Breathtaking Panorama of Penang Hill

Following short trip with parents on Penang island, Malaysia, the journey will not complete if didn't visit Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill). Personally, I have visited the island multiple times due to various matter. As this time is a truly 'personal' visit, now is the chance to climb the hill.

Bypassing the longest bridge in South East Asia, the 2nd Penang Bridge.

Located 9km to the west of Georgetown, the capital city of Penang, Penang Hill's height is 833m above the sea. Climb to the top, you can see the spectacular view of Georgetown town. The funicular is their attraction where visitor could reach to the top of the hill despite having several other pedestrian tracks.

During peak season, the management often skips the intermediate funicular stations; nothing special if you stop at those points except to take photo.

At bottom of Penang Hill. The funicular fare is vary according to age and method of queue. Here also have several restaurants.

We arrived at the base (Lower Station) around 1100h, comfortably parking the car at the Multi-Storey Car Park. Walking up to the ticketing counter, we hoped to snag fastlane tickets to skip the inevitable crowds. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on our side; fastlane passes were unavailable at the counter, leaving us with no choice but to purchase ordinary tickets. To our dismay, our scheduled funicular slot was set all the way for 1405h.

Waiting for turn to ride the funicular.

With 3 hours to kill, we took refuge at Marrybrown restaurant for a slow, extended lunch. However, the real test began after our queue number was finally called. Even with ticket in hand, the sheer volume of visitors meant we had to wait almost 3 hours in the boarding queue just to step foot inside the funicular train. I advice you to purchase fastlane ticket online a day before arrival.

The funicular

Inside funicular. Pack like sardine in tin.

Looking down from the train, I don't think you would dare to climb through Heritage Trail unless you're in hike mode. It's the 2.6km stairs with eerie forest experience situated side-by-side with the funicular lane. Yet, you can see the sight of the train cutting cleanly through the lush while deep green valley was spectacular if you go for hike.

We had reached the top. But, here is just the beginning. Refer map above.

When we finally boarded, the ride itself was flawless. The sleek, modern train went straight to the top (Upper Station) without stopping at any intermediate stations, taking exactly 11 minutes end-to-end.

Stepping out at the Upper Station, the cool air instantly hit us, melting away the frustration of the long wait. Our first stop was the Skywalk, where my wife and I joined the crowd to snap a panoramic selfie against the sweeping backdrop of Georgetown.

From there, we explored the bustling pathways around the summit:

• El Walk: Walking past the retaining walls framed by beautiful, bright yellow flowers, caricature artists, interactive photo booths, and coin-operated binoculars. We passed dense crowds browsing local souvenir stalls packed with colorful tote bags proudly stamped with "Penang, Malaysia".

• Eatery: We originally intended to treat ourselves to a nice dine-in experience at David Brown’s Restaurant, but a quick glance at the heavily priced menu made us reconsider. Instead, we headed over to Astaka (Cliff Cafe) for a simple, refreshing ice cream bite. Perfect for the afternoon humidity.

After cooling down, we moved towards Bukit Bendera Mosque to perform noon prayers. The mosque is beautiful, featuring striking golden domes that gleam against the afternoon sky, set against a pristine green lawn. Beside the mosque is the Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple.

Directly after, we took a leisurely stroll past the classic colonial architecture at the Gate House of Bel Retiro, absorbing a bit of the hill's century-old heritage.

Next on our itinerary was a walk through Little Village, which led us straight to the entrance of The Habitat. Tickets were priced at RM60 per head.

Giant swing

Discovery Station

Lagur Way Canopy Walk

While the ancient rainforest environment is undeniably gorgeous, our experience with the service was a bit amusing. The promotional materials mention available tour guides and rangers to help point out local biodiversity. However, the rangers completely bypassed us, leaving my wife and I to navigate all the checkpoints completely on our own. Scattered throughout the lane were highly detailed information boards about exotic insects and mammals inhabiting the biosphere - though, ironically, we didn't spot a single live one during our entire trek.

Deep inside The Habitat lies the famous Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk. The view from this circular, elevated platform is legendary. On a clear day, you can look as far as Langkawi Island, Kedah.

 

Unfortunately, about 1/4 of the circular viewing deck was under construction during visit, slightly limiting the walkable path, but the sections we could access still offered an unmatched, breezy perspective of Georgetown and the two bridges connecting the island to the Peninsular mainland.

Our journey through the rainforest wrapped up at Kommune. The cafe part was closed during our arrival, just managed to purchase a few souvenirs. After exiting, we gratefully hopped onto a waiting buggy service that shuttled us right back to the Upper Station.

By the late evening, we joined the queue at the Upper Station to head back down the hill. To our immense relief, the evening queue moved significantly faster than our grueling afternoon experience. We reached the Lower Station without a hitch. Retrieved our car from the Multi-Storey Car Park. Then, made our way back home.

What we anticipated to be a smooth, breezy afternoon turned into a full-blown lesson in patience. Nevertheless, as with most journeys, the destination made the hurdles well worth it.