Recommendations

Pay Penang Parking Ticket online

Once again, I’m revisiting an old post from years ago.  Times change and things improve.  Years ago I wrote about paying for the different parking tickets downtown.  Since that time, the City Council of Penang Island, started a new scratch-off parking coupon system.  (Recently the City Council’s Malay acronym changed from MPPP to MBPP because of a status upgrade from a municipality to a city).  When the new parking ticket system went into effect, the payment window was only in Georgetown, in KOMTAR.  Now, the tickets do list other payment options, like mailing in a check.  What it doesn’t list is the online payment options. So here they are for your information.   Read more…

3+1 date night restaurant recommendations

To add a twist to our series on Penang, the number one place on earth for food (my opinion), I thought I’d take as step away from street food and write up some higher class dining establishments.

Our good friend Dave Ray, photographer and expat living in Penang shared with me his top three restaurants for when he wants to take his wife Julie out for a fancy date night. These are the opinions of one guy. If you have a restaurant you’d like to invite Dave, myself and our wives, we’d be more than willing to give you a fair shake.

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Rainy days in Batu Ferringhi

Last night, I was out eating with a friend in Batu and sitting at the table next to us was a nice young couple from London.  We found out that they were on their honeymoon and had arrived 24 hours ago.  Well if you’ve been here for the last day and a half you’d know that it has been unusually rainy.  Looking out the window right now, it looks like the sky is finally clearing and the sun is back out.

I felt really bad for my new friends, and tried to offer some suggestions for things to do in Batu, while it rains.

Shopping

They had heard about Gurney Plaza (which I can recommend if you have a toddler).  I also recommended that they check out the jewelry and high end goods at Straits Quay.

Eat

There is so much good food to be had here in Batu and Penang.  I recommended Long Beach Food Court to them and was listing some of the various local goodies that can be had.  Batu is especially good for Arab foods.  Looking down the street from where we were sitting, I could see Lebanon restaurant, BBQ Nights for Pakistani food, Persian Place for Iranian, and we were sitting in a Yemeni restaurant.

Butterfly Park

If it is a rainy day, the butterfly park is still an option because it is covered.  A rainy day might be even better because, the day my children and I went was a blistering hot day, and we retreated into the AC after the tour was over.  The Butterfly park can be found in Teluk Bahang, farther west from Batu, easily reached by the 101 Rapid Penang Bus

So if you are out there Adam and your bride, a hearty congratulations on your marriage and best wishes.  I hope you’re having a better time now that the sun is out.

A trustworthy driver

In our short time in Penang, we have met and befriended a driver, Ismail.  He has his own vehicle and he hires himself out to drive tourists around Penang and even out of the city.  If he is unavailable he can recommend another driver for you.  He speaks excellent English and Arabic.

He can be reached at +60 19 549 9960.  He is based in Batu Ferringhi.