Penang For Expats - Your Local Guide to Living in Penang

15Mar 2017 by Eric Chow 11 Comments

What to Look for When Renting a House or Condo

Home

Without a doubt, finding the ideal physical home to live in is perhaps one of the most daunting of all the things an expat has to face when moving to a new country. There are so many things to consider and the decision to find the most suitable place is definitely not easy, especially when you consider yourself how little time you have. Firstly, one must decide whether to go with landed property vs condominium or apartment as this decision will influence some of the things that you should look for when renting. Landed property here are considered as houses, duplexes, bungalows or townhouses and condominium as apartment, super-condo or flat. Both of these type of properties have their pros and cons. Some of the items will be discussed below. Assuming that you have…

03Nov 2016 by Sharon Lim No Comments

Top 10 things to do in Sekinchan

Holiday

[gard group='1'] Writing about all things Penang has and always will be the heartbeat of our blog posts here. Having said that; quite recently, we visited a unique place in Malaysia and we just wanted to share it with you because I'm most certain you'd love this place too. Hidden in the state of Selangor is a small town called Sekinchan. We have never even heard about it until recently when we saw a video that was filmed there. You won't usually pass by this town when travelling on the North-South Highway. Sekinchan is both a fishing village and also a major rice-producing area in Malaysia so you would definitely see lots of paddy fields there. I was initially not too enthusiastic about visiting this place. Why? Growing up in Kedah, paddy fields have naturally become a…

13Oct 2016 by Sharon Lim 2 Comments

International Schools in Penang

Education

Penang has seen much progress in terms of the choices of good education available here. In the past several years alone, there have been a growth of popularity for private education amongst the locals here which has brought about the establishments of more international schools, home-schooling centres and private Malaysian schools all over the island as well as in the mainland. Here are a list of international schools in Penang that are found here: Dalat International School Address: Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Penang Phone: +60 4-899 2105 Dalat International School is a K-12 American Christian International day and boarding school in Penang, accredited by WASC andACSI. Founded in 1929 in its original location in Vietnam, Dalat International School is now situated in a prime beach front property in Tanjung Bungah, Penang. Dalat is an…

09Nov 2015 by Sharon Lim No Comments

Best Hotels for Kids in Penang

Holiday

Holidays can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. As an individual, it is a time to put aside my hectic routines of everyday life for a much needed time of R&R. But like any parent of young children, my first concern is finding the right place to stay for my family. I realize that the right accommodation can put your child at ease in a strange place. It always helps to know what to expect and plan ahead so that your holidays can be a little bit less stressful. Check out below on which is the best hotels for kids in Penang. 1. Hard Rock Hotel Penang Situated at Batu Ferringhi, HRH is the ultimate place of fun for kids. The hotel provides special room options that are actually catered for your kids such as the Roxity…

02Nov 2015 by Eric Chow 1 Comment

Hiring the Best Local Service Provider with ServisHero

Guides

When you're new to a place, finding help is definitely one of the most challenging part. But what if I tell you there is a service that can actually make life easier for you. A place where you can find a list of reliable contacts for all kinds of service jobs you may need. Look no further when you can find an electrician, plumber or cleaner right from your smartphone or PC through ServisHero. ServisHero acts as a local service provider by finding, comparing and hiring trusted local services around your area so that it makes it easier for consumers to book a cleaner or hire an electrician or plumber. Currently ServisHero is available in Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor Bahru, Penang and in Singapore. Recently I had the chance to…

03Apr 2015 by Sharon Lim No Comments

2015 Events in Penang

Event

[gard group='1'] This page contains a list of events in Penang for the year 2015. Please bookmark this page as events will be updated from time to time. All Month: Occupy Beach Street @ Lebuh Pantai | Every Sunday 8am-12pm. Live performances, street markets, exhibitions, street games and more. All Month: Weekend Market by the Sea @ Straits Quay | Shopping that includes Apparel & fashion accessories, homeware, antiques, books and more. All Month: Friday's Car Boot Sale @ Straits Quay | First Friday of every Month All Month: Organic Farmers' Market @ Straits Quay | Third Sunday of Every Month June Events Jun 28: Music From the Movies @ PenangPac | Performing memorable themes from "Star Wars", "Superman", "The Dam Busters","The Battle of Britain" Jun 27: Tale of the Dragon Princess @ PenangPac…

17Sep 2014 by Eric Chow No Comments

How To Watch Hulu and Netflix in Malaysia

Entertainment

[gard group='3'] Some of you may be missing your favorite channels from your home country such as Hulu, Netflix, BBC, etc... which is currently not available in Malaysia due to some geo-restriction channels. Or do you find yourself not able to listen to your favorite music from Pandora or Spotify? This should not pose a problem as I am going to introduce to you a service that will allow you to watch and listen to your favorite channels from any part of the world. And you can do this in Malaysia! It is called Unotelly. So what is Unotelly? In short Unotelly unlocks TV, films and music not available in your current location by removing restriction imposed by streaming sites by hiding your real location. It uses a DNS rerouting service. This service will…

12Jun 2014 by Eric Chow No Comments

Becky from Quezon City, Philippines

Interview

[captionpix imgsrc="https://www.penangforexpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/becky.jpg"] We are glad to have our friend, Becky be the first to feature in Penang For Expats interview. Do read further on her experience and insights about living in Penang. Where are you from originally? Philippines How long have you been living in Penang and what do you do? I have been here since October 2005, so I’m roughly almost 9 yrs living here in Penang. I work in the Contact Center of a Global IT and Business Solutions located here in Penang. How did you pick your destination? It all started with just having a holiday trip to Malaysia targeting Kuala Lumpur and then Penang, but fortunately, I was hired by Dell Penang while I was on holiday during May 2005 and return in October…

05May 2014 by Sharon Lim No Comments

Basic Facts About Living In Penang

General

If it is your first time staying in Penang, it may help to have some information about the basic day-to-day facts of living here. I've put together a list of things so that you can have them available all in one place at the click of your mouse. The list may not be comprehensive for now but we will continue adding on to it whenever anything new comes up. We welcome any questions, suggestions or feedback whatsoever. Currency Declaration: Arrival into Malaysia- Maximum MYR 1000 ringgit notes and any amount of foreign currency Departure from Malaysia - Maximum MYR 1000 ringgit notes and foreign currency up to the amount brought into the country Other modes of payment accepted: Credit cards - Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club Travelers cheque - Accepted by all…

23Apr 2014 by Sharon Lim No Comments

Twenty Things to do with Kids in Penang

Entertainment

One thing my two children look forward to the most is getting out during the weekends to explore and do fun activities as a family. That is what inspired me to write this article about "Things to do with kids in Penang". Penang actually has quite a good share of both outdoor and indoor activities you can do with your kids. So what are you waiting for? Read on, make a checklist and start exploring! [gard group='3'] Outdoor Fun 1. Penang Municipal Park (also formerly known as Penang Youth Park) Location: Persiaran Kuari, 10450 George Town. Google Map Opening hours: Daily, 7am-7pm This is a great place not only for kids but adults too. There are jogging tracks, children's playground, play pool, chess corner, skating rink, archery range, mountain bike tracks and lots…