Clove Hall

Activities

• Sightseeing: a Unesco World Heritage Site, Penang has some of the best of everything, from proud colonial villas to Chinese and Hindu temples, all brought together in a handy compact location - be sure to visit the indigo-blue Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion which encapsulates the cultural diversity of Georgetown. But its great contribution to vernacular architecture is the shophouse, so the shophouse museum (Penang World Heritage Inc. at the end of Armenian Street), with its timelines and scale models, makes an indispensable starting point. It’s free and usually deserted, which just goes to show. The hotel provides a map of the sights.
  
  
• Further afield, have a look at Penang Hill, a colonial Hill Station straight out of Somerset Maugham, with a nice café for afternoon tea with scones and cream, and oddly pokey, suburban bungalows from the 1920s. The funicular rail is closed, so you have to take a four-wheel drive from the Botanic Gardens.
  
  
• The best way to get around is to rent a scooter (from any shop on Chulia Street) as taxis are expensive and can be difficult to spot after dark on these roads. Bring your international driver’s license: Malaysia is an orderly country. Or book the hotel's SUV for the day or evening.
  
  
• Or take a guided tour arranged by Clove Hall, to go antiques shopping, explore the local markets, or discover heritage enclaves and artisan workshops; if your visit coincides with a local festival such as Nine Emperor God, Hungry Ghost Festival, or Thaipusam they'll show you the sights. Their concierge services extend to arranging trips to the beach (Batu Ferringhi is the most popular), boat trips, scuba diving and snorkelling, horse riding and cooking classes.
  
  
• Back at the hotel, lie by the pool; relax with an in-room massage, manicure/pedicure or facial; take a private yoga lesson (book in advance); get some clothes made up by a local dressmaker (ask for details)