Trip Reports: Is Penang Hill Worth It?

During my 24 hours in Penang, Malaysia one of the first places we visited was Penang Hill. For some reason I have a thing for cable cars, and also for going to the highest point in a location and looking out at the landscape. For this, Penang Hill seemed perfect.

Our guide dropped us off and we were pointed in the direction of the English speaking ticket counter. The cost for non-residents is quite a bit more (according to our guide), but at $10 USD per person, it’s on par with attractions in the US. If you’re not committed to a particular time, it’s only ~$5 after 7PM Monday through Thursday.

We picked up our tickets and arrived just as a large school group did and wound up smack in the middle of it. There were lots of kids and the trains weren’t running that quickly, so we were waiting in line for about 45 minutes before we boarded an uncomfortably crowded train.

We arrived at the top and made our way on the path to see the view of the coastline.

Not quite what I was hoping for, but eventually we found a cleared area with good views.

We passed a few restaurants and made our way further up the hill. There were lots of cute local tourist options — caricatures, photo opportunities, a love lock wall, and buggy tours of the hills.

We weren’t expecting quite so much at the top — a carnivorous garden, a mosque, a hindu temple, a museum — nor had I realized it was a touristy destination for locals as well as foreigners. It was fun, but we had no problem meeting our promise to be back within 2 1/2 hours and that was with the long delays in boarding both direction.

Probably our favorite part was stopping at David Brown’s Sky TerraceÂ to grab a drink and take in the view. If we’d not had other stops to make I would have enjoyed spending the afternoon sunning on the deck and looking out over the sparkly water.

So should you go? It depends. If you’re pressed for time and not driven by the need to see things from up high, you can safely miss it. If you do enjoy a good view and can go during non-peak hours, I think it’s worth a stop.

More posts from the trip:

Checking In and Air France Lounge at IAD
Korean Airlines First Class IAD-ICN
Hyatt Regency Incheon: Great Service, Hard Beds
Accidentally Seeing Seoul Like a Native
Tight Quarters at the Park Hyatt Seoul
Worth a Hike â€” Bukchon Hanok Village
Checking In for a Flight from Downtown SeoulÂ
Korean Airlines First Class Lounge Incheon Airport
Korean Airlines First Class Seoul to Kuala Lumpur
You Don’t Get Massaged By a Blind Paralympic Everyday...
Great Value at the Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
Flying Firefly Airlines from Subang to Penang
Tour Bust in Penang