The Blue Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze — The Blue Mansion was where we stayed and made a memorable base for exploring George Town.
OUR PENANG
Walk, eat, discover.
We loved walking around Penang. George Town is the sort of place that rewards you for taking your time, with beautiful streets, old shophouses, street art and something interesting appearing around almost every corner.
We stayed at The Blue Mansion, which gave us a great base for exploring the city. But it was really the combination of wandering, eating and discovering that made Penang work so well for us.
We also spent a day up on Penang Hill. The views over the whole city were fantastic, but the wildlife made the experience even more memorable — we saw monkeys while walking through the hills.
FROM OUR CAMERA
Penang, as we saw it.
GEORGE TOWN
A city made for wandering.
Our favourite way to see George Town was simply on foot. We would head out with no particular plan and let the streets decide where we went next.
The old shophouse buildings were gorgeous, with their colours, details and layers of history giving the city a character that is difficult to reproduce anywhere else.
STREET ART
Always look up, around and behind you.
One of the fun things about walking George Town was spotting the street art. It never felt like we were following a checklist — there was always another piece appearing as we wandered through the city.
THE OLD CITY
Beautiful details everywhere.
Temples, old shopfronts, colourful facades and tiny details make George Town incredibly photogenic. The pleasure is in moving slowly enough to notice them.
TEMPLES & LANDMARKS
History around every corner.
Some of the temples we came across were beautiful and added another layer to the city. Then there are the landmarks that become part of the Penang experience — including the famous fire station.
WHERE WE STAYED
The Blue Mansion.
Cheong Fatt Tze — The Blue Mansion gave us a memorable base in George Town and fitted perfectly with the character of the city around it.
It was a lovely place to return to after a day spent walking, eating and exploring.
UP IN THE HILLS
A different view of Penang.
Penang Hill was one of our favourite days. The views back over the whole city were fantastic and gave us a completely different perspective on George Town.
And then there were the monkeys. Seeing them while walking through the hills made the day feel much more like an adventure than a sightseeing trip.
WHERE WE STAYED
The Blue Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze — The Blue Mansion gave us a memorable base in George Town and put us right into the character of Penang.
OUR FAVOURITE DAY
Penang Hill
Head into the hills for fantastic views across George Town and keep an eye out for the monkeys and other wildlife along the way.
THE BEST WAY AROUND
On foot
We loved walking the streets, spotting street art, admiring old shophouses and discovering temples, landmarks and restaurants along the way.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Places & experiences we loved.
George Town
The best way to experience the city is simply to walk. Beautiful old shophouses, street art, temples and unexpected details make wandering part of the attraction.
Peninsula House
An amazing dinner and one of our favourite experiences. We loved hearing about their vegetable growing room, eating at the communal table and staying for wine upstairs.
Eastern & Oriental
We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the E&O and would definitely include it when exploring George Town.
Penang Hill
Fantastic views over the city, beautiful hill scenery and the added excitement of seeing monkeys while walking around.
The food
Food was a big part of what made Penang work for us, from memorable restaurants to the pleasure of simply finding somewhere interesting while wandering.
OUR EDIT
Leave plenty of time to wander.
What we loved most about Penang was how easy it was to spend a day without much of a plan. We would walk through George Town, spot street art, admire the old shophouses and discover another temple or landmark along the way.
The city is incredibly photogenic. The old buildings, colourful details and famous fire station all became part of the fun of simply seeing what was around the next corner.
Food was another big part of the experience. Peninsula House was a particular highlight, while lunch at the Eastern & Oriental added another memorable stop.
And then there was Penang Hill. The views back over the whole city were superb, but seeing monkeys while walking through the hills made the day even more memorable.
MORE FROM OUR CAMERA
More from Penang.
OUR MAP
Penang.
George Town, The Blue Mansion, Penang Hill and the restaurants, streets, temples and places that made this such a pleasure to explore.