When to visit Penang

When to visit Penang? Your choice will depend on whether you are interested to see, for there is so much that is happening in Penang, and it is spread out across the year! No matter when you decide to come, there is usually some event or festival going on, so there's nothing to worry, there's bound to be something to see all year round.

If your decision is based on the weather, I can tell you that the beginning of the year, from January to February, are the hottest months, with blue cloudless skies and general dryness. For the rest of the year, you can expect sporadic rain, though the wettest months tend to be October to early December.

The Hindu celebrations of Thaipusam takes place at the end of January. (For 2011, it is expected on 30 January). Plan your visit to this date if you wish to watch the street processions.

Chinese New Year takes place between late January and late February. In 2011, it will take place from 14 February, over a period of 15 days. Major places to visit includes Kek Lok Si Temple at night, for the lantern displays. Also during Chinese New Year is the Chinese New Year Open House which is usually held in the heritage enclave comprising Pitt Street, Armenian Street and Acheen Street. For 2011, it is expected on 12 February.

The Birthday of Chor Soo Kong, the patron deity of Snake Temple is on the sixth day of Chinese New Year while the Worship of the Jade Emperor takes place at the Jade Emperor Pavilion on the 8th day of Chinese New Year. The final (15th) evening of Chinese New Year is the Chap Goh Meh celebration with events taking place at the Esplanade.

Qingming Festival, also called Tomb Sweeping Day, falls on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, coinciding to around 4 or 5 April of the year. Although this is usually not celebrated by non-Chinese, visitors will see the Chinese visiting the graves of their departed beloved to clean them up.

If you are a durian lover, durian season happens somewhere between June to September, though the first fruit to appear in the market comes as early as April. The season tends to fluctuate depending on the weather, as the durian trees need about two weeks of very dry weather to push them to flower. An unexpected wet spell could interrupt or even ruin the expected start of a durian season.

The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival takes place at the Teluk Bahang Dam. It falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which corresponds to around 18 June. This is when you get to see the long canoes, or dragon boats, in races, with teams from different countries competing.

George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site Anniversary is celebrated on 7 July every year. Again, this is when the city showcases its culture.

Bon Odori Festival, the Japanese festival for the dead, is staged at the Esplanade on 17 July, 2011. This is followed by the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival, which will happen from 31 July to 28 August, accompanied by the staging of musical and opera performances for the entertainment of the deities.

The fasting month of Ramadhan changes with every passing year. This is because the Muslim calendar, which comprises 12 months, has a total of 354 or 355 days. Ramadhan is when you can see Pasar Ramadhan, or Ramadhan Bazaar, erected all over Penang. They sell goodies, cookies for the coming Aidil Fitri celebrations, as well as food for those breaking fast in the evening.

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in Penang with mooncakes, animal cookies and lanterns. This takes place from the 15th day of the 8 lunar month on the Chinese calendar, falling somewhere in September. It is the second largest festival for the Chinese after Chinese New Year.

The Penang Bridge International Marathon is taking place on 20 Novmber, 2011. This is one of the few times of the year when the Penang Bridge is closed for a few hours. Participating in it gives you the rare opportunity of setting foot on the bridge itself.

The Chingay, Lion Dance and Dragon Dance Parade will be staged on 25 November, to revitalize these cultural performing art. Usually this will take place at the Esplanade in front of the City Hall.

Chinese Winter Solstice Festival, also called Dongzhi Festival, falls on or around 22 December. This is celebrated by consuming consuming Tangyuan, glutinous rice balls in sugar syrup. The rice balls symbolises completeness and reunion.

Although Christians form just a minority of the population, Christmas is nonetheless celebrated at quite a large and conspicuously commercial scale, especially by the shopping malls.

Private Guided Tours of Penang

If you are seeking private guided tours of Penang, message Penang Tour Guides at penangtourguides@gmail.com and enquire with them.

 Buy, rent or sell properties in Penang

Do you have a property for sale or to rent out? Are you looking to buy or rent a property? Get in touch with me. WhatsApp me (Timothy Tye) at 012 429 9844, and I will assign one of my property agents to serve you. I will choose the agent for you, according to your property needs. So when you message me, provide me some details of what you need, whether to sell, to buy, to rent or to rent out, and what type of property, is it condo, apartment, house, shop, office or land.

Adakah anda mempunyai hartanah untuk dijual atau disewakan? Adakah anda ingin membeli atau menyewa hartanah? Hubungi saya. WhatsApp saya (Timothy Tye) di 012 429 9844, dan saya akan menugaskan salah seorang ejen hartanah saya untuk berkhidmat kepada anda. Saya akan pilih ejen untuk anda, mengikut keperluan hartanah anda. Oleh itu, apabila anda menghantar mesej kepada saya, berikan saya beberapa butiran tentang apa yang anda perlukan, sama ada untuk menjual, untuk membeli, untuk disewakan atau untuk disewakan, dan jenis hartanah apakah itu kondo, pangsapuri, rumah, kedai, pejabat atau tanah.

您有待出售或出租的房产吗？ 您想购买或租赁房产吗？ 与我联系。 WhatsApp 我 (Timothy Tye) 012 429 9844，我将指派一名房地产经纪人为您服务。 我会根据您的房产需求，为您选择代理。 因此，当您给我发消息时，请向我提供一些您需要的详细信息，无论是出售、购买、出租还是出租，以及房产类型，是公寓、公寓、房屋、商店、办公室还是土地。

 New Properties in Penang

Looking to buy property in Penang? Get the e-brochures right here without having to visit or contact individual developers.

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Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

Discover with Timothy

Let me take you to explore and discover Penang through my series of walking tours on YouTube. You may use these videos as your virtual tour guide. At the beginning of each video, I provide the starting point coordinates which you may key into your GPS, Google Maps or Waze, to be navigated to where I start the walk, and use the video as your virtual tour guide.

Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

Songs about Penang

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.