Bus Travel in Penang, Malaysia

Photo credit: Rapid Penang
I woke up this morning to three different people sending me the same link.  It was to a site that I try not to read often as I feel it is, at times, inaccurate and negative. So I opened it halfheartedly, but was intrigued because it was about Penang, the island I have been on for 3 months now and have previously also spent time on.

The article was about bus travel in Penang, and to say it was full of inaccuracies is putting it kindly.  Now, to be fair, there are some truths in it, such as; it's a great option, inexpensive and has wonderfully cold air con.

To travel by bus from Penang to various other cities in Malaysia, as well as Singapore and Thailand - you may book your bus tickets online now at www.easybook.com. One can also book KTM train tickets, car rentals, tour packages and heaps more travel deals at this travel online travel portal! So helpful!
The article also mentions that petty theft can happen although not often in Penang, and that some of the drivers drive fast which can be dangerous if you are not holding on.  These are things that are accurate in most of the world and I agree they are accurate here as well.

I also understand that we all have a different sense of reality and perspective regarding things like travel, but I felt this article's claims were offensive to the island, country, and general region.  The article also had a hint of an elitist tone that begged a more honest and open perspective to be written.

In general, compared to the rest of SE Asia, Penang is cleaner, safer, and generally easier to travel around in.  All of SE Asia is beautiful and adventurous, but Penang stands out as a great spot to be in, particularly if you are just starting out on travel to Asia.  Most people speak English, the food is incredibly tasty, inexpensive and safe, and travel in the cities and throughout the country is very orderly.


So it was with utter confusion that I read this newest installment from Soul Travelers 3 on the bus system here in Penang.  I will attempt to clarify some of the inaccuracies in the article below (ST3 quotes in italics) along with other traveler's firsthand experiences:

ST3: "The traffic is horrible in Penang, perhaps the worst we have seen on our world travels and we have also seen the most traffic accidents here."

Perhaps that is their reality, but by saying they are world travelers it certainly paints the picture that the traffic here is downright unbearable. Worst in the world??  Definitely not, not by a long shot!  During rush hour and on Fridays the traffic is heavy (heaviest in the Georgetown area), but absolutely nothing compared to Cambodia, Bangkok, Vietnam, Hong Kong, India, or even NYC or LA - not even close! In fact, most people that I have spoken with feel the traffic is quite light here for most of the day, especially compared to other cities.

Here are a few quotes from other travel bloggers about transportation in Penang:

Jennifer from Edventure Project said:
"Driving in Penang was incredibly easy. The roads are well organized and reasonably maintained, by Asian standards. There are some twisty curvy bits along the coast, but nothing unexpected. The cars were well maintained, there were fewer motorcycles and animals in the roadway than most other places we've been in Asia and the traffic lights all worked! Parking was easy. All in all, Penang is one of the more "put together" places we've visited in Southeast Asia and would be an excellent and easy place for someone new to Asia to get their feet wet and build confidence in the community and on the roads."

Ana from Port Landings says:
"My family and I spent weeks in Penang last year and took buses everywhere. While there is traffic at certain times of day, the buses are clean, cheap and reliable. I never witnessed accidents or anyone getting hurt. I never saw rats or other vermin either. I found the buses in Penang to follow first-world standards. Buses sometimes ran late, but they always stopped for me and my family."

Tracy from Our Travel Lifestyle said:
"Penang has become this wonderland of public transport, especially if you were on the 101 route that serviced Georgetown – Batu Ferringhi/Teluk Bahang (exactly where most visitors to Penang want to go between) where buses come every 10 minutes. Admittedly Rapid Penang, the company running the buses, claims that they run every five minutes but every ten minutes isn’t too bad."

ST3 - "very bloody injuries are common to see. A car running over a foot or a neighbor with her teeth knocked out by a moto accident is every day life here"

I also agree that accidents happen, as they do in every corner of the world. But this quote seems a bit overboard. It shows a total lack of understanding of the words 'common' and 'everyday'. Of course these things happen, like they do everywhere, but the notion that it is more common here or that it happens everyday is simply absurd! I have spent in total 6 months here and have seen a grand total of 1 accident. The roads function differently then most in the US, but it works. And to be honest, the system here seems to allow for the drivers to be MORE, not less, aware of the activity around them.

I have driven in Penang by car and by motorbike, and I have also spent a fair amount of time on the buses. In my experience over the past year "bloody accidents" are by no means common. And they certainly do not happen any more here then in other areas of Asia.

Erin from Travel with Bender said:
"We've been driving in Penang for a month now and we love it. It's actually very easy. We have driven in Bali, where there are no road rules and the traffic is motorbike crazy. We've sat in the worst traffic in Manila, where one way is 1/2 an hour, back is 2 hours. We've also been in similar situations in Bangkok where one taxi ride is 10 mins there, but 1.5 hours back. Or even take driving in KL, where there are three roads on top of each other and getting lost is a daily drama.

However Penang has been a dream. Sure they have their moments of scooters on the wrong side, cars merging lanes without signalling, but isn't that Asia? In this last month I have seen one motorbike accident near the airport, otherwise it's been a very safe journey. The Penang people are so aware of everything around them because of the free merging that it just seems to run seamlessly. The traffic can be a bit slow during peak periods from BF to Georgetown, but never hours on end and always crawling at least. My favorite part is that there is no road rage, people don't honk their horn, flip the birdie or tailgate. They just get on with driving and going where they need to go. We will continue driving for another month while we are here and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone."

Sara Weber had this to say:
"I have lived in Penang on 2 different occasions. Our first time in 2011, my teen son and I soley depended on bus or taxi for transport. This time we are lucky enough to have use of a car.  I have not seen a million accidents nor have I met anyone who has ever lost their teeth from a bike incident.  Driving here is a skill but it is not a death race each time a person is on the road.  Yes, the moto riders are insane at times but that is part of accepting to drive here or anywhere in Asia.   There are many, many worse places around the world to be on the roads than Penang."

Interior without people, very clean.  This is a newer bus decorated for the holidays last month but most look nearly as nice as this!  (photo credit: Rapid Penang)

ST3 also goes on to say, "It is not uncommon to wait an hour or more for a bus." 

It has been my experience that we never wait more then 10 minutes.  No buses ever pass us by or refuse to let us out, nor have we been overcharged -- all things that ST claims is common. There is a set fare as per the Rapid Penang website, where you can see just what the cost is and also inquire about any passes for longer term stays.  You will also find that most drivers are kind, speak English, and like to be helpful.  No one has ever sped past us, closed us in the doors, or refused letting us out!

Jill from Going Anyway agrees and says:
"The Penang buses are fantastically wheelchair accessible, the drivers stop the bus to lower the ramp for us, and there is a dedicated wheelchair parking spot.  The air conditioning is wonderful.  They are by far the best buses we've encountered in Asia."

David from Malaysia Asia said:
"If you're using the old bus system, then there may be problems, like the buses not being reliably on time.  But the NEW Rapid Penang Buses are on par with the ones in KL. They are very modern, comfortable and pretty cool.  A lot more locals are taking the Rapid Penang Buses these days compared to the older bus system.

Dana Hoffman Ellis says:
"We thought the Penang bus system was great! Free wifi on most of them, understandable scheduling, and they ran on time!"

Amy from World school adventures says:
"We had a great experience taking the buses during our one week stay in Penang, Malaysia. The buses were extremely cheap, clean, and we never had to wait more than ten minutes to take one. One of our favorite memories on a a bus in Penang was when an older local gentleman sat by my five year old son and gave him a lesson on how to speak the basics in the local language of Bahasa!"


Now where the article gets to an offensive level to me is when Soul Traveler 3 says things like, "Mostly poor people are on the buses, so lots of coughing and such going on.  Wash hands always after being on a bus."  

"The view from my luxury apartment here is a beautiful sea view, but at ground level from a bus window, most of Penang is third world urban glut and ugly."

Talk about not trying to hide your snobbery and distaste for people less fortunate than yourself!

I understand people see things differently and I try to respect a difference of opinions, but I feel offended for the people of Penang and wanted to set a few things straight. No reputable agency would consider Penang or Malaysia, for that matter, third world.

For the most part, the people of this country are healthy, clean, incredibly kind and tolerant no matter their economic standing. Its infrastructure rivals any first world country. As for Penang itself, there are some dirty areas or liter in places, even some of the drains are open and don't smell very good but that is the exception not the norm.

This writer makes it sound like sub-Saharan Africa or the slums of India, and that simply is not the case. Again, not even close to the truth. Especially when compared to the rest of SE Asia, Penang is a true gem.  Clean, modern, easy to manage and certainly not third world. If it wasn't, there'd be no place for "luxury sea-view apartments". It is sad that they see it that way because if you open your eyes to the wonderful things here, all the rest disappears behind it!

Here is one final quote from ST3 that I wanted to address, "The very WORST part of the buses is getting to them.  There are no real sidewalks or crosswalks in Penang, so getting to a bus stop is usually quite the challenging gauntlet that can involve dodging large rats, crossing very busy 4 or 6 lane roads on your own hoping the wild traffic will not run you over...."

Typical sidewalk   Photo credit: Travel with Bender
Now, certainly there are areas with no side walks, but it's clear that Penang has done quite a lot of work on expanding them.  In fact of all the countries I have visited (including several 2nd and 3rd world nations), Malaysia, and Penang in particular, has wonderful sidewalks nearly every place we go. Even pushing a stroller around is possible where it is not in many other neighboring countries.

And, yes, there are rats, like in every city in the world, including first world cities. Yet, the idea that they're so abundant in Penang that you must dodge them on the way to the bus stop, is simply false. Making statements like that implies very negative things like Penang is a rat-infested hell hole.  Not true, grossly exaggerated, and completely dishonest to their audience.

Theodora from Escape Artistes says:
"The notion that Penang is a third world city is almost as bizarre as the notion that a culture whose dominant language is English, followed by Malay, is a good place to learn Chinese (as opposed to, say, China). It's at the heart of Malaysia's Silicon Valley and there are plenty of highly educated, successful Malaysian professionals -- as well as expats -- who live there."

"We've used buses in Penang on plenty of our visits there. They're an efficient way to get around the island, although you do sometimes have to wait a while. Penang is diverse and popular with tourists, so we haven't always been the only Caucasians on the bus. The buses are faster and the traffic less chaotic than in my home town, London, and the streets are at a similar level of cleanliness."

"I didn't register the economic status of the people who rode the buses, but they certainly weren't poor by national standards. Typically, you'll see a lot of schoolchildren, mums with young kids and the elderly, the same kind of mix you'll find on public transport anywhere during working hours."

"I have never felt the need to wash my hands after riding a bus in Penang. Nor did I catch any hideous diseases. Nor did I notice anyone coughing. If I did feel that buses were full of disease I'd probably hire a car. Driving in Penang is noticeably easier than driving in London, where I'm from, so I'd have no anxieties about that whatsoever."

"I haven't seen any rats in Penang. Given it's a city, there must be some, though, as there are rats in every city in the world, first world, second world, or third world."

"I have never had a problem crossing the road in Penang. Nor has my eleven-year-old son. Where there are traffic lights, they are obeyed."

Pros on buses in Penang
  • They are very inexpensive, depending on the distance it is anywhere from $.30 to $3, and smaller children are free.
  • They are air conditioned which is wonderful for hot Penang days
  • They run frequently and almost always on time
  • The drivers speak English making it very easy to navigate as long as you know where you want to go
  • They are wheelchair and handicapped accessible
  • The buses can get you all over the island although some routes will require multiple buses
  • Each bus is clean and seem to be well kept.  We have not had a breakdown yet in Malaysia
  • By taking public transport you can chat with locals and get a deeper appreciation for the area, in Penang. I have found people to be very friendly and easy to talk to, even for my children.
 Cons for Penang buses
  • The buses can be late sometimes
  • You need to get on and off at designated areas, so this can involve a short walk
  • During peak hours there are often no seats left, especially with little children this can be difficult to have to stand.
As you can see, it is almost like we are on a totally different island than ST3. I think it all boils down to perspective, tolerance, and understanding what we are implying with our written words. Yet, there is a line where we must provide our readers with honest information.

Penang, Pearl of Asia
When I am traveling I try to see the good in every experience and so maybe that optimism clouds my viewpoint as much as it seems negativity is clouding Soul Travelers post. Perhaps, I just don't notice some of ugliness.  I know rats are there and the food sometimes makes you sick but it's not my focus. Penang touts itself as the "Pearl of Asia", and after 12 months traveling in Southeast Asia, we have to agree that it is indeed a pearl!

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    45 comments:

    1. EXCELLENT job Mary, very fair minded rebuttal and thanks for including quotes from lots of other travelers. I agree that it's very important to have accurate information out there for our fellow travelers and what better way to ensure that than by including a wide variety of perspectives on a topic. Well done.

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      1. Thanks so much Jenn. I wanted it to show the reality that most see here in Penang, not attack another person. I am so happy that it came off the way I was intending! Thanks for contributing!

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    2. The very fact that the modern buses have wifi puts Penang on the map for having a modern, updated transit system. Although bus travel is not as convenient as having your own car, it is much cheaper, better for the environment and a great way to see and feel the city vibe.

      I read the article in question and found it very offensive to the city of Penang and to the people of Penang. Especially, when the author stated that only poor people ride the bus, which means lots of coughing.
      If ONLY poor people rode the bus, there would be no need for WIFI, since poor people cannot afford smart phones, eh?

      There were many more offhand words in the article and I think Bohemian Travelers did a nice job with this rebuttal. Good on you!

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      1. Thank you! I agree, and after spending lots of time on the bus I can assure you it is not poor people at all. I don't even think about it that way but I do see lots of moms and kids and tons of school children in uniform.

        If this is such a filthy place as ST says then I would think there would be no room for luxury apartments like she lives in:) And for that matter why would they even want to be here?

        Oh well different perspective is all!

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    3. Thank you for your article. Penang, like any place in the world has its problems but this is not some back water slum.
      In fact we have chosen Penang in particular, to be our new permanant home for the next few years. Based on quality of life, quality of medical care etc.

      We love the bus, taxis, roadways, people, food, places and even the rats!! Yup, I lurve me some rodents!! (To be fair though, never seen any, although they are out there I am sure)

      If you find Penang to be so filthy, full of rats, horrific slum conditions, rife with corruption yada yada yada.. then GO BACK HOME!
      Honestly with such a publication it is a wonder certain visas dont get revoked.

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      1. You are quite welcome. My goal was to let people know how inacurate that article was and I hope enough people will comment, share, like, etc so that it goes around. Soul Traveler has a big following and it takes a while for people to see that her perspective is not necessarily fact!

        I feel badly for her audience if they walk away from reading thinking Penang is the way she is depicting it to be. I left a comment on her blog trying to make that point, that perhaps it was overboard and she would not post it. That tells me she is one sided and not willing to show any one's point of view if it is not in line with hers!

        Sad, very sad! Penang is an amazing place!

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    4. So glad you took the time to write a rebuttal! that is such a skewed view of a gorgeous place! Quite different to our way of thinking AND also very little travelled I would say (or maybe they only stay in "luxury apartments" and miss the beauty of the people and the world within which they travel?!

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      1. I agree completely. They say that they are out and about quite bit but I find that hard to believe. I feel sad that she is so unhappy here or at a minimum completely unable to see the area for the beauty it has.

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      2. Certainly, ST made a point incriminating her perception of people when she made the point about the difference of living in luxury apartments and hanging out at the street level with poor, coughing folks.

        There is "glut" and "ugly" in all places. I particularly think that US strip malls fill that description as well.

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      3. Agreed whole heartedly! And in my beautiful small town in CT we had no sidewalks and my house filled up with mice every winter! lol

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    5. Bloggers have such power. It's fine to have an opinion and talk about it, it is not fair to say that opinion is a fact and turn people off a beautiful country. If you don't like the part of Penang you are in, move to a better part. Where we live is absolutely beautiful. I can boast about my sea views and the lovely street walk to the bus stop without dodging rats and freeways. I even cross the road easily to visit a delightful beach and delicious Penang food stalls.

      Penang is considered a developing economies according to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook Report, April 2012. But it certainly is not third world. The internet is great, the malls are huge, the cinemas have delicious popcorn, the food is world renowned and delicious, the roads are easy to drive and the people a delight.

      I am grateful that you shed light on the real Penang and I hope everyone visits one day to see for themselves. Good on all the travel bloggers for giving a valid and real opinion on the place.

      I've never seen a rat by the way, apparently I am not slumming it in real Penang with the coughing poor people?

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      1. Thanks so much. I agree, the power of our words really matters, it helps people form thoughts and opinions before they even get here and sometimes may even bring people to a place or in soul travelers case scare them away!

        I have seen some rats but I have also seen them in NYC, any place that is highly populated and has feed will have rats but it is certainly a gross over statement to say they needed to be dodged! laughable really!

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    6. Penang reminded us of Vancouver, BC! Very clean for city of its size, huge malls, huge condos, just a very progressive city! We walked around the back alley markets and may have seen a rat, I don't remember, but what I do remember are the wonderful people and the mind-blowing food! Penang is seriously one of those places I'd feel safe suggesting my parents retire to, as it's just so clean and anglicized.

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      1. Yes, in all of Asia Penang is probably the best spot to retire. Clean, modern amenities, nice hospitals, and still maintains a good cost of living!

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    7. Great points, Mary, and thanks for quoting me! I would say, in fairness, that parts of Malaysia *are* third world -- upriver in rural Borneo, for example. But in the version of the article originally posted -- it now seems to have been edited -- Penang was unrecognisable to me.

      I think it's rather tragic that she won't allow through corrections in the comments, so pieces are left to stand as though no one ever commented.

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      1. Thanks! I agree, if these are open sites then we should be allowing comments on differing viewpoints to come through. The only thing I won't post as a comment is clear spam or violence.

        I agree some of Malaysia is more of a 3rd world feel but these articles are about Penang and that sure is not the case here.

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    8. I have lived here 15 months and have not seen a single rat. I walk to a lot of places and haven't had too many problems with sidewalks. Lots of expats ride the bus, so it's not just for poor, local folk. When we considered moving here, I was truly worried that the traffic would be like Manila or Bangkok, but it's no worse than an urban America during rush hour. Only a few people have honked at me, and I probably well deserved it. Thanks for sticking up for Penang!

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      1. Thank you, I feel the same way about Penang! It's a total dream to be in!

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    9. Interesting discussion, Mary. Playing sports in and around Penang during our 8 months there last year I spent quite a bit of time on the roads and in the buses. I must admit I did see quite a few accidents (at least one a week) but mostly of the minor fender-bender quality. The worst were on the road to Batu Ferringhi or on the highway to KL, especially during bad weather. A few were pretty horrific.

      I was really impressed with the Penang bus system. Sure it rarely ran on time, but the system has a free smartphone app that lets you know exactly when your bus will arrive based on GPS data. No more waiting around!

      We miss Penang!

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      1. Yes, I meant to mention that they had the app to know when the bus would come and forgot! Thanks for mentioning it.

        I agree there are accidents and plenty of traffic but the way soul traveler worded it sounds like it was an all our hell hole warzone out there:)

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    10. We spent a week in Penang, mostly around Georgetown, earlier in the year. I loved the mix of old and new - crumbly colonial buildings sitting at the bottom of modern skyscrapers, and the mix of cultures living together seamlessly - Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Christian. Penang has all the modernity of big Asian cities like Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok but without the pollution and knarled traffic. I thought it felt like a very livable city.

      I do have to say that I found the sidewalks, around the old part of Georgetown where we were staying, were a challenge with a stroller because they were so high off the ground. But, compared to Saigon or Bangkok, where sidewalks are virtually non-existent it was still manageable.

      I was horrified when I read the original article on Soul Travelers 3. It smacked of elitism, racism and negativity. Really, if you detest interacting with the local population SO much and find the city, it's people and amenities so repugnant, why on EARTH would you live there?? Don't these people claim to be one of the first traveling, location independent families???? Isn't the whole point of being location independent having the ability to live the life you want and change your surroundings?

      If they detest Penang, Asia, developing countries so much why don't they just GO HOME????? If all the charm of the new, the different and the challenging has worn off when you travel, maybe it's time you went back to life in the US.

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      1. Thanks Bethaney! It was the snobbery and elitism that really prompted me to write this!

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    11. Many thanks for the factual approach to bus travel in Penang Mary! I seem to recall back a year or more ago when SoulTraveler3 first moved to Penang, Jeanne was raving about how good the buses were! I specifically remember because she talked about the wonderful, fast internet on the buses and how they were a dream to travel in because they were so clean. I wonder what happened in the past year to change her mind?

      Our words do carry a lot of power, and many people are relying on us to provide factual information for them. If we write skewed posts like hers, we are doing a grave disservice to the very people we hope to inspire.

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      1. I agree Nancy, I think what we write is so important but to be fair I do not think Soul traveler means to be dishonest. I think it is the reality that she sees and then does not understand the implications of how she writes these things effects others. Sad really, especially if she really does have a large following like she says.

        I also think that she still likes the bus, just added a few more things in there. Perhaps she had a bad week on the buses or something;)

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    12. ST3 can change and modify their blog post all they want. Screen shots of the original are priceless to reflect upon also a friend who works at Malaysian Immigration was very interested in the posting

      What sickens me is still the comments regarding how much of a 3rd world slum Penang supposedly is.

      I am not posting my user name as ST3 is monitoring all of this and will no doubt be using in some nefarious way later on.

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      1. Fair enough. I was also wondering what the bus company or tourism boards would think of the way she portrays the area.

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    13. Thank you! I couldn't believe the tone and fallacies in her original post.

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      1. I know, so sad really. For them mostly that they travel the world and gain no perspective at all!

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    14. What a strange post- it reads as if the woman who wrote it doesn't actually live in Penang. Are we talking about the same city?

      Also, luxury apartment and only spending $25 a day? Puh-lease: I don't have an issue with people in luxury apartments but don't pretend you're being frugal.

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    15. Thank you for your clarifications about Penang. Penang has always one of the most developed city in Malaysia that I find quite balanced with its culture and developments. I had experienced a trishaw ride around the town and it was safe and amazing. Believe me the traffic was nothing compares to other city and town in the world!

      Last but not least, thank you for such a wonderful article! Keep it up! :)

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      1. Thanks so much, glad you were able to see the positivity that this city is just bursting with!

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    16. Wow. I wrote some posts after we visited Penang about the crazy bus system and the mythical every-five-minute bus! The point of them was to give people a laugh and maybe inspire them to come have their own adventure. We have some great memories of Penang. We loved the food and the people and the crazy bus drivers. We would not change a single thing about our time there. And after travelling to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos afterward I can say with certainly that Penang was high on the list of places with great facilities. We never saw a single rat there but we've seen plenty since! A big fat one ran across our path in New York. I really appreciate how balanced this article is - I think you've done a great job of showing the real Penang.

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      1. Thanks so much! I agree, I mean I see more traffic and rats in NYC! It is not a perfect situation on the buses and every 5 mins is laughable but ST just took it too far!

        Interesting though that she changed so much of her original article now after swearing I was dead wrong:)

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    17. I've been to Penang twice and my experience with the buses was excellent. I walk whenever I can, but took the bus quite a few times when the distance was just too far, or it was too hot. For the most part, I found the drivers to be much friendlier and much better drivers than those here in Korea.

      As far as walking, and sidewalks go, my experience almost everywhere in Asia is that it is a challenge for pedestrians. I would give the prize for the worst city to Cairo, Egypt. Now, that was hell!

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      1. Yes, but even in my small town in New England we had no sidewalks. It is not great in Asia but Penang actually has some really nice sidewalks in many areas.

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    18. Though I visited Malaysia last year I couldn’t go any trip by bus, after reading your article I understand that how funny the bus travel is.

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    19. Thank you for the excellent and informative article!

      I too was surprised by ST3's stance on Penang. A few years ago I spent several months cycling around SE Asia. I recall arriving (exhausted and battling a nasty bug) in Penang and being delighted to be in a place where the traffic lights were not solely decorative :) Everything from the friendliness of everyone I met, to the food, to the sights were magical. I encountered very little traffic, though I live in Toronto, so perhaps I've become accustomed to traffic jams. But certainly Penang would not rank anywhere near cities like Bangkok or Mumbai in terms of traffic.

      I don't want to criticize ST3 but it certainly sounds like the family could use a change of scenery. It would be a shame for someone to read the ST3 posting and choose not to include Penang in their travels. It is a lovely place and I look forward to visiting again with my son.

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    20. Thank you. I agree, this article was in no way meant to criticize the first article but I was so upset that some people may find hers and think that was the truth. Everyone has a different perspective but I felt it was just wrong. I am so thrilled to have been able to set the record straight.

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    21. you can know all about th bus travel in Peneng Malyasia.the post is very useful

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    22. Peneng is a great place to Rome around. The bus above looks tremendously smart. Any one would enjoy to travel in that bus. The guide to travel in peneng is here.

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    23. Wow. The bus looks great. I think I'll add this one on my list. Thanks for sharing.

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    24. Totally agree with your comments. Your description is the Penang we spent three months in and that was back in 2002! It's a great place. We drove and it was sometimes "exciting" but now we live in Dubai and that is crazy:) ST3 should NOT even attempt to come here if they find Penang to have a lot of accidents!

      Hoping to get to Penang again this summer with 4 out of my 5 unschooled kids,

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      1. Thanks, it is busy here but the original article was way off base. I hope you get back here at some point, we will be gone by then though!

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