Renting long term in Penang, Malaysia
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Hello. My wife and I are going to Penang for the second time this year to look for a place to move to permanently. We are both retired. Does anyone have recommendations for the best areas to look for either a house or condo to rent? Also, can anyone give advice on taking a small (3.6kg) dog to Malaysia? Is a house or condo better? What is the flying experience like for them? Thanks for any assistance.
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Hi @TDECHILL thanks for your question!
We’ve checked in with Roland Dalton, an expat in Southeast Asia and Norm Bour, a full-time travel journalist and nomad.
Here’s what Roland had to say: Choosing the right area in Penang is what it is all about for a condo or house. There are many areas from Batu Ferringhi next to the beaches in the north all the way down to Banyan Lapas in the south. Only way is to check them out personally. We have friends who live in the Gurney Drive area, amazing shopping, and everything except the heritage feel, however it is only a short trip to Georgetown, Penang’s amazing capital. For us we prefer the traditional area of Balik Pulau , with very few tourists, local markets and friendly locals.
With many condos they do not accept pets. Although some do. Some areas have houses with gardens which I’m sure the dogs would prefer. Many of my expat friends in Malaysia have brought their dogs to the country and I’ve always heard positive reports about them bringing them by aircraft.Here’s what Norm had to say: We spent almost two months in Malaysia, but mostly in Kuala Lumpur with a week or so in Penang, which was NOT long enough. Our room was in George Town based on what many recommended, and since Penang is a big foodie magnet we found it to be yummy! It did get QUITE hot in April, so that would be a red flag (no pun) or what may be during the peak of summer.
As to traveling with dogs (or any animals), every country is different, with some more strict than others. A quarantine is typical, and although you may not need a pet passport, like in many EU countries, you do need an import licence. Yours is a small dog, so presumably not one of the “banned” dogs, which some countries will ban. We enjoyed our stay in Malaysia and have identified it as one of our Four Home locations in SEA, along with Bali, Vietnam, and Thailand. Good luck! -
You really don't want to live in Balik Palau. It's 12km from the nearest shopping centre and there is only one road in and one road out, single lane. That means that at weekends the traffic that way during the day, and then the opposite way night is horrendous. It’s a very, very local area, surrounded by predominantly Malay kampongs. Not that that’s a bad thing at all, but there are no expats there. The area’s that you should be looking at are Pulau Tikus, Tanjong Bungah, Tanjong Tokong, Batu Ferringhi and also George Town itself.
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Hi Keith,
I arrive in Penang on March 30th and will be at Straits Quay, tanjong Takong for 4 nights before going on to KL.
It'd be nice to meet up for coffee or lunch or something.I have been to Penang 2 or 3 times before and I think it is a pretty special place.
Cheers,
Mike Noone -
Hey Mike - that's fantastic! Unfortunately I leave on the 27th for two weeks otherwise I would have happily caught up with you. Straits has changed a lot, for the better in the last year or so too with lots of good restuarants opening. Healy Macs for social events like trivia too on a Monday night is pretty popular. Sorry that I'll miss you - next time.