We left Taiping around 11 am by car and arrived in Butterworth around 12 pm. It's been traffic jam at the Penang Bridge toll plaza, so we've been lining up around 15 minutes. Finally, we arrived in Georgetown.
Highway to Georgetown
Bukit Bendera ; Epic Fail
Firstly, the idea was to go to Bukit Bendera since I never had chance to go there via cable-car but we can't make it since the cable-car service is still under maintenance and will be continued this coming February. So, we decided to go to Air Itam to see the Kek Lok Si temple.
Typica view of Penang's street
Kek Lok Si Temple
Kek Lok Si temple is the biggest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia. Since it's located on the hilltop, it can be seen anywhere from Air Itam town. When we arrived, there are so many tourists there coming from all over places around the world. So, it's kinda crowded over there. We stopped by the temple's parking and I snap some of pictures. We didn't wait much longer after that.
The view of Kek Lok Si temple from Pekan Air Itam
HDR picture of Kek Lok Si Temple complex
Batu Ferringhi
We left Air Itam for Batu Ferringhi. If you want to know, my parents always bring me here when I was a child. That time, we did picnic by the seashore and I used to play around along the beach :) Now, the beaches there are not beautiful as before since it's became polluted.
We stop by the stalls there and have our lunch ; laksa and rojak.
Panoramic picture of Batu Ferringhi's beach
The beach :P
My parents and my youngest bro :)
Teluk Bahang
We left Batu Ferringhi after that short lunch. We planned to go around the island ; Teluk Bahang and then Balik Pulau. Along the windy way to Teluk Bahang, we gone through few beaches. There are many hotels by the roadside, as same like the one in Pantai Chenang, Langkawi and Patong Beach, Phuket. The journey from there to Teluk Bahang is about half-an-hour.
Teluk Bahang is a small town, located at northeast of the island. Apart from beaches nearby, it's also famous for the one and only dam in Penang ; Teluk Bahang Dam. It's a large water reservation lake situated on one of the hill and by the roadside to Balik Pulau.
Windy road with the view of town afar.This was taken nearby the dam.
Panoramic view of the Teluk Bahang Dam.
National Park
National Park or reserve forest is situated in between Teluk Bahang - Balik Pulau road. It's a vast, hilly forest on the other side of the island. It was the first time I been there. The scenery is beautiful, almost same like the one in Langkawi. There are few streams and waterfall alongside the windy road through the forest. Unfortunately, I didnt take any pictures here. Huhu.
Balik Pulau
Nothing special about this small town except it is so peaceful here compared to the hectic life of Georgetown. We stopped here just for solat Asar.
Minaret of the mosque that we stopped by
The township of Balik Pulau
Back to Georgetown..
We left Balik Pulau to go back to Georgetown by Relau and then, Bukit Jambul. The ordinary view that I can see in Penang is that, there are always many of construction taking place. I don't know how long it will last; maybe until it's gonna be same like in Singapore :)
New housing estates.
But still, some of old buildings were preserved (until?)
We went to Penang Road. Our destination this time was a famous nasi kandar stall ; Nasi Kandar Line Clear. It's situated not far from the known- Kayu Nasi Kandar (closed that time). Parkings are quite limited so my father need to park it somewhere far.
the stall is located on the alleyway between few other nasi kandar restaurants
One of the staff is serving the customer. We actually lined up long until we get our food here.
Well, here's the verdicts ; It is delicious, and I got a big plate of rice and dishes. Plus the chicken is quite big. But it's still cannot challenge nasi ganja in Ipoh (will write about this in the future, Insya Allah).
Lebuh Campbell
After that second lunch, we walk around to the nearest Lebuh Campbell. It's famous for jeruk stalls by the roadside. We managed to get to one of the famous buah pala vendor there. While my parents were busy there, I walked around to snap few pictures.
Lebuh Campbell
Jeruk or Pickled fruits
Nagore Shrine.
KOMTAR
We went to KOMTAR after finished with Lebuh Campbell. It is also a place where my parents used to bring me and my siblings for shopping and watching cinema. I want to go there because I want to go to the camera shop, Click n Snap to find some camera stuff. And, I bought a remote shutter there for my D700.
Komtar as seen from Penang Road.
Padang Kota and Gurney Drive
Also, this is a nostalgic place for me. Huhu. Gurney Drive is a road stretching along the seashore and Padang Kota is the field nearby the road. Once, there are so many food-stalls and we used to eat here when we came to Penang. Now, the stalls were relocated to the Padang Kota Baru, which is quite far from the previous venue.
Two modes of transportation; Modern and Old ; Trishaw and Car.
Penang City Hall, just in front of the field.
View of Penang Port's huge cranes from Padang Kota
My mom and bro's having kerang bakar and sotong bakar
Going Back ; Ferry
It's already dusk when we left Padang Kota. So, it's time to go home. We decided to board a ferry this time. Penang Ferry is one of the oldest ferry services in Malaysia and being used to and from the mainland before the Penang Bridge constructed. Now, it's mainly used for tourist attraction and as alternative modes of transportation to and from mainland. I love using ferry since we can come out from our car, enjoying the scenery of the Penang's night.
View inside the ferry.
The huge fleet of Sun Vista cruise, leaving anytime soon to Phuket
The nearby ferry, on the opposite way to Georgetown.
Finally, we arrived in Butterworth, and then all the way to Taiping. It was an enjoyable trip for me. I'm thinking to come back this February during the Chinese New Year festival, alone.
