Penang Hill

Another business trip brought us back to Penang last week. 10 hours of travel by van was agonizing. Good thing we had extra time to explore another area of the city. This time we went to Penang Hill.

The locals call the place Bukit Bendera and is located about 6 kilometers from the city center of George Town. This was also coined as Flagstaff Hill because this is the place where the Brits raised the flag to signal that mail has arrived. We found our way to the foot of the hill by riding bus 204 from Komtar and paid 2RM (0.56 USD) per way.

There is a Swiss made funicular train that runs every 20-25 minutes. We paid 30 RM (8.39 USD) for the train to take us up and back.

As tipped by our friends who have been there before us, we raced towards the front part of the train. Unfortunately, there were teens standing in front of us so we did not get a nice shot. The ride was amazing, nevertheless. My ears started to pop with the change of pressure. The lush greenery was building my anticipation of what and how it feels to be at the top.

Things to do at the top:

1. See the nice view of Penang and GeorgeTown.

A lot of viewing decks are on top. There are even telescopes to see a closer view. Now I understood why a lot of tourists and locals come to this place. It is 830 meters above sea level and is literally cool. Such a refreshing place away from the heat and bustle of the town. Take a photo or two and feel being on top of the world (or the hill, rather).

2. Visit their lover's padlock area

I find these locks cute. Must have been a lot of lovers who've had dates here. I imagine them putting a love lock and saying they will be together forever (seriously, walang forever). :)

3. Discover the old train.

Take a photo or two of the old wooden train. Reviews says that this is the restored version of the original funicular train built in 1897.

Other interesting things to do:

1. Visit the owl museum

Entrance fee is 12 RM. Reviews said that this is South East Asia's first museum dedicated to owl themed art and craft. Must be interesting for those owl lovers.

2. Chill in the restaurants

A number of tea kiosks and restaurants are located here. Perfect for chillin'. There is also a food and drinks court that will greet you once getting out of the train.

3. Explore the other parts of the Hill.

It is said that the the hill boasts of an Indian Temple and a Mosque built side by side without racial conflict nor tension.

I believe there are still a number of things that can be done or explored on top but as we were tired from the trip, we just stayed for a couple of hours. Definitely another nice experience from this city.

In conclusion, sharing a couple of our videos from the experience. :) Not sure about 180 degree view blah blah that I was saying, though..