with family and friends to have a good time. with attractions like the rainbow skywalk, which provides visitors a panoramic view of Penang, walking 816 feet above sea level, and an open-air glass walkway that lets you see everything below as well. Aside from the observatory deck and glass walkway, the rooftop also houses the Top View restaurant and lounge that offers mouthwatering tapas, food, and cocktails.
Within The Top Penang are other attractions like the Jurassic Research Center, where visitors get educated and experience animatronic prehistoric creatures from millions of years ago in their habitat. If you are more interested in the future than the past, The Top Penang has you covered as well with the Tech Dome, where over 120 interactive science and technology exhibits are housed across 40.000 sq ft of floor space. The tech dome was created to provide an immersive and experiential presentation on the wonders of science and technology that is meant to act as an inspiration for future generations.
Aside from the ones mentioned here, there are still a lot of attractions that make The Top Penang a worthy place to stop by and visit. Attractions like the Ocean Explorer and the Top Aquarium Boutique mainly focus on exploring and educating marine fauna and flora.
TRAVEL ITINERARY #2 ESCAPE Penang
Located in Teluk Bahang west of Georgetown, near the northwestern tip of the island, Escape Penang is the only theme park in Malaysia to hold two Guinness world records at the same time. The theme park was awarded TripAdvisor’s Travelers Choice 2022 Best of the Best -Asia awards, securing a place amongst Asia’s top three amusement and water parks.
The park itself is split into two sections, nature and water, perfect for those who are thrill seekers constantly looking for an adventure or challenge. The nature section of the park, surrounded by greenery, holds attractions like the world’s longest zip coaster, skiing in a tropical ski slope, tubby racer, and a bungee-themed jump called the Atan’s leap.
While on the water end there are attractions such as, dead sea pool, family twister, mega drops and super looper. These are only a few of the many attractions in the theme park. So why not contact us now and we’ll help you get there!
TRAVEL ITINERARY #3 Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm
Located in Teluk Bahang, Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm was started by a teacher with an interest in and passion for butterflies. Over the years since its creation, the butterfly farm has been visited by over 5 million locals and international visitors, and it has become one of Penang’s pride and joys.
There are numerous activities that one can have during their time in Entopia, activities like Vita Nova which translates to new life in Italian, in an activity where visitors gets to release butterflies from their cocoons, witnessing their first flight around the habitat, if that’s not enough there’s the bug exploration where rare and exotic bugs along with your everyday bugs are showcased and explored regarding the impact they make in our lives. If you plan accordingly and go at the right time, you might even get the chance to meet one of the superstars in Entopia, with whom you get to interact and take pictures.
TRAVEL ITINERARY #4 Temple hopping
Penang is a multicultural and racial hotspot where you get to meet and see a lot of different types of cultures and religions intertwined with each other. We all know about Kek Lok Si which is one of the most prominent Chinese temples in Penang, but have you heard about the snake temple located in Bayan Lepas, It is stated by Malaysian Traveller, that visitors of the temple get to be in close contact with venomous and non venomous snakes. The venomous snakes are de-venomed, thus making it safe for visitors to be around them without having to fear being attacked.
Now we move a little further down, situated in Tanjung Bunga, the floating mosque is built on stilts over the sea, offering a picturesque setting if you go during the high tide where the stilts are submerged giving the optical illusion effect of the mosque floating.
Next, cross the bridge to check out the most renowned landmark in Bukit Mertajam mainland of Penang Minor Basilica of St Anne. Built in the 1800s, the church has attracted those of Roman Catholic belief to make a pilgrimage to witness its greatness for decades. At night, lights shine at the building, making it seem as if an ethereal glow was cast upon it, a breathtaking sight to behold.
TRAVEL ITINERARY #5 FOOD FOOD FOOD
You can’t travel to Penang without having a taste of what Penang has to offer. Known for its affordable and mouth-watering street, recently, even Michelin gourmand recognized some of the vendors on the island to be star and mention-worthy. Places like Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery, located in Bishop Street, Georgetown, offer a fresh take on the old school Peranakan Nyonya, serving delectable yet affordable dishes. Then there are places like Ghee Lian and Hot Bowl White Curry Mee, which mainly focus on doing one dish and making it great.
Visitors and travelers alike are usually spoiled for choice when deciding what to eat because there are simply too many to choose. If street vendors are not something you fancy, there’s a myriad of cafes offering all types of cuisines, from modern fusion to traditional. No matter what time of day it is, there will always be at least a dozen options. Depending on whether you fancy a small bite or a full meal, there will always be options on both the mainland and on the island.
TRAVEL ITINERARY #6 Shopping
This one is for all shopaholics out there, there are at least seven malls located in Penang each having their distinct uniqueness to it, while also catering to all types of people and their social status. Malls like Gurney Paragon right beside Gurney Plaza caters to those on the higher end of the social status, with more exclusive and premium brands such as Michael Kors, Tumi, and Rolex by Swiss watch can be found here. The food and beverages offered are all more high-end and extravagant as well.
If that’s too much, walk to Gurney Plaza for the more affordable options. If you are feeling peckish during your time shopping, don’t fret, as Gurney Plaza offers a large variety of options for all kinds of palates. If all of the ones mentioned above are too much for you, you can opt for Straits Quay, located in Tanjung Tokong. It is Penang’s first and only seafront retail marina that constantly has something going on during the festive period. When it is not, it is more on the peaceful and quiet end compared to the other malls in the island. It is also where most foreigners and expats decide to base themselves as a place to wind down from their lives, having a drink while facing the beautiful seafront.
This is the roundup of our third article regarding your trip to Penang. We also have articles about touring and traveling to other states in Malaysia, which you can find here. Stay tuned and check back with us again, as we’ll constantly update our blogs and guides on the latest travel itineraries that you can access through private vehicle hire.
