Cat mural street art Georgetown Malaysia

Travel Guide to Georgetown Penang, Malaysia

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.

taxis georgetown malaysia

How to get to Georgetown

Temple Georgetown Malaysia

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

Georgetown Streets Malaysia

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

Ferry entrance from Butterworth to Georgetown

Georgetown Ferry Signs Malaysia Georgetown

Instructions for ferry, Georgetown, Malaysia

On 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 Georgetown,

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:

Heritage Lodge

Red Inn Penang

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.

Star lodge hotel room Georgetown Malaysia Georgetown

Our bedroom at the Star Lodge, basic but decent.

 

Getting around Georgetown Penang, Transportation

 

colorful georgetown malaysia

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.

 

plant shoes georgetown malaysia

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

 

Chocolate and Coffee Museum

Chocolate Coffee Museum Georgetown Malaysia

Free tour of the Chocolate and Coffee Museum, Georgetown, Malaysia

Camera Museum

Cheong Fat Tze Mansion (which was closed when we went but still very nice to admire)

Cheong Fat Tze Mansion Georgetown Malaysia

Cheong Fat Tze Mansion, Georgetown, Malaysia

Clan Jetty – one of our favorite place to visit

Jetty Homes Malaysia Georgetown

Colorful homes on the jetty, Georgetown, Malaysia

Jetty Homes Malaysia Georgetown

Armenian Street

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:

 

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.

Georgetown Homes Malaysia

Happy Travels! xx

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2 Responses

  1. August 17, 2015

    […] Georgetown  3 days – another UNESCO World Heritage town on the island of Penang, where we enjoyed hunting street arts and dim sum. […]

  2. March 3, 2023

    […] Travel guide to Georgetown Penang, Malaysia – By ooaworld.com. […]

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