Penang, Malaysia

Back in February, I had the pleasure of doing some solo travel to Penang, Malaysia.  I flew out on a Thursday evening and stayed until Sunday.  It was kind of fun to travel by myself for a weekend, see what I wanted to see, go where I wanted to go, and read lots of books and lay in my comfy hotel room.  I scored a sweet deal on Expedia at the Museum Hotel in Penang which is a hotel that is literally a private museum.  It's also gorgeous and old and full of antiques, so obviously I loved it so, so much.  I had a really comfy bed, HBO, and AC that made the room absolutely freezing (and glorious).  

Hallway to my room.

I was obsessed with the tile floors everywhere in Malaysia.

Lobby

Lobby. 

On Friday morning, February 13, I slept in and read my book then decided to head to a walking lunch food tour.  Malaysia is a foodie's paradise, and I was overwhelmed at all the blogs, travel articles, etc. that I had read with recommendations upon recommendations.  I thought a food tour would be a good opportunity to walk around the city while trying all the "must-try" foods of Malaysia.  There were just 3 of us on the tour which was great because our guide catered to our interests, and we were able to ask lots of questions and get other food recommendations.  I was so full after our tour that I barely ate anything the rest of the time sans some delicious coffee and desserts at a cafe.  

Char Kway Teow (a popular Malaysia fried noodle dish).

Bowls and bowls of Indian food in Little India.  Delicious.

Nutmeg juice with a salted plum.  It was not my favorite. 

Local Market. 

Otak Otak (fish custard curry wrapped in banana leaf and steamed) & Asam Laksa (rice noodle soup with spicy tamarind & fish broth).

Cendol (shaved ice, coconut milk, sweetened red beans, green pandan-colored mung bean noodles, and Malaccan Palm sugar syrup). I loved this.  It was so cold and delicious.  A real treat after walking around in the heat.  

Ambra Juice with a salty plum inside.  It was pretty sour and tangy.  Not my favorite, but definitely better than the nutmeg juice.  

Pork and the nastiest egg you'll ever eat in your WHOLE life.  

The egg is called a century egg, which is sort of cured by changing the ph to a base by using lyme and ash.

Murtabak: (mix of meat, eggs and spices wrapped in a roti served with pickled shallots and curries).

After the food tour was finished, I decided to walk around and tour a mansion.  I went to the Pinang Peranakan Mansion.  I borrow the follow bit from their website, "At the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, the typical home of a rich Baba of a century ago is recreated to offer a glimpse of their opulent lifestyle and of their many customs and traditions. With over 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectibles of the era on display, this Baba-Nyonya museum is also housed in one of Penang’s heritage mansion of eclectic design and architecture. Built at the end of the 19th century by one of local history’s famous personalities, the ‘Hai Kee Chan’ or Sea Remembrance Store had once served as the residence and office of Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee. Though not a Baba himself, his Chinese courtyard house was much like a typical large Baba home of eclectic style, incorporating Chinese carved-wood panels and English floor tiles and Scottish ironworks. Having survived the many decades of neglect and decay, the mansion has now been restored to its former glory of a stately home."   It was beautiful, and I was completely in love with the color.  

Pinang Peranakan Mansion. 

Kitchen inside the mansion.

Kitchen.

I was obsessed with the tiles that was inside the house, so please forgive all the pictures of the beautiful tile throughout the mansion.  It was too pretty and every room was different and unique.

The inside courtyard. 

Fancy bed inside the bedroom. 

I was obsessed with umbrellas as decorations.  So fun. 

After walking around the touristy area, I decided to head to the mall.  There aren't a lot of clothing options in Phnom Penh, so I had discovered the mall in Penang had an H&M so I wanted to go badly.  I recycle about the same 14 or so outfits here, and most of my clothing has holes or stains.  About 99% of the time I feel gross & dirty, so I thought it would be nice to treat myself to a couple of new items of clothing.  This is a priority when you travel to "big"/more modern cities in SE Asia.

On Saturday, February 14, I started my morning at a cafe with some delicious coffee, homemade Greek yogurt and fresh mango.  This was delicious.  I ate it maybe 4 times the whole weekend.  It also made for a great snack.  And it was in a cute little jar, so of course I loved it.  Serve me food in some type of cute container...and I basically will love it and take lots of pictures of it :) Ha!

Penang has lots and LOTS of street art.  It's fun to walk around the city and snap pictures of the funny, creative murals.  I decided to spend most of the day walking around and enjoying some of the street art.  Here are some of the highlights.

For those of you that did't know, Jimmy Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia, to a family of shoe makers.  He was born Jimmy "Chow", but his last name was misspelled on his birth certificate.  His father taught him to make shoes, and he completed his first pair at age 11.  And the rest is history.  He is one of the most famous shoe designers in the world and is now based out of the UK which is where he went to school. 

Little India decorated for Chinese New Year. 

Some of the best iced coffee I've had in SE Asia.  I visited this shop on the food tour and returned a couple times during the weekend.  It was strong, a little sweet, and incredibly cold and refreshing.  Loved it. 

Godess of Mercy Temple decorate with Chinese lanterns for the New Year. 

After walking around and looking at Street Art, I decided to visit one more mansion called the "Blue Mansion."  It's true name is Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. The Circa 1880s mansion built by the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of 19th century has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases & 220 vernacular timber louve windows.  The color of this place is beautiful; these pictures don't even do it justice.  As like the other mansion, it's full of antiques and displays explaining the history of the home and it's inhabitants.  It was fun to walk through and definitely an iconic home in Penang.  

I decided to head back to the hotel after walking for a few hours to rest my legs, shower, read a book and relax.  I stayed in my room for a while, then decided to head back to Little India to enjoy my last dinner in Malaysia.  I let the waiter surprise me with dinner.  He brought me a few things to try.  My favorite was probably the mango lassi.  I think I downed that thing in like 2 minutes flat.   

I passed the most stunning and amazing store in town.  Photo was necessary. I love when stores just cut right to the chase and let you know exactly what's inside...haha!

Last Indian meal in Penang.  Yum. Yum.  Mango Lassi pictured. 

Sunday morning was pretty laid-back; I had a late-morning flight so I just slept in and left for the airport where I enjoyed a Dunkin' Donut and Starbucks coffee.  

Overall, I mostly ate and walked around all weekend in Penang.  I felt like I got to see a good portion of the city, but I wished my time had been longer!  I always feel like there is too much to see and try and never enough time.  It was a great weekend away.  I was happy to have had a small taste of Malaysia.