Penang is well known for being a foodies paradise, and it is one of those destinations where people go just to eat. If you don’t know your Hokkien Mee from your Wan Tan Mee (that would be me), there is a great brochure that lists the most popular dishes of the Island. It gives a description of each meal and a map of where to find them around the George Town area. Pick up the brochure from your guesthouse or the tourism office.
Penang Food Guide
I have been to Penang twice before so this time I was only passing through on the way to Langkawi. This short stay meant that I only had three possible eating opportunities (without being gluttonous). I had a morning ferry to catch so I didn’t think I was going to get a good breakfast either.
I found out on the way to the ferry terminal that there are 24 hour Indian restaurants here. To be able to get a curry 24 hours a day must surely be the pinnacle of civilisation.
Indian Restaurant – Open 24 Hours
My favourite breakfast dish is Roti Canai. When I am travelling to Malaysia I usually start drooling about a day before I arrive, knowing that I am going to get a good roti canai. A plain roti is about RM0.90 (25 cents USD) and there are different varieties with egg, cheese and meat fillings.
Sometimes restaurants will have a pile of premade roti, but the best ones are made to order, so your roti arrives steaming hot and melt in the mouth good.
Roti Canai With Curry Dips – Breakfast of Champions
The flag of Malaysia at Cenang Beach, Langkawi – Malaysia.
Once again I have been lured by an AirAsia sale and find myself in Kuala Lumpur. I didn’t intend to book a flight when I checked the AirAsia page, I was just checking if there was anything new on the site. Next thing you know the flashing $149 AUD one way sale banner was hypnotizing me and I had my credit card out ready to go.
Being not too dependent on time my criteria for booking flights is to find the cheapest available. The two cheapest flights I could find were 2 and a half months apart. So for the next 80 days Southeast Asia is my living and working playground.
I’ve been through KL a few times this year due to AirAsia flying from here to Melbourne. It’s been a handy hub for connecting to destinations around Asia.
AirAsia X
If you stand at a certain spot at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur you can see the most iconic buildings of the city in one view:
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower).
Iconic buildings of Kuala Lumpur
Do not squat
Do not squat sign, Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia.
Air Asia was voted as world’s best low-cost airline for 2009. I’ve been writing plenty about AirAsia, but how can I not when they keep offering up great fares. A return fare from Melbourne to KL for $292 AUD is an offer too good to refuse, so I have taken up the offer and will be basing myself in Indonesia for a month.
World's best low cost airline - Air Asia Kuala Lumpur
I have always thought that the daily changing of sheets at hotels was unnecessarily wasteful. So I was happy to see this good idea when I checked into my room at Tune Hotels in Kuala Lumpur.
Optional Linen Change
Tune Hotels is a “low cost hotel”, brought to you by the man behind Air Asia, Tony Fernandes. Like a low cost airline, this hotel chain employ an a la Carte pricing method to your hotel bill. So you pay for your room, then choose any extra’s such as internet and air-conditioning (fan rooms come as standard).
Reducing their laundry bill is another way they are reducing costs, but I like how they remind you that it is the environmentally friendly thing to do.
The Brit’s got their marching orders from Malaya over 60 years ago but they left the art of queueing, at least at KL Sentral Train Station.
KL Sentral Platform Queue
The British are famous for queueing, but I have never seen a line this orderly in the London Underground. Maybe the art of queueing went out with the bowler hat.
I am mad for Indian food so I always like coming to Malaysia. Malaysians of Indian descent make up about 7% of the population of Malaysia. This means there are decent Indian restaurants all over KL.
I always make my way to the Brickfields area, which is not far from KL Sentral train station. The area is famous for banana leaf meals, which is cheap and filling.
Banana Leaf Meal
