Batu Ferringhi Beach

A little further along the coast towards Georgetown, Batu Ferringhi (Foreigner's Rock) is a resort strip lined with big hotels, tourist shops, restaurants and car and motorcycle rental offices. They are also plenty of moneychangers to welcome you.

The beach itself is quite good, thought not up there with Malaysia's best and the water is not of the tropically clear variety you might expect. The beach is kept clean, even on weekends when hordes of day-trippers visit.

Batu Ferringhi has the drawbacks of a large resort, it can be crowded and much of the greenery has been replaced by concrete, but also the advantages (plenty of restaurants, watering holes and recreation facilities). It has quite a lively resort feel, and there is a good night markets on the main road selling trinkets. The big hotels offer good deals at times and cheaper accommodation is available if you want a few days by the beach.

Penang Tourist Information

Penang – a world renowned exotic holiday destination – was known, once upon a time, as Pulau Pinang or the “Isle of the Betel Nut”. Listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2008, this virgin paradise has no shortage of cultural sights and natural scenery.

Nicknamed the Pearl of the Orient, Penang is famous for its soft sandy beaches and is fondly regarded as the food capital of Malaysia. A melting pot of hybrid communities, Penang is an interesting eclectic mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Siamese and sundry cultures.

Some of the most interesting sites of Penang include the sandy beaches of Tanjung Bungah, the landscape from the summit of Penang Hill and the vipers in the Snake Temple. The quaint nooks and crannies of Georgetown and the Tropical Spice Garden – the only spice garden in South East Asia – as well as Penang’s many flea markets, pasar malams’ and modern shopping malls also merit a visit.