Halvdagsutflykt till Balik Pulau i Penang

We had a wonderful morning with Ken. She brought us to a nutmeg plantation, a belacan shop, the container murals in a padi field and we also tried crispy hor fun, asam laksa, belacan chicken and white nutmeg juice. Along the way she regaled us with interesting tidbits about the places we were visiting. The final destination was Pulau Bentong where we took pictures on an infinity staircase overlooking the sea. Well worth the time to see the other side of Penang 👏

Thank you to our wonderful tour guide Lim for a great tour filled with memorable experiences! We enjoyed some really delicious Malaysian food that we would otherwise not have known to order. Special experiences were the fishing village and sighting the weaver bird and its remarkable nest. We love to chat to the locals whenever we can and Lin was happy to wait patiently while we did so. He was also a treasure trove of information about the history of the area and cultural practises. It was a great day!

We had gone for the Evening tour a few days before this, so when we went for this Morning tour, Jenny tweaked our itinerary to add in other places so that there was no overlap :) Really enjoyed having breakfast like a local, before heading to the nutmeg farm and belacan shop. Once again, a very fun experience, highly recommended!! Thanks Jenny 🤩

Jenny is extremely knowledgeable about the entire place (Balik Pulau), sharing little tidbits of info as we went along to the different places in the itinerary. We were also extremely lucky to have had the last two bowls of super delicious assam laksa at Kim Laksa, even though it was not in the itinerary I think! The sunset was also beautiful - we tried to see the sunset from Georgetown the next day and it was impossible because it was blocked by this Pulau. Hence, the entire tour was a very enjoyable experience. Thank you!

Trots att vädret var omväxlande soligt och molnigt under utflyktsdagen, förstörde det inte upplevelsen, utan lät oss istället njuta av en stark lantlig atmosfär! Vi tackar vår guide James för hans noggranna förklaringar och ledning under hela resan. Under bilfärden fick vi en djupgående inblick i Penangs samhälle, UNESCO:s världsarv i George Towns gamla stadskärna samt samexistensen och särdragen hos olika religioner. Vi fick smaka på lokala delikatesser, uppleva fiskebyn Balik Pulau, besöka en muskotnötsfabrik där vi fick lära oss om Malaysias unika kryddor från forntiden till idag, samt en räkpasta-fabrik som tillverkar en oumbärlig ingrediens i folklig matlagning. Vi kunde inte bara njuta av utsökt muskotnötsjuice, utan också köpa souvenirer för att ta med oss smakerna hem! Innan återresan besökte vi risfälten och den distinkta containerkonsten. De frodiga risfälten hade redan skördats, och i solskenet efter regnet var fälten fyllda av naturens atmosfär. Stora och små fåglar flög omkring på himlen, vilket var en fantastisk syn. När bilen körde längs de små vägarna genom risfälten upptäckte vi ett mycket speciellt fågelbo som hängde i ett träd – en verklig ögonöppnare! Slutligen avnjöt vi en lokal laksa-nudelrätt och små snacks innan vi avslutade den halvdagsutflykten och återvände till George Town. Tack James för din professionella ledning och omsorg under hela resan!

We had an enjoyable half-day tour around Balik Pulau. Ken was a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide who shared interesting insights into Penang’s history, along with her personal experiences. She also brought us to a lovely local café where we had the opportunity to savour authentic Penang dishes. The nutmeg factory was relatively small, but it was interesting to hear the owner explain the different stages of nutmeg cultivation, from young plants to mature trees. We also bought some locally made belacan, which turned out to be quite tasty! Overall, it was a pleasant experience and a nice way to explore the local culture and flavours of Balik Pulau. However, while we enjoyed the tour, we felt that it was a little pricey for what was offered and could have provided better value for money.

I highly recommend this tour. Jenny is an excellent tour guide. She is a local and knows Balik Pulau very well. She is a very warm person making my brother and I feel welcome. Balik Pulau is a great destination to visit, a rural area perfect to escape from the daily stresses in life. Balik Pulau is rich in history and famous for its cottage Industries. I particularly enjoy the visit to the first Hakka Church, looking at some of the murals, visiting the paddy fields, mangrove area and the fishing village. At the paddy field, I enjoyed the taste of the unique drink of lime, basil and honey with the banana cake. The scenic views of the different green shades and yellow at the paddy fields with the mountain background makes it a great place to relax. At the fishing village, I was thrilled to see some huge monitor lizards. The views of fishing boats were also scenic. The last stop at Pantai malindo is also breathtaking, famous for its beautiful sunset. I highly recommend this tour.

Hade en underbar morgontur med Jenny. Jenny var mycket engagerande och delade med sig mycket om lokal historia och livet i Penang. En mycket unik tur och annorlunda upplevelse som jag skulle rekommendera om du är i Penang. Balik Pulau är en vacker landsbygd, resplanen var välplanerad, med frukost och lunch på lokala ställen (stannade även för chendol som var bättre än de i stan), muskotnötsfabrik, belachanfabrik och risfält. Var bekväm hela tiden i bilen och njöt av insikterna och samtalen med Jenny!

One of the most beautiful places in Penang! Loved the kampung vibe and enjoyed the best Red Prawn durian! Shout out to our professional guide Mr Law who went above and beyond in ensuring we are well taken care of and in sharing his knowledge. ☺️

Vi njöt verkligen av vår rundtur på landsbygden med Mr. Law. Han var mycket kunnig och tog utmärkt hand om oss. Han lade till några extra stopp som inte fanns med på resplanen och svarade på alla våra frågor om Malaysia och mer därtill. Jag rekommenderar varmt Mr. Law och denna avkopplande tur för att ta en paus från staden och se ön mer i detalj.