Penang for good food, Instagram-worthy pictures

GEORGE TOWN: Europe can wait.

Due to the less than stellar exchange rate, operations executive Zarif Roslan postponed his trip to Europe and opted for Plan B – a food hunt at Esplanade here that featured all his favourite comfort food.

“There are plenty of places in Malaysia that can be alternative holiday spots for us,” he said.

Zarif, 23, came from Seremban, accompanied by his brother and their two friends. The group arrived in Penang on Tuesday to avoid the weekend crowd.

“We know that Penang will be crowded during the Deepavali celebration, so we drove here on Tuesday,” he said.

His friend Syafyqah Syafid, 23, said Malaysians should not fret about the weakening ringgit when it came to planning their vacation.

Instead, she said they could help improve the country’s economy by spending their money locally. “Furthermore, I prefer to explore the attractive places in Malaysia first,” she said.

Student Kaymin Chin said Penang has always been a favourite destination for her and her family.

“I am on my semester break, so my friend and I decided to visit Penang for a day and enjoy the delicious food here,” said Chin, who visited from Kuala Lumpur.

She admitted she had wanted to vacation in Taiwan or Hong Kong, but it was too expensive for her at present.

Chin, 23, said that she preferred to spend her money locally and indulged in food and taking in the heritage enclaves in Penang.

As for copywriter Angie Saw, she is considering making a trip to the islands of Sabah and Sarawak to experience nature tourism, as she is reluctant to holiday abroad due to the unfavourable exchange rate.

“There are so many places in Sabah and Sarawak I’ve never visited,” she said.

Saw, 38, said she might go on short holidays out of Malaysia, such as a three-day trip to Haadyai, if the ringgit strengthened.

With the December holiday season coming soon, tourist attractions in Penang are expecting an influx of domestic tourists.

Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm, for example, is lining up a series of additional activities in conjunction with Christmas and school holidays.

“On top of our current programme, we are also running in-house activities throughout the two-week holiday,” said its sales and marketing consultant, May Ang.

She estimated that about 20,000 people would visit the park during the period.

The Escape theme park in Teluk Bahang has been seeing a stream of Malaysian visitors to its latest attraction, Base Camp, which features separate locations for those who bring their cats and dogs too.

“Visitors can bring their pets. They are also encouraged to bring their own food and drinks,” said its founder, Datuk Sim Choo Kheng

However, some Malaysians are going ahead with their plans to visit foreign countries.

“I would have to plan the itinerary meticulously to save costs, such as choosing affordable hotels, using public transport, and avoiding too much shopping,” said supervisor Tai Chee Peng, 41.

“The unfavourable ringgit exchange rate has led to a 40% increase in our expenses on airfare and accommodation.”

His family of three hope to go for a holiday to Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year period next year.

Susan Chee, 42, a teacher, cited the soaring prices of flight tickets and overall travel expenses as the reasons why she preferred domestic travel these days.

“I want to travel abroad, but the price of flight tickets had doubled from pre-pandemic times; a ticket to Taiwan that used to cost RM1,000 is now about RM2,500.”