We haven’t been on an airplane since 2019. Yes, it’s mindboggling and really unbelievable but true! First, there was COVID. Then I was pregnant and had a ticking timebomb in my body in the form of a giant ovarian cyst which could rupture or twist at any moment and cause immense pain. Then Melody was born and we struggled with the steep learning curve – how to keep a newborn alive, and how to handle an infant. Now that she’s a toddler… and will walk when she wishes to (which is not often), we mustered up enough courage to book a (short) flight to Penang. We last visited Penang in 2015… so we can hardly recall what we did / ate there previously. LOL! This time, I used ChatGPT to plan the itinerary for a couple with a 16-month-old. Shiok. It also got tasked with doing up a packing list for me and it was awesome except… ChatGPT missed out one important item (which my darling reminded me about)… and that’s MASKS! LOL. Everything else was on point. I did also have to get it to refine its suggestions of places we should visit because ‘Penang Hill’ doesn’t sound like the kind of place I would want to bring a toddler who often refuses to walk. XD
We didn’t bring Melody’s stroller with us, so we used Changi’s (as seen in the picture above), and for most of the time, my darling would be the one carrying her. Just before the boarding gate, we went to the rest area. These loungers are dangerous – I remember almost missing a flight YEARS ago because I fell asleep on one of those comfy loungers even though I absolutely DO NOT sleep in public places.
And we flew to Penang via SQ… but it just felt like a flight via budget carrier. Seats looked old, no screens, pitiful amount of legroom, and we had pizza that tasted slightly better than it looked. XD
As for drinks… the cabin crew offered coffee, tea or juice (on the flight to Penang), and on the way back, only “coffee, tea or water”. There’s *ahem* no alcohol, no ice, no orange juice (only apple), BUT… they actually have Sprite (if you manage to guess/remember). *My darling mixed Sprite with apple juice and it’s pretty good. And no… you don’t get the whole can of Sprite – probably only half a can served in a paper cup.
It’s been a LONG time since we’ve flown with Singapore Airlines, and honestly, I think there’s not much difference with budget carriers if you’re going for a short flight. But the crew did give Melody a crinkle soft book and were generally quite friendly.
Storytime:
While we were waiting at the boarding gate, one aunty sat down next to me (she was traveling alone) and started beating pieces of luggage the way aunties hit a seat on the bus that someone has just vacated and before they’d let their bums go down on it. I thought she was really weird.
THEN… we had priority when boarding thanks to the accompaniment of our little girl… and I later saw this weird aunty board the plane after we did. I was hoping she’ll walk past our row and NOT sit next to me. But guess what… her seat’s the one right by mine. O… M… G… F… M… L!
So my darling, Melody, and I had to stand up and get out of our seats so she could get right in… to her window seat. And… this lady put on a finger pulse oximeter (or at least that’s what I think it was), spread her legs wide but at least she was wearing jeans (and I said to her “Excuse me, do you mind?” and she retracted one leg) and hogged the armrest. Sigh.
Melody did well the first half of the flight. We gave her milk just as the plane took off. But for the next half (with a bit of turbulence and the need to stay belted), she wailed non-stop. It did not help that the cabin was SO HOT. I tried to tweak the overhead settings to (hopefully) get us more cold air but it was futile. I saw one lady decked in branded clothes take off her jacket as it was so warm. And weird aunty next to me took out her handheld fan. XD
Since Melody was inconsolable, I turned her to face weird aunty and regained control of the armrest. Ahahahaahaa! (*A stewardess seated behind us in the emergency exit row also helped us fan Melody. WLE. Very suay to be onboard a plane with faulty air-conditioning)
When we reached Penang International Airport, I went in search of a local SIM card. I think I first went into the digi store but the cheapest plan offered 0 talktime. Next door was Tune Talk, which offered 20mins for the same price, so I went with that.
Our stay at Very Hotel
My darling chose this hotel as I’d asked him to look for one which is not too old. Very Hotel has decent reviews on Agoda but its Google reviews are pretty lousy (my darling suspects it’s sabotage by competitors). So anyway, being the kiasu Singaporean that I am, I wrote to them before we flew and said I’ll be staying here – please confirm the Agoda booking went through, and the room has been booked for us, it’s quiet so Melody can sleep at night, etc.
So we got a Family Room (#210) which has two queen-size beds. And it’s meant for 4 adults but the space is so limited that I think for everyone to feel comfortable, the max should be 2 adults and 2 young children, and that’s it.
*There’s no window, no fridge, TV’s a bit wonky, super small sink in the toilet, sink’s a bit choked up, toilet bowl has a few cracks near the bottom (but works), and there’s one broken clothes hanger (three others were fine).
Here’s what’s great: Location is fab! So many yummy food places a stone’s throw away, staff OK with our repeated requests for water (it didn’t rain the entire time we were in Penang so it was always hot hot hot!) and there were no bedbugs (one fear I had when traveling) and the water heater and air-con worked! Phew! And because there were no windows, it was so quiet – NO traffic noises at all. We could even hear our neighbours close their doors and flip the light switches at night.
It wasn’t very far from the airport either. Our Grab ride from Penang International Airport to Very Hotel cost just RM 37, roughly S$10.
*During check-in, we were asked to pay a ‘Tourism and Heritage Tax’ of RM 36 plus a deposit of RM 50. And there would be NO RECEIPTS. I pointed to the line on my Agoda Booking Confirmation Sheet which stated “Included: Taxes and fees SGD 50.35” but the Chinese guy said that’s a different tax. We were incredulous but… ok… we handed over the money. Interestingly, shortly after we got settled into our room, the same guy comes knocking and hands me RM30, saying he’d made a mistake and that yes, Agoda had already collected the tax from us. Hmm, I just think it’s real *sus* if people claim to be collecting taxes, fees and/or deposits and do not offer receipts.
The total amount we paid for a 3-night stay came up to RM717.59, about S$200.
*Tip: “Make up room” – if you want housekeeping staff to tidy your room / give you new bottles of water / etc, then you need to let Reception know before you head out in the morning.
Our First Dinner in Penang:
Just take two right turns when you exit the hotel and you’ll be at Seafood Choo – a hole-in-the-wall seafood place that offers homely meals.
I found this place via Google when looking at the area surrounding the hotel…
Seafood Choo has an impressive 4.7 star rating on Google. And it was a fitting place for our first dinner in Penang. XD I’d looked for their contact number and whatsapped them before we even left SG. I reserved 2 crabs (one with roe for my darling), their signature fried chicken, as well as their Garlic Prawns. I highly recommend reserving whatever you want before heading down – items like their Lala, Stingray, and crabs w/roe sell out pretty quickly.
Prices are really affordable:
The picture below shows what we had that evening. The fried chicken was delicious, and even came with a side of keropok. The prawns were OK – the homecooked kind you expect when visiting a friend’s home, and they came with lots of garlic (which I love). As for the crab, I let my darling enjoy the entire crab w/roe. And we decided to get the final crab in a takeaway bag instead so Melody would not miss her bedtime. We were delayed at the airport (OMG NO PRIORITY PLUS QUEUE SO LONG!) and we encountered a Grab driver who drove real slow so our dinner was later-than-usual that day. *Also… I believe there’s just one chef… so don’t expect your food to come real quick. Have a drink, chill, chit chat while you wait.
With rice and drinks, our meal cost just RM 202. And if left to me to decide, our dinner plans for the next two evenings would feature other dishes at Seafood Choo. Hahaha! But I’m very fair… I let my darling pick a French place for dinner the next day, and we agreed on a vegetarian eatery (just opposite our hotel) for the last dinner we’ll have in Penang.
I did, however, dabao a serving of Lala from Seafood Choo, to be enjoyed in the comfort of our hotel room after our vegetarian meal. LOL!!!
And that’s it for our first night in Penang! 😀 Stay tuned for more on the rest of our holiday.
Working With Grace 
You must be logged in to post a comment.