We took the early morning flight from KL LCCT terminal to Penang. On arrival, Penang offers rental cars (self driven as well as chauffered), taxi and shuttle services. If you plan to spend a week or atleast three days at Penang and intend to use the Rapid Penang Shuttle Service, I would recommend you to buy a three day pass for RM 20 (subject to change). The 3-day pass should allow you to hop-on and off at any of the bus stops serviced by Rapid Penang. Rapid Penang service has a new fleet of air conditioned buses (with no smoking on board).
This is a welcome change as Malaysia and Indonesia are notoriously famous safe havens for public smokers. If you are looking to stay close to the action, then I would recommend to find a decent guest house or hostel in Georgetown area. If you would like to skip it and head to a quieter suburb then Tanjong Tokong should be a good choice. It is somewhere between the touristy Batu Ferringhi (in the north) and Georgetown (in the south).
Komtar Bus Terminal serves as the hub for Rapid Penang Bus Service. From the Airport, head to Komtar. From Komtar, you can choose from a wide array of destinations. Bus 101 heads to Batu Ferringhi via Tanjong Tokong. Penang offers a blend of Indian, Chinese and Malay Cuisine. We tried the ubiquitous Roti Canai et al series. Mamaks (stalls run by Malay Indian Muslims) offer tasty food to sub continental palate. We recommend Nasi Kandar Pelita and Hameediah on Jalan McAlister. You can choose from a wide selection of Nasi and Roti series. By the way, Nasi is rice and Mee is Noodles. Ayam is Chicken and Daging is Beef. While Telur is Egg.
We spent most of the time aimlessly strolling in the streets of Georgetown lined on either side by buildings built in Colonial architecture. In a typical Malaysian city layout, one would notice a Little India and Little China (otherwise dubbed Chinatown). Heard that Penang has a large percentage of Chinese. Since our visit coincided with Chinese New Year, it was even more colorful around. By the way, if your visit coincides with Chinese New Year, business establishments close on the day of the New Year as well as a couple of days following the New Year. A large number of businesses are run by people of Chinese origin and you might be stuck if your itinerary coincides with Chinese New Year.
On the other hand, you can get discounts leading up to the Chinese New Year on merchandise. Motorbikes can be rented in Penang and there are few on Leboh Chubria (Chubria Street). Sam’s Store is recommended by travel books. Look around RM 25 to RM 45 per day - depending on the type of motorbike. Longer rentals can fetch you a bargain. Petrol/Diesel is darn cheap in Malaysia and Indonesia. With Petronas (Govt. Company) being the licensed driller to Malaysia’s blessed fossil fuel deposits. No wonder it is cheap (even by Indian exchange rate).