"We carry the places we have been and the people we have met..." - Unknown
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| (Chinese dolls at Hin Bus Depot) |
Day 04: 12 Aug 2026 (Wednesday)
Activity: Penang Free and Easy
Hotel: BNM Resort Batu Ferringhi
Today was a free-and-easy day in Penang, with no fixed itinerary. We simply took things at a leisurely pace, exploring a few places, enjoying good food and making the most of our time on the island.
Early in the morning, we drove to Nazzeeras’ Roti Bakar Kacang Phool, a popular Muslim-owned breakfast spot at Desiran Tanjung Food Court. The stall is widely known for introducing traditional kacang phool to Penang. Their signature kacang phool is served with thick slices of toasted local bread, available in several varieties such as Garlic Cheese, Butter and French Toast.
Besides the kacang phool, we also had their mushroom soup. It was a hearty and very filling breakfast - certainly enough to keep us going for the morning!
We are certainly not art connoisseurs, but we never miss an opportunity to visit an art gallery whenever we come across one. Today, we visited the Penang State Art Gallery, located within the Dewan Sri Penang building.
The gallery is a public art institution dedicated to modern and contemporary art from 1965 to the present. Its collection and exhibitions feature local and international works exploring themes such as identity, urbanisation and globalisation. There were paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photography and various emerging art forms on display. Even though we may not understand all the artistic expressions, it was interesting to see how artists interpret the world around them.
From there, we headed to Hin Bus Depot, another of Penang's well-known creative spaces. Lithuanian street artist Ernest Zacharevic helped transform the former, rather neglected bus depot into an independent art and exhibition space. Today, the old depot has become one of Penang's popular cultural enclaves, blending heritage with creative markets, cafés, galleries and live performances, particularly during weekends.
By lunchtime, we were ready for another round of Penang food!
We headed to the Astaka Selera Food Court at Padang Kota Lama and made our way to Mee Sotong Hameed Pata, one of Penang's legendary Mamak-style street food stalls. The stall is famous for its vibrant red, intensely flavoured noodles topped with its signature sweet-and-spicy sambal sotong.
We also bought some Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang to take away and, to cool ourselves down, had a refreshing bowl of air batu campur.
By the time we finished lunch, we were sweating profusely. The weather was unbearably hot and humid! Back at the resort, we spent the rest of the afternoon in our room with the air-conditioning running at full blast. The cool room was such a welcome relief, and before long, we were both enjoying a refreshing afternoon nap.
In the evening, we took a leisurely stroll to Ferringhi Walk, a modern two-storey beachfront retail and lifestyle hub along Jalan Batu Ferringhi. It combines indoor conveniences with a lively, open-air beach atmosphere and has become a popular hangout for both locals and tourists.
We had a simple but satisfying dinner of Thai roti, shrimp doughnuts, iced Thai tea and iced white coffee. Nothing too heavy, but just right for the evening.
After dinner, we walked back to the Resort Complex. It took us about twenty minutes, and we were pleasantly surprised to see quite a crowd even though it was a weekday. The area certainly seems to be getting busier, and business appears to be picking up.
Back at the resort, we settled in for the night. Despite the lively sounds coming from the neighbouring Hard Rock Cafe, we managed to sleep well.
Another relaxed day in Penang - good food, a little art and culture, plenty of walking, and, most importantly, time to simply enjoy.
We are certainly not art connoisseurs, but we never miss an opportunity to visit an art gallery whenever we come across one. Today, we visited the Penang State Art Gallery, located within the Dewan Sri Penang building.
The gallery is a public art institution dedicated to modern and contemporary art from 1965 to the present. Its collection and exhibitions feature local and international works exploring themes such as identity, urbanisation and globalisation. There were paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photography and various emerging art forms on display. Even though we may not understand all the artistic expressions, it was interesting to see how artists interpret the world around them.
From there, we headed to Hin Bus Depot, another of Penang's well-known creative spaces. Lithuanian street artist Ernest Zacharevic helped transform the former, rather neglected bus depot into an independent art and exhibition space. Today, the old depot has become one of Penang's popular cultural enclaves, blending heritage with creative markets, cafés, galleries and live performances, particularly during weekends.
By lunchtime, we were ready for another round of Penang food!
We headed to the Astaka Selera Food Court at Padang Kota Lama and made our way to Mee Sotong Hameed Pata, one of Penang's legendary Mamak-style street food stalls. The stall is famous for its vibrant red, intensely flavoured noodles topped with its signature sweet-and-spicy sambal sotong.
We also bought some Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang to take away and, to cool ourselves down, had a refreshing bowl of air batu campur.
By the time we finished lunch, we were sweating profusely. The weather was unbearably hot and humid! Back at the resort, we spent the rest of the afternoon in our room with the air-conditioning running at full blast. The cool room was such a welcome relief, and before long, we were both enjoying a refreshing afternoon nap.
In the evening, we took a leisurely stroll to Ferringhi Walk, a modern two-storey beachfront retail and lifestyle hub along Jalan Batu Ferringhi. It combines indoor conveniences with a lively, open-air beach atmosphere and has become a popular hangout for both locals and tourists.
We had a simple but satisfying dinner of Thai roti, shrimp doughnuts, iced Thai tea and iced white coffee. Nothing too heavy, but just right for the evening.
After dinner, we walked back to the Resort Complex. It took us about twenty minutes, and we were pleasantly surprised to see quite a crowd even though it was a weekday. The area certainly seems to be getting busier, and business appears to be picking up.
Back at the resort, we settled in for the night. Despite the lively sounds coming from the neighbouring Hard Rock Cafe, we managed to sleep well.
Another relaxed day in Penang - good food, a little art and culture, plenty of walking, and, most importantly, time to simply enjoy.
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