Ask any Penangite who had left the island for work, and you will get most of them saying that they will return to Penang for retirement. Penang may have changed significantly for the past two years especially, but it is certainly a change for the better.

Many visitors are enticed to live in the island once they have come here. Penangites will come back for retirement, except for the remaining few who probably migrated to another country or had already gotten too used to living in another state. People love Penang due to many reasons. One of them is the low living cost in the island.

Properties

In Penang, you can still get food for lesser than USD1, even if we assume that the exchange rate is MYR3 to USD1. Many things are still highly affordable, which makes Penang still a very attractive place to live despite the rise in housing cost. Land is getting scarce in Penang, and landed properties have become quite expensive in new townships. Developers and builders are selective of the types of houses they build. New landed properties are usually three storeys, and prices are above MYR500,000.

Apartments and condominiums are luxurious homes with facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, gymnasium and cafe. There are management fees incurred, and the more facilities there are the more expensive it will be. The management fees are not only for the facilities but also for the security. There will be guards on duty twenty-four hours each day and also security passes and devices to control the entry of cars into the block. It is also likely that there will be one entry point to the block, and all visitors need to be registered for more enhanced security.

There are not many gated communities in Penang yet, even though it is very popular in Kuala Lumpur. It is likely that the trend will develop, while the state government demands for more low and medium cost housing in the island for more affordable housing. It is not easy for the house pricing to deteriorate in Penang, mainly because of the land scarcity.

Food

Food is always a topic in Penang. Many people will agree that Penang is a food heaven where it is easy to gain weight. Food is not expensive, and the vast variety is definitely making everyday a possible day for various cuisines. In fact, Penang Assam Laksa has become one of the top delicious foods in the world, together with other popular cuisines like the tom yum gong of Thailand. Of course you cannot eat Penang Assam Laksa everyday, but there are certainly a lot of delicious foods in Penang. You may wish to have some rice with vegetables, fish, meat and all sorts of gravy at stalls or even some shops that are ethnic centric such as Nasi Kandar.

If you are ready to make your own meals, there are a lot of markets or supermarkets where you can choose fresh produce. Morning markets offer fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and fish that are obtained locally, and there are a lot of people in these morning markets. There are also others who prefer to shop at supermarkets for the convenience of packaged and imported produce.

Landscape

Most of those who would like to retire in Penang are probably thinking of the beach front homes or condominiums. There are quite a number of sky scrapers condominiums along the skyline of the stretch starting from Gurney Drive right up until Batu Feringghi. These condominiums are currently mostly occupied by expatriates working in the island or those who are here for the MM2H programme. They may be Caucasians, Japanese or even Koreans, and very often they form a close community among themselves through clubs and activities.

The Pull Factor

Perhaps the biggest pull factor which invites people to retire in Penang is the affordability. Things are highly affordable, which is going to be helpful for retirement. The pace of living in Penang is also set at a moderate pace which is neither too fast nor too slow, a comfortable pace where people can keep up with and yet not be left behind.

Also, communicating with locals are easy. Most locals are able to converse in English, which makes it easy for you when you need to buy things especially. If you shop at supermarkets or malls, the prices are already tagged to the items. You may do well conversing in English, or learn up some local dialects such as Hokkien, Malay, Mandarin or even Cantonese if you wish to be closer to the locals.

Together with other factors, Penang becomes a very attractive option for retirement. There are many people who are looking at the option of MM2H. Even if it is just a short engagement, the stay will let you know why people love Penang.

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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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