r/penang

I'm planning 11 days in Georgetown in March 2027 and am considering investing in some tailored menswear.

To help me have realistic expectations in looking for knowledgeable advice.

I've seen recommendations for Rex, Maya and maybe one or two other tailors both here and elsewhere online. Are there any others you'd recommend?

How do I prepare so that the tailor understands what I'm after? I only speak English. Are printed photos or pics on my phone OK? I'm considering a more classic style of pants, high rise with pleats, tapered leg, like gurkha pants.

How long should I expect a garment to take?

Thank you for sharing your wisdom!

Hi, I'll be staying in George Town for a couple of days in June. My impression is that it's a touristy area but are there any places where I can journal or read in peace? Parks, libraries, unusual quiet areas would be nice aside from the cafés (also, does it get noisy at Norm Micro Roastery?)

I'm usually up and out by 8 AM so I'd like to go to a place already open around that time. Thank you!

Hi guys any recs for best cafe coffees in Penang?

I'm visiting Penang soon and I'd like some recommendations of the best massage/spas in Penang. Please do drop some names here! Thank you so much! Good recommendations will get rewards.

Moving back to malaysia, from studying abroad and planning to work in Penang. Any strong suggestions on where to look for rentals? Trying to make it in RM600-RM700/mth

Hi everyone,

I’m a Malaysian who studied Mechanical Engineering at B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, India (NBA accredited), and I’m currently applying for Graduate Engineer registration with BEM.

Since my degree is from overseas, BEM requires my supporting documents to be certified by a Professional Engineer (Ir./PE recognised by BEM).

I’m currently based in Penang. Does anyone know where I can find an Ir./PE who could assist with certified true copy (CTC) for BEM registration? Or any recommended engineering consultancy/Ir. in Penang?

Thank you very much.

Hello. I am 26 (M) and currently residing in Penang. I have been strength training for a long time. I am pretty fit and healthy. Unfortunately, as I was training, I developed tightness in pelvic floor muscles.

All my previous Dr visit for all the other minor health issues did not go well. Either the doctors didn’t listen properly, or they miss diagnose. Well, let’s say Gen AI is my doctor to solve all the issue successfully. However, the issue I am going through right now is a little serious. Hence, I am looking for a good urologist in any of the private hospitals in Penang.

Recommend me a good urologist if you happen to know one. Thanks!

Hello all, we are an American/EU family of 4 with two small boys, aged 4 and 6. We are planning to visit Penang for a scouting trip in June for 1 month, and are looking for recommendations on the best way to secure a 1-month accommodation. I have already looked at Airbnb, and was wondering if there are any other routes/websites we should be looking at.

We are also planning for our boys to attend an international school if we decide this is the right move for us. If anybody had any recommendations on schools we should look at while on our visit, I would appreciate it.

Travelling to Penang in two weeks, and will be entering Malaysia there. I am looking forward to exploring and eating my way around the island!

Read some horror stories from 3-4 months back about two hour queues etc for passport control, but also articles after that time that autogates for foreign passports have opened since. Can’t find anything recent, so what’s it like now in May 2026?

I won’t be eligible for autogate as a first time visitor to Malaysia, but hopefully more people are these days and the manual line is more manageable. Arriving around 5pm, in case that makes a difference.

I guess it is what it is, and I’ll see on the day, as a chronic over thinker I just want to mentally prepare myself.

Hi, me and my wife are arriving into Penang the day of our anniversary, and I'm looking for some recommendations of where I could bring her for dinner that day. I would like a place that looks beautiful as she loves to take pictures but also that serves good food.

Hi planning a trip to Penang around end July .

Looked through various Citidines hotel but unsure which to book. Maybe get some opinions.

Hotel stay would be around 4-5 nights

Looking to stay in Georgetown. Do share some recommendation!

I have a flight arriving at Penang Intl Airport around 00:30 about 2 saturdays from now and around 5-5:30am I'll be taking a bus from Penang to Hat Yai with the pickup options being Sungei Nibong bus terminal or Chai Leng Park.

Where can I find a budget hotel that charges by the hour to crash for a few hours with a place to shower, preferably either right next to the airport or nearby any of the pickup locations? I thought of sleeping in the airport too although I'm not sure what the policies and conditions are or if they have showers too.

Standing at the airport trying to book a grab, several drivers just cancel the order because it's to buyan lepas and they are looking for bigger rides to George town or are trying to force surcharge.

Sometimes the app just gets stuck because the drivers don't want to skip the fair and incur punishments. it's just stuck on "give them a second to accept", but they never do.

So I have to cancel and go down the carousel of cancels again until it gets stuck again on a driver who doesn't want to hit the cancel themselves.

And then I got charged 3rng twice for being the canceler, after wasting 40mins I just got a taxi.

I even tried the more expensive fare types, same issues. I'd be happy to pay more just to get a driver to show up, but can't even put that down as an option.

This is poor behavior, don't be a driver if you don't want to drive people. This is killing tourism vibe when you walk in the door and your first interaction is with people trying to rort a system.

We lived in Penang for three years and initially believed our landlord was a decent person because he always spoke politely and seemed reasonable. The apartment was a 3-bedroom unit in Bayan Lepas, and although it was advertised as “fully furnished,” it was actually very basic. It came with four air conditioners, fans, and lights, but there were no built-in wardrobes, shelves, or proper kitchen cabinets. The kitchen only had movable, non-attached units, and the owner had provided two small IKEA cupboards worth around RM300–350 each. Despite that, we liked the apartment because of the beautiful view and its convenient location near the airport and my husband’s workplace.

At the beginning of the tenancy, when the rent was RM1500, the landlord collected the following deposits:

• Security deposit: RM3000
• Utilities deposit: RM750
• Access card deposit: RM250
• Water deposit: RM250

So in total, he held RM4250 as deposit. The tenancy agreement was handled through a licensed agent.

The landlord himself did not live in Penang; he stayed in another city. Our decision to leave Penang and relocate happened suddenly, but we still gave him two months’ notice as required under the agreement. When we asked about the refund process, he assured us that his father would inspect the house before our move-out date and the deposits would be settled smoothly on the same day.

Later, he changed the plan, saying his father was busy, and instead sent an agent five days before we vacated the apartment. During the inspection, the agent only mentioned that the air-conditioners needed servicing bills and that the house would require one-time professional cleaning after we moved out. We specifically asked if there were any other damages or repair concerns, and he said no.

After that, the landlord told us we could simply hand over the keys to the agent on the final day, and he would transfer the deposit within a few days. Since he had always behaved nicely, we trusted him and did not think much of it.

However, after we vacated the apartment and relocated to another country, the situation completely changed. When we followed up regarding the deposit, he suddenly started claiming there were multiple “damages” and repair costs amounting to RM3500 or more. He even claimed that our deposit was insufficient and that we owed him additional money.

Many of the so-called damages were unreasonable. For example, the kitchen had no chimney, exhaust, or protective tiling, yet he blamed us for oil splashes on the walls. Naturally, any family that cooks regularly will cause some wear in a kitchen without proper fittings. In another case, one of the IKEA wardrobes had a few tiny nails come loose from the thin cardboard backing — something we genuinely did not notice because the cupboard was placed against the wall. Instead of a simple fix costing a few ringgit, he claimed the entire wardrobe needed replacement.

Most of the issues he listed were minor wear-and-tear items or small repairs that could easily be fixed with inexpensive DIY materials, but he exaggerated everything into major replacement costs.

I’m sharing this experience so that other expats in Penang or Malaysia can be more careful when dealing with landlords. We were unaware of the proper move-out and deposit recovery process and made the mistake of not involving an agent or conducting a formal handover inspection ourselves before returning the keys. Because we were relocating in a hurry, we trusted the landlord too easily and ended up in a very difficult situation. Unfortunately, experiences like this make many expats feel taken advantage of.

PS: He said he will not return anything - that is 4250 RM and said he would like us to transfer more amount towards IKEA cupboard+delivery!

Hey everyone, I recently moved to Penang and I’ve been trying to learn more about the local music and film scene here.

I’m an aspiring musician and I’m interested in discovering local gigs, jam spaces, indie communities, creative events, film collectives, or any places where artists and creatives usually hang around.

Would appreciate any recommendations on communities, events, venues, or spaces worth checking out. Trying to get more involved in the creative side of Penang.

I have been learning about Sepak Takraw and would love to see a match or even just watch people practising.

I'll be there in early July, what's my best option?

Hi all, I'm hoping to do some hiking over on Jerejak but it seems the main ferry has been out of service for years. How are people getting over there, and are there any hiking groups which are familiar with the island (ideally one that might accept a tag along)?