Why Penang
Penang, which was founded by the British more 200years ago, is famous for its food, diverse culture, friendly people and beautiful beaches. These are the reasons why foreigners love Penang.

Penang attracts the most MM2H retirees. It is the destination of choice for people who want to retire or relax. Life in Penang is slow and quite laid back. Things are done in an unhurried pace. Traffic congestion is tolerable and only during peak hours only.

Things to do in Penang
  • Savour the great varieties of local food and delicious hawker fare. Penang was voted Best Street Food 2004 by Time magazine.
  • Visit places of interest, historical sites and heritage buildings.
  • Enjoy the fine beaches and lovely weather. A daily morning walk along the sandy beach is never boring. Listening to the lapping waves is therapeutic.
  • Visit the shopping malls and get stuff at bargain prices.
  • Interact with local people. They are helpful and friendly.
  • Travel to other parts of Malaysia to make more wonderful discoveries.
  • Relax and indulge in various forms of recreation.

Lower cost of living compared to Kuala Lumpur

Life in Penang is great and not expensive. A decent meal for a person at the food court, hawker center or coffee shop costs RM5. An excellent meal for two at good restaurants only costs RM50. High end and classy restaurants will charge you about RM150 for two people. Cooking at home is relatively cheap. For a family of 4, you need to spend only RM600per month. Parking is cheap at RM0.80 per hour by the roadside or RM2per hour in parking garages.

Excellent facilities and infrastructure

Penang has the facilities of a modern city. Hospitals and health care centers offer good medical services (no waiting required).Universities, colleges and international schools are available in Penang too.

Close proximity to all major cities and resorts

Penang is just 45 minutes by air away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Promotional airfare by low cost carrier from Penang to KLIA is just RM29 (USD8). There are direct flights from Penang International Airport to Singapore, Bangkok, Korea and Japan.

By road, it is just 4 hours to Genting Highlands Resort.

Affordable real estate that is investment-worthy

Penang has a lot of property for acquisition and investment, condominiums resorts by the sea, large bungalows and terraced houses. One can find any type of property to suit his taste and budget. Investing in Penang can be a good choice as the rate of appreciation in the property is quite desirable.

Georgetown, Penang was rated the 10th best place to live in Asia (2006) by ECA International. The other cities are large modern metropolitan. Penang Island has less than 800,000 people and it is already on the list.

Penang has attracted many foreigners who want to make it their retirement or holiday homes. It is a combination of slow life, friendly people, and great food, absence of language problem, excellent infrastructure, affordable homes and individual home ownership that makes Penang a great place to stay.

If you looking for small town charm but the conveniences of a large city, Penang has it all!

Facilities in Penang

Airports

Penang has an international airport. It has flights from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries. It is just 45minutes from Kuala Lumpur or 1 hour from Singapore. The maximum time to drive from anywhere on the island to Penang airport is 60 minutes. The airport is small but there are not many complain about the size, service or the facilities.

Medical facilities

We have many good hospitals in Penang. Hospitals here have the prescription medication that you are taking now, so you don't have to worry about not getting your medication here. Medical service is affordable. If you are less than 65 years old, it is recommended that you purchase medical insurance.

Shopping centers

We have Gurney Plaza, Island Plaza, Prangin Mall, Bukit Jambul Complex, Queensbay Mall. If you are from Britain and if you miss the British supermarkets, you can go to Tesco. We have local supermarkets like Giant and Sunshine as well.

Telecommunication

Mobile phones (GSM) are easily available and it is cheap to buy a prepaid card. Check out the terms and conditions before purchase assume service providers limit the number of months you can use on a prepaid card before the next top-up. 3G mobile broadband is available as well on selected spots in Penang. Wireless Wi-Fi hotspots are available at a lot of shops or restaurants. Landline broadband telephones are not difficult to get either.

Marina

There is a newly built marina in the heart of Georgetown. The rates are quite reasonable and there are berths available for your boats.

Where is Penang

Based on the map below, Malaysia is situated in the center of South East Asia. It is at the cross roads of the Asian and Western culture where both the cultures exist harmoniously. It is also the halfway point between Europe/China and Australia/New Zealand. Penang is an island situated north of Peninsular Malaysia. It is approximately 1 hour from Singapore or 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur (KL) by air.

The state Penang consist of Penang Island and Butterworth (see the image above). As you can see from the satellite picture below, more than 30% of Penang is covered with forest and the backbone of Penang is hills. Development is not easy in the west or south-west of Penang due to the hills of Balik Pulau. Flat land suitable development is scarceand property prices in Penang is high. Prices will always be high and it is a good investment as there is limited land on Penang island. The more popular places will be Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah. Whitesandy beaches and apartments/condominiums with great sea view is available at very reasonable prices.

Length of island (north-south at its tallest) = about 25km (15miles)
Width of island (east-west at its widest) = about 19km (12miles)