My family hails from Malaysia and it’s not surprising that I’ve been to Malaysia more times than my fingers and toes can count. With favourable exchange rate between SGD and Ringgit, there’s an influx of Singaporean travellers to Malaysia, especially Penang. Penang has the best of both worlds — food, and a relatively slower pace of life compared to Kuala Lumpur. But there’s only so many times you can go to Georgetown, take photos with murals until Penang gets boring. Here are the 7 other things you do in Penang the next time you travel, as recommended by my Penangites relatives.

1. Travelling funfairs

Travelling funfairs in Penang

Pasar malam in Singapore? London Christmas market? Pfft. Why settle for our tiny night markets or travel all the way to European countries when you can easily find funfairs right next door? Like most of Malaysia, Penang frequently has travelling funfairs complete with pirate ships, giant ferries wheels, flying chairs etc.

Travelling funfairs in Penang

Even if you don't have an adventurous soul, these travelling funfairs make a great place for Insta-worthy photos.

Because the fun fairs are constantly moving around Malaysia, it's best to do a quick Google search for the next funfair before booking your flight tickets.

2. ESCAPE Adventureplay

If you find yourself reminiscing the good ol' days of school camps, gather your friends for a round of adventure in Penang!

ESCAPE Adventureplay

Hosted in a forested area, ESCAPE Adventureplay is heaven on earth for thrill seekers who want a taste of zipling between the trees, crawling in underground caves or rock climbing on a building.

ESCAPE Adventureplay

Little kiddos can have their fair share of fun too — ESCAPE Adventureplay has a fair share of educational games for the younger ones and mildly adventurous activities for tweens.

One full day of adventure at ESCAPE Adventureplay only costs RM83 for adults and RM55 for children 4 to 12 years old.

ESCAPE Adventureplay

Address: 828 Jalan Teluk Bahang,  11050 Penang, Malaysia
Email: info@escape.my
Telephone: +60 4 8811 106
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm, closed on Monday

3. Catching sunrises at Gurney Drive

Gurney Drive sunrise

Gurney Drive is home to a stretch of expensive housing estate along Penang, but it's also becoming increasingly common to catch sunrise-chasers there waiting for the golden hour. Its calm waters reflects the rising sun painting Penang a vibrant orange, making Gurney Drive one of the best sunrise spots in Penang.

Gurney Drive Hawker Centre

Go fill your tummy with some Penang delights before the sun rises! Mere minutes away from the sunrise spot lies Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, the biggest street food hawker in Penang. Although a popular tourist destination, Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, undeniably, serves some of best Penang food like rojak and char kway tiao.

Gurney Drive Hawker Centre

Address: 172, Solok Gurney 1, Pulau Tikus, 10250 Jelutong, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 4:30pm to 11pm daily

4. Clan Jetties Of Penang

Clan Jetties Of Penang

Clan Jetties Of Penang is a cluster of 8 rustic, floating houses — each house belonging to a family with a different surname. Some of the houses have been converted to hostels for travellers while others remain residential homes. Tan Jetty, in particular, is now a popular restaurant where patrons can admire the sunrise while enjoying some kickass Thai food.

Clan Jetties Of Penang

Penang has gorgeous sunsets, period.

Tan Jetty Thai Food Restaurant

Address: 56A, Pengkalan Weld, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 11am to 2pm, and 5pm to 10pm daily

5. Snake Temple, Penang

Snake Temple, Penang

Located near Penang International Airport, Snake Temple is a unique Taoist temple with actual living snakes slithering around. Snake Temple was built in 1850 in memory of Chor Soo Kong, a buddhist monk who occasioanlly gave shelter to snakes living in the jungle nearby. The snakes began appearing at the temple on their own after Chor Soo Kong passed away and, subsequently, the renovation of Snake Temple.

Although there are fewer snakes now compared to the past, the temple remains one of the strangest temples around the world.

Snake Temple

Address: Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Bayan Lepas Industrial Park, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 6am to 7pm daily
Entrance Fee: RM5 for adults, RM3 for children

6. Penang Street Food

Forbes named Penang as one of the top 10 cities in the world with the best street food — understandly so, if you've tasted Penang delicacies. Why else would Singaporean restaurants try to mimic the Penang taste, at five times the price?

Penang Street Food

Fortunately, Penang is lined with amazing street food every corner you turn at affordable prices that will not hurt your wallet. If you're looking for Penang hawkers with more variety of food that you can share with your lunch kakis instead of a specialised coffee shop, Genting Cafe and Chulia Street Hawker Stalls both have their fair share of delicious and cheap street food.

Genting Cafe, Penang

Genting Cafe

Address: Lorong Delima 3, Taman Island Glades, 11700 Jelutong, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 7am to 5pm daily, closed on Wednesday

Chulia Street Hawker Stalls

Chulia Street Hawker Stalls

Address: Lebuh Chulia, George Town, Penang Island, Malaysia
Operating hour: 6pm to 11pm daily

7. Rest Well

Most travellers severely underestimate the importance of a good night's sleep when travelling. Travelling is tiring no matter your age because you want to wake up early and sleep late to explore the most of a city, especially one as vibrant as Penang. It's not called a retreat if you return home even more tired than before your holidays!

Secure a comfortable hotel room when you book Lexis Suites Penang online to ensure that you'll be recharged and ready for a day full of activities in Penang. Traveloka Malaysia is a hotel and flight booking site that gives users the assurance of secured transactions so you don't carry the burden of extra worries when you travel.

With Traveloka Malaysia, you can easily check your bookings online with a few taps on your smartphone. Traveloka Malaysia also has the most competitive hotel and flight prices in Southeast Asia!