When it comes to Asian destinations, I know the very first thing that comes to my mind is FOOD! I might be very biased, but Asian food has got to be one of the best in the world. With so many spices and exotic ingredients, it is no wonder that food is what comes to mind whenever I travel the Asian countries.

One place that I love in particular is Penang in Malaysia. I have been to Penang so many times, mostly because of its laid back old town, friendly locals, diversed landscapes and of course its amazing food. I think I love Penang for its familiarity. I can understand Malay around 50% as it is similar to Indonesian and the weather and food are almost similar to home but I love how the city is properly managed and neat with great public transport. I have to admit that I’m a sucker for neat, planned cities, I think this comes from my background of being in a very chaotic city that whenever I arrive to a better planned city, it feels like a breath of fresh air (call me crazy!).

Although I have been in Penang several times, there is always something new to do. The first time I was there with my family, I was awed by Kek Lok Si temple, the biggest temple in South-East Asia. I wanted to continue to Penang Hill with its famous almost-vertical funicular but it was closed down for maintenance. However I got to do go up on my second visit. A few visits after that I got to enjoy the newly installed street arts placed all over the old town. I enjoyed hunting these street arts and understanding how its connection to the neighbourhood. One of my favourite memory of Penang though was trekking its national park. The park itself is huge with choices of activities and trekking routes. I got to embrace nature in its natural habitats and peeked at a fisherman’s life. It was a great option as I’m just one of those person who always needs options for quiet and peaceful spots whenever I travel.

With an old town so vintage and quirky, it was natural that a lot of cake shops and cafe started popping up. Although a little pricey compared to its street food, it was definitely worth visiting one or two cafes while in Penang. I enjoyed my cafe hopping, especially in the afternoon heat, as I could just relax, enjoy some good food and wait until it’s not so hot out to continue my exploration.

Penang is home to many famous dishes like the refreshing es cendol, assam laksa, char koay teow, curry me, nasi kandar…oh you know I could go on and on. So you can see why I could never go hungry in Penang. One of my favourite places to go street food hunting was in Chulia Street. When night falls, the street is full of street vendors selling their best food. I was in love with the curry me here, with every slurp, I was in heaven! And don’t even get me started on chendol, I would gulp down this refreshing drink anytime of day.

I would definitely recommend Penang for people who are travelling to South East Asia. It has a very friendly atmosphere and transportations are easy. I think I could come back to Penang just for its food, and I think you would too if you know just how delicious the food are in Penang!

Have you been to Penang? Do you think it will be on your South-East Asia list?

Read more about Penang:

• Penang For the Street Art Lover
• Trekking at Penang National Park
• A Foodie Guide to Penang
• Penang: Turtle, Peace, and Quiet

About the author

Aggy is a travel blogger/writer from Indonesia who loves dreaming, exploring and wandering the world. When on the road, she loves to find quirky places, try new food, snapping pictures of old windows and tiles and visiting old cemeteries.

You can follow Aggy on her travel blog, Dream Explore Wander, and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.