The weekender's guide to Penang

Put your bargaining skills to the test 
Markets in Penang are either open daily in the daytime or weekly in the evenings. The wellknown Bazaar Chowrasta offers fresh produce, second-hand books and clothing.

Brave the trekking routes
Penang National Park may be the smallest of its type in the world but there are enough challenging trekking routes to test your stamina – plus, they all lead to wondrous views of the water.

Hop on the funicular train
Penang Hill boasts cooler weather on top that will encourage a lovely walk amid lush greenery. There are also spots for picnics if you care to bring food and drinks with you.

Stroll through quaint streets
Walk through George Town’s heritage streets such as Lebuh Armenian, Love Lane and Lebuh Muntri to admire little shops and refurbished shophouses.

Stay the night at a refurbished building
Two of the many gorgeous boutique hotels here include the luxurious Seven Terraces, 23 Love Lane or – as a modern twist to an old mansion – Eight Rooms within Macalister Mansion. 

Learn to weave a rattan basket
Craftsmen of traditional products are a dying breed. Still, there are a few within George Town such as the rattan weaver on Lebuh Chulia, the joss stick maker on Lorong Muda, and the signboard engraver on Lebuh Queen.

Enjoy a bowl of Penang’s famous assam laksa
Pasar Air Itam Laksa offers assam laksa and Thai laksa, which is a fish and coconut-based gravy.

Savour the island’s favourite char kuay teow
The flat rice flour noodles dish, stir-fried to perfection, is very possibly the most popular hawker food among locals and visitors alike. Try it at Sin Hwa coffee shop or Ah Leng Char Koay Teow stall at Kafe Khoon Hiang.

Join Penang’s longest Nasi Kandar queue
Nasi Kandar Beratur only opens at 10pm, but the queue begins hours before. An easier choice is Hameediyah Nasi Restaurant, a 100-year-old family-run eatery.

Play hide and seek with street art
Either walk or take a trishaw ride through Lebuh Armenian, Jalan Penang and all the narrow streets in between to look at artworks like Ernest Zacharevic’s murals up close.

Imagine the past grandeur of a 19th-century Peranakan home
The House of Yeap Chor Ee on Lebuh Penang is a museum that showcases the Chinese antiques belonging to the late prominent tycoon. Also worth a visit is The Penang Sun Yat Sen Centre.

Browse through stalls of unique products
Little Penang Street Market is held every last Sunday of the month at Upper Penang Road. You’ll find books, artworks, and locally made goods such as jewellery and clothing here.