Penang Hidden Gems

We are history and heritage enthusiasts. We organize monthly community trails to unveil lesser-known places, sacred traditions, underrated stories, and dying trades.


Penang Hidden Gems

Spice, history, and community in Penang! โœจ Join us for a snippet from our People of Penang Podcast episode featuring the wonderful Katharine Chua from Tropical Spice Garden Penang. Discover the garden's roots in the spice trade and its incredible journey to becoming a beloved gathering space.

#PenangIsland #TropicalSpiceGardenPenang #SpiceTrade #HistoryOfPenang #PodcastLife #PeopleofPenang #KatharineChua #CommunityGardens #PenangCulture #MalaysiaTrulyAsia #TravelMalaysia #HerbalGarden #GardenInspiration #LocalPodcast

11 months ago | [YT] | 0

Penang Hidden Gems

Written by none other than Peter Yeoh, now you can get to know the story behind one of Penang's most beloved institutions, Bib Gourmand stall Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay & Canteen, which has been around since 1933.

Full Article >> guide.michelin.com/my/en/article/dining-out/behindโ€ฆ

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Penang Hidden Gems

๐€ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ž๐œ๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐œ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐š๐ญ ๐‹๐จ๐ค๐ž ๐Œ๐š๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง


We found several of these vintage 1940/50s black Bakelite GEC Gecophone Junior intercoms. The Gecophone Junior was a compact intercom telephone for 'universal' desk or wall use. Imagine being able to call between rooms in this sprawling mansion back in the day - talk about high-tech!


Checkout our walkthrough video of the mansion! https://youtu.be/fPhZVoaN2NE?si=6IPPb...

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Penang Hidden Gems

Throwback to our VERY FIRST community trail during the Covid years.
SOP was fully adhered. My Sejahtera check ins. Temperature checks. Sanitizer.
๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜

1 year ago | [YT] | 2

Penang Hidden Gems

In this episode, Eugene and Moe talked with Tropical Spice Garden's custodians, Katharine Chua and Kenneth Khoo. Over 20 years, this garden has blossomed into more than just a beautiful space; it's a haven for the community.


This husband-and-wife team shared the joys and challenges of nurturing Asia's hidden Eden. You can also discover how they've created a space that fosters connection, healing, and a much-needed escape from technology. You will be reminded of nature's transformative power and the importance of cherishing our green spaces.


Bonus: Explore the beauty of Tropical Spice Garden even further with "Tropika! by Luma", a collaborative project with Tropical Spice Garden. Purchase your copy at Tropical Spice Garden's Gift Shop!

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Penang Hidden Gems

Some people journal in their diary, Janie Yap quilts ๐Ÿ˜ thank you The Art Gallery, Penang for inviting us to understand the history of quilting and what The Hanging of The Quilts means. Janie Yapโ€™s exhibition is a labor of love. Patiently and sincerely made from her to her world.
Itโ€™s amazing.


Appointment basis for 10-pax and above. Make an appointment with The Art Gallery Penang to spend an evening appreciating quilting.

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Penang Hidden Gems

๐๐ž๐ซ๐š๐ค'๐ฌ ๐‡๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐œ๐š๐ฅ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐“๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ: ๐Ÿ• ๐Œ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐’๐ž๐ž ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
๐‘Š๐‘’ ๐‘“๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘™๐‘œ๐‘ค๐‘’๐‘‘ ๐‘‡๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘š ๐‘€๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘ฆ๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘Ž ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘› ๐‘…๐‘’๐‘”๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘›โ€™๐‘  ๐‘“๐‘Ž๐‘š๐‘–๐‘™๐‘–๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘, ๐‘“๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ ๐‘Ž ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘‘๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ฃ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” ๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ ๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘ ๐‘ก ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘’๐‘›๐‘ก. ๐น๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘š ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘“๐‘“๐‘’๐‘’ ๐‘š๐‘–๐‘™๐‘™๐‘  ๐‘ก๐‘œ ๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘› ๐‘š๐‘–๐‘›๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘ ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘›๐‘’ ๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘˜๐‘’๐‘ , ๐‘ƒ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž๐‘˜ ๐‘œ๐‘“๐‘“๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘  ๐‘Ž ๐‘ค๐‘’๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘กโ„Ž ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘’๐‘ฅ๐‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘’๐‘›๐‘๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘“๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ โ„Ž๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘ฆ ๐‘๐‘ข๐‘“๐‘“๐‘  ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘›๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘™๐‘œ๐‘ฃ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘  ๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘–๐‘˜๐‘’.


It's no secret that Penang is the vacation gem of the northern region of Malaysia, attracting visitors all year round. But away from the well-traversed state, Kuala Kangsar, Ipoh, and Taiping have hidden gems waiting for your visit.
Perak offers a wealth of interesting historical sites that are worth exploring. In a tour of Kuala Kangsar, Ipoh, and Taiping organised by Tourism Malaysia (Northern Region), I have discovered notable sites, some of which unveiled fascinating history hidden within plain sight, linked to moments in time that shaped the states and Malaysia.

Hereโ€™s our list of places a history buff must visit in Perak:
1. Muzium Matang, Matang, near Taiping
2. Kuala Sepetang/Port Weld, Taiping
3. Taiping Lake Garden, Taiping
4. Kinta Tin Mining Gravel Pump Museum, Kampar
5. Lorong Panglima, Ipoh
6. Papan, Perak
7. Tasik Cermin


Thumb through the photos to read more about the locations!

Our heartfelt thank you to Tourism Malaysia Northern Region

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Penang Hidden Gems

Nasi Padang is the much-loved contribution of the Minangkabau, or Minang, people of West Sumatra, Indonesia, to the Malay culinary world. An irresistible mini-banquet of rice served alongside a mouthwatering spread of richly spiced dishes, a Nasi Padang meal is a veritable smorgasbord of differing flavours and textures, and a feast for the senses.


Read more about it in Peter Yeoh's Michelin Guide article:
guide.michelin.com/.../ultimate-guide-to-nasi-padaโ€ฆ


And you can also join us next time when Peter conducts Penang Food Heritage Trail in the future. We do cover the history and the difference between Nasi Padang and Nasi Kandar guide.michelin.com/.../ultimate-guide-to-nasi-padaโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ˜‚

1 year ago | [YT] | 1

Penang Hidden Gems

Join Eugene and Moe on the People of Penang Podcast as they interview Brother Director Jason Blaikie of St. Xavierโ€™s Institution. You might think that talking about the history and progress of a school would be boring, but get ready to have your mind blown!


You can hear in his voice how passionate he is about St. Xavier's Institution and the motto from the La Salle Brothers mission that is etched in his way of life. You'll also learn so much about how the school's alumni contribute to its continued success.


If you've ever wondered about the history of the school band's bagpipes, this is the episode to watch.

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Penang Hidden Gems

For some people, an Instagrammable moment is eating a croissant and hot chocolate with a view of the Eiffel Tower from their hotel room. But for us at Penang Hidden Gems, it's having Bamiah (a Hadramawt okra stew) and a cup of teh tarik panas inside a 200-year-old kampung house, against the backdrop of the Lebuh Acheh Mosque and its iconic minaret.


Psst... we will be hosting another similar event in November. Like this post if you are interested to join us.

1 year ago | [YT] | 4