With the midyear mark approaching, some of us may be due for a brief respite from our daily grind and if you’re looking forward to a mini holiday, you may consider driving up north to popular destination Penang, Malaysia.
With rich culture and heritage trails, Penang is frequented by both local and overseas visitors, having recorded more than 7 million overnight visitors in 2024. Plus, you also get to take advantage of the favourable currency exchange to do some dining, exploring and shopping there.
While you have the option to fly from Singapore to Penang, those who want to take their time and enjoy a journey through scenic views of oil palm trees and nature can take a roadtrip to Penang. As it’s a long drive, taking around nine hours, it’s advisable to have small breaks and even make an overnight stop along the way. Fortunately, there are several pitstops along the way that you can explore, with some being overlooked as hidden gems.
Route To Penang
From Singapore, you can drive through either the Woodlands or Tuas checkpoint to get to Penang. You can consider several factors when choosing your route such as your set off location and possibility of congestion.
Then, get on the North-South Expressway (NSE) – the longest expressway in Malaysia – to get to Penang. Driving on the NSE can be straightforward with well-built roads. However, there are some steep slopes on the journey from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, so do keep that in mind.
Popular Pitstops
Tangkak
Tangkak is a district in Johor and is also home to Gunung Ledang, the highest mountain in the state. With an elevation of more than 1,200 metres, the mountain can be glimpsed from most parts of the district.
Some local travelers would make a stop at Tangkak, which is known for its beef noodles. One of the long-standing beef noodle houses, Kuang Fei Restaurant serves this slurpy dish. According to Burpple, the average amount spent per person at the restaurant is RM20 (S$6). After a savoury meal, you can enjoy some sweet fruits at durian farms, which Tangkak is also famous for.
As you drive on the AH2 highway, just take the exit 235 to head to Tangkak for some delicious eats.
Malacca
Following the showing of Netflix series Emerald Hill, you may be inspired to visit Malacca, known for its colourful Peranakan community.
You can expect to find historical buildings that still hold remnants of the past, shops selling traditional embroidered kebayas and shoes as well as restaurants selling Nyonya dishes such as achar, assam fish and pongteh stew.
When the sun sets, you can head to Jonker Street that is usually bustling with crowds looking for some street food and knick-knacks, especially during the weekends or holidays.
From Singapore, you can follow the AH2 highway to get to Malacca. If you want to stop by Malacca, you may consider staying a night, as it will take you around six hours to travel to Penang the next day.
As Malacca is popular with tourists, you will have plenty of accommodation choices including upscale hotels such as the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Malacca, which charges RM793 (S$241) per night for a room fitted with one king size bed. Otherwise, you can also check in at hotels such as the Ibis Malacca, which costs RM392 (S$119) per night for a room with one queen bed.
As for meals, if you want to try authentic Peranakan cuisine, you can head to Baba Charlie cafe, which serves pongteh chicken rice sets at RM11.90 (S$3.60) and fish steak rice sets for RM35.90 (S$10.90).
Kuala Lumpur
Alternatively, you could stop by and spend the night in Kuala Lumpur, which is situated halfway on your journey from Singapore to Penang.
Given that Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia, you will easily find urban conveniences, whether it’s hotels, restaurants or shopping malls. For example, the St Giles Boulevard situated conveniently next to shopping mall Mid Valley Megamall costs around RM473 (S$144) per night for a room with a king size bed. If you’re looking for luxury stays, the Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur charges RM714 (S$217) per night for the same room.
There are various F&B outlets you can choose from including the popular Nasi Lemak Burung Hantu restaurant, which serves the local nasi lemak with spiced chicken for RM15.40 (S$4.70).
Some of the well-known tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur include Chinatown, Central Market and Batu Caves.
You can follow the NSE highway and take the exit towards Bangsar and KL Sentral to get to Kuala Lumpur.
Bidor
Bidor is a laidback town in Perak that is known for being the homeland of eatery, Pun Chun which sells the popular duck leg wantan noodles. When former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Malaysia in 2018, various media outlets reported that the premier recalled his childhood days of making a stop and eating wantan mee in Bidor on the way to Cameron Highlands with his family.
Many Malaysians guessed that he might be referring to Pun Chun, which has a long history dating back to the 1930s.
After getting on the NSE highway, you can take the exit 130 to get to Bidor. Not far from exiting the toll plaza, you will find Pun Chun restaurant, that sells the popular herbal duck soup noodles for RM11 (S$3.30) a bowl and other dishes like wantan mee and fried yam stuffed with barbeque pork.
Throughout the years, many families have made their way to Pun Chun, a popular pitstop for travelers driving up north the peninsular Malaysia.
Ipoh
Another well-known city to stop by on your roadtrip would be Ipoh, the state capital of Perak. Ipoh is a smaller city but it is a magnet for both local and foreign visitors.
You can stop by Ipoh for its famous chicken rice with beansprouts. Lou Wong is a popular restaurant in Ipoh that serves mainly chicken rice. According to Trip.com, the expected average amount spent at the restaurant is RM20 (S$6) per person. Ipoh’s beansprouts, which are distinctively shorter and stouter in size compared to regular ones, are often lauded as some of the best in Malaysia. If you have some time after that, you can head to the Concubine Street that has various shops selling souvenirs and the popular dessert taufufa.
You can take exit 138 on the NSE highway to get to Ipoh. After your meal, you can hit the road and drive around two hours to reach your destination, Penang.
Rest And Relax (R&R) Stops
Typically, professional drivers are recommended to take short breaks after every two hours of driving.
If you don’t have the time to make the pitstops mentioned above, there are plenty of Rest and Relax (R&R) stops along the North-South expressway for a quick refresher, from larger stops that come with fast food chains and souvenir shops to smaller ones that are equipped with basic facilities such as restrooms, Muslim prayer rooms and parking bays.
One of the notable rest stops along the North South Expressway include the Pagoh South R&R stop in Johor, which has a food court featuring local dishes and popular food and beverage chains such as Subway, KFC and Baskin Robbins. There is also a BP petrol station.
As you drive closer to Kuala Lumpur, you may pass by the Seremban North R&R, one of the larger rest stops with facilities including restaurants, restrooms, a mini playground and Shell petrol station. Further along the way, you can also drop by the Tapah South R&R in Perak, which has food and beverage chains such as Starbucks and Family Mart.
Read Also: Long Weekends In Malaysia: Dates You May Want To Avoid Traveling To Malaysia
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