Bukit Bendera, Penang, Malaysia
Located approximately 9 km to the west of George Town, Penang Hill is a popular hill resort comprising a group of peaks, the highest of which is 833 m above sea level. The most developed peak visited by most people is known in the local language as Bukit Bendera (lit. Flagstaff Hill). My group rode on a funicular to reach that peak.
From Komtar Bus Terminal, my group took Bus 204 and dropped off at the last stop, which is actually just three stops away from the bus stop nearest to
Kek Lok Si Temple. Just like when we went to the temple, each of us paid
RM 2.00 (~S$0.65) for the bus ride.
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| It costs RM 30.00 (~S$9.80) per adult foreigner for a return ticket on the funicular. |
To date, the funicular railway system is the only one of its kind in Malaysia.
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| It's said that the funicular can accommodate about 100 passengers per trip. |
It's possible to hike up to the peak from the lower station.
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| The funicular track is about 2 km in length, one of the longest in Asia. |
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| Some trips allow you to drop off at the middle station for a shorter hike. |
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| Typically, a one-way journey takes about 4.5 minutes. |
Get a sense of the speed of the funicular from the short video clip below.
Near the upper station is a gift-cum-convenience store.
There's a circular observatory platform called Sky Walk, which was officially declared open in early 2015.
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| That reminds me of Sylvester the Cat from the Looney Tunes. |
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| I recall seeing that view from a lower altitude at Kek Lok Si Temple. |
If you're there with your partner, you may want to visit a paid attraction called Little Village with its love arches and such.
I noticed that there were quite a number of Singaporeans around from their accent.
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Before boarding the funicular, your photo would've been taken.
You may wish to purchase it there. |
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| Too bad I didn't see any wild monkeys and dogs. |
It wasn't too crowded when we were there, which was in neither June nor December.
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| My mother would probably kill me if I were to post a photo of her that I took there. |
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| Earthquake and Typhoon Pavilion allows you to experience simulations of those two |
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Where do you want to go next once the COVID-19 pandemic is over?
Honestly, I really want to go to Moscow, Russia. |
Astaka Bukit Bendera is a three-storey food complex. There's an owl museum and a camera museum nearby.
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| Hoot! Hoot! Grab some chocolates, will you? |
In general, it's about 5 degree Celsius cooler up there than in George Town.
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| Such a pity that the Hindu temple there was undergoing renovation at that time. |
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| Just like my sister, I love to pose like that for a photo. |
My group celebrated my mother's birthday at David Brown's.
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| Not surprisingly, it's the highest restaurant in Penang. |
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| I love the lush surroundings of the restaurant. |
After dinner, we enjoyed the night view together.
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"I wonder about silence. Also about darkness. I love the idea that city lights
are a "conspiracy" against higher thoughts." ~ Terry Tempest Williams |
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I can't wait for the time when we can gather again as a family.
Both my siblings are studying overseas at the point of writing. |
I rarely take panorama shots these days, but I attempted it once that evening.
The queue for the funicular was rather long, but we didn't have to wait for too long to catch a ride back to the lower station.
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| Commemorative coins, anyone? |
The latest major revamp at Penang Hill as a resort area was initiated in 2010.
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