Segara Ninda
Segara Ninda, also known as Ku Din Ku Meh House, is a double story bungalow near the junction of Penang Road with Farquhar Street. It was the residence and office of Tengku Baharudin Tengku Meh, also known by the nickname, Tunku Kudin. He is a different person from another Tunku Kudin, Tunku Dhiauddin ibni almarhum Sultan Zainul Rashid, who built Udini House (I am pointing this out to explain an error on the signboard in Ku Din Ku Meh House that related the two Tunku Kudins together).
Ku Din Ku Meh was born in 1824 in Anak Bukit, Kedah. At that time, the Sultanate of Kedah extends into Setul, Kayang and Phuket, though Kedah itself was a vassal of Thailand from 1811 to 1909. Following the Bangkok Treaty of 1909, Siam had to give up Kedah to the British. It was briefly returned to Siam by the Japanese during the Second World War, and was called Syburi, but after the war, and the defeat of Japan, Kedah became permanently part of Malaya. The Kedah provinces of Setul, however, remained with Siam, and is now known as Satun.
Literate in both Malay and Thai, Ku Din Ku Meh was appointed the High Commissioner of Setul by Sultan Halim Hamid Shah. Due to his capabilities, the King Chulalangkorn (Rama V) bestowed on him the title Raja of Setul, or in Thai, Phraya Purminard Pakdi.
As Penang was the central trading port for the region extending from southern Thailand to Medan, Ku Din Ku Meh used it as his trading base. The Straits Eclectic bungalow was not build by him but rather bought, in 1901. From Segara Ninda, he ran an export business of birds' nest, timber and coconut. After he passed away in 1932, his house was rented out to tenants who in turn sublet it to other occupants. After the Rent Control Act was repealed, the house became vacant for a while. Eventually it was taken over by Tengku Yahaya, the fourth generation descendent of Ku Din Ku Meh, and restored to its original state.
I had the pleasure of visiting Segara Ninda when it was newly restored in January of 2006. The house has been given a new lease of life as a guesthouse.
Getting there
Using the Weld Quay Bus Terminal as point of reference, the best buses to take to reach Segera Ninda are Rapid Penang Nos. 10 and 103 which pass in front of Segara Ninda. You can also take Rapid Penang Bus Nos. 11, 101, 104, 201, 202, 203 and 204, but have to walk a bit because they enter Penang Road from Lebuh Chulia.
Nearby Sights
Segara Ninda is located at a very happening part of George Town. Across the road at Upper Penang Road are the pubs and bistros of The Garage. From Segara Ninda, one can get very good Nasi Kandar and Oxtail Soup at the nearby Indian Muslim stalls. Further down Penang Road are coffee shops with excellent char koay teow and loh bak.
Protestant Cemetery
Francis Light's Tomb
Thirty Two at the Mansion
Goh Chan Lau
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
St Francis Xavier Church
Segara Ninda
Farquhar Street Mission House
Eastern & Oriental Hotel
Stretching your budget in Penang
If you are a prudent traveller, you can spend less than $20 per day in Penang, including your accommodation! Here's some useful tips for budget travellers to Penang, to help you manage your budget and have a great time.
Penang Tour Guides
If you're on a shoestring budget, you can explore Penang using the travel articles in Penang Travel Tips. You may print them out for your own personal non-commercial use. However, nothing compares to having a professional tour guide to show you around. If you need a tour guide, contact me and I'll arrange one for you, according to your schedule and interest. If I happen to be free, I would gladly show you around too. Just write to me at:
Finding Budget Accommodation in Penang
If you're coming to Penang on a budget, you'd be pleased to know that there's quite a number of places in George Town as well as in Batu Ferringhi that offers good clean accommodation without costing you an arm and a let. If I am allowed to be biased, I would recommend Hotel Mingood, which happens to belong to a friend of mine. If it is occupied, there are plenty of other places that cost less than US$12.00 per night. Here are some suggestions:
Hutton Lodge, from US$8.25
Baba Guesthouse, from US$7.57
E.T. Budget Guesthouse, from US$6.05
YMCA Penang, from US$6.53
Ali's Ferringhi Guest House, from US$9.63
Despite the best intentions to provide you information that is as accurate as possible, do be aware that prices may have changed and exchange rates fluctuated since I wrote this. So please personally and carefully screen through the available accommodation before making your booking, to avoid any disappointments.
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Segara Ninda, also known as Ku Din Ku Meh House (30 January 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Segara Ninda Location Map
Wide angle view of Segara Ninda (30 January 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Inside Segara Ninda (30 January 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Antique staircase at Segara Ninda (30 January 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Another view of the staircase at Segara Ninda (30 January 2006)
© Timothy Tye
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