Penang Hills, Chinese New Year Thrills and Hotel Escapes

Back in South East Asia

Every so often I have to pause and remind myself what a wildly fortunate position I’m in: drifting around Australaisia and South East Asia doing whatever takes my fancy. No deadlines. No meetings. No responsibility beyond deciding what to eat next. It’s easy to forget just how lucky that is — but goodness, I’m trying not to.

One of the first things I booked for this whole adventure was a two‑week turtle conservation project in Sri Lanka. As things unfolded, it meant flying from Auckland to Colombo, but the only flights I could find arrived at 11.30pm. I’m all for adventure, but arriving alone in a brand‑new city close to midnight is one thing I hate. So, I decided to ease myself in gently and spend a few days in Malaysia en route.

A stroke of genius, as it turns out.

Georgetown in Penang was an absolute gem. It’s one of those places where every corner feels like it’s hiding a story — a crumbling colonial building here, a piece of street art there, all wrapped up in the smell of spices, sizzling woks and the occasional whiff of durian floating past. The food was spectacular, from smoky char kway teow to nutmeg soda (which was surprisingly refreshing!) and fish samosas eaten in the heat of Little India. I felt completely at ease wandering alone, even in the evenings — always a treat for a solo traveller. Ironically, the only unnerving moment came from the hotel itself, where the porter seemed far too eager for a late‑night drink and insisted on knocking on my door repeatedly. By 8.30pm, chair wedged under the handle like something out of a budget spy film, I decided it was time to relocate.

I booked new accommodation, ordered a Grab (South East Asia’s answer to Uber), threw everything in my bag and made a swift exit… only to realise I’d accidentally booked my new hotel for the same dates, but in March. Classic. Thankfully the staff were very understanding and helped me find a last‑minute alternative.

In the end, I slept soundly in a hostel — proof that sometimes the “treat yourself” option isn’t the safe option at all.

With two full days in Georgetown, I packed in as much as possible.

I joined a walking tour and marvelled at the French couple travelling for four months with a two‑ and four‑year‑old, dragging them round in a festival trolley. Not only were they holding it together — they were doing a three‑hour walking tour. Saints, the pair of them.

I took the funicular up Penang Hill and enjoyed stunning views of the city. I spent a morning in a cooking class learning how to recreate some of the dishes I’d been devouring — although whether I’ll manage them once I’m back home remains to be seen. And I treated myself to a massage that has officially become the benchmark for all future massages.

All of this set against a backdrop of Chinese New Year preparations: lanterns being strung up, drums echoing faintly from rehearsal halls, and shops bursting with red-and-gold decorations. Such a shame to miss the actual celebrations, because from the build‑up alone it looked like it would have been spectacular.

Huge thanks to Helen and Matt for the food recommendations — every single one was a winner. I’m already excited to return when I meet Mark in KL on 3rd March.

And then, all too soon, Friday rolled around and it was time to head back to Kuala Lumpur and check in to my hotel near the airport, ready for the next chapter of this wonderfully adventure, where I will get to help with Turtle conservation for a couple of weeks. I really can't wait to meet the turtles.

One mystery remains, why so many of the guests at the KL airport hotel wearing stetsons?