Penang Nightlife Tips by SLLiew Top 5 Page for this destination

Pub/night club: Gurney Hotel hangout

Do not confuse Gurney Hotel with "Gurney Place at Gurney Plaza) which is at the other end of Gurney Drive (Pesiaran Gurney).

Gurney Hotel is located at the southern end of Gurney Drive near Pangkor Road and Northam Road.

There is a "Chill Out" for clubbers, cafes and restaurants as well as walk-in spas. A popular weekend hangout for the young and the young at heart.

Address: Persiaran Gurney, George Town

Theme: Eating and Drinking

Cineplexes at major shopping malls: Hollywood, Bollywood or Hong Kong blockbuster Cinema Review

Almost all of Penang stand-alone cinema halls of yesteryears have fast disappeared.

Instead there are several state-of-the-art modern cineplexes at shopping malls of Gurney Plaza, Queensbay Mall, Bukit Jambul Complex and Prangin Mall with 5-8 different movies available at a time.

Check the local Star (Einglish) newspaper for latest movie and time of screening. You can call up to make reservation or go over and purchase advance ticketing on their computerised system.

"Happy Feet" and "Casino Royale" were recently screened. Currently, the movies are Night at the Museum, Eragon and China's movie "Curse of Golden Flower". Besides Hollywood movies and Hong Kong, Taiwan and China's movies, you can find local Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Tamil and an occasional European movie with English subtitles.

Some movies have "Malay", "Chinese", "English" subtitles which makes it an eyeful at the bottom of the screen.

Movie tickets are usually 9 or 10 ringgit with special 5 or 6 movies for early hours and special days or student rates. Some have THX or DTS sound system and air condition can be cold and so if you are wearing shorts, you may "freeze". Pop-corn and soda are sold and outside food not allowed.

Compared with prices in USA, Australia, Singapore or Taiwan, watching movies in Malaysia is a bargain. Some cineplexes have couple seats, telephone booking or even special class cineplex with premium seats.

Theme: Other

Branded shops to night markets: Shop till you drop

After eating, I think the most popular night activity in Penang is shopping.

Most shops open until 9pm or later until 11pm for some hypermarkets.

There are night markets or small stalls along pathways to hypermarkets to branded shops in shopping malls

And in Malaysia, there is sales all year round, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Raya, Deepavali, Merdeka (Independence Day) and country wide sales. So a lot of excuses to shop till you drop or just window shop and exercise your legs and enjoy the aircondition environment.

Theme: Other

Gurney Place at Gurney Plaza: Hanging out at cafes

During the day and night, this is a popular hangout for the young and the young at heart in Penang. Gurney Place is a row of cafes and eating places on the left side of the Gurney Plaza in Gurney Drive.

Do not mistake it with "Gurney Hotel' which has a similar night spot of cafes and dancing place but located at the other end of Gurney Drive.

So if you would to spend time with your friends or your notebook over latte and watch the world goes by, head to Gurney Place.

Theme: Eating and Drinking