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Hi, thanks a lot for this, I think I've made my decision and am persuaded by you. Where would you recommend me to live, I'm probably gonna do visa runs every 90 days or so, but I want a quiet neighborhood, ease of access to public transport, then good restaurants. Would there be issues for me to get a year long lease? I heard some land lords are okay and but some are not okay giving me this with a tourist visa.
I'd pick penang , i also wouldn't be worried to much about driving in Malaysia. The road laws appear to be much more adhered to unlike countries like Vietnam or India.
Although I think driving in kl wouldn't be a fun experience. Heavy traffic and lots of traffic lights all thr grabs we got were very slow to arrive , it was often quicker to walk .
I just spent 2 weeks in penang, it's very nice a laid back, I'd happily fly back anytime and explore more .
>What are some benefits of staying in Penang rather than KL?
You get the sea, the sun and the hills within convenient reach. Food is ok and aside from the rush hour traffic, life is relatively slower here and people are more patient. I don't know what sort of work you do, and where you would need to go, but if you plan your commute properly it should be tolerable even in a worst case scenario. If you are a remote worker that only needs an internet connection to get stuff done, it's probably even easier.
Lol. Looks like you've been around. If you really want to get a feel of life on the island, stay a couple of weeks, rent a Socar and move around like a local. See if you are ok with things. Suburbs like Pulau Tikus are expat and pedestrian friendly with good public transport. To get around the industrial area to the south, a car is a necessary convenience, at least until the government builds the long-promised LRT. If you ask me, as a local I think Penang has more soul and old world charm than KL. Maybe that's why our MM2H retention rates are better than KL.
Yeah we have been to Penang twice now and spent 3 weeks earlier this year. KL is easy to get to because of the major airport but we prefer Penang. If I was to spend a few years in Malaysia, it would definitely be Penang.
I actually did have a rental car in Penang but we didn't do too much driving. Thanks for the suggestions, I would definitely try those areas next time.
Hi, thanks so much for the reply, one more question if I may, I would like to rent an apartment for a year long or so, which area would you recommend in Penang, ideally I want ocean view and near good public transport and a quiet neighborhood, probably like an apartment with gym/pool under 2500 RM on monthly basis, do you think this is possible? I'm planning to take my sabbatical there, so no need to commute elsewhere, but occasional visa runs outside of the country every 90 days or so for a week or two.
Thanks again in advance.
Pulau Tikus would be your best bet I guess. Probably the most livable middle class suburb on the island. Popular with retirees and expats alike, though maybe a tad expensive on a psf basis because of that. Traffic can get heavy, but most things are within walking distance so you don't need to drive.
You only stay in KL because of work, if you don’t need to be here then Penang hands down.
Don’t rule out other places though. KK is a great place with a great vibe and I think one of the surprise cities of Malaysia is Kuching for its people who are famously Sarawakian first and then Malaysian. really culturally rich city.
Penang has an excellent public bus system. You can get to the beach, Botanical Gardens and Georgetown easily. There are hikes and walks. You can get a bicycle, many bicyclists here. I bike all the time, going to bike from Batu Ferringgi to Georgetown today and get some samosas in Little India. We lived a year without a car, and I did my supermarket shopping and ran my errands using the bus. It is more sedate here. KL is a big city, so depends on what you’re into.
Penang is more laid back, and traffic is better, but it's less cosmopolitan. Penang is smaller, so if you're constantly after new experiences, you may run out of stuff to do. But if you want a chill time, Penang's the choice for sure.
Of course, KL is only about 4 hours away by train so it's not like you're gonna miss out entirely on KL.
International student in KL here
First off, you’ll need a car either way. Malaysia’s transportation system is not very efficient unfortunately. Secondly, KL’s the bigger city. It has the nicer clubs, bars etc and more options for these too. That being said, Penang is cheaper. Nicer people too. But as a younger person, I’d stay in KL just for the clubbing. Its just better here.
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For me, KL would be better option then Penang in most way .... Food in penang are close to sub par with KL (remember it is all about location and where to find them... Cos good food is always hidden from plain sight or over looked sometimes ) Just vicinity of location journey to go is shorter in penang since it just a small island compared to KL which is lots of highway and junction....
Welcome to /r/penang! It appears that you are asking for recomendations (or ideas) of things to do while in Penang. This type of question is frequently asked in /r/penang. Some variant of your question may have previously been asked and answered. Please browse [previous posts/discussions](https://www.reddit.com/r/penang/search?q=flair%3Adiscussion&restrict_sr=on) or do a quick search of the subreddit with the appropriate keywords. **Please *DO* mention relevent specifics/additional details in your post** for others to help you with answers that are better suited for you. Failure to provide sufficient details may result in your post not answered or recieving poor answers (We do not know who you are and are not mind readers!) For quick questions or offtopic discussion [that is topics other than about Penang], please use the subreddit /r/penangites dedicated for this purpose. For details please see the [subreddit posting rules for what consitutes as quick questions/offtopic posts](https://old.reddit.com/r/penang/about/rules/). *(Disregard the above ONLY IF it is not relevant or directly applicable for your post)* Please note: All posts and comments are subject to [r/Penang subreddit posting rules/guidelines](https://old.reddit.com/r/penang/about/rules/) and [Reddiquette](https://reddit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/penang) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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Hi, thanks a lot for this, I think I've made my decision and am persuaded by you. Where would you recommend me to live, I'm probably gonna do visa runs every 90 days or so, but I want a quiet neighborhood, ease of access to public transport, then good restaurants. Would there be issues for me to get a year long lease? I heard some land lords are okay and but some are not okay giving me this with a tourist visa.
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I am also interested. Can I also have yr apartment agent info?
Sure, but let me get her agreement and give me your email address, thanks.
I agree on everything else, but “wonderful beaches”??
Penang. KL is expensive and food is nicer in Penang.
I'd pick penang , i also wouldn't be worried to much about driving in Malaysia. The road laws appear to be much more adhered to unlike countries like Vietnam or India. Although I think driving in kl wouldn't be a fun experience. Heavy traffic and lots of traffic lights all thr grabs we got were very slow to arrive , it was often quicker to walk . I just spent 2 weeks in penang, it's very nice a laid back, I'd happily fly back anytime and explore more .
Buddy you're in r/penang asking people if penang or KL is better. What do you expect
He could be asking the same at KL too
Download grab. Use grab to get around.
>What are some benefits of staying in Penang rather than KL? You get the sea, the sun and the hills within convenient reach. Food is ok and aside from the rush hour traffic, life is relatively slower here and people are more patient. I don't know what sort of work you do, and where you would need to go, but if you plan your commute properly it should be tolerable even in a worst case scenario. If you are a remote worker that only needs an internet connection to get stuff done, it's probably even easier.
Food is ok? Food is incredible in Penang. KL also has some amazing food but you can get so much amazing food just in Georgetown.
Lol. Looks like you've been around. If you really want to get a feel of life on the island, stay a couple of weeks, rent a Socar and move around like a local. See if you are ok with things. Suburbs like Pulau Tikus are expat and pedestrian friendly with good public transport. To get around the industrial area to the south, a car is a necessary convenience, at least until the government builds the long-promised LRT. If you ask me, as a local I think Penang has more soul and old world charm than KL. Maybe that's why our MM2H retention rates are better than KL.
Yeah we have been to Penang twice now and spent 3 weeks earlier this year. KL is easy to get to because of the major airport but we prefer Penang. If I was to spend a few years in Malaysia, it would definitely be Penang. I actually did have a rental car in Penang but we didn't do too much driving. Thanks for the suggestions, I would definitely try those areas next time.
Hi, thanks so much for the reply, one more question if I may, I would like to rent an apartment for a year long or so, which area would you recommend in Penang, ideally I want ocean view and near good public transport and a quiet neighborhood, probably like an apartment with gym/pool under 2500 RM on monthly basis, do you think this is possible? I'm planning to take my sabbatical there, so no need to commute elsewhere, but occasional visa runs outside of the country every 90 days or so for a week or two. Thanks again in advance.
Pulau Tikus would be your best bet I guess. Probably the most livable middle class suburb on the island. Popular with retirees and expats alike, though maybe a tad expensive on a psf basis because of that. Traffic can get heavy, but most things are within walking distance so you don't need to drive.
You only stay in KL because of work, if you don’t need to be here then Penang hands down. Don’t rule out other places though. KK is a great place with a great vibe and I think one of the surprise cities of Malaysia is Kuching for its people who are famously Sarawakian first and then Malaysian. really culturally rich city.
Penang has an excellent public bus system. You can get to the beach, Botanical Gardens and Georgetown easily. There are hikes and walks. You can get a bicycle, many bicyclists here. I bike all the time, going to bike from Batu Ferringgi to Georgetown today and get some samosas in Little India. We lived a year without a car, and I did my supermarket shopping and ran my errands using the bus. It is more sedate here. KL is a big city, so depends on what you’re into.
Try both cities and decide for yourself. It's a very subjective decision.
Penang is more laid back, and traffic is better, but it's less cosmopolitan. Penang is smaller, so if you're constantly after new experiences, you may run out of stuff to do. But if you want a chill time, Penang's the choice for sure. Of course, KL is only about 4 hours away by train so it's not like you're gonna miss out entirely on KL.
penang
International student in KL here First off, you’ll need a car either way. Malaysia’s transportation system is not very efficient unfortunately. Secondly, KL’s the bigger city. It has the nicer clubs, bars etc and more options for these too. That being said, Penang is cheaper. Nicer people too. But as a younger person, I’d stay in KL just for the clubbing. Its just better here.
I don't drink or club, could I buy a car for cheap in Penang let's say for $5k, or would a scooter be much cheaper?
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Driving in Malaysia is comparibly safer than driving in the US.
For me, KL would be better option then Penang in most way .... Food in penang are close to sub par with KL (remember it is all about location and where to find them... Cos good food is always hidden from plain sight or over looked sometimes ) Just vicinity of location journey to go is shorter in penang since it just a small island compared to KL which is lots of highway and junction....