Explore a different destination How to explore Penang without a Tour Guide

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Last paddy fields of Penang, in Balik Pulau
Last paddy fields of Penang, in Balik Pulau (15 January, 2005)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Wat Buppharam, one of the few Thai Buddhist temples in Penang
Wat Buppharam, one of the few Thai Buddhist temples in Penang (1 August, 2006)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

George Town cityscape
George Town cityscape (19 March, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

How to explore Penang without a Tour Guide is written for the benefit of free independent travellers who are planning to visit Penang on their own. I decided to write this because I often come across comments from visitors that they were disappointed with their visit to Penang. When I ask them, "have you been there?" to a number of places, they told me they haven't, they do not know what's interesting, and how to get there.

Do you need a tour guide to explore Penang? You can engage one if you wish, though you don't really need one. Although I am also personally engaged to guide people around, I also maintain a website that helps people to explore Penang on their own. Although there is nothing like the complete local experience that comes with the company of a knowledgeable tour guide, you have to understand that tour guides are not cheap.

If you are a would-be visitor to Penang, my website, the Penang Travel Tips, is created specially to help you. However, with over a thousand pages, it can get rather overwhelming. Yes, Penang Travel Tips is a very detailed website, but it doesn't help you if you do not know where to start.

There are many existing websites on Penang, including those maintained by the Penang state government. But they usually recycle the same information on the well known sites. So how to you really explore Penang deeper than the usual?

First of all, you must know what you are looking for. Are you interested in Chinese temples? Or mosques? Or heritage buildings? Churches? Beaches? Go through the list in Penang travel tips:

If you are pressed for time, then your exploration of Penang will be limited to its main tourist attractions. I list out the Top Ten Penang Attractions, selected to provide you a broad spectrum of sights.
  1. Streets of George Town
  2. Penang Apartments
  3. Penang Beaches
  4. Penang Buildings
  5. Penang Buddhist Temples
  6. Penang Chinese Temples
  7. Penang Churches
  8. Penang Clan Temples
  9. Penang Heritage Sites
  10. Penang Homestays
  11. Penang Hindu Temples
  12. Penang Hospitals
  13. Penang Infrastructures
  14. Penang Organisations
  15. Islands Around Penang
  16. Localities in Penang
  17. Modern Buildings in Penang
  18. Penang Monuments
  19. Penang Mosques
  20. Penang Nature Sites
  21. Penang Schools
  22. Places in Seberang Perai
  23. Unique Businesses in Penang
Most of the articles are illustrated with photographs, so you have a good idea what the place looks like, and whether it is worth your visit. As far as possible, I have also added details for you to take the Rapid Penang buses to get there.

You can get full detail of Rapid Penang Bus Routes here. In addition, I have prepared a few itineraries that you can use for Sightseeing Penang by bus.


Get the best rates when booking Penang hotels

Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?

The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!



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Our Flight Checker helps travelers compare flights and get the lowest fare for their trips. If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.

Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.


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Tim's Travel Tips and globe logo are trademark and service mark of Timothy Tye. Copyright © 2008-2010 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.
Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms.