Student Tips: How To Spend Your Days In Penang

 

FOOD

Let’s start with FOOD. Everyone in Malaysia loves the food in Penang. And those who love food, know that Penang was awarded the Best Street Food by Time magazine in 2004.

For foodies, breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day. Unfortunately some some students skip this due to oversleeping. For those who are not rushing to classes, take your time and go out for a simple breakfast. 

For only RM3.50 you can get you a bowl of Hokkien Mee or Chee Cheong Fun, famous noodle dishes in Penang. Add it up with RM1.80, you can have a cup of hot coffee for your Monday blues. But try not to drink too much coffee as it can make you jittery. Total spend on breakfast should be around RM5.30 only.

 

  Hokkien Mee  
Chee Cheong Fun  

Everyone knows that eating at home saves you money. Just go to the grocery store and grab some bread (RM2.50), a tray of eggs (RM6), a box of cereals (RM12) or a pack of coffee (RM10) - these food items will last you for a week. Here’s another tip, do your grocery shopping at night as most grocery stores put some of their food items on discount. 

Lunch time! Straightforward enough, go for Nasi Kandar, a popular rice dish in Penang  which cost you RM6.50 only. It’s a mixture of meats and vegetables in a single plate of steamed rice. I guarantee you will love this over greasy pizza.

 

Nasi Kandar  

As for dinner, just drop by at the Penang hawker food station for some Char Kway Teow (stir-fried ricecake strips) or Penang Laksa (spicy noodle soup). That would be more or less RM8.30 for a plate.

 

  Char Kway Teow  
Penang Laksa  

TRANSPORTATION & RENT

Next stop is transportation! If you manage to find a place to stay near to your university, that’d be a great relief to your life. KDU Penang College, a leading institution of higher education, offers students accommodation in several double-storey houses and apartments scattered around the vicinity of the college. Click here to find out more information about accommodation.

The cost in Penang is a lot lower than Kuala Lumpur. You will get the idea from the table below.

 

*Source: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Malaysia&city1=Penang&country2=Malaysia&city2=Kuala+Lumpur  

But if you don’t live near your college, no worries, The Rapid bus (public bus) system is efficient. A one-way transportation can cost from RM1.40 to RM4.00. Penang island is so small that the public transport here can take you almost everywhere from Georgetown to Batu Ferringhi and it only cost you about RM2.70. Head to Batu Ferringhi if you want to settle down by the beach. Georgetown multicultural capital of Penang Island. Beyond the old town, It is a modern city with skyscrapers and shopping malls. You can also consider dropping by at Penang Hill, with hiking and a funicular railway.

 

  Georgetown   Batu Ferringhi

Penang Hill  

Other than taking the public bus, Penang is a place where you get to see quite a number of people riding bicycles as transportation. You might consider owning a bicycle to save on cost as well as work out those hamstrings. If you want to spend the weekend exploring Penang renting a bicycle should take roughly RM4.00 to RM8.00 only. Worth it huh? Trust me. Try riding the bicycle with a bunch of friends. It’s really enjoyable doing that once in awhile.

 

ATTRACTIONS

Penang may not be as busy and crazy as Kuala Lumpur. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing interesting. In fact, there are a couple of places to visit especially for those who have not been in Penang.

Some tourist attractions require absolutely no fees such as Khoo Kongsi Clan Temple, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Snake Temple, and many more. I know student life should be about focusing on studies. But if you have time or the assignment is due months ahead, then go out with your best friends and create memories for your university life.

 

  Khoo Kongsi Clan Temple   Kapitan Keling Mosque  
Snake Temple  

One of the most well-known attractions about Penang is the street arts in George Town. The joy of it is not just to post and take pictures with the wall paintings but to hunt and spot them.. Each piece lies all around the streets of Penang. Many backpackers came to Penang is just witness these magnificent street arts. It’s a must to explore.

 

 
 
The street arts in Georgetown  

As a conclusion to sums everything up, Penang island is a great place to visit and stay. It is famous for its food, cultural diversity, friendly people and nice beaches. It’s not just a place for tourists or adventurers. It’s a place for students who wish to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

 

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This article is brought to you by KDU Penang College.

KDU College Penang is an integral part of Paramount Education, a pioneer in private tertiary education in Malaysia since 1983. Paramount Education offers the full spectrum of education services and today, is recognised for its high-quality, good-value education with an ethos of letting every student shine.