George Town, Penang: Everything you need to know to visit

George Town is one of the highlights of Malaysia, a must-visit on any Malaysia trip. A Unesco World Heritage site, George Town combines history with splashes of breathtaking modernity, and of course, it’s famed foodie scene. 

Find out everything you need to know for your George Town visit here!

How to get to George Town? 

There are a variety of different ways to get to George Town, which is on the island of Penang.

– Air

You can fly into Penang from a number of destinations across Asia, most notably Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Air Asia offer budget flights, while Malaysia Airlines also fly from a variety of destinations. If you’re travelling around Malaysia, there are also flights from most airports in Malaysia, e.g. Langkawi.

Penang airport is outside of George Town so you will need to transit into the city. It’s about a 30 minute drive, and Grab (the Asian equivalent of Uber) will be easily available at the airport. At around 30RM, this will be cheaper than a traditional taxi (c.50RM). I also personally prefer to use Grab as it removes the need to negotiate with drivers, and also allows you to monitor your route. 

There is also a bus from Penang Airport to George Town, which departs every 15 minutes and takes about an hour. Rapid Penang is the most frequent (and the local bus provider on the island). Tickets cost between 1-3RM. The driver prefers small change and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to change bigger notes. I’ve seen a lot of people noting that the ‘Rapid’ in Rapid Penang is not accurate, so plan accordingly. 

– Bus

If you are travelling around Malaysia, buses are another great way to get to George Town. Buses in Malaysia are generally of good quality if they are medium to long distance, with bigger, reclining seats and aircon. Malaysian buses do not have toilets on board by law, but stop at service stations for toilet breaks. So far, I have found these service stations to be cleaner and of better quality than many public toilets in cities. 

There are regular buses from a number of destinations including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Cameron Highlands and the ports closest to Langkawi (my route).

There are three options for buses coming into George Town:

1. Get the bus to the Butterworth terminal on the mainland and get the Straits Ferry across. The bus terminal is large and modern, and the ferry is easy to find. The ferry costs 2RM and runs half hourly, dropping you off at a jetty in central George Town. You can then walk or Grab to your accommodation. I chose this route.
2. Get the bus right onto the island to the main bus station, Sungai Nibong. The bus takes you across one of the bridges onto the island. However, note that the bus station is around half an hour drive from George Town, so you will then need to get a Grab to your hotel. 
3. Depending on your origin point, you may find a bus that will take you into the bus station in George Town, which is much smaller. This is under George Town’s tallest building, the Komtar. This is still not super central so depending on  your accommodation, you might need to Grab to your hotel. It will be a much shorter and cheaper journey in comparison to the main terminal.  Buses from Ipoh and the Cameron Highlands come into this bus station if you book certain providers – this may be true of other destinations as well. 

So far I have used a number of sites to book buses in Malaysia, depending on the route I wanted:

• Redbus
• Busonlineticket
• 12GoAsia

I’ve usually checked across all three to see which would best let me select my seat for the journey I want. One of my favourite things about Malaysia as a solo traveller is that buses are often in a 2-1 configuration so I can have a single seat! 

– Trains

You can also get trains from Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and a few other destinations in Malaysia. These arrive into Butterworth station on the mainland, and you take the same straits ferry across to George Town as above. 

Trains from Kuala Lumpur will depart from KL Sentral (not to be confused with the stop Kuala Lumpur, which is unhelpfully a different stop on the route). Trains from Ipoh, a stop off city on the way to the Cameron Highlands, depart from the central Ipoh train station. 

Trains in Malaysia are modern and clean, with comfortable seats, aircon and toilet facilities on board. They are reasonably regular, depending on your route. There are three types of train: Silver, Gold and Platinum. Silver is the slowest service with the most stops, Gold the most frequent, and Platinum has the fewest stops/is quicker. I travelled from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur on a Gold train and it was a relatively stress free experience. 

You can book trains via the main Train ticket website or via Busonlineticket.

Where to stay in George Town? 

George Town is a relatively small space and easy to walk around. The majority of hotels will be within walking distance of most things you want to visit, and if not (or you want to escape the heat), Grab is quick and cheap. 

There are a number of budget options: 

• I stayed at Red Inn Court, a hostel/hotel in a historic building. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in a private room, but heard that the dorms were a bit small. It has excellent ratings on booking.com and offers a simple breakfast every morning. This was a great chance to meet the other travellers staying at the hotel.
• Many budget options are clustered around either Little India or Chulia Street (known as backpacker street). These are both great areas to stay in. They’re central and have excellent food options. 

There are a couple of exceptional luxury stays in Penang, if that’s your vibe:

• The Eastern and Oriental, more commonly known as the E&O – this colonial era hotel is situated in a prime spot on the waterfront. It oozes luxury as well as history, and has several restaurants. I popped in for a cup of tea just to soak up the atmosphere I’d read so much about in so many novels about Malaysia.
• Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion – this stunning property is in a refurbished Chinese mansion, built at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s won a number of luxury hotel awards, as well as a Unesco Heritage Award for the commitment to authenticity during the refurbishment process. It is also a location in a number of films, including Crazy Rich Asians. If you’re looking for a boutique, luxury spot, this is the one for you. You can also visit the Blue Mansion on daily tours – see my Article Top 10 things to do in George Town for more details. 

Is Penang safe?

Penang is generally a very safe city, with low levels of violent crime. The streets are busy, with activity throughout most of the evening, so you’re unlikely to be walking on a deserted street. As a solo woman, I felt very safe in Penang – however, you should always take basic safety precautions.

As with any city, be aware of your belongings. 

Is George Town, Penang good for solo travellers? 

George Town has just been named the second best destination in South East Asia for solo travellers by Lonely Planet. It fits all the listed criteria: it has good transport links, good wifi access, good food options and easy communication. It’s very clearly a hub for digital nomads as well – the thriving coffee scene is filled with both locals and foreigners tapping away on their keyboards. 

Other top tips for George Town, Penang

Heat

Penang is hot, and being on the sea does not seem to give it much of a breeze! Pace yourself, take advantage of aircon breaks in the many gorgeous coffee shops or restaurants, and down the Malaysian equivalent of Lucozade/Gatorade – 100Plus – if necessary. You can also take a trip up Penang Hill to escape the heat – see my article Top 10 Things to do in Penang. 

Noise

Penang is a thriving city with three main cultures operating side by side – Malays, Indians and Chinese. This means that it is noisy most of the time, including late at night, and first thing in the morning when the Call to Prayer can be heard through much of the city. Take earplugs for sleep, particularly if you are staying in a budget hotel.

Walking and traffic

Traffic is bad in George Town, there’s no getting around that. Be prepared to spend time in your Grabs. More importantly, there are very limited pavements in George Town. While it’s nowhere near as bad as Vietnam, if you are new to South East Asia, you will need to quickly get used to walking in the road, and crossing the road in front of cars and motorbikes. They will avoid you!

Ready for your trip? Check out the Top 10 things to do in George Town