Property Developers - Penang

Just for the information of those who may also be house-hunting in Penang now or in the future, the following developers have also been recommended to me by locals. They seem to be quite highly regarded. Won't go into the details of properties here as they will of course change over time but the Ferringhi Residence (Battu Ferringhi) and Icon (Georgetown) developments, both by Mah Sing look interesting:

• IOI Properties
• Mah Sing Group
• Boon Siew Group
• IJM Land

Other developers which you can pick up fro previous posts are:

• Ivory Properties Group
• Bolton
• Ratu (Taman Ratu) - unable to find a direct website

Time Out - Penang (2011/2012)

Time Out is visitors guide which is published World-wide and covers the vast majority of the major tourist and business destinations you would be likely to visit. Mostly I find it far superior to the What's On guide which is also available in many places.

Time Out contains articles of interest and in particular contains a great deal of information on tourist attractions, restaurant, bars, nightlife and activities. Time Out has now come to Penang and will be published annually. This annual version is thicker than most at 162 pages and is well worth picking up from a newsagent or stall. You may even be able to grab a free copy from some of the larger hotels. Excellent publication for either visitors or residents IMO.

Vehicle Purchase Considerations

On my recent trip I did a day of foot slogging around the Sungai Penang area of Gerogetown. I managed to take in many of the dealers and have posted below the prices that Honda and Toyota were offering on the MM2H discounted cars I was interested in (where the better benefit is to be had through buying CKD (completely knocked down) as opposed to CBU (completely built up) cars). Apologies if not all vehicle prices are quoted on same basis but different dealers use different listing principles and I was more interested in some vehicles than others. To be fair the dealers all seemed very professional and very switched on to the MM2H scheme:

Honda

CRV 2.0 L i-VTEC - RM 105, 298 (with insurance) (sum insured RM 145,000)

Accord 2.0 VTi-L - RM 103,322 (with insurance) (sum insured RM 145,000)

Toyota

VIOS 1.5 G (AT) - RM 63,500 (non MM2H 87,300)

Fortuner 2.7 V (P) A/T - RM 108,500 (non MM2H RM 177,500)

Disappointingly the Corolla and Avensis models are both CBU so, while there will be some saving on price, the tax is much lower so the value for money in terms the cost of the vehicle if you were to but it locally is not quite so good, depending on how you view 'value'. After 3-5 years though I suspect you'd get better return for your initial outlay if you bought a highly desirable CKD car.

On the CBU front, and particularly with regard to the small town runabout option I also looked at a couple of cars from Perodua:

Alza: I thought this was a cracking little motor. About VW Golf size, very nice interior, good spec (Sat Nav, Bluetooth, reversing cameras). The top of the range 1.5 auto model was RM 69,000 and could doubtless be got down some with MM2H albeit the savings won't be so good as on a CKD car. 3 year warranty (extendable).

MYVI: Very popular on the roads in Penang. Bit smaller than the Alza but still a nice spec level. The top spec with a 1.3 engine and auto comes in around RM 50,000. 5 year warranty.

Of the others I looked at, mainly out of interest and in comparing CBU/CKD prices:

Proton Inspira: A Mitsubishi essentially, very nice levels of trim and a nice looking car. The 2.0L top of the range comes in at around RM 82,000 and would come down some (RM 5,000 - 8,000) with the tax off I suspect.

Hyundai Santa Fe: The 2.4 petrol auto is RM 158,000 and I believe this is a CKD car. Very, very popular in Europe, these vehicles are often raved about by the 4x4 crowd, esp the caravan tuggers, and the levels of spec and comfort are very high. Provided they are CKD and the tax saving is significant it could be a consideration, but even if they could be got for around the RM 1000, 000 mark, I can't help thinking that the money might be better invested in a Honda CRV or Toyota Fortuna which seems to be more 'desirable' when it comes to selling and maybe better on the reliability front, if indeed you feel you need / want a 4x4.

Hyundai Tucson: Again a very popular SUV and the 2.4 auto comes in at around RM 154,000. Same comments regarding the Santa fe on this.

Three things I have been considering since I started to look into vehicle options in Penang:

1) 4x4s and petrol prices: Fuel prices are nowhere near as prohibitive in Malaysia as they are in Europe, at least yet. But will that stay the case? In some cases, people can't give 4x4s away in the UK now at £1.35 a litre to fill them up and certainly not get back anything like what they paid for them. Some praise the height, protection and long-distance comfort of 4x4s. Depends what you will use it for I suppose. I'm not so sure.

2) Related to the above, couple of people I spoke to in Penang (one who imported a CRV and a local who also bought one) said that they wish they hadn't. The importer actually said that if he had the time again, he'd buy a local hatchback/runabout for the mall/beach/town runs (where the small size adds to the ease of driving and parking somewhat) and hire a luxury car for the rare occasions he'd need one. Worth considering IMHO.

3) The other aspect is exporting from the UK. I have yet to explore the costs of this (freight etc.) and whether you get the VAT back on a new one (which I assume must be the case). Part of me thinks it's just too much hassle though and I really wonder if export is worth it? I certainly I would not consider driving anything in Penang that was not common on the roads (and therefore likely be cheap to maintain) and desirable (for after sales). My experience with the reliability of the so called prestige brands such as BMW and Audi leaves me slightly less than convinced on the badge value for money. Furthermore, I often find dealers better disposed to sorting out problems if you bought the vehicle from them than if you just take it to them for service, warranty issues would also need careful scrutiny.

Finally, I was driven in a Peugeot 308 a couple of times whilst in Penang. Now these are VERY popular in Europe (What Car car of the year 2010 IIRC), have a very nice design and a very nice level of spec. As a CKD car in Malaysia I suspect the deal on one of these could be good, subject to the parts and service being a reasonable price. One to ponder for me for sure.

ET Phone Home - alternatives to Skype (VoIP)

Many people living overseas will often find the need to make calls to their home countries (or indeed elsewhere) to keep in contact with friends and family. Choose the wrong way of doing this and it can get expensive, especially if your need to make such calls is more frequent than others!!

Skype has proved to be a very popular solution for many over the years, particularly those from Europe. Skype also benefits from having the ability to chat for free to a user who is also using the Skype application on either a PC, Mac or smartphone. Skype may not always be the cheapest option though and, as with any "Voice over Internet Protocol" (VoIP) service, the sound quality can vary considerably, and this is particularly the case when chatting to another Skype user through the direct application.

My friend Mario in Penang mentioned the VoipStunt service he uses with considerable success whilst in Malaysia to call friends and family in Europe and elsewhere. This is a German based company and you basically sign up with them and pay a 10 euro credit which lasts for 120 days. Once paid you can actually make FREE landline calls to many countries (subject to fair usage) and make calls and send SMS at very reasonable rates to others and /or mobiles etc. Details of the charges can be found here.

One problem with Voipstunt is that its software is Windows based but if you are on a Mac you can get round this by downloading the free (and very good) X-Lite 4.00 software from Counterpath who are one the leading 'soft-phone' developers. Do not confuse X-Lite with the ads that will pop up for Briar 3 which is the "paid for" soft-phone which has many more "bells and whistles" on it than most people will need. Xlite is a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) application which displays as a telephone on your screen an interacts with the VoIP provider (in this case VoipStunt) of your choice. You just have to programme in which one you use and instructions on how to do this are also provided by VoipStunt here under "Using a SIP device". Users of Smartphones, including the iPhone, Android and Nokia phones, will also be able to configure VoipStunt to work using one of the popular SIP apps such as 'Fring'.

I have signed up to Voipstunt but have yet to try it for calls. It certainly seems popular with many users though and I plan to give it a try. It may turn out to be cheaper / better than Skype and once I have given it some protracted testing I'll report back with a comparison review.

ADDENDUM: I did try a call on VoipStunt from the UK to an agent in Penang. The call lasted about 20 minutes, was to a mobile and my credit dropped by about 1 Euro. The call quality was excellent at both ends.

VoipStunt also allows very cheap SMS to be sent via their Windows desktop client or the web interface. I have also found an iPhone application, VoipStunt SMS, which I have downloaded and plan to try both in terms of reliability and to compare costs to Skype.

I also hope to find a good Mac desktop SMS client that may make life easier than using the web interface.

Bagan: Arabian Night Party (Saturday 4 June)

Been advised by my good friend Xixi at Bagan that they are holding an Arabian Nights Party on Saturday 4 June. Doubtless, as with any of the party nights at Bagan this will be one to remember with special cocktail promotions and of course the sounds of the band, Roz and the ever popular DJ Jey. There will be special prizes for the best dressed so break out your best silks and finery and maybe grab a look at the movie "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" for some inspiration!!!! The night will also be of some 'historical' significance as it will likely be the last party night hosted by Bagan before it moves to its new location in Georgetown. More to come on that closer to the time!!!

Really wish I could be there. Soon though, soon. Meanwhile have a great night at Bagan and best wishes to everyone there!!!!

Moonlight Bay - Batu Ferringhi

I was shown the Moonlight Bay development by Peggy Khoo of Ivory. It is clearly one of their premier developments and I have to say I was very impressed with the design, the location and the landscaping. To the right is a view of a villa-condo show unit interior.



Consisting of condo-villa style apartments and detached villa properties it really had a sophisticated feel to the whole place. At the time of writing there were a few condo units left (facing towards the 'Greens' and the pool areas of the development, priced at around RM 1.3m and, I believe, some of the semi D properties which go for between the RM 2.5 - 4m mark.



Very nice properties I have to say and, had my place in the UK sold, I would have been very tempted with one of the condo units. As a committed socialite though I am still a little unsure of the Batu Ferringhi location as a viable place to live long term. Depends what you want but if frequent trips to Georgetown would be on your agenda I have a feeling the trek from here would become a little tiresome if you needed to do it frequently, as would the fact that there are no eateries within walking distance nor even a supermarket close by. Nice set-up though, nonetheless and clearly right on top of the BF beaches if that appeals.

Restaurant: Chins Stylish - Georgetown, Penang (Top Pick)

I visited this restaurant one evening and it is actually on the QE II Pier down at Quay Weld in Georgetown. I have been to a quite a few Chinese restaurants in Penang and I have to say that this was one of the most impressive in terms of style, décor, ambience and, thankfully, the food!!

Chins Stylish Restaurant is very aptly named and the clientele that eat there tend to reflect this in the main. This isn’t really a "jeans and T-shirt" joint but I doubt you be turned away if you chose to "dress down". The place is nicely decorated and furnished in a classical Chinese style with lots of use of rich reds, dark wood, atmospheric lighting and widespread use of traditional Chinese paraphernalia.

The staff are very helpful and friendly and the service is attentive but not intrusive. The menu here is quite extensive and they have a good range of signature dishes on offer. This was more of a relaxing night out for me and less of a ‘review’ night so I apologise if this write-up lacks some detail.

Many of the diners here select the fix menu options and we chose the one which comprised the Chinese Crispy Duck and a Szechuan style fish cooked in oil/stock with a maximum of chillis. Two of my favourite dishes at any time. The meal was preceded by a range of small vegetable appetisers and 3-4 small dishes of meat/prawn based dishes which were excellent (again, apologies for the lack of detail but the meal was some time ago and the reviews have got a bit behind as the time to depart Malaysia seemed to rush up on me).

The crispy duck was very very good and was served traditionally with pancakes, hoisin sauce, spring onion and cucumber after being deftly ‘carved’ (forked apart) at the table by a waiter much more skilled than I at this. It truly was superb. This was followed then by the Szechuan Fish which was again very nice indeed being both hot and fragrant. Accompanied by steamed rice it was an excellent meal. Rounded of with banana fritter and ice cream and a good bottle of wine to accompany the meal the whole bill came to around RM 300.

Chins IMO is a first class restaurant and one to which I will definitely return. It would be ideal for that special occasion or a romantic dinner for two, or even just a night of good food indulgence. They have tables by the windows overlooking the Quay which are of course popular so it would be an idea to book if you wanted one of these. Indeed, I think it would also be a good idea to book if you wanted any table on a Friday and Saturday, especially at peak hours as even on a Tuesday Chins was very popular. Easy to see why and Top Pick from me!!

HSBC (UK) Security Token Roll Out

For anyone resident in Malaysia but holding UK HSBC bank accounts you need to be aware that the security token roll out for holders of HSBC (UK) accounts and internet banking is underway and will take a few months to complete. Once tokens have been sent to you will only have 30 days during which you will be able to log on to UK internet banking without one. I would assume that for holders of UK accounts overseas that HSBC will mail the tokens to your overseas address so it would be a good time to check that your details are up to date.

HSBC Malaysia already issue security tokens for access to Malaysia based accounts. The internet banking systems for each country are different though (despite the fact you can access them via Global View) and the tokens are, as such, country specific. Thus if you have accounts in the UK and Malaysia you will be the proud owner of two tokens. Hopefully the batteries on these things last a LOOOONG time!!!

Restaurant: Maharajah (Georgetown, Penang)

I ate at the Maharajah restaurant one evening after a few beers at the Soho bar following my trek around the various car dealers out by the Sunai Penang. It was 38 degrees and sunny that day so possibly not the BEST day to go on a foot slog around Georgetown’s Industrial quarter so I was quite looking forward to the beers I must say and at RM 17 a pint they were quite good value, in fact I think London prices would be equivalent or even more.

As I walked out the door of Soho I was VERY tempted to go and see Manoor at the Kashmir and sample some more of the excellent cuisine and hospitality there but, having seen the Maharajah a couple of days earlier decided instead to turn right and give it a try as it is also only a few metres up the road.

Situated at the T junction formed by Lebuh Chulia with Jalan Penang the Maharajah is an attractive looking restaurant on a corner location and, like the Kashmir, it has a definite upmarket look and feel to it. Inside the restaurant is nicely decorated and atmospherically lit in a classical Indian style. It is not too dark and is spacious and the restaurant also has an upper level seating area which can be used to accommodate either private functions or even overflow from the main restaurant below. There is seating on the terrace at this level too. The washrooms are also situated here and are clean and tidy, something which can be an issue in some establishments and particularly in the Penang shopping malls (take your own loo roll if out for the day and anticipate getting caught short).

I started the meal with a plate of vegetable samosas which were light, dry and crisp with a nicely cooked and spicy filling. At times samosas I find can be a little greasy and stodgy but that was not the case here. They were preceded by some papadums and pickles with a raita which were very well received after the triple Tiger aperitif.

For the main meal I had a Guntoor Chicken which was very spicy, tasty and rich, if slightly too salty for my taste. The chicken was also a little dry compared to the more succulent offering at the Kashmir. I paired that dish with a rather nice gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian which was very nice indeed, well flavoured and the vegetables nicely cooked. It was still a fine and very acceptable meal which, together with a plain nan and a bottle of Tiger came to RM 60 for a meal which would probably have fed two.

A good range of drinks and beverages was on offer and the price very reasonable. The staff were also pleasant and helpful and the place is clearly popular. Like the Kashmir, booking may be advisable at the busiest times. If I only had the time or inclination to visit one stylish Indian restaurant in Penang I would chose the Kashmir but, if you are resident in Penang or your travel plans allow you to take in more than one such establishment the Maharajah would make a worthwhile alternative. Not quite a Top Pick from me but not far off and, who knows, after a few more visits that may change.

Apple Prices - Malaysia

Just for those who are going to Malaysia either to live or for a holiday and who may be contemplating buying some Apple goodies while there (and no I don't mean Golden Delicious or Royal Gala), these are a few prices from the store called ‘Switch’ in Gurney Plaza which is an authorised Apple re-seller. iPhones are mainly offered through authorised resellers on a contract basis in Malaysia (though these are actually quite reasonable) and, while you may be able to get the phones without contract at other outlets, you need to be careful of their origins (and related warranty matters) as many can be ‘grey’ imports.

iPhone buyers also need to be particularly careful as the Apple warranty on these always used to limit warranty work to the country of purchase, unlike other devices where the warranty is world-wide. It could be that this policy was to restrict the purchase of unlocked phones and their being imported to countries where the phones are sold on a locked only basis. The ‘supply locked’ of iPhones is becoming less problematic now as most countries offer the phones through more than one provider in contrast to many of the single distributor agreements that were around when the iPhone launched. Anyone contemplating buying an iPhone in a country other than where they live/work would be well advised to check the status of their warranty with official Apple distributors before buying. Sellers will often claim to offer a warranty but this is likely to be through an unauthorised agent which could be problematic if things start to go wrong.

Mac Book Pro

• 2.3 Ghz – RM 3,699
• 2.7 Ghz – RM 4,599

Mac Pro

• 2.8 Quad Core – RM 8,199

iPad 2 (Wi-Fi)

• 16G - RM 1,899
• 32G – RM 2,199
• 64G – RM 2,499

iPhone prices to follow.

MM2H Application Clarifications

Once back in KL over 16 to 20 May I decided to get the MM2H application in and sorted. These few snippets should be read in conjunction with the MM2H post of Thursday 7 April as I was able to clarify some queries with the very helpful Noor Zaliza while I was there. The MM2H processing office is situated on the 23rd floor at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) which is about 10-15 minutes in a taxi from the KLCC area at a cost of about RM 15 in an ‘Executive’ (blue) cab. The taxi drivers all know the building so you just need to ask for PWTC. You will need your passport or some other form of ID as there is a police control point in the PWTC entrance from where you will need to collect a visitor pass. The hours of operation of the MM2H office can be found on their very helpful website and at the time of writing are 07:30 - 17:30 with lunch between 1pm -2pm on Monday to Thursday but 12:15 - 14:45 on Fridays.

Key things I got clarified on the visit to MM2H

1. The checklist that forms part of the bundle MUST be submitted with the application. You should tick off the boxes as you attach the items and they will use that form to cross check it all AND endorse that all is in order once they get your application.

2. Covering Letter: It is good to explain the reasons as to why you want to join the programme and what appeals about Malaysia etc. In addition, I was applying under the criteria of having a pension of in excess of RM 10,000 each month (wherein you do NOT then need to leave an FD of RM 150,000). Noor advised that I inserted the following at the end of my letter:

“If my application is successful I would wish to utilise “offshore finance” as my financial criteria”

Otherwise they will assume you plan to open an account with an FD and may issue the visa on that basis. It thus seems a good idea to clarify in your covering letter precisely which criteria you are applying under - 'Fixed Deposit' or 'Government Approved Pension Fund'.

3. The Letter of Good Conduct LGC can be up to 12 months old at the time of submission. It DOES NOT need to be (and has NEVER needed to be) under 21 days old as has been suggested elsewhere, possibly because of a third party (agent) applying their own criteria. One of those areas where it is clearly advisable to check with the organ grinder and not the monkey. I should have checked this out earlier as, had I done so, I could have confirmed that this was a completely bogus requirement and applied for my LGC earlier, allowing me to take it to Malaysia and hand in all the papers together, instead of having to forward it on separately. Internet forums can be useful but lesson learned in this case, not all the information posted, regardless of how well intentioned, can be relied upon to be accurate, especially when there seems to be no audit trail as to where the info comes from and/or it is not coming from those who call the shots (MM2H / Mo Tour in this case)!!! Lesson learned!!!! For UK citizens this will be in the form of a police subject access certificate (costing £10) and you MUST submit the original. For UK applicants I would STRONGLY suggest that you apply for your LGC AT LEAST 2 months before the date you intend to submit/use it, for other applicants your turn round times for the LGC maybe longer (or shorter if you are lucky) and this needs to be taken into consideration.

4. The actual application form needs to be witnessed. This can be any person from any country but if a non-Malay national does it they need to put their passport number on the form. If it is a Malay national (I grabbed the Head of Security at the hotel) they only need to put their Malaysian ID card number.

5. Within the downloadable document bundle there is a Social Visit Pass application form (IM.12). This is a little confusing as you may not be quite sure what boxes to tick at the bottom of the form. At the top it’s quite easy, type of pass is “Social” and for new applicants it’s ‘New for application type. What was made clear though is that the boxes at ‘Section D’ DO apply to the MM2H visa. Those using agents may well find they tick these boxes on your behalf BUT if doing a direct application, where the form says “Visa Requirement” (Question 14) you tick ‘YES’ and also you also tick the box “Type of Visa” (Question 15) for “Multiple Entry”. Some have been of the view that Section D applies to different types of visa. IT DOES NOT. While it also does not stipulate this in the pack, three of your 4 photographs should be attached to the 1 + 2 copies of the IM.12, the other being attached (glued) to your application form.

6. The download pack contains a Financial Authority form (for MM2H to check with your bank re financial criteria should they feel the need). This form has a coloured crest on and contains details of the legislation under which the form is created. This is THE WRONG form and should not be used. A simpler and fully black/white (e.g. no crest) version is available from the MM2H office and one would hope their online pack will be updated soon.

One of the requirements is to submit certified copies of several documents such as pay slips, passport details page and bank statements (unless in the case of statements you are submitting originals). You can get this done in your own country but as I was in Kuala Lumpur to visit the MM2H offices I decided to get it done there. I did a quick Google for “Commissioner of Oaths near PWTC” and came up with the following company:

Rajah, Daryl and Loh
18th Floor
Wisma Sime Darby
Jalan Raja Laut
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2694 9999

Having given them a quick call explaining what I needed they told me to just call in, again, they close for lunch between 1-2pm. Their COO is a very nice guy called Mr Ideraju and he did all my documents (6) in about 10 minutes at a charge of RM4 per document. Very reasonable I thought. The beauty of using this firm is that the building is VERY well known to taxi drivers, is easy to get to and is only a few minutes from PWTC.

If you need any photocopying doing you can also walk out of the Sime Darby building main or side entrance, turn left and there is a row of shops on the main road, near the 7/11 with several printers/copiers who charged me about RM3 for about 20 copies. It’s literally a 2 minute walk.

Many people I know have used agents to assist with the application process and that is clearly a personal choice. The problem for me is that, whether you use an agent or not, you will need to put together ALL the papers yourself anyway and once you’ve done that you will just pay the agent to submit it for you. Some will also praise the hand-holding service agents offer Malaysia but again I think it depends I think on how resourceful and/or confident you may be. For me, grabbing a cab and saying “Sime Darby, Jalan Raja Laut please” and then “PWTC please” didn’t seem too taxing and cost about RM25. The taxi even waited (I paid the first fair and he switched the meter back to flag fall charge rather than me paying waiting time) outside Sime Darby until I was done. Whole, thing, start to finish, 2 hours, done and that included printing off statements and a letter at the hotel Business Centre. Having clarified some of the issues with MM2H I would be just as happy to submit the papers by post AND to return and get the other issues sorted upon collecting the visa (e.g. medical).

Air Asia – Internal Flights (Penang to KL)

When I travelled from KL to Penang readers will know I took a coach (Nice Plus) and a very pleasurable experience it was too. When I returned to KL I decided to take a flight as the flight times coincided more with the time I wanted to get up after what was a late night for my last night in Penang. I have often seen comment made that a flight is better as it’s “only an hour”. More on that later!!!!

I booked with Air Asia and if you book online you can get some significant savings if you book a few days in advance. At the time of booking I chose to upgrade my baggage allowance to 25K for about RM 30 just in case I had crept over the allowed 20 kg. You also get the option to book a ticket at half price (RM 4.50) for the Sky Bus that will take you on the 1 hour journey from the KL Low Cost Carrier Terminal (KL LCCT) at which these budget flights all arrive. If you don’t book this it’s no problem as you can buy a Sky Bus ticket on board the Air Asia flight or as you get on the bus outside the terminal. One thing to watch when you book is that the screen will default to a premier seat option with an RM 30 booking fee. These are just seats with more leg room and for a 1 hour flight (it’s actually about 40 minutes in the air) isn’t worth it IMO. You can select the standard seats at an RM 5 booking charge when you get to the “Select Your Seat’ stage of the booking. For those with printer access you can also check in online and get your boarding pass before getting to the airport, cutting out this stage if the queues are long.

Penang airport is in a bit of a state at the moment with much renovation work going on so it can be a bit tricky to find your way around. Suffice it to say that once you are in the terminal, departures is up a level on the first floor. Fortunately it is not a massive airport so there is less room for error.

If you book online you will get a booking reference which you will need at the airport. To the right of the Air Asia check-in desks there are a few ATM style machines that you use to book in. You enter the details the machine asks for and a boarding pass gets printed. You then take this with your luggage to check-in. Either their scales were out a little or my suitcase had indeed crept over the 20 Kg so I was glad I’d ‘Supersized’ my luggage as they call it online. Budget airline excess charges can be punitive. After check-in I went to departures to await the flight which departed on time and had a very pleasant and attentive crew on board. The aircraft was clean and tidy to with leather seats which are quite resilient to the heavy use.

So what of this “It’s only an hour”? Well, all in all, it’s not only an hour, not by a long way. Penang Airport is between 30-60 minutes away from Gurney etc, longer if the traffic is bad. You need to check in2 hours before the flight so that’s already 3 hours. Add to this the 1 hour flight, 30 minutes for bags to come off, 1 hour on a coach from KL LCCT to KLSS and there you go. Five and a half hours, and that is if you are confident traffic in Penang will not delay you, otherwise you may need to add a further 30 mins plus. Add onto that a traffic jam in KL (which we had due to a road closure) and the journey took 7 hours.

For me, to be honest, unless it was out of necessity I would not do it again. The coach was far more enjoyable, less changes of transport, half the price AND drops you in KL (either at the Old Railway Station or at the Corus Hotel dependant on operator). If coach times are not convenient for you then the flight is another option. Just don’t expect it to “only take and hour”, far from it. I understand the non-budget operators fly into KLIA which will reduce the hassle somewhat but I suspect the prices for these would be anything but budget. With luggage upgrade and taxes the flight came to around RM 130. It would be more if bought on the day at the airport, easily twice as much.