No water, so they opted for a mini break
Reason to escape: A popular hotel in Tanjung Bungah was crowded with Penangites who flocked to hotels to avoid dealing with water cuts at home. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Many people here opted for staycations and short getaways to escape the multi-day water cut that began on Friday.
Hotels in Penang, particularly along the northern coast, which relies on water from the Teluk Bahang dam, were bustling with locals looking to unwind.
Some even introduced 'no- water' packages.
Engineer Nur Liyana Mazlan, 37, was seen enjoying pool time with her husband and two daughters at a hotel in Tanjung Bungah.
'We live in Bayan Lepas. Our apartment block has rooftop tanks but we did not want to take any chances.
'We knew Tanjung Bungah is unaffected, so we thought it would make for a great weekend getaway,' she said, adding that they were pleased the hotel offered a no-water package.
Oi Hui Sin, 39, was spotted enjoying the hotel's buffet breakfast with her extended family of seven, who had taken a family suite.
'We cannot travel far with our eight-month-old son, so a hotel on the island was the best option,' she said yesterday.
Ooi said she lives in Sungai Ara here while her parents' home is on the mainland.
'It was a last-minute thing. Just before the water cut, we decided on this holiday after seeing the promotional packages,' said the engineer.
Ooi said they would have checked out later yesterday as her son has school today.
'We stored some water at home but didn't have to worry much because we were away,' she explained.
Ooi said many of her colleagues also chose local hotel stays or travelled out of state for the weekend.
'The roads are quieter as well. This has been a wonderful mini-break close to home,' she added.
Flamingo Hotel by the Beach general manager Ong Hai Leong said he was surprised by the influx of Penangites checking-in over the weekend.
'We had an occupancy rate of more than 90%, which is not common for a typical weekend.
'There were many last-minute bookings,' he said.
Royale Chulan Penang general manager Dennis Lee said the weekend saw a significant rise in bookings, driven by various promotions, with nearly full occupancy.
Travel agent David Chee was overwhelmed with work as the number of trips he organised to Haadyai in Thailand and Genting Highlands surged by more than 300%.
'We've had seven vans to Haadyai, along with two buses and five vans to Genting Highlands every day since last Thursday,' he said.
Chee added that the past two weeks had been hectic, managing customers and handling enquiries. This unusual situation unfolded as Penang faced a water cut affecting around 1.4 million people.
The scheduled disruption was due to major repairs and upgrades to the state's water grid, particularly a main pipeline that supplies treated water from Sungai Muda, at the northern border of Seberang Prai, to 80% of the state.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced that all repairs had been completed as of 1.48pm yesterday.
He said water supply was being restored gradually, although it could take until later today for residents living in the outskirts of the water grid to have running taps. This is because trapped air needs to be released before the water can flow again.
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