Things to do in Penang: travelling with a toddler

Count down is on! 4 more weeks til our adventures of South East Asia. Penang is a state in north-west Malaysia. This will be our third leg out of eight. Yes eight!

Am I biting off more than I can chew? Hmmmm maybe. But it will all be worth it. Travelling is exhausting, travelling with a toddler, extra exhausting. But the adventures we embark and the memories we create are forever. There is nothing that can beat travelling with my son. All the sights he sees and all the experiences he encounters, he will never learn in the four walls of a classroom. At the age of three he has hiked Diamond Head crater (volcanic crater in Hawaii), snorkelled the Great Barrier Reef, touched a shark, fed a stingray, held a starfish, swam with a dolphin, met locals from around the world, participated in traditional activities, swam in many seas, seen many beaches, sat in some of the finest sand in the world and the list goes on. He has stolen hearts all over the world.

I love to travel and so does my 3.5yr old. We have thus far been to Gold Coast, Bali, Fiji, Honolulu Hawaii and the Whitsundays. We recently went on our first road trip to the Hunter Valley in NSW. This is our first Multi-stop holiday. Follow us as we venture through South East Asia. Not long to go now and we are super excited for our next adventure.

As a single mum, we live pretty frugally to be able to afford to travel. We live on what we need rather than everything we want to be able to experience what the world has to offer. An experience is much more valuable than any material item.

Bangkok will be our first stop, followed by Kuala Lumpur. What I love best about asia is the abundance of food there is. We will be eating our way through our travels!

I picked up flights departing KUL Kuala Lumpur to PEN Penang for 1 adult and 1 child for a total of $76.60 aud, that's $38.30 each!!! That's less than going out for a meal. Flying domestic within asia can be quite cheap, food is also cheap and accommodation can be found for a great price. Makes for a great destination. We will be flying with Malindo air who offer 15kg pp baggage complimentary. Pls check prior to booking with Malindo air on their baggage allowance as it is dependant on which plane you board. Malindo Air also allow strollers/pram as an oversize baggage free of charge. You will need to check it in and then you can take it with you right up to the boarding gate.

Arriving in Penang at 3pm, a 1hr flight from kuala Lumpur, there is still time left in the day to explore. You can catch a grab (which is much like uber) or the many transfer options available. Travelling with a toddler, most convenient will be my option. Most likely by taxi as it is organised by the airport and prepaid so travellers are not being scammed, also seems to be relatively cheap (according to google)!

We will be staying in Georgetown, another popular place to stay is Batu Ferringhi. I found accommodation through Airbnb. Use my Invitation link to receive $50 aud travel credit when you sign up. If you have read about How I planned a multistop holiday and other previous blogs you will know that accommodation is something I try not to spend all my travel dollars on. Something clean and convenient to come and go from, with a few comforts like air conditioning and wi-fi. If there is laundry facilities it would also be a plus for me as we will be travelling for 6 weeks. When we travel, our room is only a place to freshen up and sleep. We are out all day venturing rather than being cooped up in a room. Sure if there are facilities and luxurious decor, that's great, but these things come with a price. The money I would rather be spending exploring and of course eating! How often will you be using the facilities? Of course everyone travels differently and everyone is in a different financial situation. If you can afford to, hell, go ahead and splurge on what you deserve.

For 5 nights, I paid $228.37 aud, including all service fees and cleaning charges. The Room includes a kitchen, free wi-fi, free parking on premises, washing machine, dryer and air conditioning. The building facilities include a pool, spa, gym and kids play area. I did however pay a little bit more for the same rooms, as the cheaper rate rooms were unavailable. Make sure you browse airbnb as there are many rooms available at the same location for different rates. Also remember to check the availability as the prices fluctuate.

This is what our itinerary is looking like:

Day 1:

• Made in Penang interactive museum 10am - 6.30pm
• Dark mansion (3d glow in the dark museum) 10am - 6.30pm last entry 5.30pm
• Penang hill 6.30am - 11pm

Day 2:

• 3d trick art museum Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm, sat & sun 9am - 8pm
• Entopia by Penang butterfly farm 9am - 7pm (last entry 5.30pm)
• Penang street art
• Food hawkers markets

Day 3:

• Penang national park 8am - 6pm Multiple beaches within the national park

Day 4:

• Batu ferringhi beach

Day 5:

• The top @ Komtar 10am - 12.15am Top boutique aquarium , Durian the king of fruits, UFOX, Jelly bump, Magic mirror maze, Window at the top (skywalk 10am - 10pm),

There are many other museums, tourist attractions and Shopping malls which you may be interested in.

Sites I have found to have the best price are Klook and 11street. Use my invite code: y9676 on klook to receive $4.10 aud off your first booking. Also make sure you read the t&c carefully for 11street as some vouchers are for Malaysian residents only.

Journey with us as we travel through South East Asia and follow us on Instagram to check out our daily grind @born2explore

Onto our fourth leg Singapore!