Malaysia fascinated me from the first day, for its people, culture, landscapes, food. And Georgetown, in Penang, is a city I like a lot for its temples, street art, colonial houses and interesting meetings with people.
I’m sitting in a bandstand in a Chinese temple built over the water. There’s music, quiet and cheerful music. I close my eyes and feel the wind on my face. It’s a soft wind and it smells like the sea. I open my eyes. A part from myself, there are only three other tourists in the temple.
While I admire the temple from the shadow of the bandstand I think about this last week. The arrival to Malaysia. The two days in Kuala Lumpur with jet lag. The humid tropical heat. The long journey from Kuala Lumpur to Georgetown, the cold I felt in the bus due to the air con, the delay due to the heavy traffic, the intense rain. The days in Georgetown, in Penang.
This is my second time in Malaysia and the third one in Penang. I had no idea, two years ago, that this would be my first destination of my new life as a wanna be digital nomad.
I smile. I’m happy to be here. This country fascinates me for its people, culture, temples, landscapes, food. I’ve come to Penang to see friends I met through couchsurfing last time, and I’ve taken the opportunity to rediscover Georgetown, the biggest city in Penang. I didn’t remember much and I’ve loved it.
Georgetown ’s historical center and street art
Penang is an island on the west coast of Malaysia, near the border with Thailand. Georgetown is the biggest city and it’s well known for the street art, the food and the historial center, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I’ve liked to explore the city. To go out from the hostel before it’s too hot and there’s too many people in the streets. Walking the streets between colorful houses of colonial style. To see the rickshaws, these vehicles with pedals and an umbrella. To drink fruit shakes.
I feel fascinated to find a Chinese temple in a corner, an Indian temple in another corner and a mosque a bit further. These mix of cultures is unique.
It was funny to search the street art murals, like it were a game. It should be over here. Or maybe in the next corner? Oh look, there’s a lot of people there queueing with a camera, it might be there.
The street art started with a project called “Mirrors Georgetown” in 2012, and ever since there have been new murals in the city. Most of them are in the historical center but there are some in other parts of the city. Some of them look very real, others are funny, some are very big and others small. It’s like an open air museum.
Meeting locals and coconuts with sunglasses
Yesterday I saw coconuts wearing sunglasses.
That’s funny! I thought. They were on a table. Behind them, a fridge contained more coconuts (without the glasses) and some drinks. There was nobody. I smiled and went on. Two seconds later a man called me, and suddenly I was sitting on a chair, drinking a coconut, surrounded by t-shirts and hats on sale and bicycles to rent.
That shop had a bit of everything.
The owner was very nice and even though he didn’t speak English very well he told me that we were on the Ong clan jetty. He told me about the colonial houses and the street art, and showed me on a map where the nearest murals were.
And suddenly I was in a photographic session. Me with the coconut. The man with a friend (they asked me to take a photo with my camera). The man and me. Me on a bicycle.
I left the shop smiling. Funny things that happen when you travel alone!
Hello, hello! Where you from?
The man of the shop wasn’t the only one to come talk to me. After one year in Europe I didn’t remember how it is to travel in Asia. Here it’s obvious that I’m a foreigner, and being alone, I generate even more curiosity.
“Hello hello! Where you from?”.
The first one was at the airport, the second in Kuala Lumpur. One told me that Malaysian girls don’t travel alone abroad (I didn’t tell him that I have a Malaysian friend who travels alone abroad). Another mentioned Messi when I told him where I’m from. A woman wanted to have a picture with me.
In front of a temple in Georgetown a guy started talking to me. “Hello hello, where you from?”.
He told me I was the first person he met from Spain and asked me if I was traveling with my family.
He was very surprised that I’m traveling alone.
“You’re brave!” he said. I asked if Malaysia is dangerous. “No, it’s not dangerous, but don’t you have a husband? Why don’t you travel with friends?”. He was also surprised to hear my age (“I thought you were 25”) and my job (“you look like an office girl”). He was in shock!
Clan jetties and the floating temple
The clan jetties are houses built over the water. They were constructed by the members of the Chinese clans that arrived to the city in the past. Each jetty has the family name of the clan, and even nowadays the descendants live there.
The biggest and most visited jetty is the Chew clan jetty. The main “street” has food and souvenir shops, but I also took the secondary streets, which were empty. There I saw wooden houses, motorbikes parked in front of the doors, clothes drying under the sun. It was quiet and in between one house and another, I could see the slow movement of the sea.
From there I saw a Chinese temple, far, at the end of the jetties. It looked very big and it seemed to be over the water.
Today I’ve decided to search the temple I saw from the jetties. It’s been a bit difficult since the streets to come here do not appear in the maps, but I found it. It’s fantastic. I like the red and yellow colors, the decorated roof, the dragons, the red balloons and the yellow flags with text I don’t understand.
I like the quietness of this temple over the water. The sea breeze. The views of the city and the contrast between the wooden houses of the jetties and the modern high buildings in the background. I like the temple, the city, Penang. I’m happy to be here.
Attention: SCAM in Georgetown
Malaysia is not known for having scams (as far as I know) but in Georgetown there is a woman who has been scamming people for years. She looks European (she told me she was a Swiss living in US) and has a 7-8 years old son. She says her credit card has been blocked and needs 150 ringgits (about 30 euros) until she can gets money. My local friend told me that she actually lives in Georgetown and has been scamming people since her son was a baby.
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Such a great post! I loved your photos! I was just in Malaysia, but didn’t get to visit Georgetown! I guess I’ll have to go back now 😉 Thanks for sharing and thank you for the heads up about the scam!
Thanks Felicia! There are so many places to see, there’s always something for a second visit!
Welcome, I hope nobody else falls into the scam.
This was so great! I was JUST there! I wish I had your post before I went. I experienced many of these things but not all. I wish I would have seen more street art. It was so great!! I loved the clan jetties too. I see myself definitely going back to Penang. It was one of my favorite places in SE Asia so far!!!
Hi Cherene! Penang is also one of my favorite places in SE Asia, I’m sure I’ll go back! The street art is amazing and new one are appearing, so there will be always something new to see 🙂
Totally feeling your sense of excitement living and exploring Penang on your own! One of my fav cities in Malaysia and the street art was fun to discover, although I was disappointed I didn’t see the mural of the two kids on the swing. Have fun, enjoy Penang’s food, hydrate well and safe travels!
Hi Kristine! Actually I was in Georgetown two years ago and didn’t see the two kids on a swing either. This time I got a map in the hostel with the most famous street art murals so I could find it.
Hydrate well… definetely! Thanks and safe travels to you too!
Malaysia and especially Georgetown seems very nice! I love the way you write and describe everything. The
Hean Boo Thean Temple looks very colourful and nice to vist. It is great that you met new friends via couchsurfing and are still in contact after a while. I would like to visit Malaysia after reading your post!
Thanks Daphne! Yes it was so nice to meet like minded people and fortunately we managed to keep in contact after all this time, and meet again. I think the first time I read about Malaysia was from someone who had visit and done couchsurfing there, and it inspired me to visit. So I’m glad my post inspired you!
Penang sounds so cool. Everyone I know that’s been there and everything I’ve read about it say its awesome! This is like, the top of my Malaysia list.
Hi Megan! Yeah I think Penang is very cool! Well, I might be biased because I’ve made friends here but still I’m sure it’s a place worth visiting 🙂
Did a long weekend solo a couple years back, just for the half-2d half-real street art. The artist that did the original set did some more in the town of Ipoh in the state of Perak. Also cool, and (but?) much less crowded.
They’re right in general terms – Malaysian girls do not travel solo, and even less likely so abroad. Heck even Malaysian guys don’t really – at least not for fun! You’d have the oddballs here and there, like your friend and me, but most people can quite easily go an entire life and never hear of a single example. We are a risk-averse and alone-averse people…
Thanks Nuraini for your local insight! Since I met a couple of solo travelers from Malaysia I didn’t realize that it wasn’t something common. And I didn’t know that there are street art murals in Ipoh from the same artist. Good to know in case I go there 🙂
I loved reading your post! Have been planning to go to Malaysia for years – this might finally be my lucky year. Will definitely keep all your advice in mind. Looks like you had a great time 🙂
Hi Rimsha! Yes I had a great time and I really like Malaysia. Hope you can make it there this year!
Georgetown is one of the parts of Malaysia that’s really appealed to me. I love the fact that a lot of the street art is really 3-dimensional and so much fun 🙂
I can definitely relate to the kind of questions you get as a solo female traveller. I was constantly asked where my husband was and then why I wasn’t married. However a lot of people in my home country find it difficult to understand why I would want to travel alone so I can understand why that puzzles a lot of people abroad too.
One of the things I hate about travelling alone is never having any photographs of myself at all the amazing places I’ve visited. Selfiies just aren’t the same!
Hi Kiara! I agree, selfies aren’t the same! And I always forget to ask people to take photos of me (and sometimes there are no other people) so I don’t have a lot of photos of myself when I travel alone.
And the questions… it gets tiring, so much that sometimes I wonder if I should just say I’m married even if I’m not.
So happy to have met you and Anna today 🙂 Have been in Georgetown barely two days and already plotting to come back. Love this post since it makes me excited for all the exploring we have left to do!
Hi Carmela,
So sorry about my late reply!!! I cannot believe that I missed it!
It was great meeting you in Penang, I had a great time! I hope our paths cross again in the future 🙂
Been interested in reading these Penang posts Laia because we will be in Georgetown in early April. I was last there in 2001 and my best memories were of the very friendly people and the food (and some beautiful temples).
Do you have any recommendations for Airbnb in Georgetown? As you know my wife works (and we’re a bit older) so looking for something nice, centrally located, with good internet.
Frank (bbqboy)
Hi Frank,
Glad to hear that you’re going to Penang this year, I hope you will enjoy it.
I stayed in three different airbnbs in Penang but all of them were far from Georgetown (1h or more by bus).
I have a digital nomad friend who stayed in an airbnb near Gurney Plaza and she enjoyed the area. It’s not in the center but closer to the city center (20-25min by bus, 10-15min by uber). I’ve heard that Pulau Tikus is a good area as well (near Gurney Plaza).
If you stay in the center, avoid Love Lane and Chulia Street – they can get busy (noisy) at night.
If you have any other questions do not hesitate to contact me, I’ll try to help 🙂
Thank you Laia! Appreciate it.
Welcome Frank, I hope you enjoy Thailand and Penang.