Penang Island

From Ho Chi Minh to Penang Island

I stayed in Ho Chi Minh for several days, then moved to Penang in Malaysia. I came to Malaysia 7 years ago for a transit, so this was my first time actually traveling around the country. Penang Island is located in the northwest of Malaysia, so it's quite close to Ho Chi Minh City. The flight was only 1.5 hours, and it's actually closer than the distance between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

After I passed immigration, I withdrew cash and bought a SIM card, then checked the taxi price on Grab. The airport is about 15km from the city center, so taxis are expensive and I chose a bus. Long story short, it took more than 2 hours and there were no seats. There were many travelers from the airport, just like me, and everyone was exhausted.

By the way, I felt a little bit weird when taking this picture. I took this picture around 7pm but it was still very bright! In Vietnam, it gets dark after 6-6:30 pm, so it was new to me. It's actually because Malaysia is 1 hour ahead of Vietnam, but Penang Island is located further west than Vietnam, so the sunset is later.

Also, regarding the currency, Malaysia uses the "Malaysian Ringgit". Vietnamese dong has many digits like 100,000 VND, so it took time to get used to calculating - it sounds cheaper somehow lol.

Downtown in Penang Island

The culture in Penang is very unique. Basically, Malaysia has a mix of various cultures, and it's fascinating to see the contrast of mainly Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences.

Malay is the largest ethnic group in Malaysia, and I heard they account for around 60% of the population. Their major religion is Islam. I found many beautiful mosques and heard the call to prayer.

The 2nd largest ethnic group in Malaysia is Chinese Malaysian. They account for around 25% of the population, but Penang is different - more than 40%. So I found many Chinese restaurants here and many people were speaking in Chinese. I noticed they use both Traditional characters, which are used in Taiwan, and Simplified characters, which are used in mainland China, and found out that their Chinese is called "Penang Hokkien". I also went to some temples here and most of them used Traditional characters.

Also, there are many Indian people living in Malaysia (around 7%). I went to the Indian quarter, called "Little India," and found many Indian shops and restaurants.

I sometimes saw homeless people, and they were all of Indian descent. It could have been just a coincidence, but it made me wonder if there might be an economic disparity among ethnic groups. I apologize if I'm wrong.

Additionally, the buildings in Penang, particularly in the city center, were very colorful and beautiful, reminding me of those in Taiwan. However, it felt a bit out of place, and there was less sense of daily life - I didn't see many people living here and many houses were empty. I looked into this and found out that the city center is registered as a World Heritage Site, and the government preserves this landscape for cultural preservation and tourism.

Food in Penang Island

Penang is a top-notch gourmet city. You can try many kinds of cuisine such as Malay, Chinese, and Indian, and every food I tried here was amazing! I can't share them all one by one, so I've ranked my favorites to share with you.

Ranked 1st：Nian Wei Chinese Dumplings - Dumplings

I personally love dumplings, and this place was very tasty and reasonable. They only have a Chinese menu, and you can try authentic dumplings. I had boiled dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, and soup dumplings (xiaolongbao), but the soup dumplings were incredible. Please keep it a secret that I went there 2 days in a row.

Ranked 2nd：Nyonya Palazzo - Chicken Rendang

It was my first time hearing about and trying this cuisine, but Nyonya cuisine is popular in Penang Island.

Nyonya cuisine is a fusion food born from the intermarriage of Chinese immigrants and local Malay people in Southeast Asia. It combines Chinese cooking techniques with Malay spices like lemongrass, coconut milk, and shrimp paste, creating flavors that are neither fully Chinese nor fully Malay. Signature dishes include Laksa, a spicy noodle soup, and Ayam Pongteh, chicken braised in fermented soybean paste. In Penang, Nyonya food reflects the island's identity as a place where different cultures didn't just coexist — they blended.

I ordered Chicken Rendang (slow-cooked chicken in coconut and spices). I was a bit surprised they served it with blue rice, but the taste was so good. The rendang was cooked very well, not too spicy but rich.

Ranked 3rd：Gala House Penang - Butter toast and milk coffee

Butter toast is a popular breakfast in Penang Island. It's very simple - they sandwich butter and sugar - I could probably eat this every day. It's commonly paired with milk coffee, and it was actually a good match. High-calorie foods always make us happy.

Ranked 4th：Danish Briyani House - Tandori Biryani

As I mentioned in this post, there are many good Indian restaurants in Penang Island. I tried this restaurant and had Tandori Biryani. It was not too spicy and the chicken was juicy. I want to explore more Indian food next time.

Kek Lok Si (極楽寺)

Kek Lok Si is one of the biggest temples in Southeast Asia, and I went there on the third day. It was a bit far from the city center, so I took a bus to get there. In Malaysia, this season is really hot outside, so I recommend going in the morning. I got tanned after this lol.

Kek Lok Si (極楽寺) is the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia, located in the hills of Penang. Built in 1891, it uniquely blends Chinese, Thai, and Burmese architectural styles in a single complex. The temple is best known for its seven-story Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas and a towering 30-meter bronze statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, overlooking the island.

This temple is huge. There are so many halls and Buddha statues of various types, and you can pray at each one. I found a pond where many turtles were swimming.

After walking 10 minutes, I reached halfway up. I saw wonderful statues and it looked like some kind of utopia. I went there on Sunday, so there were many people coming to pray here. I guess many local people come here too.

After passing the halfway point, I went into a shop and found there was a cable car to the top. Btw, Kek Lok Si is free of charge to enter, and the cable car was also just 1-2 USD.

Finally, I reached the top! I found out later that I could see Lunar New Year decorations, as the square and statues were covered with lanterns. The main Buddha statue was giant and majestic. I've been to many temples in the past, but this was one of the most impressive places.

Alright, that's the end of the journey in Penang Island.

I stayed in Penang Island for 3 nights and moved to the next city - Ipoh. Thanks for reading.

Continuing to Ipoh