Penang Where Cows Roam Free

Penang photos we snapped in the past month essay life beyond cliché.

Penang Island boats
Penang Island boats

I am in love with Penang Island. I can hear your smug reply: “Yeah, who doesn’t.” Here is the thing: most probably, we are talking about different things.

Penang photos
Clouds over Penang Island
Penang photos
True paradise

The island is sharply divided into two distinct parts. I would call the first one The Greater George Town in the same way as many American cities refer to their surroundings. This area roughly includes Penang National Park, the best beaches along the coast, George Town itself down to Bayan Baru, and extends inland up to Penang Hill. Essentially, this is the part of the island where 99% of attractions and must visit places mentioned on TripAdvisor or Lonely Planet is.

Penang photos
The Greater George Town area is fascinating but too popular (aka crowded)
Penang photos
and tacky too

The Greater George Town is THE place to spend a day or a week-long vacation. I would call it tourist paradise. Colonial sites, museums of any imaginable and beyond topics, food tours, boat rides, nightlife, exotic shopping, and huge modern malls are all there. The ultimate vacation would be an appropriate term to describe a visit to the island’s capital.

George Town
Countless wonders of George Town

I love Penang. Not the glamorous part of it (aka George Town and vicinity). It’s nice but too touristy and crowded. Leaving the city is like a breath of fresh air and been transported back in times. Fishermen might have cell phones, and fishing boats are equipped with engines nowadays, but the art of fishing is as strong as ever in coastal villages.

Penang Island
The art of fishing is as strong as ever in coastal villages

The rest of the Island is antipodal to its flashy capital. Still colorful and multicultural, it is much quieter and, I dare to say, dignified.

Penang photos
Away from tourist crowds and back to simpler life
Penang photos
Lone fisherman on a deserted beach

From the hills down to the beaches, villages and tiny towns look like postcards from a bygone era. The old-fashioned way of living is poking out through holes in fences overpowered by mighty rainforest greenery.

Penang photos
Penang island coast
Penang island
We saw a colorful fishing boat and stopped to snap it. A fisherman noticed us, waved and shouted something pointing at a small fish in his hand. It was not clear what he was trying to communicate. Was he trying to sell us a tiny fish or was he trying to invite us on a fishing expedition?

Fishing villages, fruit orchards, and mangroves do not care about time. They exist in its own universe where the carefree days of summer never end. This is the island I love.

Penang photos
Village life
Penang photos
Mmm, delicious
Penang island
Apparently, there is a Cat Lovers Society in Penang
Penang photos
This gorgeous feline was relaxing on one of the backstreets of Penang. This cat certainly knows how to impress. Red, white and black is a winning combination

Sadly, fairy tales do not exist in real life. This idyllic scenery has come under attack from an army of high rises. What else is knew? The canopy of lush greenery got pierced by white spears creating an illusion of some outer space giant thumbs sticking out of the futuristic sea. Or, on a less poetic note, nature had been pushed back to satisfy real estate moguls.

Penang island
Penang island
Penang island
New developments push away nature
Penang island
Penang island

Cows, however, missed the memo. Rapid gentrification does not concern them; what’s on the other street of the road does.

Penang photos
Just another day in Penang, We should’ve got used to scenes like this by now. However, I am still amused every time traffic stops because these grand cows decide to check what’s on the other side of the road. Penang drivers are not very patient and would mercilessly honk at you, but, evidently, cows are superior to humans
Penang island
Walking home after dinner, we found the source of moo sounds

Cheers, see you in Penang!

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Penang Where Cows Roam Free
I love Penang. Not the glamorous part of it (aka George Town and vicinity). It’s nice but too touristy and crowded. Leaving the city is like a breath of fresh air and been transported back in times

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17 thoughts on “Penang Where Cows Roam Free”

  1. I was in Georgetown back in 2001. We’ll be there in a little over 2 weeks and I’m curious. I’ve heard many people say it’s gotten touristy and I have a hard time equating that with my memories. But I do remember the great food and look forward to that!
    Frank (bbqboy)

    • Frank, great to hear from you :). It took a long time to get some reasonable internet connection and check what’s happening with the blog. By now, I think you are in Georgetown. I wonder how it compares with your recollections from 2001? Personally, I liked some parts of Penang Island, but not Georgetown in particular. Also, I grew fond of Ipoh. We traveled there twice in less than two months. By the end of our second trip, I was seriously considering coming there long term when we will be in SE Asia next time. Cheers!

    • Thank you, Ami :). You are so right about Indian beach towns. We saw quite a lot of locals of Indian heritage in those coastal villages.

  2. 😀 The cows are crossing quite a busy road. I love all of the small details like this that really make the place. The fishing area looks like somewhere I’d love to roam around with my camera for the day. Good job at finding the less well known spots of an otherwise touristy place, too!

    • Thank you, Thuymi :). Penang food – oh, yes! By now (it is our 6th week staying in Penang), we ate through many different areas of the island: coastal villages, mid-island rustic towns and Bayan Lepas residential projects. The most amazing thing is that outside of George Town the most delicious food is unbelievably cheap. Dinner for two in the area we live costs about $2.50USD.

  3. Seeing the roaming cows on the streets I remembered India. There you will find a similar urban view. I agree with you, I don’t like touristy areas. I prefer the quiet undiscovered gems.

  4. The beaches on your pictures are really beautiful and I love the one with the fishing boat 🙂 Also it must be so surprising to see cows roaming in the street like this!! People must be really careful when driving I guess

  5. I’m also keen on exploring non-touristy areas in touristy cities when I travel, so really enjoy reading your article 🙂 The city outskirt where you visited looks exactly like some rural provinces in Vietnam where I come from, which is quite interesting. I need to plan a trip to Penang soon!

  6. Penang is beautiful in every way….even with roaming cows. It just has a very culturally inclined rustic charm to it I guess 🙂

  7. I was in Penang couple of years back, main city part though. It is very well maintained and well kept for tourists. I didn’t see any cows roaming there, it may be happening in old parts of Penang. Yes the canopy of greenery is receding though.

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