Penang Insights

Uniquely Penang. Your own private local host – friendly, enthusiastic, creative – ready to welcome and entertain you.

Kek Lok Si Temple

Explore the architectural wonder of the majestic Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple perched on the hillside of Air Itam. Originally constructed in the 1980’s with significant ongoing enhancements since that time, Kek Lok Si has become one of the most significant and largest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia.

Local Morning Trail

Begin your day with a relaxing walk around the Penang Botanic Gardens, established by the British in 1884 from an old granite quarry site. Its unique heritage and history on a sprawling 50 hectares of beautiful parklands is the only kind in Malaysia. Spot the occasional native wildlife; such as, the long tailed macaque monkeys native to this tropical rainforests.

Evening Food Safari

Penang is never short of things to do. As night falls and office workers head home after a busy day, Penang readies itself for its evening crowd by transforming into a whole new streetscape, from “pasar malam” (night market) in local neighbourhood to push-cart smorgasbord of street food choices and live musics in hidden joints.

Cooking Class

Begin your day with a visit to a traditional fresh produce or ‘wet’ market where we will meet local traders selling their wares of exotic fruit, spices, freshly caught seafood and other fresh produce. We will enjoy a traditional Penang style breakfast with refreshments from the local traders.

Explore Penang Island

Explore the hidden charms of Penang island on this round the island trip traversing through traditional local and fishing villages, idyllic beaches, lush green rainforests, ocean scenic views, rolling hills, private cottage industry, family-own garden and agricultural lands.

Nature and Adventure

Penang is a small island, covering a mere 293 square kilometres. Although it is densely populated along the east and north coast, it remains relatively untouched along the west coast with lush rainforests thanks to its year round tropical climate.

Penang Food

Penang is world renowned for its exceptional street food. The diversity of its Malay, Chinese and Indian cultural backgrounds collides in a melting pot of tastes and flavours that stem back generations.

Arts and Culture

The arts and culture scene in Penang is alive and colourful thanks to its multicultural society of Malay, Chinese and Indians. There’s no shortage of religious festivals throughout the year and visitors will find mosques, Chinese and Indian temples living in harmony side-by-side in local neighbourhoods.

Sightseeing

Although Penang island is small, rapidly being developed and modernised, there are parts of the island that are still layback and untouched – quiet beaches, fishing villages, rice fields, fruit plantations, farms and food production companies belonging to the same family for generations.

Cooking with Victor

Victor is passionate about Penang food and learned how to cook traditional Malaysian Nyonya (also known as Peranakan) style food from an early age. Growing up in the early 1960s in a pre-war terrace house in George Town,

Pork and tofu in clay pot

August 8, 2019 by Victor Khoo

Two of the most precious Chinese cooking appliances has to be my 15-years old well-seasoned carbon steel wok and a 10-years old clay pot. Lately, I have been using my clay pot more than usual due to the cold winter…

Clay pot cooking

August 2, 2019 by Victor Khoo

I still remember the time when I’ve renovated an entire kitchen of a 1880s weatherboard house in Tasmania and installed an induction cooktop. My decision was swayed by a friend who vowed for the induction over gas, based on experience and style…

Steamed tofu with pork mushrooms and eggs

July 11, 2019 by Victor Khoo

“Tofu” is commonly known as bean curd in western countries. Widely loved by Chinese people, but loathed by most non-Chinese, especially the westerners, for its bland taste, unexciting and uninteresting to a person’s palate. This product has been produced for…