Batu Ferringhi or "Foreigners rock" as it translates is Penangs most famous beach, its main income was derived from fishing, but nowadays it is mainly from the tourists.
During the 2004 tsunami no one was killed here due to the life guards warning people, so maybe lifeguards are a good idea that Thailand etc could think about?
The sea is a bit murky, doubt if it is pollution as they have a jelly fish problem during the rainy season, probably just the currents or something like that, the sand isn't fine and powdery like talcum powder, but hell it is clean and the beach isn't covered in litter, which again is something Thailand might like to consider, swimming with plastic bags brushing up against you isn't my idea of fun.
The beach has a few jetskis and banana boats that you can rent, the swimming areas are bouyed off to make it safer for swimmers.
Anyway to get to Batu Ferringhi from Georgetown, you can get a taxi for about 25 ringgit, you can rent a motorbike for the day, this is probably what I will do next time as there are a load of smaller beaches on the way and some fantastic houses built on the hills by the coastline in Penang, or you can get the bus for 2 ringgit, there are 3 different buses that go to Batu Ferringhi and take about 30 minutes, they all stop around the Komtar building but in different areas, the number 11 is a non air con old bus thing that stops in the bus depot under the Komtar, the U101 and U105 stop outside the Komtar, these are both new and have air con, if it is a bit warm then get the air con ones.
Batu Ferringhi is a bit more upmarket than Georgetown with international hotels like Holiday Inn and others on the beach front, places like Park Royal next door to it with 5 star restaurants, this is also the place to get a taxi if you want to go back to Georgetown or to the airport, but there are also some guesthouses dotted around including places like Baba Guest house, Ali's Guesthouse and Victors Guesthouse with single rooms starting from 30 ringgit per night which is more expensive than anything similar in Georgetown.
A stream running into the sea at Batu Ferringhi.
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The beach, don't look too shabby does it.
Too hot in the late afternoon so it's the air con bus back to the Komtar in Georgetown.
Next stop the restaurants and bars, they got both on the beach and the main road, from Lebanese to Italian to Thai and Indian, yep they got loads of food and restaurants.
Batu Ferringhi Map