This article is a travel guide to Georgetown Penang in Malaysia: what to do in Georgetown, where to stay in Georgetown and how to get around Georgetown.
Georgetown is the capital of the island state of Penang, located on the east side of the island.
How to get to Georgetown
Temple close to Armenian Street, Georgetown, Malaysia
From Cameron Highlands to Georgetown: We left Tanah Rata early morning on a bus to Butterworth. The ride lasted less than 3hrs to Butterworth for a cost of MYR 32 (under USD $9) per person.
From Kuala Lumpur: By bus, it takes less than 4hrs and the cost is MYR 35 (under USD $10). By plane, the flight lasts about 45mins. You also have the option of going by train – check out the article from the Man on Seat 61
Streets in Georgetown, Malaysia
Georgetown is located on the island of Penang so you have to take a 15-minute ferry ride from Butterworth to get to Georgetown at a cost of MYR 1.20 per person (there is no charge for the return trip). The first ferry depart Butterworth at 6am, last one is at 12:30am. First ferry to depart Penang is at 5:30am and last one at 1am.
Ferry entrance from Butterworth to Georgetown
Instructions for ferry, Georgetown, Malaysia
On the ferry heading towards Georgetown, Malaysia
Once we arrived in Georgetown, we asked for directions to get to the hotel area of the town.
Where to stay in Georgetown Penang, Hotels & Accommodations
Seeing tourists touring Georgetown, Malaysia
There are many hotels located on and around Jalan Muntri (Muntri street) and Lorong Love (Love Lane). We had not decided on a hotel before our arrival but had a list of a couple to check out (though most were fully booked, to our disappointment) but all hotels are located right next to one another:
We finally ended up at the Star Lodge located at 39, Muntri Street, Georgetown #604-2626 378 almost next to the Camera Museum.
Cost: MYR 40 (a little over USD $11) per night for a room for two people
Amenities: Private bath with hot water, a desk, a fan and towels. The rooms are basic but perfect for our needs. The management is welcoming and helpful. We also booked our bus tickets to Thailand with them.
Our bedroom at the Star Lodge, basic but decent.
Getting around Georgetown Penang, Transportation
Love the colors of Georgetown, Malaysia
We were only in Penang for two days and didn’t venture to the beach areas as we were heading to Thailand shortly after.
We managed to do all of our activities by foot which was sometimes tricky as there weren’t always sidewalks and when there were, it could be be pretty narrow.
A smart use for shoes, Georgetown, Malaysia
If you do not want to walk, there is a pretty good bus system in Penang with air-conditioning.
What to do in Georgetown Penang, Activities
Free tour of the Chocolate and Coffee Museum, Georgetown, Malaysia
Cheong Fat Tze Mansion (which was closed when we went but still very nice to admire)
Cheong Fat Tze Mansion, Georgetown, Malaysia
Clan Jetty – one of our favorite place to visit
Colorful homes on the jetty, Georgetown, Malaysia
Hunting Street Art: another fascinating aspect of Georgetown is that the city is filled with iron cast structures called “Marking Georgetown”, so we ended up spending most of our time walking around looking for these:
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- One of the first street art wire structure we spotted in Georgetown, Malaysia
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- Coffee wire structure- street art in Georgetown, Malaysia
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- Street Art in honor of Jimmy Choo, Georgetown, Malaysia
From Georgetown Penang to Thailand
We booked a van to cross from Malaysia to Krabi by land. Make sure Thailand does not require a visa when you enter. We paid MYR 55 (roughly USD $16) per person for the entire journey. We hopped in one van at 6am and once we were in Thailand, we switched to another van which got us to Krabi. The ride was long and not very comfortable but for MYR 55, it was worth it.
Happy Travels! xx
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