Batu Ferringhi
Penang's hotel beach on the northern coast, a strip of resorts, water sports and a long night market.
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Batu Ferringhi - foreigner's rock, from the Portuguese - is the strip on Penang's north coast where the island's beach tourism concentrated from the 1970s: a run of several kilometres with the large hotels along the sand, parasailing and jet ski operators working the water, and a night market that sets up along the main road each evening selling clothes, bags and souvenirs. The beach itself is honestly middling by regional standards; the water is not especially clear, jellyfish appear seasonally, and the sand is coarse. What works is convenience - it is twenty minutes from George Town, everything is on one road, and the food, from the hawker stalls to the hotel restaurants, is good. The Tropical Spice Garden, Entopia and Escape park are all along the same coast.
What you actually see
- A hotel strip on sand - the resorts along several kilometres of beach.
- A roadside night market - stalls setting up along the main road each evening.
- Water sports - parasailing and jet skis operating off the beach.
- Attractions along the coast - the spice garden, butterfly farm and adventure park.
When to go
December to March for the driest weather. A day, or overnight.
Honest expectations
The water is not clear and jellyfish appear at times - check local warnings. Beach touts for water sports are persistent. Night market goods are mostly counterfeit and prices open high.
Nearby
The Tropical Spice Garden, Entopia and Penang National Park are west along the coast.
What to pack for Batu Ferringhi
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
