Tourist sites are always focusing on one single attraction: it is either a beach destination or a city shopping destination. What if we say that you can have both the beach and the city shopping, all within close proximity to each other? Yes, it is possible, when you are in George Town, Penang.
As a Beach Destination
The island started off as a tourist beach destination, with stretches along the present day Tanjung Tokong right up until Balik Pulau. There are also nicely renovated areas such as Gurney Drive and Esplanade where people can have a leisure walk or even jog in the evenings. Let us take a closer look at them.
There are hotels just right next to the beach. The moment you open the doors if you are staying on the ground floor units, you will be able to reach the sandy beach just a few steps away. Or, you may just sit at the balcony to enjoy the peaceful seaview as the evening fades away.
Some hotels offer water sports facilities such as jet skis or parachuting and also showcase websites such as watersportsmag on their public screens to keep their visitors updated with the latest water sports news. Some have rafting and kayaking, but do ensure that you adhere to the safety rules and regulations. There are a lot of activities for couples, families and children, depending on what you want. If you are not sporty or adventurous, the splendid cuisine prepared in these restaurants are enough to occupy your time, together with the lovely settings that is suitable either for a romantic dinner for two, or a family reunion of a whole clan.
The location of such beach hotels are not really that far away from town either. However, the structure of the roads leading to the winding paths of the beach hotels almost tear your mind away from the busy streets of the city area. Along the way to the hotel, you will be able to see stretches of beaches and sea, a good view which serves as an introduction for your vacation by the sea.
As a Shopping Haven
There are a lot of shopping options in Penang, and local Penagites have a reputation of buying the cheapest and the best. Visitors can be spoilt by choice, and town hotels are just walking distance away from the most interesting shopping malls around town.
For the ultimate city experience, you may want to take a look at the wet markets available in the morning. These wet markets are where locals shop, and usually situated in the middle of many old, local shops selling dim sum or local food stores for breakfast. There are fresh fruits and vegetables, and meat is freshly displayed. Buyers get to choose the parts of meat that they want, and the butcher will slice the parts out for them right there. Besides these fresh produce, there can be lovely local delicacies or simple t-shirts for sale at highly affordable prices.
There are also a lot of mid-range products. Supermarkets are stocked with fresh and frozen produce, packaged products and sometimes, freshly baked bread and buns. The supermarkets will also have canned products and other grocery items. You may buy some items back to the hotel for convenience, for example, instant coffee, tea or cereals. Supermarkets making such good deal offerings include Tesco and Giant.
Those looking for non-tropical items such as avocados and berries, fresh and imported overseas, may also opt to shop at Cold Storage or Jaya Jusco. These supermarkets are situated at the ground floor or lower ground floor of shopping malls, while the upper floors will have retailers selling clothes, bags, shoes, electrical products and other consumer items.
Options, options, and more options
Visitors have a lot of choices in Penang. This is especially true for foods, There are delicious local foods, sold mostly at hawker stalls where you may easily see the food items being cooked, and there are also international fine dining cuisine. The wide range and variety of foods make your experience totally distinguished, and the plus point is that you may enjoy it all within close proximity of each other in the island. Some food items are uniquely Penang, which means that even though you may find stalls putting their names similar to that in Penang, the food produced is going to be different.
You can still get food in Penang for lesser than USD1 for each bowl. Even if the food is cheap, the taste is absolutely fabulous. Many people cannot understand why or how this can be maintained in Penang. Well, this is the way Penangites do business. If you sell expensive, you will not capture the mass market. Penangites will always find an alternative where it is cheaper and taste better too.
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