Going Around Penang Island is a fun excursion for many visitors to Penang. I would certainly recommend it to you if you are coming for a visit. A trip around Penang Island provides such a kaleidoscope of vistas, and show you what a compact place this is.

A trip around Penang Island can be made by self-driving, by taxi and by bus. If you are taking the bus, I would suggest that you go anti-clockwise. Should you be sitting on the left or right side of the bus? Well, if you want nice seaside sceneries, take the right side. Then you'd get very nice views when the bus go along the Batu Ferringhi belt.

The northern coast of Penang Island, from Gurney Drive to Batu Ferringhi, is lined with high-rise condominiumsThe northern coast of Penang Island, from Gurney Drive to Batu Ferringhi, is lined with high-rise condominiums (16 September 2010)


A journey by bus ideally starts at the Weld Quay Ferry & Bus Terminal, where you would take Rapid Penang Bus 101 for Teluk Bahang. There, you change to Bus 501 which takes you to the Balik Pulau Bus Terminal. From there, you take either Bus 401 or 401E to return to Weld Quay. Bus 401 is the "local service" that makes local stops while Bus 401E is the "express service" that uses the coastal Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.

What most visitors notice, as they go around the island, is that Penang Island is so compact, and most of the people stay on the east side. The central and western part of Penang Island is quite hilly. Due to the geography, you will find skyscrapers on only one side of the island, from Bayan Lepas in the south to Batu Ferringhi to the north.

The beach at Teluk Bahang, near the bus stationThe beach at Teluk Bahang, near the bus station (19 May 2012)


The other half of the island has mostly low-rise buildings. It is quite idyllic, until a decade or so ago, when housing development began to encroach on the western side of Penang Island. But unlike the skyscrapers and towering condominiums characteristic of George Town and its environs, the residential properties on the Balik Pulau side of Penang Island comprise mostly landed properties. (If you are from another state in Malaysia, you will however notice that prices of landed property is still quite high, even in Balik Pulau).

The road going around Penang Island makes a number of hairpin bends, particularly along the Tanjong Bungah-Batu Ferringhi stretch, the Teluk Bahang-Pantai Acheh stretch and the Balik Pulau-Teluk Kumbar stretch.

The western side of Penang Island is a marked constrast from the eastern sideThe western side of Penang Island is a marked constrast from the eastern side (12 July 2008)


At time of writing (June 2012), the Balik Pulau-Teluk Kumbar stretch is being upgraded. When fully completed, the Balik Pulau Hill Road will cut smoothly through the terrain, its many sharp corners reduced to gentle curves by a number of high bridges.

In addition to Teluk Bahang and Balik Pulau, where you have to change buses, you can of course alight from the bus at anywhere along the route, and continue your journey afterwards on the next bus. Places to visit include Batu Ferringhi, Teluk Kumbar and Bayan Lepas. Batu Ferringhi is the heart of the tourist belt. You may want to stop here to get a closer look at the beach.

Teluk Kumbar provides a more quiet version of the beach from Batu Ferringhi, without all the hotels. From there, you can also detour by taking another bus (the 308) to Gertak Sanggul. If you stay on the bus, you are taken back to Teluk Kumbar again, where you can continue your journey on the 401 or 401E.

You probably have heard of Bayan Lepas, as the international airport is there. The village or "pekan" of Bayan Lepas comprises one narrow road with shophouses on both sides. You may want to stop here also, to take another bus (the 307) to Batu Maung. Again, stay on the bus and it will take you back to Bayan Lepas.

Batu Maung develops in anticipation of the Second BridgeBatu Maung develops in anticipation of the Second Bridge (30 April 2010)


The journey to Batu Maung shows how much and how fast Penang Island is transforming itself. The bus goes through a country road with village houses on both sides. At one point, the road cuts across the airport itself. You can see the airport terminal and even planes landing or taking off. The village houses are replaced replaced in rapid succession by medium-scale factories, and then by residential estates and even gated communities. Batu Maung is the site where the Second Penang Bridge will connect the island with the mainland. Much of the development here is in anticipation of the completion of the bridge.

From Bayan Lepas, you continue on the 401 or 401E to return to Weld Quay. You pass through the industrial heart of Penang Island. The main road is lined with factories representing some of the biggest brands in the world. This is the area that once gave Penang Island the nickname of "Silicon Island". But that was in the late 70's and early 80's, when technology centred on the semiconductor. Today, the newer factories such as Intel are located further away near the coast - you may see it if you take the 401E.

The nearer you approach George Town, the older the buildings get. Indeed you are going in the opposite direction from the growth of George Town itself. The city was just a very small area in 1800 (when Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and other major cities of Malaysia haven't been born yet). Since then, it has grown in phases until covering much of the east coast of Penang Island.

There is a lot to see and a lot to discover, but I will let you do the discovering on your own. That would be more fun. You will probably arrive back at the Weld Quay Ferry & Bus Terminal (it's known colloquially as "Jetty", as it's next to the ferry terminal) a bit worn out, but I'm sure you would have enjoyed the journey.

The map below shows you the journey should you go by bus (101, 501 and 401E)

 Buy, rent or sell properties in Penang

Do you have a property for sale or to rent out? Are you looking to buy or rent a property? Get in touch with me. WhatsApp me (Timothy Tye) at 012 429 9844, and I will assign one of my property agents to serve you. I will choose the agent for you, according to your property needs. So when you message me, provide me some details of what you need, whether to sell, to buy, to rent or to rent out, and what type of property, is it condo, apartment, house, shop, office or land.

Adakah anda mempunyai hartanah untuk dijual atau disewakan? Adakah anda ingin membeli atau menyewa hartanah? Hubungi saya. WhatsApp saya (Timothy Tye) di 012 429 9844, dan saya akan menugaskan salah seorang ejen hartanah saya untuk berkhidmat kepada anda. Saya akan pilih ejen untuk anda, mengikut keperluan hartanah anda. Oleh itu, apabila anda menghantar mesej kepada saya, berikan saya beberapa butiran tentang apa yang anda perlukan, sama ada untuk menjual, untuk membeli, untuk disewakan atau untuk disewakan, dan jenis hartanah apakah itu kondo, pangsapuri, rumah, kedai, pejabat atau tanah.

您有待出售或出租的房产吗? 您想购买或租赁房产吗? 与我联系。 WhatsApp 我 (Timothy Tye) 012 429 9844,我将指派一名房地产经纪人为您服务。 我会根据您的房产需求,为您选择代理。 因此,当您给我发消息时,请向我提供一些您需要的详细信息,无论是出售、购买、出租还是出租,以及房产类型,是公寓、公寓、房屋、商店、办公室还是土地。

 New Properties in Penang

Looking to buy property in Penang? Get the e-brochures right here without having to visit or contact individual developers.

  1. Anggun Residences E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  2. Aston Acacia E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  3. Beacon Executive Suites E-Brochure, George Town
  4. Beverly Heights @ Bukit Gambir E-Brochure, Gelugor
  5. BM Highland E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  6. Cypress Villa E-Brochure, Sungai Ara
  7. D'Zone Condominium E-Brochure, Teluk Kumbar
  8. Elements Garden E-Brochure, Butterworth
  9. Ferringhi Residence 2 E-Brochure, Batu Ferringhi
  10. GEM Residences E-Brochure, Prai
  11. Golden Triangle 2 E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  12. Grace Residence E-Brochure, Jelutong
  13. Granito @ Permai E-Brochure, Tanjong Bungah
  14. Green City Residence E-Brochure, Jelutong
  15. Havana Beach Residences E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  16. Imperial Residences E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  17. Imperial Grande E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  18. Lucerne Residence E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  19. Mezzo @ The Light City E-Brochure, Gelugor
  20. Middleton E-Brochure, Gelugor
  21. Orchard Villa 3 E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  22. Primero Heights E-Brochure, Permatang Pauh
  23. Queens Waterfront Q2 E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  24. Royale Heights @ Tambun Royale City E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  25. Royale Infinity @ Tambun Royale City E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  26. Rubica @ Harbour Place E-Brochure, Butterworth
  27. Sensasi Commercial Suites E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  28. Setia Sky Ville E-Brochure, Jelutong
  29. Setia Sky Vista E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  30. Setia V Residence E-Brochure, Gurney Drive
  31. Sinaran Residence E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  32. Sky @ TriPark E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  33. Skyridge Garden E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  34. Starhill Luxury Residences E-Brochure, Gelugor
  35. Straits Residences E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  36. Taman Nuri Emas E-Brochure, Nibong Tebal
  37. The Light Collection IV E-Brochure, Gelugor
  38. The Loft @ Southbay E-Brochure, Batu Maung
  39. The Terraces Condominium E-Brochure, Bukit Jambul
  40. Trehaus Condo Villas E-Brochure, Bukit Jambul
  41. Triuni Residences E-Brochure, Batu Uban
  42. Urban Suites E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  43. Valencia Residence E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  44. Vertu Resort E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  45. Vivo Executive Apartment E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  46. Viluxe E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  47. Waterside Residence E-Brochure, Gelugor

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Map of Roads in Penang

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Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

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About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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