Batu Ferringhi Beach

If there’s one place in Penang that has its generous share of foreign visitors, it would have to be Batu Ferringhi. Aside from Georgetown, Batu Ferringhi is arguably the second most visited destination on Penang Island. Batu Ferringhi is a resort strip stretching along the northern coast of the island, with plenty of international hotels, extensive dining facilities and fun night shopping!

It’s difficult to put a finger on what it is exactly that draws repeat visitors to Batu Ferringhi each year. Like Georgetown, Batu Ferringhi is a great place for visitors to enjoy the good food and great shopping. But Batu Ferringhi also has some of the nicest beaches on Penang Island. The long stretch of beach on the northern flank of Penang Island, of which Batu Ferringh beach is part of, is combination of wide golden-sand beaches and picturesque deep blue-green coves hedged by large granite boulders that seem to have tumbled from the hilly interiors of the island, right into the sea.

Compared to beaches on Malaysia’s east coast islands like Lang Tengah, Batu Ferringhi beach may not be as gorgeous. But Batu Ferringhi has all the conveniences a visitor would want for an easy, hassle-free holiday. All along the Batu Ferringhi road, which runs parallel to the beach just a few metres away, there is a great variety of shops including restaurants, cafes, convenience stores, mobile phone shops and souvenir shops. The combination of great location, ease of access, high number of accommodation choices and ample facilities and conveniences makes Batu Ferringhi a sure-fire choice for an easy holiday destination.

One unique feature of Batu Ferringhi is the exciting sidewalk bazaar that takes place every day from around 6pm until past midnight. This night bazaar is a busy and enjoyable shopping experience for visitors, and plenty of haggling can be heard along the stretch of individual stalls. Traders and buyers negotiating in good humour for the best price for the variety of items on sale – from imitation designer t-shirts to silver jewellery, colourful plastic buoys to fragile exotic curios.