Last year, we had a visit (in Sri Lanka) from one of our blog readers, world sailor Lisa Dorenfest, who writes a blog , Once Ocean at a Time, about her global sailing adventures (https://lisadorenfest.com/ ).
As we sat down many a time to share travel stories and travel destinations, Lisa was aghast that we had never been to George Town, in Penang, Malaysia.
“You guys have to go! You will love it…” Lisa insisted.
We added Penang to our already long list of places to travel to, waiting for the right opportunity to fall into our laps. We didn’t have any details about what awaited us, just a high recommendation from a trusted source, a global nomad.
And so here we are…
George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang in the north-western corner of the country. With a population of over 700,000, the city is the second-largest in Malaysia, after the capital of Kuala Lumpur.
A UNESCO world heritage site since 2008, George Town is a treasure trove of architecturally interesting buildings, which reflect the city’s complex and rich multi-cultural heritage of the community of Chinese, Malays and Indian.
While Malaysia as a whole is mostly Muslim, Penang’s streets are a testament to a Chinese presence that originated in the 1900’s, as well as the previous Portuguese (1500), then British (1850s), when the British empire laid claim to the island city, (for its geo-strategic location near the straits of Malacca). To add to the multi cultural mix, the British encouraged the migration of Indian nationals from other parts of the British empire.
After the Malays and Chinese, the third largest community is comprised of Indians, from Tamil Nadu, most are descendants who immigrated during the British colonization of Malaysia. They represent 7% of the overall Malaysian population.
There are three main features to historic Penang that stand out and easily hold our interest for days, as we stroll the streets. The distinctive architecture and design details, the extensive street murals and the rich cuisine which reflect the Chinese, Malaysian and Indian influences.
Architecture
At the heart of the historic district, there are street after street of original Chinese shophouses in various states of disrepair and renovation. A shophouse is a vernacular architecture building type that is commonly seen in urban South East Asia and Southern China. Shophouses are mostly 2 or 3 stories high, with a shop on the ground floor for mercantile activity, and a residence above the shop. They have narrow street frontages but extend backwards to great depths, in some case, extending all the way to the rear street. The primary reason for this architectural feature relates to taxes, as buildings where historically taxed according to street frontage rather than total area, thereby creating an economic motivation to build narrow and deep.
Because so many of these treasures have not yet been fully restored, wandering the streets is fascinating. Intermingled with the old shop houses, are Chinese temples, churches and an occasional mosque, grand British colonial houses and a wonderful collection of tucked away cute coffee shops and small restaurants.
All one needs to do is to look up (!) to the second floor of these shophouses to see pastel toned walls, and wooden shutters and get a sense of days gone by and the teaming activity that characterised George Town.
There are so many beautiful and surprising design details, such as these colourful painted Chinese ceramic tiles which frame the wooden shutters at the top and below.
It is not only the window shutters and ceramic tiles that are aesthetically pleasing to us… but also the weathered signage that advertises the commercial activity at street level. Chinese calligraphy is often painted onto roll down bamboo shutters, creating yet another layer of visual interest.
Stroll with us through the streets of George Town.
The commercial trading activity that animated the streets of George Town, was memorialized in the architecture. Here, a liquor store, which has functioned as such for decades, is adorned by a beautifully decorated column that provides effective advertising for the local brew.
One of the distinctive features of the shophouses was the use of colorful floor tiles.
A small Chinese temple features mandarins and community leaders painted in pastels, contrasting with the earthy red tones of the doors and shutters. The Chinese community here spoke Hokkien, a distinct language from the Fujian province of China, i.e. the same population one finds in Taiwan.
One can only really appreciate the scale of these beautifully painted ancient Chinese doors by standing next to them.
Delicately painted ancient ceramic tiles depicting scenes of daily life frame temple walls.
~
One of the most humbling aspects of living a global nomadic life is that we are frequently confronted by our own absolute ignorance. This can be revealed when browsing a local newspaper and having absolutely no idea what’s what and who’s who. Or this lack of knowledge can become distinctly clear when there are statues and tributes to local heroes, whom we simply know nothing about.
Just to illustrate, imagine reading about Martin Luther King if you are in the U.S., Richelieu if you are in France, Che Guevara if you are in Cuba, and having no idea who these people are. This lack of knowledge of famous people is both humbling, for us, and preventing an adequate appreciation for local history.
And this happens to us, yet again, in Penang. As we pass by a gorgeous, renovated blue mansion, we wonder if we might be able to take a peak inside. Seems like a museum perhaps. We discover that this house is the former Penang home of Cheong Fatt Tze. Who?
So who was Cheong Fatt Tze? A massively important Chinese entrepreneur, who became a global corporate magnate. His business empire can best be understood by merging the names of John D Rockefeller and to bring a more modern twist, Bill Gates. Who?
Cheong Fatt Tze, one of the richest businessmen in all of Southeast Asia, built in the 1900s a massive, sprawling business empire that spanned the globe and was mostly anchored on the wide networks of Chinese populations through out Asia, but also America, Canada, Australia etc. He had 8 wives, was a massive land owner and, critically, perhaps the largest philanthropist that the Chinese community ever produced. Just here in Penang, he built hospitals, schools and roads. He was an early proponent of what is currently thought of as a modern trend of billionaires “giving back to the community”. He did so 100+ years ago.
Feng Shui masters were brought from China at the time of the original construction of this home, driving critical design aspects about the flow of energy throughout the mansion, the necessity to incorporate the flow of water in the rainy season, the need to have a hill in the back and a clear view in the front, and a myriad other details. Still today, Feng Shui masters visit this home to observe the energetic resonance that can still be measured, using Feng Shui instruments.
We don’t usually join formal tours. But in this case we did and we lucked out, because the woman leading this tour, is the current owner and nationally recognized architect who had the vision and professional acumen to lovingly restore this mansion to its former glory applying strict protocols to retain as much authenticity as possible, when she bought the house 30 years ago. Her attention to historical accuracy based on painstaking research, including interviews with living relatives of Cheong Fatt Tze, led her to essentially creating a standard for UNESCO World Heritage restoration in George Town. She imported original ceramics from the same regions of China that provided ceramics at the time of original construction, used natural paint pigments to match the original paint and so forth.
Street Art
One of the most surprising aspects of George Town is the huge portfolio of large and small, interesting and aesthetic murals, painted on so many of the buildings’ facades.
There is something very distinctive and charming about many of these murals. Some of them are interactive, with for example a part of a bicycle or chair which makes it hard to tell what is painted and what is object.
It’s not obvious at first glance that the two children at the window are painted, while the little boy on the bike is a visitor posing for a photo where he becomes essential “part of the mural”.
Or in this case, a motorcycle rider painted on the red door, “sitting” on the real motorcycle permanently parked in front of the mural.
This painted woman seems to be lighting the incense on the small (real) shrine in front of a house.
Gastronomy
George Town is known as a destination for foodies. We are told that every week end, hordes of hungry visitors stream in from Kuala Lumpur for a week end of George Town’s gastronomy. When locals are asked by visitors what to do in Penang, they typically answer with the list of their favourite dishes and locations to find them.
Whenever we are about to arrive in a new destination we research what the local food specialties are so that we don’t miss out on something we might not know about. In this case, the list was long. Very long…
Two dishes we are interested in particular in trying, are the lok lok, and the Penang laksa. And, while not unique to Penang, we read that there is dim sum a plenty. Game on!
Lok lok is a very popular street food and/or sit down affair. A variety of meat, veggies, tofu, scallops are on sticks for a quick submerging in boiling water followed by the addition of a variety of sauces for dipping. (It really is all about the sauces). You pick up a plastic basket, select your sticks which are colour coded for pricing, and dip away. Boiling water, followed by sauces. Smack lips, and repeat….
This is a popular noodle restaurant where the noodles are made daily and the process is fascinating to watch especially the part when the noodle ‘dough’ is flattened using the strength of bamboo, as pictured above. This is not something done for tourists but is the way that they have been making rice noodles for generations.
After the pressing of the dough with the help of the bamboo pole, the next step is to push the dough through this machine to create a paper-thin 1 foot wide ribbon. This in turn goes through a third process to shred the wide ribbon into noodles.
And what can one eat with these chewy, freshly made noodles? The menu below shows the variety of typical dishes that accompany these noodles.
In the evening, George Town has a number of streets which are known for their variety of local dishes.. Stall after stall vendors pop up to prepare much awaited favourite bites, with locals patiently lining up.
One variation of the infamous laksa. This one was a vegetarian that we found. May not look like much, but the flavors of the sauce combined with the greens and noodles, pack a punch.
Oyster omelettes are a Penang special. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! Delicious!
Dim Sum (steamed dumplings) are a Hong Kong Chinese staple and we are delighted that Penang’s large Chinese community translates into plentiful Dim Sum options.
We think of dim sum as a late breakfast, or brunch kind of affair, but here in George Town the locals start eating dim sum at 5 a.m. and in some restaurants, the trolleys of steamed goodies keeps rolling out until past 10 at night.
Ben in his dim sum element. And Peta, never shy to strike up conversations, chats up a Chinese man who, between dim sum bites, shares a bit of his family history.
Gratitude to Lisa Dorenfest for pointing us in the direction of Penang. Why did we wait so long to come here?
I think I’d love this place. And the food! Thanks for sharing.
Alison
Alison I think you would too. Hard not to appreciate such a fabulous combination of offerings.
Peta
As with most of your posts, I’ll be reading this several times over several days. It is CHOCK FULL of amazing photos/history/insights….and food.
I’ll respond with my initial observations – I find it fascinating that you mention how little you know about the history of different cultures and places, and yet you two are more informed and interested and involved than probably 98% of the world’s people. But you teach us all something as you share what you discover in each new place.
We in America are so self-conscious of OUR history and culture (as if it’s the only one of any importance), and yet as you so aptly explain, each country/city has its own amazing individual/s who have made a mark on their world. As I believe you two do with your blog. I’ve read much of it to my guy, and will be sharing it with many others. Thank you!
Pamela thanks for your appreciative feedback!! It is CHOCK FULL indeed, but with so many stops in our recent travels we decided to combine everything into only one post on Penang, although it could easily have filled a few!
One of the best benefits of travel for us is definitely the learning that happens real time. So we are very happy to share it. As the old adage says “the more we learn, the more we realise how little we know” about the world around us.
It is true that the U.S. as a result of what might be called “cultural dominance” tends to assume that “our reality is everyone’s reality”. And it just ain’t so. As an example, when I grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, there was very NO mention of American history or anything else. So when I moved to the U.S. I had a steep learning curve about basic things that are taken for granted… And still today, I have gaps in my knowledge of U.S. stuff having grown up in S.A.
Thank you for the lovely compliments and thank you too for sharing our blog with others.
Ben & Peta
Extraordinary place! I suppose it inevitable that with so many ruined facades, street art should feature prominently, but some of this is so beautifully executed, Peta! And the tiles and carving! A feast for the eyes even for one who is not normally drawn to dereliction.
It is interesting Johanna how beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. To me I don’t see “dereliction’ as much as history and faded beauty. There are also many buildings that have been beautifully restored and converted into boutique hotels. It is perhaps the combination of the fully restored and the yet to be restored that captured our attention.
Just to illustrate, years ago, we spent time in Antigua, Guatemala and as well in Cartagena, Colombia~ both are UNESCO world heritage sites and both have been meticulously and comprehensively restored/renovated. Beautiful but almost too slick for our tastes. Probably why we fell in love with Granada, Nicaragua (our home for 6 years), because the original architectural inheritance’s restoration is a work in progress. It is fun to see the process for us.
Ben & Peta
Now I’m wondering why I haven’t been either! We’ve been to KL but it’s not nearly so interesting as this.
Anabel it is an easy flight from Kuala Lumpur and as you say, way more interesting!!! One more for your list.
Peta
Lisa gave you great advice.
Ah yes indeed! We discussed so many places that we could not even remember WHY she had recommended Penang, but given she had, we knew we were going. It was just a matter of when.
Peta
What a fantastic post!
Love all this information, but your pictures tell a story all on their own.
I’m always interested in architecture, and the wooden shutters, plaster walls, etc. are reminiscent of places we’ve visited before but just not this area which is new to us. What really impressed me was the artwork. Love the largeness of it, and the humor — like the guy riding the motorcycle.
And I also appreciate the info on Cheong Fatt Tze. Had no idea who he was or what he stood for.
An excellent adventure that you took the time to share with all of us readers. Thanks!
Thank you Rusha!! Totally agree that the visuals of this place are the story.
We have seen a lot of murals in our travels, but these had a particular soft beauty to them. Much more art than graffiti and so fun to discover, especially as they often took us by surprise as we turned a corner here and there. We had a hard time selecting favourites from our photos, as we could have put ten more in this post. We learned that the city commissioned international artists to compete for the opportunity to do these murals as part of the UNESCO beautification campaign. The whole approach really work as it encouraged local artists to add to the mix, but also it encourages visitors to the city to walk around on a mural scavenger hunt of sorts.
So glad you enjoyed the info on Cheong Fatt Tze. We were fascinated by all of it and hearing it in his house was particularly meaningful. There was furniture from the era, as well as selected objects such as a majhong tile set, clothing and chamber pots. Also interesting is the fact that the current owner interviewed one of his eight wives, who is still alive and gave first hand accounts of what life was like in this mansion.
Ben & Peta
Ooh, what a beautiful place.
I love the hanging-lantern courtyard, have a feeling something like that will appear one day in one of your own houses? Some whimsical wall art too?
Your adventures always evoke for me the idea from long ago, of seeing “faraway places with strange-sounding names”. An idea made doable by air travel, yet somehow less romantic for being so possible. Unless of course you actually DO it!!!
Thanks for sharing a great romantic adventure, once again.
How right you are Johnny, we may well incorporate hanging lanterns in a home somewhere, some day. As a matter of fact, I did do a large mural on the walls of our internal courtyard of our house in Granada, Nicaragua. It was of leaves, grasses and flowers and it created the illusion of a larger garden. And on the outside facade of the house, I painted a huge mural of a favorite work of art by Klee.
Georgetown was very romantic a place ~ except for the heat at midday 🙂 Walking the streets, gave us a feeling of being in a totally exotic destination, and a bit of a time travel into the past.
Peta & Ben
Fabulous arm-chair trip.
(Hmmmmmm . . .If Ben’s facial hair were on his chin and the monkeys facial hair was under his lip . . .it might be considered a reversal of fortune. . . )
Judy so glad you enjoyed it!
(Funny, re the facial hair). Ben is particularly partial to monkeys and I am to cats, hence the aligning of spirits.
Peta
Great pictures and commentary. Brings back some fond memories. Penang was one of the “MUST” places to hang out in 1971.
Thanks Steve. 1971!! That is interesting. I imagine much has changed in Malaysia and Penang as a whole and much has remained the same in Georgetown. Did you take photos of your visit? Would be interesting to see those…
Peta
Interesting looking place. And I can almost taste that dim sum…
Dave, ah yes, photos of dim sum can do that to lovers of dim sum!
One morning I slept in and when I woke up at 9, Ben was gone. I read his text “gone for an early morning dim sum at 7.00 a.m.” I laughed my head off. This, the most popular place for dim sum was open from the wee hours of the morning till ten at night.
Peta
You got a great tip here. I have never even heard of George Town, let alone been there. And yet it has so much going for it. Definitely my kind of place. I love faded glory and food! Like you, I’m amazed by the amount of stuff I don’t know, and feel so lucky to be made aware of this over and over. I am also happy and relieved that in this Instagram age, places like George Town still exist. Thanks for sharing.
Now that we know our friend Lisa gives good travel tips, we have a lot of other tips from her as well ~ enough to keep us busy for years. Most of them required us to get to a map as we had no idea where they were, but in this case Penang is somewhat in our neighborhood. One of the best things about living in SE Asia is that there are so many wonderful places that comprise our “backyard”.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving us a comment.
Peta
Bonjour Benjamin, comme je suis contente de te voir ! Tu as l’air en pleine forme et Peta aussi. Superbes photos de voyage, ça fait envie. Pas envie de passer par Paris , un endroit exotique où on fait la révolution tous les samedis ? Non ?
Je vous embrasse tous les deux.
Lolo
Lolo!!!!!!
Quelle surprise et quel plaisir de te lire! haha, Paris, destination exotique, ouais, le probleme c’est que je n’ais pas de gilet jaune et qu’ici, au Sri Lanka, il n’y a pas vraiment ma taille!
Par contre, et toi, que penserais tu de faire un petit sejour au Sri Lanka… Une dose de Bouddhisme pour calmer les nerfs et passer les semaines encore fraiches avant le Printemps? (sans rire, si ca te dit… ca serait super!).
Gros bisous (a toi et a tous/toutes)
B&P
As usual, your post is full of so much! The two of you pack a great deal of experience in a visit – food, architecture, the people, the street art!
There was one comment you made that stuck with me … “the most humbling aspects of living a global nomadic life is that we are frequently confronted by our own absolute ignorance”. Just a few days ago I was having a conversation that the learned-person knows that there is so much more that they don’t know, and yet in today’s world it seems that the ignorant believe they know everything, and everyone else in an idiot.
I too have felt those moments of humility, recognizing that I know so little of the people and culture where I am visiting. Travelling is humbling and mind-enriching at the same time.
… now I’m hungry. While not a fan of dim sum, the lok lok has caught my attention … and I wouldn’t mind chowing down into that bowl of laksa! 🙂
Thanks Joanne. When a place can provide such varied stimulation, it holds us captive. Initially we were only planning on staying for 4-5 days, but ended up spending almost ten days here. In part because Ben needed a tooth crown replaced and we had to wait for it, but it was a really good place to wait and we were happy to have time to really leisurely explore.
You make a good additional point about the current satisfaction with ignorance and belief that all others are idiots. After all, we are now in an era of alternative facts or post fact reality where all expertise seems to be instantly tainted by the very belief that all experts are not to be trusted. After all, the U.S. president has no problem standing in front of a mike and expressing that his entire multi billion dollar intelligence gathering community is wrong and that he trusts his gut (or Putin) above all the experts.
That laksa was delicious and we went back a few times! What?? Not a dim sum fan, there is so much good dim sum in Toronto, maybe we can do that together one day and change your opinion 🙂
Peta & Ben
Thank you for another amazing post about your travels. So wonderful to read about your destinations and also to learn so much about the history and the food. THE FOOD! Thank you again, Ben and Peta!
Deb
Happy to know you enjoyed this post so much Deb. It definitely is fun to be in a place that has a strong culinary tradition. Although truth be told, once we found our favorite spots we returned to those a few times over.
Peta
This place looks amazing and now I am hungry for dim sum. The street art is something else!
Now that we are back in Sri Lanka we are hungry for dim sum too, but alas, it is nowhere to be found here! The street art was really special in that most of them were done in pastels and they often seemed to have a surprise element to them. Glad you enjoyed Darlene.
Peta
I would want to visit just for the food alone, but throw in such a melting pot of cultures and it is a recipe for success. I like there is still a lot of authentic architecture and not all has been restored. The street art is gorgeous. Definitely a place for my list 🙂
Gilda glad to provide a place for your travel list. It is definitely a wonderful melting pot of cultures and even for the architecture alone it is worth the visit.
Peta
What a stunning and delicious tour of Penang. You have a wonderful eye for artistic detail.
I remember being enchanted by the charming mix of cultures, the architecture and the food but I don’t remember seeing all those amazing murals—something I’m usually very drawn to. Hmmm, it was a very long time ago and good reason to return!
When I initially scrolled through your photos, I stopped at the blue house…for sure I’ve seen this before. As soon as I read the name Cheong Fatt Tze, one of Bama’s posts came back to me. Sometimes I need to be knocked over the head a few times for things to sink in. It is indeed humbling to realize how little I know about important figures outside of my world.
Did you go elsewhere in Malaysia?
I have such great memories of this country, especially the tiny fishing villages and sweeping beaches of the east coast, but I imagine it has changed a lot in the last 25 years.
Thanks Caroline for the compliments.
It is possible that the murals perhaps were not there yet when you visited…? I believe that the murals were commissioned by international artists at around the time that George Town was given UNESCO heritage status which was not that long ago. After that, other local artists added to the collection. But at any rate, definitely seems like a place worth returning to.
I will go back and take a look at Bama’s post on the blue house. I must have missed that one.
We also went to Langkawi briefly en route to a Thai island but did not make it to the East coast, which was our original plan, but things changed…
Peta
With such a combination of wonderful things to see and do, I suspect we could spend quite some time here. We often come across historical figures or information we’ve never heard of and, for us, part of the joy of travel is learning. We are yet to visit Malaysia and perhaps Penang should go to the top of our list.
We had planned to be here for five days, but in the end we stayed for ten. By then we were ready to leave, but there was plenty to do to keep us occupied and interested. We are new to Malaysia other than Kuala Lumpur but we decided to rather spend slow time in one place than to keep moving around trying to see as much as possible.
Peta
One of our best days spent with you in this fabulous destination. Not nearly enough time and too excited just to be in your company.
Glad we got to get a glimpse, of this place and will hopefully one day return….on a cooler day,,,,,!!!!!
Your review and experiences are once again exhilirating to read.
ROCH!!! It was fantastic to see you both again, still can’t get over how serendipitous that was timing wise, much like the time we had a reunion in Nicaragua!
Damn it was hot in the middle of the day. So glad you enjoyed a more in depth visit via the post!! Okay, wondering where we will meet NEXT time?
Come to Sri Lanka!
Peta
I am in awe of your willingness to travel to so many different places and just immerse yourself in the local culture. I can’t imagine how much you are enriched by those experiences, and am so grateful that you share them with us!
Ann, we are both passionate about travel and make it our priority. Often giving up a lot of other things (like having a decent couch for many years) in order to use our $ for travel. It is an “experience versus stuff” model, which is not for everyone but it is a life choice that works very well for us.
So glad you enjoyed this post and that you will return to the blog for more..
Peta
Brilliant.
Beautiful.
Stunning.
OMGgggosh, that food. Those dumplings!
The ART is for the soul!
Thank you for bringing me on these adventures.
I appreciate GREATLY!
xxx from MN.
Thank you Kim for your ever positive and loyal following. So nice you appreciate our blog posts so much!
xoxox
P&B
What a beautiful city George Town is. Some of the buildings look like they could be in Vienna, others in the heart of old China, a few in Haight Ashbury. The art could be in any contemporary museum, the kitchens at the Cordon Bleu School in Paris, and the food – oh, the food – please let me taste!! The people look friendly and calm – except for you two – you look hungry! (Me too!)
The photo of you two standing in front of the cobalt blue building – I had to look carefully as I thought you’d been incorporated into another mural! As for all the doors and windows – portals to another world – ancient and modern, Asian and Western.
We’re not able to travel much so I feel like I see the world through your posts – thank you so much for your generous photos and captions. Where to next?
Sharon we always enjoy your feedback on our blog posts. That is a fun observation with regards the architecture. It’s true, we also thought some of it reminded us of New Orleans.
That’s funny with regards the photo of us in front of the blue building. Haha. The scale of these paintings was incredible, they often took up the whole side of a building. Loved finding them scattered around town. Some were at eye level, but others, like the little girl one in pastel blue, was high up, so one has to be alert so as not to miss them.
So very happy to read that you can travel vicariously through our posts. that is heartwarming indeed.
Where next? stay tuned for a unique island destination in Thailand and then… oh no, we won’t spoil the surprise. Lots more coming your way.
Peta & Ben
A mouth-watering post, Peta and Ben! I have a vague recollection of George Town in Malaysia, but it has been so long ago, that I can’t be sure. I thought there was a Dutch historic area around there as well, but I might be mistaken.
The street art is amazing. I can see why Lisa recommended this destination to you. 🙂 No, seriously, I have never seen interactive or 3D street art, and the scenes are spectacular.
Interesting that the home owners were historically taxed according to street frontage in this city as well. Must be an international approach to taxing, as I believe that is the reason why historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina (and I’m sure others) face the same way.
Every time I read your posts, I want to jump on a plane and “really” go traveling again! It’s been too long since we savored a different culture.
Liesbet, it is interesting that many of the write ups about George Town say it has the best food in all of S.E Asia. We hold Hoi An, in Viet Nam and Chiang Mai, in Thailand in these coveted positions and even though we enjoyed the variety of foods here in Penang, we are sticking to our “chopsticks”.
The street art was such a treat. The city publishes a map so that you can do a day of mural finding and viewing. We got impatient with that and just let the streets and the art surprise us as we walked around each day.
Yes re the taxes, I think it is probably the same reason Amsterdam has such narrow deep houses.
I think one of the reasons we never really travelled that much within the U.S. even though there are many gorgeous national parks and places to go, as we have always sought out different cultures first as a filter for our destinations. The good news is when you do start travelling it will be so much fun to revisit and discover places.
Thanks for all your interesting comments.
Peta
Thanks so much, Peta and Ben, for this lively and colorful tour of Penang. The thing about travel is that the more we see, we discover there is always so much more to see and learn.
I loved seeing the foods, street scenes, architecture, art, murals, the doors and tiles, thank you so much. My favorite photos are the last one, with a street scene and the pigeons all lined up; and the one with the real motorcycle leaning against the mural with the drawn-in boy sitting on it, whimsy here.
Jet, thanks for stopping by to read us and leave your enthusiastic comments. Penang was such a melting pot of cultures and a great discovery for us, so glad that we made the effort to get there. There is something inherently and reliably rich about cities where multiple cultures co exist.
Those are two of my favourite photos as well. You are right “whimsical” is a very apt description of much of the street art. And as a cat lover it was fun to see so many cat murals. These were done to raise consciousness about stray cats.
Peta
What an amazing place! Truly a photographer’s dream. Those murals are stunning and how wonderful that many are made to interact with. Except for the food scenes, it didn’t look very crowded… is that true (or did you angle your camera away from the crowds)?
Something I’ve not mentioned yet in my comments; I love the way you dress, Peta. So flowy and comfortable. Do you make your clothes or do you pick them up here and there on your travels?
Janis, you are correct in noticing it was not crowded. One of the things WE noticed was how very FEW Westerners were in Georgetown. Surprisingly. There were however quite a few Asian tourists.
It was not crowded at all, the only times we encountered groups of people were at one of the popular dim sum restaurants and in the evenings lining up for street food. 99% locals!
Thanks for the lovely compliment Janis, on my clothes. I buy them on our travels as I find these clothes more interesting and way more realistically priced than U.S clothes. My favorite places to find fun clothes are Bali, Vietnam, India and Thailand. There are so many more colour choices in other countries. Whenever we return to the U.S. to visit family, or Europe, we have to transition a little to a less flamboyant colour palette, or we really stick out. And yes, often we do stick out and that’s okay too.
Peta
Lisa is a wise one to be sure. Fascinating architecture and the street murals really had me absorbed and strolling along with you. The noodle making technique is one I have not seen or heard of. No easy task it seems.
On a completely different note, as I looked through the photos and seeing how the two of you always look as though you have hopped out of a travel fashion magazine, perhaps you would consider one day doing a post on clothes that work in humid climates. My guess is you don’t travel with trunks of clothes and yet you always look fabulous. I think it would be a helpful article if it interests you at all. Or I can just marvel at your attire on the road. 🙂
I had exactly the same thought! A fashion travel post from you would be fun. :-))
Haha oh this is too funny. Okay guys, by popular request 🙂 as soon as we are caught up with our travels, we will do a fashion post.
Peta
Sue, firstly thank you for such a lovely flattering comment. Ben has been telling me for ages that we should do a blog post about fashion. So you have absolutely made his day and changed my mind, because I did not think anyone would be very interested. So that’s good to know.
Truth be told I have a very demanding boyfriend who enjoys bright colours and variety. But luckily for me, his father was a fashion designer in Paris and Ben is my personal fashion consultant. He grew up with textiles and fabrics and all of that on a daily basis.
You are correct, I travel with a very small suitcase and a very small budget! Okay, fashion blog post on the road, coming up once we are caught up with all our travels.
Thanks for the great suggestion, enthusiasm and encouragement.
Peta
I’m stunned at yet another place you’ve discovered that is so culturally rich, beautiful, interesting, and exotic. Although our travels thus far are merely in the U.S. and Canada, your interests are very much the same as ours—wandering and diving deep into what makes a place unique. I love all of the details you include, and your gorgeous, artistic photos. It makes me feel like I’m there with you.
I must admit as much as I love our travels, I would also love to be doing what you’re doing. Thank you for continuing to share your soul-nurturing adventures with us! (And actually, oyster omelets don’t sound odd to me at all. We’re currently in Apalachicola, and reveling in the oysters, shrimp, and crab here!)
Thank you Laurel for your lovely compliments. Especially on the photographs.Totally agree that we have very similar interests “wandering and diving deep into what makes a place unique”.
Love that sentence of yours “soul-nurturing adventures”, that completely sums it up!
Being French, Ben comes from a “oysters must be eaten fresh” culture, so at first he was rather dubious about the oyster omelet, but that lasted ONE bite and then he was a convert 🙂
Peta
The best advice for nomads always comes from other nomads…and Lisa is one of the best sources. What an amazing multi-faceted city this looks to be. The food, murals, architecture and blend of cultures. So vibrant. I love your comment about being humbled by your absolute ignorance. I’ve always felt that the most important aspect of travel is being humbled by the diversity of this world.
Well J.D. I guess us nomads understand each other and yes I would definitely take Lisa’s advice on a destination… clearly.
As we were on our way to Penang, we were wondering what awaited us as we decided to not read up too much ahead of time and rather be surprised. We had a long list from Lisa, just the names, not the reasons to go. So it was quite the treat to find so much up for offer.
Having lived in SE Asia for over 2 years and traveled it for 1.5 years before, there are still many discoveries for us and the fact that this is our “backyard” is a pretty good thing.
Peta
Wonderful photos, Peta. I love the murals combined with real life subjects. The food sounds scrumptious. Makes me want to book a flight there.
Thanks Sylvia, Penang is a photographers paradise, so I was in my element. The murals definitely had a unique whimsical charm to them and it was so much fun to watch other visitors posing and enjoying the interaction with the art.
Oh the food was yummy. Eventually we had to leave, lest we gained five more pounds each haha.
Peta
You made it to Penang! Your post reminded me of the many years ago when I visited Penang, and it was just like I remembered it – though the two of you seemed to have covered more than I did (was a very short stay for me). The interactive street art is a sight to behold. Very realistic and best is, it’s scattered around so it’s quite an adventure to find every one. It is amazing how in places like Malaysia people will queue for food, even in the hot and humid heat. That dim sum looks delicious, and I am guessing it tastes better than some dim sum you eat in a nice air conditioned restaurant. From my memories of traveling around Asia, street food outdoors is the best food 😀
Thanks for stopping by to read and comment Mabel. We ended up staying longer in Penang than anticipated as Ben broke a tooth crown and we had to wait for the replacement one. Luckily there are great dentists in Penang and in the meantime, we took a ferry to Thailand and spent four days on Koh Lipe Island, which was wonderful. When we got back to Penang, his crown was ready for him.
Peta
Your descriptions, as always, are vivid and your photos show an enormously charming city with plenty to see and explore during a visit. It’s not hard to see why Georgetown has been designated a UNESCO site and I love the murals. I hope to return to Asia in 2020 and Malaysia is one of the countries on my list with Georgetown a must see. And what a treat to imagine sampling many of its varied dishes!
Thank you Anita, such lovely compliments! If you do go to Asia Anita and you get to Malaysia, I would definitely recommend Georgetown. And interestingly enough, even though it is a UNESCO world heritage site, there were not many Western visitors, most were Asian. It was such a lovely surprise of a place for us. I could not remember WHY Lisa had advised we go there, but trusted her, and then it was a lovely discovery of such a rich combination of enticing things.
Peta
It’s on our list and so is Malaysia. I love the pop of colour and vibrance of the street. Thanks for taking me on a virtual tour! 🙂
You are most welcome. Penang is definitely worth a visit, so am sure you will enjoy.
Thanks for stopping by to read us and to leave a comment.
Peta
I love this post, Peta, and have securely placed Penang on my bucket list. Especially as I’ve recently been introduced to Malaysian cuisine on a short trip to Kuala Lumpur. I love the flavours of the food, and the friendliness of the Malaysian people.
Hi Jolandi, welcome to our blog and so glad you enjoyed this post. We have spent a little time in Kuala Lumpur as well, if you are interested to read our post, you can check our archives.
Peta
You certainly bring the place alive and into our little Spanish woodland. I almost feel hungry. My daughter visited Malaysia but I only ever got as far as India when I thought I was on a world trek. You tempt me but at the moment we opted for our woodland home. Found your blog through Restless Jo who is very nearby us now!
Welcome to our Green Global Trek adventures. Thanks for stopping by to read us and to leave your comments. Now you have us wondering if you stayed in India for an extended period of time? We just posted about our stop in India after Malaysia…
Enjoy your woodland home, it sounds lovely.
Peta
Why haven’t I been there before? This place looks amazing. My friend visited lately and raved about the food too. I feel your pain on historical ignorance, especially in Asia. There are so much history and current events that I don’t understand.
Jeff… the “why haven’t I been here before?” works really well for those of us living in Asia.
We think we know our neighborhood and have explored a lot of it ….and then somewhere like Penang pops onto the radar! I hope you get here, I am sure you guys would really enjoy it.
Yes we have a lot of work to do to catch up on History wise. One of the best benefits of travel is learning history as we go, real time.
Peta
Ha! Seems like both yesterday and forever ago that I was treated to your home, company and seriously yummy food in Sri Lanka. Thank you again for your hospitality and friendship. I still hope I get to return the favor someday.
Aghast indeed 😉 Of all the places that you’d traveled in the region, I was stunned that you’d never made it to Penang. How happy I am that you finally visited there and loved it as much as I do! I am almost crying as I virtually revisit those streets with you today. If we were to live a land life for an extended period, Penang is tops on our list of places to ‘drop the hook’. I walked those streets off and on for 18 months and never tired of the place. Another reason to take a ‘victory lap’.
Thank you so much for the shout out. Sending love from Brazil.
Ah Lisa, we were wondering when you might reach land again and get to read our Penang entry. We also ask ourselves when we visit a place we really enjoy.. “could we live here?”. Certainly the architecture, the culture and the food are big draws, but the one thing… it’s just TOO hot!! We hadn’t realised you lived there for so long.
Now that we have had a confirmed hit based on your recommendations, we will have to look at our Lisa list of must travel to destinations again, to see which others we might be able to experience.
Isn’t it true how it feels like “yesterday and forever?” We will meet again, somewhere, some time, no doubt.
Nice to read you again. Happy days in Brazil.
Peta
Georgetown is a must. It transformed me. 🙂 (I even wrote a short story on Penang. Before going there. I’ll send you the link in case you’re interested.)
I did recognize many of the places you show. As Lisa says, a good place to “drop the hook”.
Cheers. Au revoir, tot ziens.
Seems like Georgetown transforms many. Something so compelling about the architecture and what we loved, is how un slick the city is, how so much character has been retained. Sure send us the link… petakaplan@hotmail.com
Salut,
Peta
The history and the beautiful tiles are fascinating. Amazing street art. It really is art! The food is mysterious ,since I have only traveled outside the USA to Europe and Mexico. I wanted to smell and taste so much variety! Wished I could sample with you. Thanks for such delightful vicarious travel. You are able to make it so real with your descriptions, explanations, and photos.
Thanks Eileen. Glad we could introduce you to Penang’s rich culinary heritage. Not sure where you live, but maybe there is an Asian neighborhod nearby? Not quite the same as traveling to Asia, but… good place to start. Haven’t yet figured out how to attach a file that would enable readers to smell and taste the food – maybe in the next decade this will be a new app!
Thanks for following our Green Global Trek!
Ben