Day 1 as a solo traveller in Penang
I was full of mixed emotions of both nervousness and excitement when I boarded my flight from Langkawi to Penang, leaving my family behind for 3 days to travel solo. Having always travelled with other people, it was a new experience, but those few days in Penang were the highlight of my entire holiday. I experienced true freedom, and would definitely recommend that everyone try a few days travelling by themselves.
Once I landed in Penang, I caught a Grab taxi to my guesthouse (Carnarvon House) and checked in. The owner told me that he was expecting a Japanese traveller because of my name (which I actually get quite a bit although it couldn’t be further from the truth). I had a great stay there and it was extremely clean!
I charged my phone up and left the guesthouse to do some exploring. My first stop was a famous chendul desert place. The chendul desert was very sweet and salty at the same time, but also very cooling due to the ice.
I then made my way to the clan jetties, specifically Tan Jetty. The clan jetties are traditional settlements. These were created by Chinese immigrants who share common historical, geographical and lineage origin. They couldn’t afford housing on land, so they built their houses on stilts above the water. Tan Jetty is the longest jetty. The boardwalk was quite thin and not all the planks were fully secured. But I made my way close to the end.
I ended up talking to a local Penang man named Hun about Penang, travelling and London. He told me that his shop had recently closed down, and so he had a lot of free time and so would come to that spot often. Hun told me that if I had any questions about where to go I should just WhatsApp him. He planned to go to the waterfalls on his bike if I wanted to catch a ride. I knew he was just being friendly but I know better as a solo female traveller that probably wasn’t a good idea (although I didn’t let him know that).
Anyway, the sun was setting and I was getting hungry. So I said goodbye and thanked him for his advice. I headed to Red Garden Food Paradise, which was an outdoor local food market. I was overwhelmed by the food choices but settled on a dish called Hokkien Mee. It was delicious and reminded me of the SE Asian food I fell in love with the last time I went travelling.
Day 2
On my second day in Penang, I set off at about 9 to explore everything that Georgetown had to offer. UNESCO awarded Georgetown the status of a World Heritage Site in 2008 for its living multicultural heritage communities and architectural treasures. It was once a British trading post and settlement and was named after Britain’s King George III. It is effectively a cultural melting pot that has been richly influenced by the huge influx of immigrants from around Asia.
Exploring Georgetown
My first stop was the Upside Down Museum. This was essentially a house where all the rooms had been built on the ceiling. The photos taken inside would make you look like you were upside down. In each room I got a personal photographer to take photos on my phone, and another person showing me an effective pose. Some of the poses took some balance and strength, although it might have been more likely I was still feeling the effects of the weights from my workout a few days ago.
I bought some fridge magnets of my favourite photos. Afterward, I started to walk towards the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, which was featured in Crazy Rich Asians. I only took a photo from far away and decided to find a cool place before my Blue Mansion tour. It was actually so bloody hot, and still only about 10 in the morning. I walked to St. George’s Church which is the oldest Anglican Church in SE Asia.
I also went inside the Church of the Assumptions, which celebrated its bicentenary in 2018. The first Catholic Church in Penang was named Church of the Assumption in 1786 when the Catholic community of Kuala Kedah settled in Penang. The church moved to its current location in 1802, but the present building was only built in 1860. It was simple as far as Catholic Churches goes inside, but still beautiful and peaceful. All the walls were white, there were a few stain glass windows, and small statues and stations of the cross around the outer walls, and a simple organ. I sought refuge inside from the heat and said a prayer. Next to the altar, there was a board with the ‘word of the day’ (I’m assuming): The just will live in the presence of the world.
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
I headed to the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (also known as the blue mansion) to get tickets for the 11am tour. The mansion was beautiful and has a rich history.
We were taken round by Sally, who was an amazing tour guide with impeccable English (accent included). The Mansion was built by Cheong Fatt Tze, one of the richest industrialists (a real rags to riches fellow) in SE Asia in 1897. It was the filming location for IndoChine and Crazy Rich Asians. The Mansion was built with the Feng Shui concept. It did fall into disrepair but was restored fairly recently, and the restoration work has been acclaimed internationally. After the tour, I headed to lunch in search for Char Koay Teow (I ended up going somewhere a friend had suggested). It was slightly further out, but the food hawker was famous, and the food was definitely worth it (with the small exception of the blood cockles).
I walked back to the guesthouse via Campbell Street (China Town) to spray some deodorant and reapply sunscreen. It was hot and I was so sweaty and needed to top up my water bottle. I then headed to Chew Jetty, the largest of the clan jetties. By the time I got there, I was already sweaty. This jetty was much more commercial than Tan Jetty. However, I noticed that the houses all had temples in their front rooms.
On my way back, I bought a slightly overpriced top from one of the tourist shops and then headed to the tourist info centre to kick off my Georgetown Street art tour. I got a map from the tourist office with all the major art murals and sculptures (basically used it as my fan). I also followed a route I had downloaded earlier which had extra stops.
Georgetown street art
Some of the most famous murals, such as little children on a bicycle and boy on a bike were painted by Zacharevic, Malaysia’s answer to Banksy. The murals were pretty cool. They felt authentic and I liked the 3D elements of them too.
It was getting hot and sweaty (again) so I decided to find some shade and refreshments at about 4 pm. I headed to Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay Penang. If I wasn’t sweaty before, I definitely was by the time I got to the cafe. My brows were probably the only thing left that was semi-intact. I had Kuih Bengka, which was purple and had a jelly-like texture. I also had some fresh honey pandan, which was green, and ice water to rehydrate myself.
I then made my way to see the last few pieces. On the way back, I saw a rat, which was bigger than the size of my foot. I was a bit startled but don’t think anyone else noticed. Unfortunately, the real Bruce Lee mural was near ruins. I also finally saw the famous Boy on a Bike, before heading back to the guesthouse at about 5.
Dinner and chill
I didn’t feel like moving after walking the equivalent of 15km in the day, and knew I still had to go back out into the heat for dinner. I caught up on Love Island and set off for dinner at 7 at Tek Sen, a Chinese Malaysian restaurant. It was really busy, and there was a large queue (not in the British sense, more like a swarm of people). However, I thought I would wait and opted for takeaway. It would have felt silly taking up a table to myself when the restaurant is so busy and there’s a long queue. I ordered double roasted pork with chilli padi, Pak Choy in garlic and steamed rice. The food was good, tasting like barbecued pork with a spicy kick. After eating, I showered to free myself of the sweat and started reading The Handmaid’s Tale.
Day 3
For my last day, I got up early at 7.30ish to get ready for the day and check out of my room. It took me an hour to get ready. I decided to get the public bus to save money and walked to Komtar Bus Terminal. I stood in lane 2. Two local ladies offered me advice and made sure I got on the right bus (Bus 204). I didn’t actually end up catching the bus until after 9 which was a joke, but I’m just so impatient when it comes to buses. I’m a Londoner and can’t help it if a bus doesn’t come within 5 minutes. Anyway, I was on my way. The bus fare was 2 RM (shockingly cheap) and made me feel a lot better about waiting.
Penang Hill
Penang Hill was the last stop (as the ladies had told me). The return funicular railway was 30 RM but there was no way in hell I was hiking up to the top. The train ride took about 5 minutes. However, it was disappointing when I got to the top as it was so cloudy. The whole thing felt a bit like a tourist trap as had to pay for all the extras. It was a shame as I could tell the view would have been awesome if it hadn’t been for the clouds. I could feel myself getting bitten, so I bought a postcard and decided to head back down. Some of the passengers were a bit scared on the way down, yelling as if it was a rollercoaster ride. We were going fairly fast but it was funny as it was a major overreaction.
Kek Lok Si
I then took the bus 204 to air Itam and then walked to the bottom of Kek Lok Si. Kek Lok Si is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, with a 7 storey pagoda, and a 120 ft statue of the Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin). Cheong Fatt Tze actually donated money to help build the temple amongst other businessmen. I decided to walk to the entrance despite the heat to save 8 RM on the mini train. I was definitely craving a shower but reminded myself of all the gains I was making.
The temple was so beautiful. It was very touristy with the tourist shops, but I guess they’ve got to maintain the temple somehow. I took the inclined lift up to the bronze Kuan Yin statue (only way up). There were amazing views of the city and the statue was mahoosive. I was tempted to buy a wishing ribbon at the temple next to the statue but didn’t want to seem like I was making a mockery of the Buddhist faith. The smell of incense was so inviting and I did feel a little peace.
I took the inclined lift down and walked to the pagoda (2 RM entrance fee). There were steps all the way up to the 7th storey but at least these were in the shade (inside). I was definitely putting all that step machine work from the gym to good work, although some of the steps were about half the size of my foot. I got to the top and the view was so beautiful. There were an annoying group of boys at the top who were so loud but just tried my best to ignore them.
At 12.30 I started to get hungry, which was my signal to be on my way. I went to Sister’s Curry Mee near the bus stop. I got there just in time to sample the curry mee, which was delicious. The original two sisters that started the place in 1946 were there too. They closed at 1, so I finished my curry and walked back to the bus stop, which didn’t show an ETA for the bus back to George Town.
I checked my health app, and was surprised to see that I had already walked 8km and climbed 29 stories – like who needs the gym?! Another local must have thought I was some lost black girl and told me which bus to take. I guess they aren’t used to seeing females travelling solo, let alone black females. The bus came at about 1.20 and I was on my way back into town. Somehow I survived the whole trip slightly less sweaty than I was yesterday, maybe it was the open space. I did feel a bit sleepy on the ride back but did my best to keep awake.
Back in Georgetown
I arrived back in town just before 2. I walked to Nasi Kandar but felt too full to eat again. The chef wanted me to come back and I took a selfie with him as a sort of insurance. I went to a bakery called Ban Heang and bought some Tambun biscuits. These are a popular Malay snack, which is kind of both sweet and savoury at the same time. I then stopped at Toh Soon Cafe for Teh Tarik, which was sweet and milky (uses condensed milk). Although the drink was hot, I did get a slight cooling effect.
I returned to the guesthouse to change my phone and drink some water. I left for my last meal at about 3.30. My last supper was Indian at Sri Ananda Bahwan to finish my trio of Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisine. I walked through Little India past the saree shops, flower garlands and jewellery shops, with Bollywood music blasting. I ordered a Paneer Chetinad Masala dish with butter naan, rice and a mango lassi. It was more than a little bit spicy (as the waiter described), but luckily I had the lassi.
One of the waiters asked if my hair was real but I just laughed it off. I decided I was done, but he brought me water when I told him it was too spicy, so I now felt I had to finish it to not feel bad. I was uncomfortably full, with a full food baby pending. Thank goodness for loose clothing with an expandable waistline – but I had nobody blame but myself for indulging in 2 lunches (I even had a 4th meal later for dinner when I met up with my family in Bangkok, because why not!).
I walked back to the guesthouse to pick up my luggage and ordered a grab to the airport at 20 to 5. I charged my phone until the gate opened, and reflected on my brief time as a solo traveller in Penang.
Final thoughts on solo travel
Travelling on my own was a foreign but great experience and I would highly recommend everyone to try it. Albeit I was only on my own for 3 days, but it was empowering. I felt a large amount of independence that I don’t even think I had at uni. I was in complete control of my own schedule, only waiting on myself to get ready and could do everything I wanted to do – no compromises. It would have been nice to have someone to share my memories with, but I was able to fully own my experience and my truth. I probably just ended up taking more photos to preserve my memories.
The only kind of compromises I had to make were, in essence, to dress more conservatively and not go out at night. I did feel relatively safe, although there is a slight element of inherent distrust, and being hyper-aware of surroundings. I was worried that it would be awkward to eat alone in restaurants. It turned out that was absolutely fine, although a few times people always thought I was waiting for someone else.
I ended up having conversations with my waiters and locals, that I probably wouldn’t have had if I was with someone else. I would say the only thing I missed the most was having someone to take photos of me, but I managed to snap a few selfies and rely on other people to take some photos. And maybe also someone to split bills, e.g. for food and taxis. However, I definitely felt in my element, and passed all tests of independence, and learnt that I would definitely do independent travel again.