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Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Traffic jams, sold-out hotels and durian feasts: Penang's tasty chaos as school holidays meet fruit season
GEORGE TOWN, June 2 — The much-anticipated durian season, falling during the school holidays, has once again made Penang a magnet for crowds. Thousands of visitors from across the country, as well as foreign tourists, have been flocking to the state since Thursday, the first day of the school break, with the numbers increasing steadily from Saturday to today. A Bernama survey found that not only were roads leading to Balik Pulau — an iconic destination for durian lovers in Penang — heavily congested, but nearly all major tourist spots such as Penang Hill, Padang Kota and Batu Ferringhi were also packed with visitors. According to durian seller Ahmad Salim Suhaimi, 45, the season for the 'king of fruits' in the state began earlier this month and will last until August, with Balik Pulau continuing to be a hotspot due to its reputation as a producer of premium-quality durians. 'Since Thursday, we've been receiving durian lovers, with the peak occurring from Saturday until today. More visitors, especially from within the country and from abroad — particularly Singapore — have come here to buy and eat durians, causing traffic congestion from Balik Pulau to Teluk Bahang. 'Although the durian season is just beginning and the supply isn't in full swing yet, it's expected to increase in the next one to two weeks. Still, many are visiting now because of the long weekend and school holidays,' he said, adding that he is able to sell hundreds of premium durians daily. It is said that the taste of Balik Pulau durians is uniquely distinctive, with a softer texture and richer flavour compared to durians from other states. — Bernama pic Durian lover Siti Hasmuna Rohaimi, 38, said she and her family travelled from Negeri Sembilan to Penang over the long weekend to enjoy the king of fruits in Balik Pulau. She said the taste of Balik Pulau durians is uniquely distinctive, with a softer texture and richer flavour compared to durians from other states, and that her three children also love the fruit. 'Coming directly to Balik Pulau is more satisfying because you get to enjoy fresh durians — some just fallen from the trees — with unique flavours. What's more, they're cheaper and more authentic than those sold in other states,' she said. Meanwhile, Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang Chapter chairman Datuk Tony Goh said hotel bookings across the state have been near full capacity since Friday, particularly in Batu Ferringhi and George Town, with some hotels even offering durian feast packages at orchards or in open-air settings on hotel grounds. 'The price for durian feast packages at orchards is cheaper — around RM80 to RM100 per person — because the hotels collaborate directly with orchard owners, allowing tourists to enjoy the durians either at the farms or in open areas at the hotel, such as by the beach or poolside,' he said. In addition to durians, tourists are also taking the opportunity to enjoy other attractions on the Pearl of the Orient, such as nasi kandar, street food, beaches, and popular resorts. Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy Wong Hon Wai said Penang, especially the resort area of Penang Hill, continues to draw large crowds of tourists from both within and outside the country, including Singapore, where the school holidays have also begun. 'By 6.00am, there are already queues at Penang Hill, even though the funicular train service only starts at 6.30am. The number of visitors has doubled — 8,183 on Saturday and 9,396 yesterday — compared to around 4,000 on regular days,' he said. Apart from the congested roads to Balik Pulau, the Penang Bridge and major roads around the island — especially in George Town and Batu Ferringhi — were also jammed with traffic. Armenian Street remains a popular attraction among tourists. — Bernama pic Locations such as Chew Jetty (also known as Tan Jetty), a small fishing village built over water, Armenian Street, Penang Hill, and Padang Kota are among the major tourist hotspots. — Bernama
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Lost and dehydrated hikers rescued from Teluk Bahang Forest Park after emergency call
BALIK PULAU, June 2 — Two hikers suffering from dehydration and fatigue while climbing a hill at Teluk Bahang Forest Park, here, were rescued by the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) personnel last night. Penang JBPM Fire and Rescue Operations assistant director John Sagun Francis said the man and woman, aged 40 and 34 respectively, contacted the department at 6.40 pm, informing them they were feeling weak. "Firefighters from the Teluk Bahang Fire and Rescue Station were immediately sent to the scene after the victims shared their location via WhatsApp, indicating they were at Station 10 of the Teluk Bahang Forest Park. "The firefighters hiked to the location and successfully found both individuals in an exhausted state. They were safely brought down to the foot of the hill at 10.51 pm,' he said in a statement. Both victims were later handed over to the medical team for further treatment. — Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Penang reviewing land issue threatening future of 4PAWS shelter, says exco
The Penang Animal Welfare Society is home to over 700 stray and abandoned dogs from the island and mainland. (4PAWS Penang @ Facebook pic) GEORGE TOWN : The Penang government is reviewing concerns raised by Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) over land issues that threaten the future of the Penang Animal Welfare Society (4PAWS) shelter in Teluk Bahang. State local government, town and country planning committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye said while no decision has been made yet, the land currently occupied by 4PAWS is under lease until 2030. The organisation is currently working to raise funds to purchase the site. 'In February and March, 4PAWS, through its manager Yan Naung Thet, also known as Murugan, approached the state government and the Penang Island City Council to seek aid to extend his stay in Malaysia, allowing him to continue volunteering at the shelter. 'At that time, 4PAWS founder Barbara Janssen was unwell, and discussions centred solely on ensuring continuity of shelter operations, not on the lease issue,' Bernama quoted him as saying. H'ng was responding to SAFM's call for the state government to intervene and help resolve the land dispute affecting the shelter Earlier, Murugan told FMT that the shelter houses more than 700 dogs from all over Penang island as well as from the mainland. Many are sick or hurt from accidents, or were abandoned or dumped by their owners. The organisation has been given until the end of this month to decide whether it can purchase the land at the price of RM2.2 million. SAFM has appealed to chief minister Chow Kon Yeow to urgently allocate permanent land to ensure the shelter's continued operations. H'ng said 4PAWS is a non-governmental organisation providing sanctuary to stray dogs in Teluk Bahang. The shelter has also contributed to MBPP's efforts to manage the stray dog population by caring for animals that have been vaccinated, neutered and made available for adoption. '4PAWS is not registered with the local authorities as the registration of animal shelters falls under the jurisdiction of the veterinary services department and animal welfare board,' he said.
