So....our whistle-stop tour of Penang and Langkawi got off to a bad start when the coach was delayed by an hour and a half-no reason. The coach itself was luxurious inside with more room than I imagine 1st class to have.. this aesthetic quality makes up for the fact the engines are quite crap. We didnt pass 40mph the entire way hence a journey time of 6.5 hours.
Hotel Mingood however restored our faith in the hostel world and we were provided with hot showers, bed linen, en-suite and even a TV! The mini-bar was bare much to my dismay. We ate out at a chinese restaurant called `The Ship` which much to our amusement featured all the staff dressed in various ranks of naval wear. We nicked a few hats as per the photos.
Some history now - Penang ` the pearl of the orient` lies off the northwest coast of peninsular Malysia - Langkawi is a further 2.5 hours by ferry away from here ( parallel to Thailand). Penang was colonised in 1786 by Francis Light until 1957 when it gained back its independence from British Colonial rule. This is evident in the architecture and street names around the island, Georgetown being the busiest area and named after King George 3rd who was reigning at this time.
Have to point out that the toilets over here were considerably nicer than the ones in KL (see picture).