Half-Day Tour sa Balik Pulau sa 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!

Sa araw ng pamamasyal, bagama't maulap at maaraw, hindi ito nakasira sa aming kasiyahan, sa halip ay pinaranas nito sa amin ang malalim na diwa ng pamumuhay sa bukid! Nagpapasalamat kami sa tour guide na si James sa kanyang masusing paliwanag at paggabay sa buong biyahe. Sa loob ng sasakyan, nalaman namin ang tungkol sa komunidad ng Penang, ang UNESCO World Heritage Site ng lumang distrito ng George Town, at ang pagkakasundo at mga katangian ng iba't ibang relihiyon. Natikman namin ang mga lokal na pagkain, naranasan ang tanawin ng nayon ng mga mangingisda sa Balik Pulau, binisita ang pabrika ng nutmeg, isang kakaibang pampalasa na ginagamit sa Malaysia mula pa noong sinauna, at ang pabrika ng bagoong, isang kinakailangang sangkap para sa mga lokal na pagkain; hindi lamang kami nakatikim ng masarap na katas ng nutmeg, ngunit nakabili rin kami ng mga souvenir upang iuwi ang lasa! Bago kami bumalik, pinuntahan namin ang mga palayan at ang mga natatanging lalagyan ng sining; ang luntiang palay ay naani na, at ang mga palayan na sinisikatan ng araw ay puno ng diwa ng kalikasan. Pagkatapos ng ulan, ang iba't ibang uri ng ibon ay lumilipad sa kalangitan, na nagbigay sa amin ng kasiyahan; habang ang sasakyan ay bumabagtas sa mga landas ng palayan, natuklasan namin ang mga espesyal na pugad ng ibon na nakasabit sa mga puno, na talagang nagpamangha sa amin! Sa huli, natikman namin ang tunay na laksa at mga meryenda bago tinapos ang kalahating araw na biyahe at bumalik sa George Town. Maraming salamat kay James sa kanyang propesyonal na paggabay at masusing pangangalaga sa buong biyahe!

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.

Lubos kong inirerekomenda ang tour na ito. Napakahusay na tour guide si Jenny. Lokal siya at alam na alam niya ang Balik Pulau. Napakainit niya bilang tao kaya naramdaman namin ng kapatid ko na malugod kaming tinanggap. Ang Balik Pulau ay isang magandang destinasyon na bisitahin, isang rural na lugar na perpekto para makatakas sa pang-araw-araw na stress sa buhay. Mayaman sa kasaysayan ang Balik Pulau at sikat sa mga cottage industry nito. Lalo kong nasiyahan ang pagbisita sa unang Hakka Church, pagtingin sa ilan sa mga mural, pagbisita sa mga palayan, lugar ng bakawan, at nayong pangingisda. Sa palayan, nasiyahan ako sa lasa ng kakaibang inumin na dayap, basil, at pulot kasama ang banana cake. Ang magagandang tanawin ng iba't ibang kulay berde at dilaw sa mga palayan na may background ng bundok ay ginagawang isang magandang lugar upang magpahinga. Sa nayong pangingisda, tuwang-tuwa akong makakita ng ilang malalaking bayawak. Ang mga tanawin ng mga bangkang pangisda ay maganda rin. Ang huling hintuan sa Pantai Malindo ay nakamamangha rin, sikat sa magandang paglubog ng araw. Lubos kong inirerekomenda ang tour na ito.

Nagkaroon kami ng napakagandang morning tour kasama si Jenny. Si Jenny ay napaka-engaging, at marami siyang ibinahagi tungkol sa lokal na kasaysayan at buhay sa Penang. Isang napaka-natatanging tour at kakaibang karanasan na irerekomenda ko kung nasa Penang kayo. Ang Balik Pulau ay isang magandang kanayunan, maayos ang pagkakaplano ng itinerary, kasama ang almusal at tanghalian sa mga lokal na kainan (huminto rin kami para sa chendol na mas masarap kaysa sa mga nasa bayan), pabrika ng nutmeg, pabrika ng belachan at palayan. Komportable kami sa buong biyahe sa kotse at nasiyahan sa mga kaalaman at pag-uusap kasama si 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. ☺️

Had a wonderful day trip with our tour guide, William! He was friendly, knowledgeable and professional throughout the trip. He shared interesting information about the places we visited and ensured everyone was comfortable and well taken care of. The trip was well organised and enjoyable. Highly recommend William as a tour guide. Thank you for the great experience!