Penang: how to get from Kuala Lumpur and Hat Yai. All ways to get to Penang
KL transport - how best to get to Kuala Lumpur using the most common tourist routes and get to Penang.
From Kuala Lumpur Airport to City and from KL to Penang
New convenient routes have appeared. Carriers are trying to optimize their work, and I will help you to orient yourself a little in this matter, as I myself know very well what it is like to be without preparation in an unfamiliar city. When you orient yourself at least a little, Kuala Lumpur becomes intuitive, because this city is still very convenient for both tourists and permanent residents. So, welcome to Malaysia!
How to get by plane from Kuala Lumpur to Penang
You can, of course, fly Air Asia from the LCCT low-cost terminal to the airport directly to Penang Island, especially if you are lucky with some kind of sale or you are in a hurry. Sometimes cheap tickets from 49 ringit are sold a week or two before departure, sometimes for a date a few months later. Need to watch. Now, for example, tickets from 49 ringit are announced for the promotion, but only from 74 and above are on sale. Common price for a flight from the capital to Penang ranges from 100 to 180 ringit. Plus RM20-30 for luggage if you have one. Luggage is paid separately, as is lunch. You can fly from KLIA with Malaysian Airlines, this is not a low-cost airline, I won’t tell you how much the ticket will cost, but it’s not difficult to find out on the Malaysian Airlines website. If you fly to Penang by plane, you will land in just 40-50 minutes at the cozy Penang airport, the landing strip in which starts on the seashore, as in Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, and on many islands: it seems that you land directly to the water.
The landing strip starts right from the coast, between the green Penang hills
You can fly to Penang not only from Kuala Lumpur, but also from other cities in Malaysia and other Asian countries, because the airport of Penang Island is international. There are regular direct flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Melbourne, Perth, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Medan, Jakarta and many other cities in Asia, it is a pity that they do not fly directly from Russia.
How to get to Kuala Lumpur from KLIA airport to railway station and bus station
To go to Penang by bus or train, first you need to get from the airport to the Pudu Central bus station (Pudu Sentral or the old name Puduraya) or the KL Sentral railway station.
By bus
Buses from KLIA to the city and LCCT depart from the lower floor, but before stopping you need to go through the transition from the airport building itself to the adjacent building, if you make a wrong turn, you will end up in a cafe. You can go down by elevator or escalator, but it’s more reliable on the escalator: at least you don’t slip through the desired floor and go to the basement, where there is no transition. There are signs everywhere, and people will help you not to get lost. Buses from the international airport in Kuala Lumpur are divided into those that go to the KL Sentral railway station - these are Airport Coach buses, and those that reach the Pudu Sentral bus station - these are Star Shuttle buses. Star Shuttle agents wear red and yellow uniforms, and Couch Bass agents wear green uniforms. They will also try to get you on their own bus. But you must know exactly where you need to go: to the railway station or by car, and, based on this, choose a bus. Bus Star-Shuttle, bright, yellow-red with stars. He usually leaves the city first at KLIA, then at LCCT, and returns to the city in the reverse order. It travels from the airport to the city every 45 minutes from 6 am to 2.30 am, travel time is an hour, although the schedule says 1.15. You can check the schedule on their website. A ticket from KLIA to Pudu costs 10 ringit, and back, from Puduraiya to the airport, for some reason, 12. Star Shuttle buses are the only ones that do not take you to the railway station, but directly to Pudu Central. And they usually land on the side of the bus station.
Despite the fact that Star Shuttle runs every 45 minutes, they sometimes have gaps, apparently due to traffic jams or for technical reasons, I just came across one and had to wait more than an hour. The bus rides from the international airport to the city center in a little over an hour, from the low-cost one it turns out almost an hour and a half.
By train
In addition to buses to Kuala Lumpur, KLIA has a special "airport" train KLIA-Express (KLIA-Ekspres), which operates around the clock, the interval is from 15 minutes during peak hours in the morning and evening to 30 minutes after midnight until morning. The express connects KLIA and the railway station, travels quickly and is relatively expensive - RM35 for adults and RM15 for children, travel time is only 28-30 minutes. If you choose by price, then it is already more profitable for four or even three of us to travel from the city by taxi, and not by this train. But for the sake of experience, you can try it, the train is wonderful and, apparently, is in demand.
How to get in Kuala Lumpur from the LCCT airport to the bus station or railway station
The LCCT low-cost terminal is located further than usual, and from it you can get to the city on a special Air Asia - Skybus bus for 9 ringit, the final bus is KL Sentral. Star Shuttle, which also calls at LCCT, will take you to Puduraya. A ticket from LCCT to Pudu Central costs RM8 for an adult or child over 7, cheaper than from KLIA, competition so to speak.
The first bus from the Eireizhevsk terminal to the city leaves at 5.45 am, and the last one at 2.15 am. On the way according to the official schedule - one and a half hours, but in reality it arrives faster. Sometimes it can take 10-15 minutes. The final bus in the city, after the bus station - Batu 3, on the road can be dropped off at the required hotel if it meets along the way. There is a special bus, which is a little more expensive, and delivers to the main hotels in the center, but it seems to only go from the main airport.
All bus stops are next to each other. and very close to the exit from the airport building where you arrive. Going out into the street, you need to turn left and walk a little, there will be different buses and schedules.
Also, as from KLIA, you can get to the railway station by train, but first take a special shuttle bus to the Salak Tinggi railway station. The ticket will cost a total of 12.5 ringit.
How to get from KLIA to LCCT in Kuala Lumpur or vice versa (from one airport to another)
In Kuala Lumpur, it is quite easy to get from one airport to another. In KLIA, there is a bus station on the lower level, from platform 9 every 20 minutes from 4.30 am to midnight there is a shuttle bus to LCCT, it costs 1.5 ringit. To get to this bus station, first from the third level where you arrive, you should go down the elevator or escalator to the second level, go through the transition to the adjacent building and go down the escalator to the lowest level.
The stop at LCCT is easy to find, there are no numerous levels, like in the huge KLIA. Everything is within walking distance: the runway and the bus stop. You can, of course, take a taxi anywhere. including the neighboring airport. Taxis are ordered at a special window at the official price list.
How to get from the bus station to the airport in Kuala Lumpur
To leave Pudu Central for the airport, you need to stand with your back to the bus station and cross the road obliquely to the left, to shopping center Mydin, which is hard to miss in capital letters. There is a taxi rank, a bus stop and the main entrance to the Mydin store (a good supermarket, by the way, especially if you forgot to buy gifts for family and friends or food on the road). At this stop since 4 in the morning there has been a man in a yellow-and-red "senior" uniform, selling tickets for the bus. The first bus arrives at 4.15. And do not believe the taxi drivers who will say that the bus is at 6 am and you will be late without their almost gratuitous help on the plane.
At the stop, be more careful, the bus may be a little delayed, it may arrive a little earlier, it will not wait long, and if you leave for a minute, it may leave quickly and, if you have enough time, you will have to wait 45 minutes for the next one, otherwise , you will become the prey of taxi drivers who will take you anywhere with great joy. Olya and I managed to miss 2 buses in this way, first she, then me, while we ran “for a minute” to Mydin. As a result, Olya almost missed the plane.
Taxi from city to international Airport from Puduraya we were offered for 70-100 ringit. They didn't trade cheaper. There is an official price for a taxi from the airport, paid at the box office and with the received ticket - to the taxi drivers. It costs more than 90 ringit.
How to get from the railway station to the airport in Kuala Lumpur
From KL Sentral, the central station of the railway station, which can be reached by metro from any part of the city, and from where it is only five minutes by metro to the bus station, the airport can be reached by train KLIA-Ekspres, around the clock, for 35/15 ringit (per adult / child). Traffic interval: 20 minutes - during normal times, 15 minutes - during peak hours, 30 minutes - at night. You can get to LCCT by the same train, you just need to get off earlier at a stop and transfer to a shuttle bus that will take you to the airport. This route is called KLIA-Transit and costs RM12.5.
You can get there for 8-10 ringit by bus. They leave from the bottom floor. The Airways Skybus goes to LCCT, and Airport Coach goes to KLIA.
Discounts for children, unlike the Star Shuttle. Airport Coach costs RM10 for adults, RM9 for children. If you take round-trip tickets, then 18 and 16 ringit, respectively. Air Asia has a discount for those who pay for Skybus in advance, as well as for those who pay in advance for luggage on the plane.
There are also such buses, with a discount for children. Competitors Skybus Aerobus (Aerobus).
Penang can be reached from Kuala Lumpur by bus or train.
How to get by train from Kuala Lumpur to Penang
Trains in Malaysia more expensive than buses, go less often and go longer, very comfortable, the safest of all land modes of transport, though very air-conditioned, according to those who traveled. In order to leave by train, you must first get from the airport to the KL Sentral railway station, and from there you can get tickets to Butterworth. Butterworth is located on the mainland near Penang, and a ferry runs to the island every 20 minutes, the ferry is located next to the bus station and railway station. Tickets can be bought online on the KTM website, can be booked by e-mail or by phone, and then redeemed no later than 2 hours before departure. We didn’t travel by train from Kuala Lumpur, so we won’t tell you the details, but the price is about 1.5 times higher than the bus fare.
How to get by bus from Kuala Lumpur to Penang (Butterworth)
But the easiest way to get there is by bus. There are buses from Kuala Lumpur to Penang every hour, if not more often, there are several night flights. It is also more convenient to buy tickets to Butterworth, both in terms of time and money. Traveling to Butterworth is faster and cheaper, and from there getting to anywhere in Penang is easier than from the bus station in Bukit Jambul on the island. The cost of a Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth ticket is RM31-32, travel time is 4.5-5.5 hours, depending on stops along the way and traffic jams in the city itself.
There were no discounts for children. The buses are all VIP: there are 3 seats in a row, wide, soft, folding. One of the best in Southeast Asia, maybe sleepers in Vietnam are more comfortable, but driving in them is not so easy. We used to buy 2 seats for 3 - me and two children fit perfectly on 2 chairs, but now we buy a separate seat for each for the same price, as the children have grown larger over the past year. By the way, the seats at the very end of the cabin are the noisiest, I came across an overhead air conditioner that hummed like an airplane engine. Look closely at the seat number. And the very first places are also not very good. Although Malaysian drivers drive carefully and automatically put on an imaginary brake, especially if you drive a car yourself, you don’t have to every minute, unlike Vietnam or Cambodia.
In general, when you have already arrived at Pudu Central, go inside and go up to the top floor, there are cash desks. On the way you may be met by "helpers". They work each for their ticket office. Of course, you can use their help to quickly find the box office, but it is best to buy tickets from reliable companies. I have never been able to do this. As a result, I was transferred from one bus to another, the flight was delayed for half an hour, the seat number was given out at the last moment, or changed at the end, and instead of the long-awaited No. 13 in the middle of the cabin, it turned out to be No. 33 in the very tail. In general, nothing particularly terrible, given the overall high level passenger traffic, which cannot be compared with Russia or Indonesia. "Helped" help all sorts of small firms to sell their tickets, but the buses, on average, are the same, just the names are different.
It is best to buy tickets at the box office of Konsortium or Transnational - state-owned companies. And then there is a guarantee that you will take the bus with exactly that name, at the place and at the time that were promised. They are more punctual and without surprises. But the agents most likely won't even let you get to the Konsortium cashier. So be persistent. By the way, on the screen where the departure of buses is indicated, small companies cannot even be seen. Therefore, you will have to find out the platform number at the box office an hour or two before departure, not earlier, just like the bus number.
The platforms are located on the lowest floor. The descents from the first floor lead to them, all numbered. There is no need to wait for the bus below, because it is very stuffy there and there are many buses, there is practically no fresh air.
I repeat, it’s not worth buying a ticket directly to Penang: it’s more expensive (38 ringit) and it won’t take you to a normal bus stop, such as Komtar or Jetty, but it will bring you to the bus station in Bukit Jambul, no matter how you swear at the ticket office that they will take you to Komtar. If you arrive before 6 am, you will also have to pay 25 ringit for a taxi to the center, unlike Butterworth, where you just take the ferry and get there quickly and inexpensively. And you will drive almost an hour longer than to Butterworth. Moreover, all buses going to the bus station in Bukit Jambul in Penang stop in Butterworth an hour before.
So, getting off the bus at the bus station in Butterworth, you should look around, send away all the taxi drivers who will take you to the center of Penang (which is located on the other side of the strait) for 30-40-70 ringit and ask where is the Ferry (ferry - "ferry"). And he will be only 50-100 meters from you. Follow the people up and to the right, there pay 1.2 ringit per adult or 0.6 ringit per child, small children are free, determine the age and size of the child by eye. Money can first be exchanged in a special window 2 meters from the turnstiles, for coins of 50-20-10 cents, they are dumped into the turnstile, there are friendly controllers nearby who will help if something happens. The exit from the railway station is also in close proximity to the ferry. You just need to climb the stairs and turn left.
The ferry comes every 20 minutes and the journey takes about 20 minutes. The ferry arrives in Penang at a place called Jetty (Jetty). There is also a railway ticket office and the departure point for many Rapid Penang buses throughout Penang.
How to get to Balik Pulau from Jetty in Penang
Penang is quite big Island. To get to different places of interest, national park, Bukit Bender hill, Kek Lok Si temple from the center will take at least an hour by bus.
Buses 502 (1 hour and RM3.4 per adult, RM1.7 per child) and 401, 401E (nearly 2 hours, RM4 per adult, RM2 per child over 7 years old, goes through the airport). The nearest inexpensive guesthouses can be reached in 5 minutes on foot from the Ferry or negotiate with taxi drivers who are there and compare favorably with many taxis by having a meter. But it’s not worth taking this taxi to remote areas, and even during rush hour - before that, Balik Pulau will cost ringgit 70, and you won’t feel any special advantages compared to the bus. All buses with Jetty go to Komtar, and after Komtar they spread all over the city.
If you are going to ride Rapid Penang buses, you should stock up on change money, because the driver is not required to give change, although sometimes he does. But sometimes he refuses, and then either you quickly agree with those who are standing behind you to exchange money (and for this, at least one foreign language is needed, and preferably 2 at once - English and Bahasa), or give your money without change ( well, if 5 or 10 ringit!), or go to change money and wait for the next bus. Some buses, by the way, run every half an hour or even an hour.
We got to the hotel, picked up our things and took the metro to the KL Sentral metro station, where we boarded the AirAsia airline bus, and after 45 minutes we were at the airport. Penang. Departure by AirAsia to Penang, flight at 21.30. Again, they took off with a slight delay - 15 minutes. Flight 35 min. Here things got faster and a taxi to the hotel. In Penang, it seemed to us that a taxi was the most convenient way to get to the hotel (on public transport we didn't try). At the exit from the airport, there is a kiosk (as in Soviet times, a different order), the girl writes out a receipt, and you go to a taxi. At the exit, do not forget to take a map of the island and the city with sights. Penang Island was chosen as a holiday again because of the many attractions: Chinese and Buddhist temples. And since we are not lovers of "vegetable" rest (more than 3 hours on the beach is already torture for us), so we just needed such a place to have time to lie down and see something interesting. Tanjung Bungah Hotel Beach Hotel located in a quiet area of Tanjung Bungah, 40 minutes from the airport and 20 minutes from the Batu Ferringi resort (this resort is farther from the airport, respectively, about 1 hour drive). Cons and pros of the hotel: the main and perhaps the only disadvantage of the hotel is very, very old furniture and plumbing. There is a musty smell in the room, either from dampness or from old furniture. Over time, you get used to it, but at the first moment this smell hits the nose very much. It looks like it hasn't been renovated since the hotel was built. At that time, the hotel was undergoing reconstruction. So maybe something will change there. In the room as usual: there is a TV, refrigerator, kettle. Tea, coffee, sugar are free. There is no safe in the room. Otherwise, everything is excellent. The breakfasts are excellent, several types of hot snacks, pastries, fruits and vegetables. Nice pool, free towels (by the pool and on the beach). You leave the hotel - immediately the beach. Very few people. Sometimes it seemed to us that in this hotel only the two of us with her husband. The sunbeds were always free. The beaches in Penang are public, and therefore another advantage of this hotel in terms of location is that there are no locals. Of course, we did not manage to swim in the sea. The water in the sea is like fresh milk, but muddy, and it was unpleasant to stay in it for a long time. But we found a way out - the hotel pool. The hotel provides a variety of massages. My husband went and he really enjoyed it. Young people in this hotel will be bored, no entertainment. Perhaps there is something in Batu Ferringi, but since we were not interested in it, we do not know where to go to hang out. View from our room window
The cost of the flight always depends on the time of travel. The schedule will allow you to compare prices for flights from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, track the dynamics of changes in their cost and find the best offer.
Statistics will help determine the season of low prices. For example, in December, prices reach an average of 3,526 rubles, and in May, the cost of tickets drops to an average of 2,293 rubles. Plan your trip right now!
Users of the site per day make hundreds of thousands of searches on our site. We analyze this information and create schedules to make it easier for you to plan your travels.
What is more profitable - to buy tickets in advance, avoiding the general hype, or take advantage of a "hot" offer closer to the departure date? The graph will help you determine the best time to purchase air tickets.
See how the price of flights from Kuala Lumpur to Penang has changed depending on the time of purchase. Since the beginning of sales, their value has changed by an average of 53%. The minimum price for a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Penang is 50 days before departure, approximately 1,522 rubles. The maximum price for a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Penang is 20 days before departure, approximately 4,964 rubles. In most cases early booking saves money, take advantage of it!
Airfare from Kuala Lumpur to Penang is not a fixed and constant amount. It depends on many factors, including the day of departure. The dynamics of changes is visible on the graph.
According to statistics, the most affordable flight option from Kuala Lumpur to Penang is on Tuesdays, their average cost is 2,690 rubles. The most expensive flights are on Fridays, their average cost is 3,529 rubles. It is worth considering that departures on holiday days are usually more expensive. We hope that this data will help you plan your travels in the most efficient way.
Thanks to the many nightclubs and entertainment venues in Penang, it is very lively. Most of the hotels are located in the north of the island in resort area Batu Ferringhi, where dozens of restaurants, shops, various shops, markets and night markets are open. There are also the most famous sandy beaches Penang is very popular with tourists. Only a few hotels are located a little further from this resort.
Jellyfish interfere with swimming in the coastal zone of Penang, therefore, as an alternative, tourists are offered inexpensive half-day cruises on uninhabited islands with the cleanest beaches and clear water.
How to get to Penang
You can get to the island both by ferry from the town of Butterwurh, and by land transport. Penang is connected to the mainland by a 13.5 km bridge, which is considered one of the longest in Asia and the third longest in the world. There are also local flights to Penang from Kuala Lumpur (journey time - 50 minutes).
Search for flights to Kuala Lumpur (nearest airport to Penang)
A Brief History of Penang
Once this island belonged to the Sultan of Kedah and was uninhabited until 1786, until the British East India Company decided to establish its trading post here. Since then, Penang has become the first possession of the British in what is now Malaysia. And in the same year, the Englishman Francis Light founded the capital of the island - the city of Georgetown, naming it in honor of the English Emperor George III. The new owners of Penang immediately saw a potential resort in this land, overgrown with tropical jungles of betel nut palms, and a few decades later the Sargsyan brothers opened the first hotels here.
The beaches of Penang
Notable is the golden beach of Ferringhi Beach in Batu, which is located on the northern coast of the island. There are several luxurious hotels, all kinds of water sports and horseback riding.
The most famous beaches are: Teluk Bakhang (“bay of embers”) on the western edge of the island, Tanjung Bungah (“overhanging rocks”) with giant reefs and lush vegetation, and Telun Bakhang with its secluded coves.
In total, the hotel base of Penang is about 25 hotels, 18 of which are five-star. Casuarina Beach, Feringghi Beach, Shangri-La Golden Sands, Park Royal Holiday, Inn Penang Bayview Beach, Penang Parkroyal Resort are especially popular.
Shopping and shopping in Penang
For shopping, it is better to go to the capital of the island - the city of Georgetown. The Penang Road area is full of shops selling handicrafts and antiques. Bargain with local street vendors at nearby Leboch Campbell Street. There are also many shops around Rope Walk and Love Lane. In search of antiques, it is better to go around the streets of Jalan-Masjid-Kapitan-Keling, Lebukh-Chulio and Lebukh-Pantay.
Chips for playing mahjong or Chinese personalized seals are considered interesting souvenirs from the island.
Weather in Penang
Average monthly temperature, °C day and night, water
June
July
August
September
October
november
December
January
February
March
April
As in the rest of Malaysia, Penang does not show seasonal fluctuations in weather. During the year, the temperature here is kept at +23...32°С, water +26...28°С.
The rainy season lasts from May to September, so the best time to visit the island is from October to March.
Guides in Penang
Popular hotels in Penang
Entertainment and attractions in Penang
Excursion Temples of Penang (25-30 USD): Temple of the Serpent (and indeed, many of these reptiles, curled up in spirals, lie peacefully on the altar: the local snakes are considered harmless, because they are drugged by the smell of constantly smoking incense), Kek-Lok-Si (“Temple of ten thousand Buddhas") and Wat Chaiyamangkalaram with the world's third largest statue of the reclining Buddha (33 m).
Excursions to the Butterfly Park (3000 butterflies and over 50 species of other insects), Bird Park (400 species of birds from around the world, orchids, hibiscus and other tropical flowers) and Botanical Garden, each - 25-30 USD.
Prices on the page are for September 2018.
Other attractions: St. George's Church in George Town, Sri Marimman Temple, famous for its numerous statues of Indian deities, Khu Kongsi house and Mount Penang (830 meters, funicular operates), from where a beautiful panorama of the island opens.
Sights of the capital of the island - the city of Georgetown: Fort Cornwallis, the Little India quarter, the Khu Kongsi clan temple decorated with carvings and the Masjid Captain Kling mosque. Notable is the Penang State Museum, which houses a priceless collection of historical photographs, documents, maps, paintings, antiques and period furniture. Also worth seeing is the Chong Fat Tse Mansion, which features elaborate mosaics of animals from Chinese legends on its roof.
Fun to go on a jungle trek national reserve Teluk Bahang.
It is believed that in Georgetown, on Gurney Drive, you can try some of the best dishes. traditional cuisine Malaysia. For example, small sate skewers, flat fried char kue tiao noodles and "spring" rolls with popia vegetable filling.
Most come to the island of Penang (Pulau Pinang) only for a day - for visarans, but in fact there is something to see on this oversized developed island.
Penang Island is part of the Malaysian state of the same name and is approximately half the size of Phuket in area, and almost twice as large in population (~ 750 thousand inhabitants). The island is connected to the mainland by the longest bridge in Asia, 13.5 km long. There is also an international airport on the island (code PEN, there is free wi-fi).
The island has a rich history, for some time it was an English colony. The population is approximately 40% Chinese and Malays, the rest are Indians. Multinationality is everywhere. The capital of the island is the city of George Town, in the historical part of which all backpackers usually stop.
I am attaching scans first. tourist map, it is done quite well, all the sights are marked. By clicking on it, a large original will open, on which you can see everything: 
This is a map of the historical center of George Town: 
By the way, the Thai consulate is located. Not so far, but not accessible on foot. Guesthouses usually have such a service: they will bring you to the consulate, help you fill it out, and then on the same day they will take you for a ready-made passport with a visa. Guesthouses also sell tickets to the Thai islands and other popular places.
Ringit course.
Everything is very simple here: to roughly convert prices from Malay ringit to Thai baht or rubles, simply multiply by 10.
How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Penang.
Buses to Penang run almost every half an hour from both KL Sentral and Pudu Sentral (in Chinatown), take 4 hours and cost about 35 ringit. I don't recommend driving last bus with departure at 00:00. He comes to Penang at about 4-5 in the morning. The intercity bus station Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal is located in the center of the island between the airport and Georgetown. There is absolutely nothing to do there at night! All closed! And corny even there is no bench where you can sit and wait for the morning.
From Sungai Nibong, you can get to the city either by taxi (for about 20 ringit) or by city bus: 102, 303, 401 (it will cost RM2).
Where to live in Penang.
The epicenter of the concentration of guesthouses in Penang is the intersection of Lebuh Chulia and Love Lane streets, there are 20-30 of them (look at the map above). Most of the guesthouses are very inexpensive (20-40 ringgit) and of a very poor standard. But you can find more or less decent places, I could recommend Red Inn, Red Inn Heritage or Old Penang on Love Lane, they are easy to find, the price will be 70-80 ringit. Internet is available almost everywhere, just be sure to ask if wi-fi works in the room. When searching for guesthouses, I recommend using my old .
If you need something better, then there are more civilized and expensive hotels in the area. By the way, there are almost no Russian tourists, but there are quite a lot of Europeans.
Red Inn Heritage Guest House
Loved this guesthouse! Cozy, clean, good stable wi-fi throughout and in the room too.
A cozy lobby with soft sofas, where you can stay in the evenings.
There is a billiards for entertainment 🙂
Free tea/coffee/water always available.
And breakfast in the morning.
The rooms are different: large and small. A single-room with a fan costs RM35 (the window in the room overlooks the corridor and the rooms themselves are in the shade inside the courtyard, so the sun does not fry and it is quite possible to do without air conditioning). The same room, but with air conditioning will cost 45 ringit. Bathrooms and toilets on the floor. At the same time, everything is clean and there are really a lot of them! There was never a situation that you had to wait until it was free, although the guesthouse was full. There are also sinks and hair dryers everywhere.
Some photos of the area: 
There are a lot of small restaurants in the area: Chinese and Indian, you can easily eat for 3-5 ringit. Indians make roti, of course, simply divine, just for a ringit: 
For dinner it is convenient to go to this food court.
In the evening it is pleasant to walk along the embankment, which is in the northern part, next to the fort: 
There is nothing terrible inside the fort, but you can enter for 2 ringit: 
Transport in Penang.
The island is well developed bus network from Rapid Penang. The buses are large and air-conditioned and cost RM2.7. You can get to almost anywhere on the island.
One of the Jetty bus stations is located and is the end point of many routes. From here you can drive to the airport (more than an hour). By the way, the list of bus routes is also on the tourist map attached at the beginning.
You also can rent a motorbike. The cost is 25-35 ringgit per day, depending on the model. On the long term Of course you can bargain. You will be asked if you have rights, fill out the contract, leave a deposit (we left 200 ringit) and go! It is strange that on the island, in general, everyone rides in helmets, unlike Thailand. Despite the fact that traffic cops on the roads are not particularly visible.
The traffic is very active, there are a lot of cars, but in principle it is quite neat, no one is nervous, no one beeps. But I would not recommend starting to learn to drive here. The roads are quite good. 
Taxis are quite expensive here. You can also rent a bike.
If you have time, I recommend a ride to the northwest of the island. The road goes along the coast, first past the pastoral hotels: 
Then more or less pleasant beaches begin: 
But looking at all the beaches, I didn’t feel like climbing into the water anywhere. In general, Penang is not particularly suitable for swimming. 
Neighborhood with skyscrapers does not benefit the coastline: 
At the end western road rests on national park Muka Head. There are several routes-tracks, up to 5 kilometers long, although not all of them can be open. Entrance to the park is free. The views are sometimes quite pleasant: 
But even there, if you look closely at the water, you will not want to swim. The paths in the park require good physical shape 😉
There are also quite a few monkeys, but they do not show any aggressive intentions.
I recommend not to end the trip with the park, but to move further west, and then south along the island. The path there is very picturesque, it goes partly through the mountains and somehow even reminded the recent one, the movement is less busy. I advise you to ride.
On the way there you will meet a butterfly farm, a reservoir, a fruit farm, where you will be guided (for 29 ringit) through a hefty tropical garden, which contains numerous tropical and subtropical fruits. Naturally, you will be able to taste fresh chilled fruit platter and freshly squeezed juices. On a hot day, sitting in the shade not on top of a mountain is just that 😉 
There will also be several viewpoints and small waterfalls along the way. 
If you look at the map, you will see that going further along the road you will leave approximately in the center of the island. From there, you can easily drive back to the historic center of George Town.
Locals live in some strange multi-storey shacks in sleeping areas: 
On the way, you can stop by Penang Hill. From this point, the funicular wagon for 30 ringit carries highest point islands (approximately 820 meters). If you don’t want to pay, then from the Chinese temple located on the neighboring mountain, almost the same view of the island opens: 
There are many more interesting sights on the island: a snake temple, a butterfly farm, a tropical spice garden, etc. Pick up a map and explore!
Findings: Penang, lively, industrial, multifaceted - it's more like excursions, attractions, history, entertainment and shopping, but not a relaxing beach holiday.
