Bex Takes On…Georgetown

Our first stop in Malaysia is Georgetown, on Penang Island.

After a very long day of travelling, we reached Georgetown just in time for dinner. Our group leader took us to an amazing street food market close to our hotel.

There was a great atmosphere; I had a lovely chicken tikka from one of the stalls as I enjoyed the live music. A great introduction to Penang!

The next day we took a guided tour of the city. Our guide was full of information and it was great to learn so much about the history of the place and the different cultures that have made the city their home.

First, we visited the Chew Jetty. 60% of the population here is now Chinese but when the first generations arrived they were illegal immigrants and so could not build on the land. Instead they built settlements on the water. There are now 4th and 5th generations still living there.

As well as Chinese, there is also a large Indian community. And it is easy to see the influence on the city from the British, when we took control of the country. Mosques stand alongside Buddhist temples, alongside churches, alongside Hindu temples. It is an amazing, peaceful, multicultural city.

We also visited the botanical gardens, which is home to a variety of beautiful flowers and trees (and also some cheeky monkeys!) before driving up the hill to Kek Lok Si Temple.

We stopped for lunch, where I had an amazing Laksa. It was noodles and vegetables in a rich fish broth. Definitely my favourite meal so far (except maybe Pad Thai!).

The afternoon was spent searching for street art – a very popular past time in Georgetown.

After a long, busy day we headed back to the hotel for a shower and cool down. In the evening, we decided to head to the sky bar for a well deserved cocktail. We arrived in time to watch the sun go down and enjoy the view of Georgetown lit up.

One of my favourite places so far, definitely worth a visit!