Penang Hill - Penang, Malaysia

We have been to Penang numerous times. The first time it was smoky so some place like Penang Hill obviously not worth visiting. At the time we did visit Kek Lok Si Temple. This time we went there with another family member visiting from the US. So we thought let's check out Penang Hill.

We took a Grab from Chowrasta market after a stroll and shopping experience there. Our Grab driver was friendly and gave us lots of tips. Including visiting The Habitat up at Penang Hill. 

To get up to Penang Hill, one has to take a funicular which is (quoted from Wikipedia) a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. Of course one could also climb up Penang Hill. In fact, when we completed our trip down, there was a group of hikers gathering at the lobby about to start their hike.

There were different ticket prices for the funicular. One category for holder of MyKad/ MyKid/ MM2H/ i-Kad, another category for standard tickets. So for us, we paid RM30 (USD 6.36) for a round trip on funicular. The tickets didn't give us any other benefit other than a ride. When purchasing the standard tickets, I was told that the current wait for standard tickets were 1 hour. Of course I understood that there was a fast lane that we could purchase. I felt that the price for the fast lane was steep at RM 80 (USD 16.95).

The day we went up Penang Hill wasn't a very clear day so the view from the observation area was nice but a bit smoggy. It's also a hot day though so we didn't last that long. Didn't feel like walking around either. 

We stopped by the food court but were not very interested in the food offered. Most of the food was street snack, drinks and cold drinks. We had drinks and decided to walk to the Habitat. On the way there we saw a small cafe next to Bellevue Hotel. Yes, there is a hotel there ! 😃 This cafe offered sandwiches and other breakfast items like boiled eggs. I was hungry by then and the food selection here was by far the best !

After having snacks there we continued to The Habitat. We got sticker shocked of the ticket price at RM60 (USD 12.72). Turned around and headed back to the funicular station. The line this time only took about 30 minutes.