Malaysia – Travels with Ali

~ Postcards from Penang, Malaysia ~

Once again we were back in Penang, almost a year to the day. Anthony was determined to accomplish what he failed to do last year and climb Penang Hill. It was my turn this year to succumb to food poisoning on our first night here. Fortunately not as bad as he was, just had to spend the first day in the hotel, sleeping it off.

We were staying in a place called the Ascot Gurney, situated on Gurney Drive. It was a fabulous hotel, ideally situated within walking distance to many restaurants and right on the waterfront.

A view from our room and the pool area, where I spent many an hour relaxing and reading.

Mixing the old with the new

We did some walking around and did some shopping, also had lunch in cafes and restaurants. I wasn’t fussed about doing any sightseeing as we saw so much the year before. I did manage to eat some of the massive lunch that we ordered, good job we were sharing!

The day dawned when Anthony finally made up his mind to climb Penang Hill. It was decided that he would take a taxi to the bottom of the hill in the botanical gardens and I would take the funicular train up. Once he had left I looked up how to get there and realised it was closed for maintenance that week! I was in a dilemma about what to do. Once I had spoken to him he said there was a jeep service that took you up the hill, so I jumped in a taxi to where the jeep service was.

Honestly these guys were raking it in, it was one jeep per party of four. When I asked if I could share they said no, but Anthony was allowed to come back down with me. It was organised chaos, you were given a number on a small sticker to put on the back of your phone, the price was astronomical and one guy said it was more expensive than his air ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. I had to wait for around 30 minutes for a jeep to be free and then it was a 15 minute drive to the top. It took Anthony just under two hours to climb up.

Penang Hill

A number of hills are covered by Penang Hill, with the highest point being Western Hill that stands at an altitude of 833 meters (2,733 feet) above sea level. Penang Hill is a hilly and forested area that stands out from the lowlands of Malaysia. The area was used as a retreat during the British colonial period, and is now a very popular tourist destination due to its history and heritage.

Because of the funicular railway being closed most of the shops and cafes were closed also. The only place open was The Bellevue Hotel, where we sat and had lunch. Here we spotted black gibbons swinging through the trees. They moved too quickly for me to get a good photo.

Breathtaking views from the top, and so much flora and fauna to see. There were bees and dragon flies swooping in and out of the flowers.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

On our last night we decided to treat ourselves to dinner in a fancy restaurant. It was called Thirty Two at The Mansion overlooking the water. Having just recently celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary, I thought it was very apt.

The lobby and waiting areas

Not sure of the relevance of Boy George being hung on the wall, but he’s a favourite of mine so I snapped him at once.

There is also a beach bar at the back, called Beach Blanket Babylon.

The food was delicious and I would recommend a visit here if you have the time.

As usual though Anthony was still hungry, so off we went looking for pork satay which is not easy to find in Penang. We took a taxi to a street food market and saw there was a long line for the satay. Deciding he didn’t want to queue up, he went straight to the cook and got served straight away!

This is the end of our adventures in Asia, thanks to everyone for tagging along.

Graveyard of Trees on the Beach

While we were at the Tanjung Rhu we took a walk along the deserted beach. In the distance I could see what looked like sculptures. When we got closer I could see they were massive tree roots. They were so intriguing I took a few photos. I like the way they had been left to their own devices creating natural sculptures.

There were some other interesting structures in the sea which we found out later were used as props for the Dutch Survivor TV programme.

Posted as part of Six Word Saturday hosted by Debbie at Travel with Intent

🏝 Perfect Paradise at Pelangi Beach Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia 🏝

After checking out of the Tanjung Rhu at lunchtime we took a 30 minute ride to our next destination, Pelangi Beach Resort. We first stayed here 30 years ago so it would be interesting to see how it had changed. When we arrived we found the main lobby was under renovation and everyone was checking in at The Grand Ballroom. As we were early for our check in someone came to take our booking details and soon disappeared. It was like Grand Central Station there and it was hard to identify our check in lady, they were all wearing long grey robes with head coverings and masks. We were told to come back in 2 hours, so we set off to explore and have lunch. It did seem like there was some organisation to the chaos though.

We were given a map and saw how enormous the resort was. We followed the track down to the sea front to have lunch there. There were buggies driving past us every five minutes or so if you didn’t fancy walking.

I did have a few plans of things to see and do but after walking around and seeing the pools and the beach, they were put on the back burner.

There were two pools, one was more set up for children and the other had a swim up pool bar. Surprisingly neither were ever that busy. There were always plenty of sun loungers to be had by the pool and the beach.

Breakfast was served both in the air conditioned Grand Ballroom or outside on a small patio. Both had full buffet service with two egg stations. We tended to linger a fair while over breakfast as it was so relaxing.

Then it was off to find a sun lounger on the beach. It was such a treat to be able to pick and choose where we would like to sit, as there were so many empty spots. We did swim in the sea a few times until we saw a jelly fish sign and did not want to end up at a doctors or in hospital again! So after that we just enjoyed the view and swam in the pool.

The accommodation is comprised of two storey “Kampung” style architecture complete with a deck or balcony. They either have a garden, pool or sea view. We had a garden view with a two minute walk to the pool. There was a small sitting area and enormous bathroom and kingsize bed.

Just opposite our block was a children’s farm and when we walked to breakfast in the morning we could hear turkeys gobbling, geese honking and ducks quacking. There was even a goat. All the grounds were beautifully manicured with blossoming flowers, trimmed hedges and large palm trees giving off plenty of shade. Lizards and squirrels were running around everywhere you looked.

Such a friendly chap, the goat was quite friendly too

The two ornamental lakes in the middle of the resort.

In the evenings we walked into the main drag of Pentai Cenang. Here there were many restaurants, bars and shops. Duty free is very good here also. Our first night we found an Italian/Mexican/Indian combined, a great idea after Covid to save on expenses. Life seemed to be well on the way back to normal and the places on either side of the road were buzzing with life.

One night we ventured further down into Pentai Cenang to a place called The Cliff. An overhanging bar where you could look down on the beach and enjoy a fabulous sunset.

As Malaysia have daylight saving there was still so much activity on the beach at 7.30 pm.

We could enjoy sunset cocktails at the beachside bar at Pelangi Beach Resort also.

We had such a fabulous four days at Pelangi Beach Resort, relaxing and unwinding. Hopefully we won’t be waiting 30 years to return again.

**A bird’s eye view of Pelangi Beach Resort**

Selamet Tinggal, Langkawi

Rainy Afternoon Tour of Mangrove Swamps, Langkawi, Malaysia

One of the activities I wanted to do was a Mangrove Swamp tour, and on our last day at Tanjung Rhu we thought we would give it a go. At the end of the beach there was a small market with tour guide stalls so we walked over and bought tickets. The sky was becoming darker by the minute and I was thinking that this might not be a good idea, but too late our driver was there to make the quick drive to the start of the swamp.

The Mangrove Swamps are set in the Kilim Geoforest Park, which is now a UNESCO geopark.

We were met at the jetty by our man Maddy and there was just the two of us plus him on the boat. Good job as the tiny roof was just big enough for two and he was rather on the large size! We had brought umbrellas but when we opened them up we realised they were child’s umbrellas! Five minutes down the river my shorts were soaked, at least it wasn’t cold rain. All of a sudden the boat started put put puttering and I was like “oh ooh” and our man said no problem and lifted the lid of the engine up and started pumping away at the fuel line. I really did not fancy sitting on the banks waiting for help.

It was quite difficult to take photos as we were going fairly fast by now and the rain didn’t help either. Our man Maddy liked to sit on one side so the boat was fairly unbalanced! But I managed to take quite a few.

We headed along the river, through narrow tree lined channels, under tunnels and outside the other side again. The limestone cliffs towering above us covered in dripping ferns were a sight to behold. There were monkeys clambering over rocks along the muddy riverbanks who came down from rocks and trees to greet us, hoping for a crust or two.

The Mangrove Swamps in Langkawi mangroves provide an important sanctuary for a wide array of life. They are habitats for many wildlife species, including fish, crustaceans, eagles, monkeys and otters. The mangroves serve as a buffer zone, a transition from the sea to the land, and act as a coastal barrier. If another tsunami were ever to strike these mangroves would serve to protect the coastal villages.

We had to take it slow through this tunnel and it was nice to get out of the rain for a bit!

We met these very jolly fisherman in their colourful long boat as we passed through a very narrow channel between huge limestone rocks. At one point I thought we might scrape their boat!

Our first stop was a floating fish farm where we could disembark and feed the fish. We said no to the fish feeding and just had a wander around. Quite tricky getting on and off the boat with man Maddy balancing at the front helping us off!

The luxury yachts above were in quite a dilapidated state and have been left unattended for two years during the Malaysian lockdown. Most have been abandoned now. We saw many of these dotted up and down the river.

Back onto the boat again and our next stop was Kelam Cave, a limestone cave housing bats. I didn’t realise that bats also play a very important part in the world, they are also pollinators like bees. They are becoming endangered in South East Asia due to fruit farmers shooting them down as they think they are damaging the fruit trees. Bats are highly sought after for their medicinal properties.

There was a very small charge to enter the caves and they provided you with a torch. I must say we found it fascinating but very creepy. We had to crouch in many places to get under the stalactites and extremely low ceilings!

The next stop was to feed the eagles, I think my favourite part of the whole trip. It was only after reading about the birds here that feeding is not encouraged, but all the tours still do this. I could not get one good photo but took many videos.

They really did put on a fabulous show. It was wonderful to hear the eagles crying above and watching them swooping and diving for the food.

In the background of this photo you can see Thailand. Our Man Maddy said we could go back via the open sea or along the waterways of the river. There was no way I would take the chance of the open sea in the sputtering boat we were in! So the waterways it was.

This limestone hill really does look like a gorilla.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Mangrove Swamps as much as we did. If you ever visit Langkawi be sure to look out for this tour.

Kilim Geoforest Park
Gua Kelawar Cave

I’ve also posted this as part of Friendly Friday – Green

Sensational Sea Views @ Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi

Finally we were on our way to Langkawi! Penang to Langkawi is only a 40 minutes flight and we flew on Firefly Airlines.

A propellor plane, hopefully it won’t be a rough flight

A driver from the hotel was waiting for us at Langkawi Airport and the Tanjung Rhu Resort was a 30 minute drive away. The resort is situated on the Northern part of the island and is quite isolated from the rest of the island. Surrounded by lush greenery with a large beach fronting the property.

We arrived around 2pm shortly before check in. The lovely lady who checked us in said would be mind an upgrade to a beach view and larger room. How polite, of course how could I refuse.

There was a separate living room plus a small balcony overlooking the beach, how wonderful is the view?

On exploring the resort we realised that only half is open to visitors, the other half is sadly beyond repair and closed up. We found out that the hotel is now owned by the bank. There seemed to be no overseeing of the staff. We did experience long waits for food or not turning up at all, and everyone blaming the next in line!

The deserted beach and beautiful pools did a lot to make up for these oversights. Being so far from everywhere else in Langkawi there was nowhere else to eat but at the resort.

Even though we were told the hotel was full we couldn’t see any evidence!

It seemed like we had a private pool anytime we were there. The perfect antidote for recuperating, nothing but rest and relaxation.

This was the five star restaurant that we visited for two nights of our stay. The food was excellent as was the service.

There was also a pizza restaurant that put on a BBQ buffet one night that we ate in also.

This resort is good for day visits to get away from the busyness of the rest of the island, although it was wonderful for our three night stay.

It’s definitely a five star location and our room was five star, but with the restaurants that were open and only serving a limited menu definitely not a five star rating. The staff while extremely friendly seem to be working under different rules. Some were busy and others just standing around chatting. The website needs to be updated as one of the restaurants is closed to guests that are not on a package, the spa is also sadly derelict and the sunset pool bar is no longer open.

Silent Sunday

The Last of Penang – Day Five

There wasn’t meant to be a day five here, but here we are! Today is our 31st Wedding Anniversary, I had planned to be celebrating with my dear husband on the beach but instead had breakfast and lunch by myself. On the positive side Anthony did feel well enough to take a walk along the esplanade in the early evening.

We decided to have an early dinner right in the grounds of Fort Cornwallis, at a restaurant called Kota, luckily there was a “healthy vegetable broth” on the menu for Anthony. Fort Cornwallis is now under construction and there are plans to rebuild it exactly as it was in 1786 complete with a surrounding moat.

Captain Francis Light greeted us at the front of the restaurant.

This clock was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and stands sixty feet tall. One foot for every year of her reign.

Last photos of our trip below

This is Beach Street Fire Station built in 1908. A beautifully restored Edwardian style building.

Another Edwardian style building built in 1903 by the British

A typical home of a rich Chinese family over a century ago. Many years ago we did take a tour inside. It has been kept in exquisite condition and over 1,000 antiques are on display inside.

Apart from the drama with my dear husband, we enjoyed being back in Penang. Staying at The Prestige Hotel was a real treat and the Malaysian people were just so kind through the whole stay.

Next stop – Langkawi!

The Perils and Pitfalls of Penang Food – Days 3 and 4

After our very delicious dinner the night before my dear husband awoke in the early hours in incredible pain. He had succumbed to severe food poisoning, I suspect from a noodle stall on the quay when he walked back from Gurney Plaza.

As soon as possible the next day I went in search of a chemist. It was a blistering hot day unlike the day before. Well I searched in vain as I remembered it was a public holiday so had to make do with some gatorade I found in a mini mart. Of course we had to revise all plans and just stay close to the hotel.

Anyway to cut a long story short, the next day we found a chemist and bought appropriate medication. Around lunchtime he rallied and we went for lunch.

**My lunch which I managed to eat half of before the drama unfolded**

My crazy husband decided to eat a laksa for lunch, thinking he’s iron man. He then got up and said he felt dizzy and walked to the door where he promptly collapsed in the alley outside. I went slightly hysterical at that point and yelled for help. He was so unresponsive that I thought he had had a stroke. I can’t say enough good things about the people who rushed to our aid. An ambulance was called and off he went with me to find my own way.

Thankfully he was admitted straightaway to Penang General Hospital and was soon hooked up to fluids. I went back to the hotel where I called my son, his girlfriend and my daughter. Maddy, Laurence’s girlfriend was the first to answer and got the full brunt of my hysteria. Finally I spoke to Laurence who calmed me down. I decided to go back to the hospital and not wait for their phone call.

The Doctor said she wanted to keep him overnight but Anthony said no, it was quite a basic hospital with what he calls “starter block” toilets. So we went off armed with a prescription which we tried to fill at the hospital pharmacy, but his arm started spurting blood so we had to walk all the way back to ED to get this bandaged up.

We were supposed to be leaving the next day for Langkawi but I made the executive decision to stay another day in Penang, which in hindsight was a good decision.

Thanks for reading and hopefully I will be posting more positive stories in the next few days!

Searching for Street Art in Penang – Day Two

One of the things I wanted to do whilst in Penang was to look at all the street art that Penang is famous for. Although I had downloaded a map of all the places, my sim card was not activated properly! So we went back to the 7-11 where we had bought them and the very kind assistant sorted this out for me. I do exasperate Anthony with my constant stopping and starting and looking at my phone as to where to go! He tends to just walk randomly.

The streets were busy today as it Sunday and it seemed like everyone had the same idea.

We did find lots of murals and metal artwork along the way. The weather was cloudy and a nice breeze blowing, not at all what we expected.

Trombone Player by Gabriel Pitcher. An English born artist who has painted murals around the World.

Above are various street scenes from our walk

Humorous 3D artwork found on street walls depicting the life of long ago.

It was almost impossible to walk on any sidewalk or the covered archways that lined the road. Walking on the road was the easier option, but with cars driving very close by you had better watch out for your hands and feet!

If I hadn’t glanced sideways I would have missed these cute kittens peeking out from these windows.

Enough street art for one day, I have a few more and I know I’ve missed many. It was getting on for lunchtime and time to go shopping!

We took a “Grab Cab” to Gurney Plaza where there is a huge shopping mall. Grab is the equivalent of Uber in Malaysia and seems to be the only taxi service in Penang. Once you have the App it’s pretty straightforward and the good thing about it is that you can use cash to pay and no need for credit card details.

Lunch was just a quick snack in a European Beer cafe, pretty lousy to be honest! Then off to the shops to look for walking shoes for me as mine had now given me a blister and shorts and a backpack for Anthony to climb Penang Hill. Well we were successful in everything and mine were called “the most comfortable shoes in the world” and I have to say this is 100% true, I felt like I was walking on pillows.

Back to the hotel for a quick swim and rest before heading out for dinner.

Dinner at Kebaya Restaurant

I had seen a place nearby called Kebaya Fusion Restaurant. The chefs were Swiss trained so we were expecting some gastronomic extravaganza. The restaurant is in a heritage listed building called Seven Terraces and owned by Christopher Ong. The building has been lovingly restored with the most beautiful decorations and furniture. The tiles on the floors were imported from Vietnam. I didn’t realise it was also a hotel until I asked if I could look around.

The waiter explained it was a set two or three course menu and it would be good to choose different dishes so we could share. Everything was mouth wateringly delicious.

Inside the hotel

The photos below show what an opium lord’s house would look like back in the day. Complete with opium pipes and snuff boxes.

After dinner Anthony suggested a nightcap in the bar, as we sat down I recognised the owner Christopher in the corner with a lady friend. When we left I went up to him and complimented him on his beautiful hotel. We stood and had a chat with him for a while about the renovations he had made.

Off to bed for a good night’s sleep after a very busy day.

Four Glorious Days in Penang – Day one

Flying from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on Malaysian Airlines took just one hour. Our flight was at 2 pm and we arrived in plenty of time for a change! We printed our own boarding passes and luggage tags and while I attached the tags I asked Anthony to hold the boarding passes along with the peeled off labels. When all was done I asked him for the passes back but he had just promptly walked over to the security desk and handed everything over to be thrown away. Back he went to retrieve them. Just one job was all I said.

For the next four days we were going to be exploring Penang and staying at The Prestige Hotel. Close to all the heritage buildings and many restaurants to indulge in delicious food.

A luxuriously large room with great amenities with robes and slippers! No view to speak of though, oh well can’t have everything. I love the way the toiletries are displayed.

**The Swimming Pool on the 4th floor rooftop – luckily not segregated!**

**Malayan Railway Building from the pool**

After checking in and leaving our bags we had a quick wander around the neighbourhood. As I mentioned before it was a long holiday weekend here and this was in evidence as many places were closed and the streets were empty.

Penang is rich in history and culture and is such a wonderful place to wander around. It is a Unesco Heritage Listed Site. On 11 August 1786, Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company landed in Penang and renamed it Prince of Wales Island in honour of heir to the British throne. Source: Wikipedia. Francis Light is now credited as the founder of Penang.
Many of the buildings are beyond repair now but there are a few that are still resplendent and have been restored and maintained. It seems on looking around that there are buildings under renovation now, even a few with steel girders propping them up.

The buildings below are ones we passed on our walk to dinner.

**Beautifully restored French colonial building**

We decided on a French restaurant that night, I’m not one for spicy foods but I knew tomorrow that it would be Anthony’s turn. The restaurant we chose was called Two Frenchies. Their website states – “Two very good friends who happened to be French . . . and knew nothing about running a restaurant , decided one lazy afternoon that they were going to bring their culture of food to Penang”.

It was all delicious and the service was excellent. The wife of one of the chef’s kept popping by to see if we were enjoying everything.