How to Plan a Luxury Vacation on a Budget

Penang is one of the most popular cities in Malaysia when it comes to tourist visits. Why? Its because it is a melting pot of culture and art. Penang is a large city area that belongs to the mainland of the country as well as an island. If you are visiting this city, the ideal way to get the best of Penang is to make your plan early. Here are a few places to include in your itinerary and how to reach the city.

Vnonymous, George Town, Penang at dusk, CC BY-SA 4.0

How to travel to Penang

There are 4 ways you can get to Penang and each option is so easy that you might even want to set off to Penang tomorrow if you are living close by.
Car – if you love road trips, then a 350-kilometre drive from Kuala Lumpur is the best way to get here. Of course, it will take about 5 hours to get here on the one-way street. Still, the views are absolutely stunning, and the roads are smooth too, so it's totally worth the drive.

Bus – yet another popular option is to get here by bus. There are plenty of direct buses from Kuala Lumpur to Penang island, so it is the most convenient mode of transport no doubt.

Train – the train runs from Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station to Butterworth Station located on the mainland in Penang. From here you will have to take the bus or hop on a ferry to Penang island.

Flights – there is an international airport in Penang which connected to many of the main cities in the region. You can take a flight from Kuala Lumpur which is just an hour in the air. Other direct flights come in from Singapore, Phuket and other cities in Malaysia.

Street Art Tour in Georgetown

This is an old quaint town and the street art here might not be all that vibrant, but it is still a collection of amazing pieces to visit. What's unique about the graffiti here is that they might go unnoticed if you don't carefully lookout for them. You can explore the little alleys where the walls are not quite smooth. The artist has expertly used the old crumbling walls to come up with beautiful works of art. Its almost as if old memories have been engraved into these old walls with paint. The best way to explore would be on foot or cycling.

Photo by Chung Kevin form PxHere

Pinang Peranakan Mansion

This was once the home of a Chinese businessman who lived in Penang. The place is now a museum that has been very well preserved. The place is so grand with a combination of red, gold and white as a theme for the interiors. There are plenty of Chinese lanterns as well inside the mansion. Intricate golden designs can be seen on doors and even on the staircase of the mansion. Even most of the cutlery has been gold plated. Step in and you'll feel like you've entered an entirely different world, one that goes many years back in time.

Thai and Burmese Buddhist Temples

The Thai temple here in Penang is known as Wat Chaiyamangalaram and is made to typical Thai style. Step in and you'll see designs in the brightest shades of orange and gold. Even the massive 180-metre-long reclining Buddha has been coated in gold. It is one of the largest reclining Buddha statues in the world. This temple is the largest one in Malaysia where you will be able to observe Thai religious rituals.

The Burmese temple, Dhammikarama has been designed to bring in utmost peace into the hearts of those who visit. Here too is a large statue of a standing Buddha decorated in gold. This is the oldest temple in the oldest Buddhist temple in Penang. These temples are a must-visit and are within easy reach from PARKROYAL Penang Resort and many a Penang hotel.