Penang & Georgetown

While we were in Thailand in 2023, we jetted down to Malaysia for 4 days to spend some time in the historic city of Georgetown!

This region was historically controlled by Chinese merchants, and later the British Empire, before gaining independence in the 1950s. The historic downtown still has a feeling of the age of pirates with mysterious passages, dark alleys, and colonial architecture.

The city is known for its nightlife, particularly street food. Key is to just take it easy and try to taste as much as you can.

For our hotel we chose the historic Cheong Fatt Ze Mansion (or the Blue Mansion). This amazing hotel was home to one of the wealthiest Chinese merchant families, and it has been lovingly maintained to this day. There are daily public tours of the space which includes fountain-filled courtyards with fainting couches, an award-winning restaurant, and beautiful bar. This was a one-of-a-kind experience and I’d highly recommend visiting Georgetown just for this experience!

Clan Jetties

Georgetown is home to several jetties along its waterfront that historically housed migrant Chinese workers. These are now protected heritage sights and home to markets that draw tourists from all over the world. You can find everything from quality clothing and antique chachkies, to touristy trinkets. It’s a wonderfully crowded and one-of-a-kind experience! You can read more about the Clan Jetties here in this PDF.