A Day in the Life is back! Remember when I used to do those? :)
It’s so hard to pick a day that I want to tell you guys about. Each day in Penang is different and exciting. Some days I go to the beach to read and watch the sunset. And some days, it’s to Georgetown for foodie adventures. A couple of times, it’s to the night market with my Airbnb host and a lot of times, it’s just hanging out and chatting with Laia. And even a couple of nights, the day ended with dancing with new friends! I also split my month between 2 locations, which makes picking a typical day even more difficult. Penang provided an endless number of new things to explore and people to hang out with (which is why this blog has been so quiet!).
But I still found myself with mini routines and some constants. So this is a day based on these routines, as well as stuff I want to remember the most and my favorite places I want to share with you.
My days begin with the best view.
During the first 2 weeks in Penang, I lived at the Gurney area in a high-rise condo (get an Airbnb discount here!). Besides having the best host ever, it also has the most beautiful view from the living room balcony. It just makes you so happy to wake up to this. I always take just a few minutes to admire it.
9:00 am: waking up to a beautiful view
I’m trying to be better at time management these days. So after getting ready, I pack up my laptop and head out to work.
Besides Georgetown, Penang doesn’t really have a cafe culture yet. Unlike KL, there’s not a bunch of cute little independent cafes perfectly equipped for working on a laptop. However, there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of Starbucks here. There are no less than 4 such establishments within a 10 minute walk. Starbucks is never my preferred choice, but everyone knows that they have free fast wifi and plugs.
So I usually go work at the Starbucks. I have to say that their breakfast deal isn’t too bad. A drink + breakfast for just 13 rm. I actually like the lemongrass chicken pastry. But today, its unavailable so I had to settle for a muffin.
10:00 am: at Starbucks working (but checking blog first!); breakfast muffin – 7rm ($1.60)
After 5 hours of work, I’m dying for a treat. Actually, one very specific frozen treat. I have discovered Llaollao in the basement of Gurney and have quickly developed an obsession. I am not kidding when I say that I go every single day.
Don’t worry, I’m not that much of a pig. Usually, I get just the tiny cup. But since this is for a Day in the Life, I splurge for the medium cup with 3 toppings. The yogurt itself is amazing, but the reason why I love it so much? The sauces! Their chocolate hazelnut sauce is to die for and my mouth is watering thinking about it.
I always take my treat outside and sit on a low wall facing the waterfront. It’s a moment of quiet to myself everyday.
3:30 pm: (almost) daily treat at llaollao; 15rm ($3.50 US)
But soon, I need to get a move on and get ready for the evening. At around 5 pm, Laia comes over and we head into Georgetown together. Our mission for the afternoon: China House!
China House is the most amazing cafe on Penang. In my 4 weeks here, I came here 3 times. Let me just show you how amazing China House is:
5:30 pm: CAKE HEAVEN at China House! What to get?!
LOOK AT ALL THOSE CAKES!!
China house has over 50 different homemade cakes. In all flavors imaginable. This place is literally cake heaven! You could spend half an hour just deciding what to get.
Luckily, since we came early before the dinner rush, they have a special. You can get 2 half-slices for the price of one. Which means you can try two different cakes. After a lot of indecision, I settle on a chocolate berry and carrot cake.
6:00 pm: finally decided on my cakes! 15rm ($3.50 US)
It is the most amazing piece of carrot cake I’ve ever had. SUPER melt-in-your-mouth moist. (But you have to make sure you get it while it’s fresh… because I came back to get it again, and it was dry and disappointing.) Other cakes I recommend are the whisky pecan tart, tiramisu, and passionfruit coconut butter.
After a dessert break, we go for real food. One of my favorite places to eat in Georgetown are the night stalls by the Chew Jetty. CL recommended them to me when I was wandering around Georgetown one night looking for food. Almost all locals agree that the food is really good here.
They’re just a couple of short blocks from China House. On the way, we stop for photos with the famous Georgetown street art.
6:50 pm: photos with Georgetown street art!
Then we continue on to the jetties. You know you have reached when you see the Chinese temple:
6:55 pm: Chinese temple; right next to this are the night food stalls
My favorite stall at the jetties is… char kuey teow! Char kuey teow is my favorite Penang food, and this stall here makes one of my favorite versions. The flavor is perfect and they give you a lot of Chinese sausages. Keep an eye out on a “battle of the char kuey teow” post!
7:05 pm: yummy char kuey teow at the Chew Jetty! 5rm ($1.15)
After dinner, the jetty is a nice place to walk to and try to catch a sunset. It’s just straight through the Chinese temple. If you’re lucky, you’ll see an incredible sky.
7:30 pm: beautiful pink and purple sunset!
Dark now, we head over to Mugshot Cafe on the lively Chulia Street. Georgetown is filled with cute little cafes with quirky, whimsy decoration. Mugshot is a popular gathering place for travelers and the couchsurfing community.
7:40 pm: cute decor at Mugshot cafe
It’s a Thursday night, which means… the weekly Spanish lesson! Laia teaches a weekly Spanish class for the local couchsurfing hosts. I honestly look forward to this every week. It’s such a fun time of chatting and laughing with new friends while brushing up on Spanish (which I’m determined to re-learn now).
I’m not sure if it’s the nature of couchsurfing hosts or Penangites, but I have met the nicest people here. Everyone is so incredibly welcoming and inclusive. And it really makes this place feel more like home.
9:00 pm: weekly Spanish class! This is honestly my favorite part of every week!
By the time the session is over, it’s already past 11:00 pm, and it’s time to go home. We always spend way too much time just chatting and joking around. When I get home, I’m exhausted but happy from this long day. It’s straight to the shower and then bed I go. And I can’t wait to see what adventures the next day has in store.
Total for the day: 42 rm, or just under US $10. Pretty average for a day on Penang, though this is on the higher side with all those desserts.
Have you been to Penang? Which part of this day sounds the best to you?
If you found this article useful and want to visit the same places I did, you can download this on GPSMyCity here. You’ll get a GPS-guided map of these locations that you can use offline! This means you can spend less time looking for directions and more time exploring!
I love these type of posts! Penang looks so fun and pretty too.
I’m glad to be doing A Day in the Life again too! Penang was so fun because of the people (and the food)… such good memories!
Looks like you had a great time in Penang, and that balcony view is just amazing!!
I really did have such a good time in Penang! And yes, the airbnb was one of my favorites. The host is amazing too! Really made the experience special.
You know I love Day in the Life posts ;) It looks like you were having so much fun in Penang!
I really did. But it’s definitely 80% because of the people there. It’s always a little sad when that happens, because you know it wont be the same when you go back. But I’m so glad to have had such a good time!
Ohhh Anna, so happy to read that the Spanish Class were your favorite part of the week! :) They’re my favorite part too, it’s been so fun!
Really, the couchsurfing community here is the best! I don’t know if it’s like this every where, but it’s definitely thanks to them that I feel like home in Penang. And this last month with you here has been one of the best ever!
Looking forward to meeting you again!
The Spanish classes were definitely my favorite part! I looked forward to them so much. And it’s already making me sad to know that when I go back, they won’t be there anymore with the same people.
I’m so glad to meet too and hang out so much. See you very soon! xx
Penang looks so much fun! I love the architecture and it sounds like there’s plenty to do – and most of all friendly people to meet. I’m a big fan of street art so I’d go for that alone, but everything else looks pretty cool, too. Not to speak of your AirBnB view, nice! I hope you continue to enjoy your time in Penang :)
Sadly I just left Penang :(. I really miss it already. The people there were seriously so nice and made the experience so good. Probably the best month ever!
That bike mural still makes me laugh, so creative! Penang looks like such a fun vibrant city! With some amazing looking food!
Yes I love that bike mural! Penang is such a creative city with a lot of street art. And of course, it’s famous for the local food!
I love these posts of yours! And this sounds like an amazing day; delicious food, friends and that sunset is incredible! And yay for Spanish, how is it going? I was thinking last week how I’ve never written a post like this, I really should!
Yes you totally should do one!! I really want to get fluent at Spanish now. My reading is okay, but it’s hard for me to form sentences on my own (and let’s not talk about my horrid pronunciation). But yeah, I continuing to learn it on my own now too!
So affordable!! That view is just stunning, and those cakes are making my mouth water!! Looks like a wonderful day in an inspiring setting, I loved this little insight into a day in your life.
Yes, Penang is insanely affordable. The local food will only set you back $1 or so! And those cakes (though a bit more pricey) are the best! I miss that place already.
Wow, so the food is so affordable! It looks like you have a great sort of routine – a great mix of food, friends, enjoying the city, and work! I’ve heard so many great things about Georgetown. It looks like a great place to hang out!
Penang is amazing! It is such a good balance of everything…. I didn’t even get to fit in the beach in this post, but I did a lot of that too! I’m glad I didn’t stay in Georgetown though, because the touristy-ness will annoy me. But it’s fun to go hang out there a couple of times a week. :)
Love how you structured this post :) So interesting! And I have to say I’m a little jealous what with your Starbucks office, frozen yogurt, cakes, and fun Spanish class.
Penang really was one of the most fun places! And I miss the frozen yogurt and cakes already. But the Spanish class most of all!
YUM CHINAHOUSE!!! Thank you for bringing this place into my life. Can’t wait to meet up again!
I know!! I hope we can soon. Maybe when we’re both back in the US this year!
decided! next time we go to KL, we also go to Penang. Have never been and it’s a serious miss out. I know it!
Penang is really nice! I can’t believe it took me a year of living in Malaysia to finally go. But I really love it. Next time, try to go if you can!
I really miss going to cafés to do work, here in Italy the café culture hasn’t quite caught onto it either! Your days sounds fantastic, particularly the dessert part… That sounds like a really fun way to practice your Spanish too!
Hehe the dessert part is always the best of any day! Except for the Spanish classes… they were always the highlight of the week! I’m really surprised though that there aren’t that many cafe in Italy. Maybe not ones equipped for working :(
Wow, compared to Norway, Malaysia seems so cheap!! And what a gorgeous view from the apartment – and that sunset!!
Haha yes! Malaysia is so affordable! Without the desserts, you can probably even eat very well on just $6 a day!
So I’ve been craving sweets all night and have no junk food in the house (which is kind of the point, so I can’t eat it) but now I’m pretty much dying for frozen yogurt or cake. Thanks a lot …. hahah No but seriously this looks like such an awesome day. From treats to sunsets and a Spanish lesson! All in one :D Love these posts that you do
I’m always dying for sweets! But I’m so spoiled now with llaollao and China House that normal frozen treats or cakes just don’t cut it anymore! And seriously, everyday in Penang was so fun… it was so hard to pick which day to share!
Amazingg views, sunsets and wonderful food. Asia I am coming for you soon!!
I hope you make it to Asian someday Isabel!
I have been to Malaysia (only Johor Bahru and KL), but never Penang. This makes me want to plan a trip there! And I love llaollao too, and basically any frozen yogurt. I justify getting a big cup by getting only fruits for toppings and tell myself it’s healthy. It is, right?!
Teesh ♥ || Adventures of Cupcake Girl
Omg you know llallao toooooo!! It’s SO good (and I generally don’t eat frozen yogurt as much). But you must try the chocolate hazelnut sauce or the caramelized biscuit sauce… both to die for! And yes, next time you’re in Malaysia, I hope you visit Penang. I never really wanted to go, and I couldn’t believe how amazing it is when I finally came!
I’ve seen a bit about Penang’s street art which captured my attention, so it’s nice to learn more about what life is like in this intriguing city. I have a trip to Malaysia planned for August but I think it may be too wet up near Penang at that time of year. Would definitely like to try authentic Char kuey teow as it was my favourite dish at one of my local restaurants back in Australia #wanderfulwednesday
Oh that’s so awesome that you have char kuey teow in australia! I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in the US. Hmmm I feel like it just rains A LOT in Malaysia in general. But the rain never lasts long so I’ve never found that it hindered anything. And I just wrote a post about the best char kuey teow in Penang! I hope you get to try it. :)