"A Multi-Cultural Holiday" a Penang Travel Page by SPW

After our holiday disaster in Australia last year we decided to venture overseas to have a safe and funfilled holiday in a new (for us) destination. Penang appealed because of its beaches, its multicultural population, its history and its reputation for excellent food.
We planned a week at the beach at Batu Ferringhi, two nights in Georgetown staying in the wonderfully restored Cheong Fatt Tze mansion, and then a week staying with friends in Singapore before returning home refreshed and with renewed confidence in our travelling capabilities.
It didn't quite work our like that, but we very much enjoyed most of our time in Penang and would like to return to complete our plans.

The slight hitch in our plans came on Thursday evening, the last night of our stay at Batu Ferringhi. We had gone for a beer and a snack to one of the bars on the beach to admire the sunset and congratulate ourselves on having such a wonderful time after last year's debacle (see my Hamilton Island pages for the sorry tale). We were leaving when I fell on the sole step and broke my ankle, fortunately not seriously, but bad enough to require a night in the Gleneagles Hospital in Penang and a cast for a holiday souvenir and a wheelchair for transport!
Like last year, we were overwhelmed by people's concern and kindness: the bar, hotel and hospital staff were all wonderful as were various people we met along the way.
One disappointing outcome was that we had to forego our stay at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and our exploration of Georgetown as neither are ideal for wheelchair bound tourists, but that simply means we will have to return to enjoy these delights.