SEA-15-Book 1.indb

MALAYSIA

lonelyplanet.com PENINSULAR MALAYSIA – WEST COAST •• Pulau Penang

Note that Langkawi ferries depart the jetty off
Pesara King Edward near the clock tower.

Bus
Buses to all major towns on the penin-
sula leave from both Georgetown and
Butterworth. Several long-distance bus
services leave from Kompleks Komtar;
some leave from the long-distance bus of-
fices, while others leave from the local bus
stop. Buy tickets direct from the bus com-
panies, because we’ve both received letters
and talked to travellers whose agent-bought
tickets from Georgetown only got them part
way to where they wanted to go.
There are daily buses to Ipoh (RM11, three
hours, hourly), Tanah Rata in the Cameron
Highlands (RM25, six hours, five daily), KL
(RM28, five hours, hourly), Kuantan (RM43,
eight hours, one daily), Melaka (RM36, seven
hours, two daily), and Singapore (RM53, nine
hours, two daily).
There are also bus and minibus services
to Thailand: Hat Yai (RM35), Phuket (RM61
to RM70), Ko Samui (RM80) and Bangkok
(RM105 to RM120). The minibuses usu-
ally don’t go directly to some destinations
so there are significant waiting times. The
train from Butterworth is usually quicker and
more comfortable.

GETTING AROUND
Penang has a good public transport system
that connects Georgetown with the rest of
the island.

Bus

There are several local bus stops in Georgetown.

Kompleks Komtar and Pengkalan Weld, in

front of the Butterworth–Penang jetty, are

two of the largest stops. Most of the buses also

have stops along Lebuh Chulia. Fares within

Georgetown are RM1.50 to RM3; points be-

yond are RM1 to RM3 depending on the desti-

nation (exact change required).

For around RM6 you can do a circuit of the

island by public transport.

Motorcycle & Bicycle

You can hire bicycles from shops at Lebuh

Chulia, Batu Ferringhi (13km northwest of

Georgetown) and some guest houses. Bicycles

cost RM10, and motorcycles start at RM30 per

day. Remember that if you don’t have a motor-

cycle licence, your travel insurance probably

won’t cover you in the case of an accident.

Taxi

You’ll need to bargain for a reasonable fare.

Typical taxi rates around town are RM6 to

RM12. Other fares include Batu Ferringhi

(RM45), Penang Hill/Kek Lok Si Temple

(RM30) and Bayan Lepas airport (RM38).

Trishaw

Bicycle rickshaws are an ideal way to negotiate

Georgetown’s backstreets and cost around

RM30 per hour but, as with taxis, agree on the

fare before departure. From the ferry termi-

nals, a trishaw to the hotel area around Lebuh

Chulia should cost RM10.

Penang Hill

Once a fashionable retreat for the city’s elite,

Penang Hill (821m) provides cool tempera-

tures and spectacular views. There are pretty

GETTING TO INDONESIA: PULAU

PENANG TO BELAWAN

Travellers can skip over to the Indonesian

island of Sumatra from Pulau Penang via

ferry. There are several ferries each way

generally departing Georgetown at 8.30am

and returning at 10.30am (one way/return

RM110/180); the trip takes 4½ to five hours.

The boats land in Belawan where the re-

maining journey to Medan is completed by

bus (included in the price). Buy tickets the

day before to verify departure times. Upon

arriving at Belawan port, most nationalities

will need to pay a US$25 per person fee for

a 30-day Indonesian visa.

See p320 for information on doing the

trip in reverse.

GETTING INTO TOWN

Penang’s Bayan Lepas International Airport

is 18km south of Georgetown. The 307 and

401 buses run to/from the airport (RM3, one

hour) every half-hour from 6am to 11pm.

Buses stop at Komtar and terminate at

Weld Quay.

If arriving via the Butterworth–Penang

ferry, exit towards Pengkalan Weld and catch

any Kompleks Komtar–bound bus (RM1.50,

15 minutes) to reach accommodation in

Chinatown.

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