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> Activities: Things to Do
Eat, Eat & Eat!
Penang is famous for it's food and Penangites love to eat. There are two places to enjoy the fare on offer, either at open-air hawker stalls or at what translates into a coffee shop. Both are dotted all over the island and it is probably best to ask the locals for their opinion on which one to frequent - we guarantee that everybody will have a favourite. Malay, Chinese and Indian are all available, but the must try is the Penang speciality the Laksa. Simply noodles in a spicy sour soup garnished with mint leaves, cucumber, lettuce, pineapple and onion, variations on this are now popping up in restaurants all over the world.
For fresh fruits, visit the many orchards at Balik Pulau and Air Itam. Or go to the heart of town for the much-loved fragrant local biscuits. A commodity popular amongst the Singaporeans, the Tau Sar Peah or Dragon Ball biscuits are filled with green beans, Beh Tay Soh with molasses, and Heong Peah stuffed with rich brown sugar. These favourites are indeed tasty and memorable.
Sunrise @ Gurney Drive
If you wake up early enough, try to catch the sunrise along Gurney Drive's horizon. Watch he sun rose, silhouetting the fishermen pushing their boats out to the sea. Further away and in direct economic contrast was the site of the massive ships docked at the Butterworth port on the mainland.
Teh Tarik Komtar!
The tea break is to Penangites what rice is to Asia. Whether under the blazing sun or in a monsoon flood, indoors or outdoors, morning, noon or night, Penangites need - and yearn - for their tea-breaks. It is the staple. The teh tarik is a simple Malaysian speciality and, literally translated from Malay, means "pulled tea". The hot drink is so called due to the effect of watching it poured from one cup to another across a full arm's length - without a single drop being spilled. Visitors often look on in amazement as vendors perform their routine acrobatic tea 'pulling'; but the real delight is in seeing the final splatter and the rich layer of fresh warm froth crowning the glass of tea.
The mother of tea of all has to be the Teh Komtar, a jumbo size glass named after Penang's famous 65-storey building. The skyscraper, built during the mid-eighties in the historic inner city may stick out like a sore thumb; a concrete monolith towering above a sea of modest red clay-tiled roofs. But Komtar can at least be credited for giving rise to a super-value drink unique only to Penang. At RM1 a glass, the teh Komtar has become a veritable emblem, the unspoken pride of a city's tradition. A tradition steeped in the simple, Asian pleasure of drinking tea.
Shopping
Penang is a pleasant shopping centre. Its shopping facilities - ranging from modern complexes to roadside stalls and the 'pasar malam' (night markets) - offer an almost endless range of products.The main shopping centres such as Gurney Plaza, BJ Complex and Island Plaza offering major and international labels are all over Penang.
Roadside shops howevere are Penang's more popular bargaining centres. Prices are negotiable and reasonable, depending on one's skill at bargaining. This is why tourists prefer to shop here.
Nighlife
At night, the young and old have their own diversions to pursue in Batu Ferringhi. Those who like to experience the Malaysian pasar malam (night market) can check out the more than 1000 souvenir stalls all along the Batu Ferringhi main road. A myriad of things festoon these stalls, from intricate handicrafts and hand-made jewelry to pseudo-designer goods - watches, leather bags and Nike sportswear - all going for a song. The young at heart can opt to party away at the many nightclubs and discotheques decorated with garish neon lights. Some of the more popular nightspots like The Cafe and alfrenso cafes such as Starbucks and Baskin Robbins have moved to the Pulau Tikus area.
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