Teh Rong Yan, known to friends as Ryan Teh, is as local as a local can be. The business development executive for a multinational company was born, raised and currently resides in the Malaysian state of Penang, where he also runs his own network marketing business and gets in as much exercise as he can. Luckily for him, there’s no shortage of places to run, hike and play in the diverse region, which offers visitors the best of old and new.
Tell us about Penang’s hot spots. Penang consists of two parts: Penang Mainland and Penang Island. The latter has most of the trendy neighborhoods, as well as George Town — Penang’s capital city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The George Town area has a lot of interesting shops, cafes, restaurants and food stalls scattered all around. Best of all, many of the buildings are well-preserved from the British colonial period, so it’s a favorite spot for hobby photographers.
It’s Friday night. Where to? For a drink, there are many great bars in George Town, especially along Chulia Street and Beach Street, which are always full of tourists and locals. If you want to take the night up a notch, check out dance clubs such as Ozoo Club Penang and Mois Club. You can also enjoy the sea breeze by taking a stroll along Karpal Singh Drive, Gurney Drive or Batu Ferringhi; are all located along the coastline.
Penang offers a multitude of places to pick up a Malaysian meal.
Credit: 2019 Getty Images
A tourist activity in Penang worth the hype is: Penang Hill. I like to take the tram all the way to the top, then enjoy the breathtaking view of Penang while drinking a cappuccino. There are museums, restaurants, a viewing deck, hotels and more on the hilltop.
I would also personally recommend hunting for the street-art murals in George Town by talented Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic.
Hunt for street art in George Town by artist Ernest Zacharevic.
Credit: 2019 Getty ImagesWhere’s the best place to find a typical Malaysian meal? You can find most of the famous dishes from Penang at Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon, but most of the food courts scattered around the island are packed with stalls that sell our signature dishes.
What’s something visitors might not know about the area? Although Penang consists of mostly three different races, who speak different languages, many of the locals are multilingual; this is one of the elements that makes Penang truly special. People here are noted for being friendly and helpful, English is well-understood by most, and those who are not totally fluent in English will still be able to converse and make themselves understood.
