After Kuala Lumpur, Suzy and I boarded a train for Penang, a small island on the Northwest coast of Malaysia. We were excited to arrive as most magazines and tourist information tout Penang as Malaysia’s newest hot-spot. We checked into the Copthorne Orchid Hotel and enjoyed the beach and the hotels fabulous pool. It is in this Northern area of the island that you will find most of the new construction of high-rise buildings. Although a very nice area, Suzy and I were not impressed as finding really good restaurants was a difficult task. We had a nice stay but after a few days we were eager to move on so we headed further West to an area known as Batu Feringhi. Here we stayed at The Lost Paradise Hotel. This was quite a nice Hotel, full of Asian and Indonesian flair. The staff was friendly and helpful, but this area is also lacking in restaurants Suzy and I enjoyed. After a few days we asked the Hotel manager for the name and address of the area’s best restaurant. He told us he would do us one better, he would have the hotels transport take us to the place. We turned left outside the gate and headed East for a few minutes. When the driver stopped, Suzy and I just looked at one another. It was the very same restaurant Suzy and I had frequented while staying at the Copthorne. So much for looking forward to a dining experience. Our next and last stop on Penang Island was Georgetown, located in the Northeast section of the island and named after King George III. Everywhere you look you’ll find English and Chinese architecture dating back to the 1800’s when Francis Light founded the island and set up trade for the British East India Company. Georgetown is the heart of the island and contains most of the islands commerce; hence it has far more to offer in the areas of history, cuisine and night life. To better explore Georgetown, Suzy and I decided we would stay in two separate parts of this area, one in what I would consider to be in the busy downtown area, and the other, the touristy beachfront area. Our first stay was at the Cititel Hotel and Suzy and I found it to be a most enjoyable hotel. In the lobby we found the hotels “Citi Bar” serving all sorts of tasty martini’s which Suzy and I eagerly indulged in. Just outside the hotel were several restaurants and even an old English pub serving “fish and chips”. If that were not enough, we also found a “night vendor” serving real hamburgers off his cart. Sometimes the simplest of foods is found to be culinary heaven. One afternoon, we decided to explore the Pinang Peranakan Mansion. This turned out to be a most enjoyable afternoon as we explored the mansion and learned quite a lot about Chinese involvement in Malaysia. Next stop, The Gurney Hotel, just off the beach. The Gurney is what I would call a “classic resort hotel” it has a huge lobby, a nice restaurant and a fantastic pool area complete with beach sand located high above street level. Suzy and I enjoyed it here, we relaxed after over indulging in the tumult of being downtown. For Suzy and me, Malaysia was a place to see. We came, we saw, we left… Enough said. We are looking forward to our next stop; Singapore.
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