Well, I used to frequent to Penang Island for a short holiday as it is undeniably a very nice place to visit. The beautiful beach, botanical garden, shopping and certainly, great varieties of food.

Though, over the time, I found the place is getting more and more congested resulted from the development. Giant manufacturing facilities occupies huge buildings at the industrial zone in the island. Intel, Seagate, HP, Dell, you name it.

But no matter what the development bring in, Penang is still one of the most preferred place I will spend for a short vacation.

I just spent a few day there again last weekend. Though I didn't really felt that I visited many places there but well, it is still an enjoyable and relax time.

I reach the Penang bridge around 4.00pm. Traffic isn't very congested yet and it doesn't take long for me to reach the hotel at Gurney Drive.

Having stayed on several different hotel in the island, this time, I stayed at Gurney Hotel at the end of Gurney Drive. All my previous stay was by the beach along Batu Feringghi. Perhaps this time, I wanted to get closer to the town area instead of the beach again.

Wife told me that they have some promotion around this period just before the school holiday begin so I grab this opportunity to take a short break. I ain't like crowd and its my burfday.

I booked a Studio Suites with a King size bed. The room is... quite okay lo. Located at level 24, I could see further to the horizon and partially to the city of Georgetown too.

The room comes with two air conditioning unit, good lah since the weather was so damn hot recently. There is a nice table by the glass wall and it also comes with a LAN cable if I were to use their broadband. Well, I ain't want no computer on my holiday though.

The bathroom was comfortably large with a shower room and a jacuzzi... yumm jacuzzi!

The Gurney Hotel isn't located right next to the beach however, they have a very nice recreational area located at level 7. There are two swimming pools, one for the adults and another one for kids. Too bad that the swimming pool for kids is closed to maintenance. I was thinking of bringing my little boy to play there but sight.... I want my money back!

Anyway, the recreational area also has a gym if you want to do some lifting or exercise.

Other than that, you could also attempt to shoot some bullseye too as there are two archery lane there.

Some table tennis or billiard? Noah, I duno how to play any of these.

Gurney Hotel is somewhat a pleasant place to stay. Coffee Bean is just right next to the lobby entrance and Star Bucks is just right behind it. The only thing this annoy me is their basement parking lot. It was so narrow and that I need someone to help me to navigate.

Gurney Drive

The one and only place which I will definitely drop by is Gurney Drive. Who would resist the foodilicious factor here.

The beach along the Gurney Drive has dramatically changed recently. The sandy beach which once stretched along the drive has now becoming a stretch of mud land. During the low tide, the sea water is like miles away from the drive where we walk. During the past, I used to walk around the sandy beach looking for sea shells but now, who dare to go down there? Its muddy, dirty and doesn't smell good at all.

Some blame it to the uncontrolled developement, some says it was pollution. But whatever it is, the mudland of Gurney Drive will be there for quite some times to come. And if it kept being in that way, I guess someday, Gurney Drive will be turning into a mangrove swamp and the once beautiful drive is history!

There isn't anything else which is interesting to see on the muddy beach now except... mudskipper. There are whole lots of them now.

As the evening sky started to turn dark, we went to the famour Gurney Drive hawker center for some foodilicious stuff. I missed the Pasembur and Laksa so much... yumm...

This place is always pack of patrons. Whether the economy is turning down of not, there are alway a group of people who could still spend and in the case where food is involve... who doesn't need to eat!

My beloved Pasembur. It was like there's no other Pasembur better that of Penang.... ok, its just that I never tried elsewhere Pasembur yet.

And of course, the infamous Penang Asam Laksa.

Stretch of makeshift stalls selling various types of delicious cuisines. I was like wanted to eat 'em all but well, can't fill in that much. I swear, I'll be back for more.

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