Last November 22-26, I went to Malaysia.
It was my second trip abroad after Seoul, South Korea in May 2018.
Malaysia wasn’t actually planned trip. My eldest sister joined the Penang
Bridge International Marathon for her first full marathon (41 km) and asked if
I could tag along for support. I said yes.
We stayed majority of our days in Penang, a state in northwest
Malaysia and it was A-MAZ-ING. And today I’m ready to share to you the
experience I had.
Day 1 AM| Hello, Kuala Lumpur!
Unlike my first time abroad, I wasn’t that nervous in flying to
Malaysia. I’m with my eldest sister who is a frequent flyer and have been
around the world already. I knew I could depend on her throughout the trip.
True enough, we had a smooth flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur International
Airport.
We arrived at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia around 11:00 am after four hours of travel time. Our
next flight was from Kuala Lumpur to Penang where my sister rented an Airbnb.
While waiting for our flight which was 3:25 pm, we roamed around the airport,
visited shops and took some photos. Then we had a sumptuous meal at
Grandmama’s. My sister introduced me to Char Kway Teow, a stir-fried flat rice
noodles topped with prawns, egg, fish cake and bean sprouts cooked in high heat
wok. It was one of the dishes you should not miss when in Malaysia.
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| At Kuala Lumpur International Airport |
Day 1 PM| Arrival in Penang
Penang is an
hour away from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by plane. By land, it will take five
hours to drive. Most Malaysia travel guides I read online are set in Kuala
Lumpur so I had no idea what to expect in Penang.
Upon our arrival we were greeted by the owner of the Airbnb where we
will be staying. He was nice enough to drive us to our place. Unlike me, it was
my sister’s second time in Penang. She was there four years ago and according
to her a lot has changed since then. Our landlord agreed saying a lot of new
buildings and facilities were already built in Penang.
FUN FACT. The first shock of the trip is definitely Malaysia’s driving
side. They drive on the left hand side of the road which is opposite here in
the Philippines.
The condo where we will stay for the first four days of trip was
minutes away from the Penang International Airport. It was such a spacious
condo with a view of the Penang Bridge. I couldn’t ask for a better place to
stay.
We spent the next hours settling in our things before going to our
first destination - Queensbay Mall.
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| Where we will be staying |
Queensbay Mall
Queensbay Mall is one of the finest shopping malls in Penang Island
which is located in the heart of Bayan Lepas. The mall is a five-story complex which houses fashion & electronics stores,
restaurants & a cinema.
First on our to do list was to exchange money from Philippine Peso to
Ringgit. Cost of living in Malaysia is not that high compared to that of South
Korea (1 PHP = 0.0802 MYR) which is good because I brought limited money with
me.
Then we went to the Queens Hall, their version of a food court, for
our first dinner in Malaysia. Queens Hall features all the local Penang street
food alongside international cuisine like Mediterranean, Thai, Indian, Chinese,
Singapore and more.
I find it hard to choose which food to buy since almost everything
looks yummy. Thankfully, I’m with my sister so we can choose two different dish
instead. I ended up with Tom Yum Soup which is a hot and sour Thai soup and my
sister got a plate filled with rice, chicken strips, pita bread, hummus and
spices. We also had Milo Dinosaur which I didn’t know was a thing in Malaysia.
It was a cup of a cup of
iced Milo with undissolved Milo powder added on top of it.
After eating my sister did some
shopping and by some I mean - a lot. Haha. Then we head back to the condo and
prepare for our first full day in Penang.
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| Inside Queens Hall |
Day 2 | George Town
George Town is the capital of the state of Penang. It was named a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for the preservation of the many historical
buildings in the area. It is a home for art, food and architecture. It reminds
me so much of Intramuros, it feels as if the time stopped and you were back in
the old years.
There are three common ways you can tour around George Town without a
car. You can either walk, pay 15 MYR an hour for a trishaw (which is like our
kalesa where you will seat in a carriage and the driver cycles for you acting
like your tour guide) or rent a bicycle/motorcycle.
Walking wasn’t much of a fun since the sun it was too hot during our
visit. Trishaw would have been good but expensive. And so we decided to rent a
bicycle instead. The price was 10 MYR for the whole day of exploration already.
I think this was the most reasonable way you can cover George Town’s top
attraction in day.
FUN FACT. I don’t know how to ride a bike. I rode a
three-wheeled bicycle throughout George Town even in the highway. I was so
embarrassed but thankful I pulled through it.
One of the most famous tourist attraction in George Town are the
street arts particularly the world
class murals found in the walls of almost every street all over George Town. I was part of the
Penang 2012 Art Festival and ended up becoming a hit for tourists. “Children on
a Bicycle” and “Brother & Sister on a Swing” were where most people flock
for photos.
I can’t forget too the The
Waterfront which was reminiscent to our own Baywalk. The Waterfront is also
where the colonial buildings can be found like the Town Hall and City Hall. We
also visited Penang Wonderfood Museum which houses replicas
of Malaysian dishes, art & historical information. The food displays there
looks so real and we definitely had a good time inside the museum.
Lastly, we rode
Rapid Ferry which is a shuttle ferry service within the State of Penang,
Malaysia, connecting the city of George Town on Penang Island and Butterworth
on the mainland. My sister wanted me to experience the sunset while the ferry
was sailing and I’m telling you it was the most beautiful sunset ever.
By 6 pm we
completed Day 2 and went back to where we were staying.
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| View from the ferry |
Day 3 | Shopping at Sephora and Rest Day
Day 3 was a chill/rest day for us since my sister will be completing
the marathon the next day. Our only “gala” was Queensbay where we shopped. Yes,
I said “we”. I bought a Reebok Cardio Motion which was on 50% off since it was
Black Friday during our visit, Ryder Carroll’s book The Bullet Journal Method
on on 20% discount and lastly my own Becca in Champagne Pop highlighter -
beauty wishlist unlocked!
We also bought a lot of food since we will be spending the rest of Day
3 in the condo so my sister can take a rest and prepare for the event. She
joined the 41 KM which starts at 1:30 AM
which means I have to wake up early too. While she rested I blogged a little
and then fell asleep.
Day 4 | Penang Bridge International Marathon, Penang Hill and Gurney Drive
The Penang Bridge International Marathon or Penang Bridge Marathon is
an annual marathon event held in Penang Bridge, Penang, Malaysia. It was held
first in 1984 where participants run over the longest bridge in Malaysia,
Penang Bridge. The event
incorporates a full marathon, a half-marathon and a quarter-marathon.
We woke up at 12 midnight to do some final preparations before heading
out at Queensbay Mall which was the starting point. We walked in the wee hours
along with other participants which was an intense feeling. I was not the one
running but I could feel the pressure inside.
Since we were pretty early I was able to get good shots of the behind
the scene of the event. I also took some photos of my sister’s pre marathon
stretching. I am really proud of my sister for starting and sticking to this
running journey. I’ve witnessed the pain she felt after her 21 km Run Rio Eventlast September and knowing that this will be double the distance worried me so
much.
But, I know she trained hard for the event and that she will be able
to finish the marathon strongly.
When the participants gathered at the starting point for the gun shot
I didn’t know to feel. I was excited and nervous at the same time. Finishing 41
km takes average of 4 hours so I waited first at the tent made for the
supporters of the participants.
Everything was fine until it wasn’t. At around 3am, heavy rains and
lightning occur. It was too heavy that there was literally no visibility at the
place where I was waiting. I didn’t know what to do since in an hour I knew my
sister will finish her run. I couldn’t just wait for her in the tent and do
nothing.
When the rain subsided a little, I went to the tent area where the
medals were being given. I told the staff that I have to wait for my sister
since she had no cellphone or any communication device with her. Thankfully
they agreed to let me wait in the said tent. After a few minutes I finally saw
my sister. She was definitely too sore and too exhausted from the run. I
greeted her and congratulated her for finishing the race strong.
I wish I had a chance to take a photo or video of her in the finish
line but due to the storm I wasn't able to do so. We were all not prepared and
not expecting the rain to happen. It was so bad that the 10 km run was
cancelled for safety.
After the event we were like basang
sisiw who braved the rain just to get home. I was telling my sister to keep
walking though I know she was in so much pain. But there’s no way I could carry
her to the condo. Haha.
I am really proud of my sister.
Part of my 30 before 30 list is running my first 5km event and it is
highly influenced by her. I am hoping to join her one day in training.
We got back to the condo at around 6 am and slept.
Penang Hill
I actually thought that the day will be spent resting just like
yesterday. But much to my surprise, we went to Penang Hill in the afternoon.
Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks on Penang Island,
Malaysia.
The most convenient way to get up
to Penang Hill is by cliff railway. It is like MRT but it moves in a slope
providing you with added fun and adventure. Once at the top you can go to the main viewing
deck where the whole city can be viewed below. And just like N Seoul Tower
there is also a lovelock area. Lastly, we had an afternoon tea at David Brown’s
Restaurant and Tea Terraces which I did enjoy.
After our trip to Penang Hill we
went back to George Town to buy pasalubong.
Gurney Drive
I told my sister that I wanted to
try more food of Malaysia so she brought me to Gurney Drive. Gurney Drive is a
popular seafront promenade within George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The road is
also famous for the street cuisine at the seafront hawker centre.
Food sold at the hawker centre
include char kuey teow, Hokkien mee, jiu hoo eng chye (spinach with
cuttlefish), koay teow th'ng, lok lok, mee goreng, Jawa mee, mee rebus,
pasembur, rojak, satay, soya beancurd (douhua) and many more.
At around 8pm we were ready to go
to the condo and pack our bags for our bus ride to Kuala Lumpur. Can’t believe
it was the last day already in Penang.
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| Our orders at Gurney Drive |
Day 5 | Batu Cave, Central Market, Petronas Tower and KLCC Mall
We took an all nighter bus service which is from 12 midnight to 5 am
the next morning. It was the most comfortable bus ride I had ever experience.
It was like an airplane ride with a convertible chair.
Once we were in Kuala Lumpur already, landmark KL Sentral Station we
had breakfast at Mcdonalds. I had a taste of Teh Tarik, a hot milk tea beverage
which is like the coffee served here. We had to wait for an hour before we can
go to Batu Cave. We also left our luggage at the storage found in the station.
Batu Cave
If you are visiting Kuala Lumpur then a day trip to Batu Caves is a
must. First it’s free entrance and second, you will definitely be amazed by
what you are about to see. Batu Cave is a limestone hill that has a series of
caves and cave temples in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It attracts plenty of
tourists and we were lucky to be there during the opening hours. Inside you
will be greeted by the gigantic Lord Murugan Statue then there is the colorful
steep steps to enter the cave itself.
We didn’t know that there was a dress code and since my sister was
wearing shorts she was not allowed to go inside. Good thing though since I know
she was still sore from the marathon and would have much difficulty climbing
the steep staircase. There were also monkeys freely moving around the staircase
so try to be extra careful. Inside Batu
Cave are marvelous limestones and beautiful main prayer area.
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| Inside Batu Cave. Yes, you'll find a shorter steep stairs inside. |
Central Market
After Batu Cave we walked our way to the Central Market. Central
Market is a famous market in Kuala Lumpur. It is arranged in a stall concept,
representing the traditional market that has existed in Kuala Lumpur since the
1800s. There is also a food court and a streetfood row outside much like Gurney
Drive.
Petronas Tower
Petronas Tower is a famous landmark when in Kuala Lumpur. It is a twin
skyscraper and once the tallest in the world before Taipei 101 surpassed the
title. You will know that Petronas is a landmark because a lot of people were
doing random poses just to get the best angle where Petronas can be viewed.
After we had a couple of shots at the tower we went inside Suria KLCC which is
a 140,000 square meter shopping mall at the feet of the Petronas Towers. It
features mostly foreign luxury goods and high-street labels. We also ate at the
food hall before arranging my flight back home.
My sister stayed for one more day in Malaysia since she had a flight
to Singapore the day after. As for me, it was back to work the following day.
My sister accompanied me to KL Sentral Station to retrieve our luggage. I took
a train trip from KL Sentral to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Then it was time for me to leave Malaysia.
Overall
I can’t thank enough my sister for tagging me along in this trip. I
had a blast and I felt like I did so much activities while in Malaysia. I super
enjoyed Penang especially the food. Georgetown and Gurney Drive are a must to
visit. I also love Penang Hill and Batu
Cave. This trip completed my birthday celebration.
What do you think of my travel to Malaysia?
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