Architecture, Literature and Cuisine in Penang and Langkawi, Malaysia

Hosted by

Weibin

23 Jun 24 → 01 Jul 24

Guided trip

9 days

4 stops

2 - 4 Mates

Malaysia

What's special?

Unique architecture

A curated experience

Malaysia is a melting pot country with a diverse population, landscapes and fascinating histories, and writers from Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous backgrounds have been inspired by these landscapes and histories to tell their stories. This trip focuses on the northern towns of Penang and Langkawi over ten days, with the George Town Literary Festival 2023 (from 23 to 26 November) as the backdrop for Penang and exploration of culture and nature in Langkawi as main activities. Following the establishment of George Town by Francis Light in 1786, Penang formed part of the Straits Settlements in 1826 and developed into a flourishing entrepôt thanks to its location. The architecture and urban planning of George Town reflect this period of history and the food is heavily influenced by the three main groups of residents, namely Malays, Chinese and Indians. As a fan of architecture and design, I will curate an architecture tour for the group and share the stories behind these buildings with you. Notable examples of the diverse architectural heritage include the colonial Eastern & Oriental Hotel (1885), the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (1904) and Dhammikarama Burmese Temple (1803). Over the period of the literary festival, we can explore Penang together and decide on which events to attend, at this moment the full programme is not yet available, and I will update this section later as more details are confirmed.

About me! I am a former communications consultant who took a break from work in 2017 and moved to Europe, first in Belgium, then Poland, and I have lived in the Netherlands and Serbia as well. I have travelled to most countries in Europe and have more recent experience with the Balkans and the Caucasus and have visited a fair share of UNESCO towns including George Town and Malacca. I studied English, European history and politics in China and Europe, and have a personal interest in architecture. During my time living in Shanghai, I also offered private tours to friends to show them historical architecture in the city. I have been doing volunteer work in various places over the last 15 months in Albania, Mexico and Georgia. I speak Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, English and some French and Spanish. I have also been to Malacca, Kalua Lumpur, Ipoh and the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, and made multiple trips to Singapore. I speak Cantonese, which is a dominant dialect for the ethnic Chinese population in Penang. Currently I am doing a volunteering stay in Indonesia, near the city of Bogor south of Jakarta.

Details on our accommodation are outlined in the "stop" section, first night AC Hotel by Marriott Penang, second night Novotel Taiping, then three nights at Macalister Hotel in George Town, followed by three nights in Langkawi at the Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat. Keep me posted in the Q&A section in case you have questions about the trip or accommodation!

What's included?

Accommodation (Shared rooms)

Transportation between stops

Your Booking includes free protection from Trip cancellations.
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Gallery

Malaysia - Bayan Lepas - Architecture, Literature and Cuisine in Penang and Langkawi, Malaysia - 1

Malaysia - Bayan Lepas - Architecture, Literature and Cuisine in Penang and Langkawi, Malaysia - 2

Malaysia - Bayan Lepas - Architecture, Literature and Cuisine in Penang and Langkawi, Malaysia - 3

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Bayan Lepas

Day 1-2

First night stay near airport, transfer next day morning to Butterworth train station. We are staying at AC Hotel by Marriott Penang, and breakfast will be included. Ideally, everyone should arrive at the hotel early in order to get a good night of sleep.

Taiping

Day 2-3

Travel from Penang to Taiping, two options Option 1 Departure from Butterworth: 7:50 Arrival in Taiping: 08:49 Option 2 Morning hike: 08:00, walk from AC hotel to Bukit Jambul hiking trail entrance, 40 minutes Hiking to top and back to hotel, with a 30-minutes break, 170 minutes Morning hike time in total: 210 minutes, 12:00, transfer by taxi to Butterworth train station: 25 minutes Train: 12:45 to 13:41 Stay: Novotel Taiping Activities: Antong Coffee Factory, with a brief view of the former home of Sun Yat-sen Visit to Matang Mangrove Forest Park, and My Charcoal Factory @Kuala Sepetang Dinner: Peace Hotel & Restaurant or Restoran Nelayan PNK Matang

Penang

Day 3-6

Day 1 in George Town Train from Taiping to Butterworth, Departure: 11:18 Arrival: 12:15 Check in at Macalister Hotel by PHC Activities: Visit to local cultural community centers including Bus Depot and COEX@Kilang Besi for cultural events. Attend George Town Literary Festival events to be defined at a later stage Dinner at Macallum Street Night Market Day 2 in George Town Activities: Take the funicular train up to Penang Hill, with a stopover at Kek Lok Si on the way down Attend George Town Literary Festival events to be defined Dinner at New Lane Hawker Center Day 3 in George Town Activities: Architecture tour including stops at the colonial Eastern & Oriental Hotel (1885), the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (1904) and Dhammikarama Burmese Temple (1803). Attend George Town Literary Festival events to be defined Dinner at Seven Terraces Day 4 in George Town Departure to Langkawi after breakfast Currently, all ferry services seem to be suspended, we may need to take a short flight instead.

Langkawi

Day 6-9

Our final stop on this trip with more nature-based activities. We will be staying at Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat with many optional activities to do, including group yoga session, river boat tour, bird and wild life watching and cooking with a local chef.