The hill, also known as Bukit Bendera, is 830 meter high
(2,750 foot) and it's much cooler than in the city below. It's about 3 degrees cooler than the places near the coast.
The station to get to the top is located in Air Itam. From Georgetown, take a Transit Link bus No 1, or No 101, or Lim Seng bus No 91, or minibus No 21 from Lebuh Chulia to the Air Itam Terminal. Penang Hill has a population of about 1000 locals.
The funicular at the railway station takes you to the top and it will cost you RM4.50 for one way. The train leaves the station at Air Itam at 6.30am and at half hourly intervals.
The funicular railway will not take you straight to the top, you have to change trains halfway. in the meantime you'll pass several small station, where the local people get off. There are are also some small hotels and guesthouses on this stretch. The railway was built in 1923 and it takes about half an hour to the top.
At the top of the hill, you'll find a tea kiosk, restaurants, souvenir stalls, a mosque, Hindu temple, and the old Bellevue hotel. The summit offers a magnificent panoramic view of Georgetown, the mainland and Penang Bridge.
Written Mar 8, 2004
Okay, you will have to wake up really early for this, so eat your breakfast fast and catch a cab here. If you get here (the Penang Hill tram station) early, you really save a lot of time and hastle. The crowds don't arrive yet at around 7.30am; you can whizz thru, even get a seat. Nice, splendid views on the top, beautiful houses...there's even a canopy walk. By the time you finish exploring; hehe, you can see a huge queue waiting to get up...while you make your way to your next sight,,.,,,,they're queing up to get where you just got.... :) believe me, worth the early wake up...
Written Oct 26, 2003
see the herds getting out of the train - phew - 1/2 hour of being cramped like sardines.
The next step is to decide what time train do you want to get back down to the foothill - you must make reservation at the hill top station and they will mark your tickets with the time reservation.
First train up is 6:30 am, and last train down is 9pm but weekends 11;30
Updated Aug 2, 2003
There is even a hotel on the hilltop - you can come here and have a drink. The owner of the hotel was a relative of a Penang ex politican, and he was a famous architect, and has vast collection of Balinese paintings as well. And you will see them displayed.
The Bellevue Hotel sits on the former Halliburton Hil because it used to belong to the Sheriff of Penang, Mr William Halliburton.
Written Aug 2, 2003
During the weekend, this Malay family would set up their stall selling deep fried fruit fritters for snack. It is extremely delcious..espllly eaten while it is hot. This is deep fried cempedak....not sure what it is called in English...it is a fruit with sticky very sickly sweet pulp.
Written Aug 2, 2003
You can see lots of nutmeg trees esplly when you are visitng Kek Lok Si temple....here is nutmeg in packets for sale....
Nutmeg plantations were planted from seeds gathered from the Moluccus islands since 1800s.....it flourished as a popular spice trade seen in this part of the straits.
Written Aug 2, 2003
The local folks are quite innovative...they come up to the hill top and make things for sale...and this is something i was tickled...this chap is making grasshoppers from coconut palm leaves....nice!!!
Written Aug 2, 2003
On the way up, you get a good view of the city below...but not easy to see with the crowd in the train car....and if you have the chance to look outside - meaning you standing or sitting besides the door, you see lots of trees...my husband could pick out ciku fruit trees, durian trees, and at one spot I saw a monitor lizard...and got everybody in the train excited!!!!
You will also see some houses...some wooden ones with zinc roofs, but as you moved higher up, you see nice stately looking houses like the picture ...
Many of these charming bungalows were built in the mid 1920s onwards after the furnicular was introduced.
Updated Aug 2, 2003
Most people would get there by this very old cable train. The ride costs only RM4, and lots of local folks and tourists love to take the train instead of hiking up...it may take several hours to hike up!!!
Just look at the faces of the crowd waiting for the train - some eager - some fed up....
Updated Aug 2, 2003
From the Botanic Gardens we went to the Penang Hill. You better have time - esplly on the weekend...lots of local folks and school kids love to take a ride up to the hill for cooler temperatures. It is about 2-3 degree cooler than at the foot hill.
It is located not far from the Ayer Itam.
The queue system was driving me nuts...when we were there we just missed the quota for the tram ride. So we had to wait for the next quota. So we had to stand in line and wait for all those passengers to get up their train before we could even pay for out tickets. Once you got the tickets you have to sit around 1/2 hour or so to wait for another train to move down for us.
The ride up is two parts - you sort of change train mid way.
Written Aug 2, 2003
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Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) tips and photos posted by real travelers and Penang locals.
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From the Botanic Gardens we went to the Penang Hill. You better have time - esplly on the weekend...lots of local folks and school kids love to take a ride up...
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