View Full Version : PENANG BASE or MELAKA ?
GUNTHER
6th Jul 2004, 14:11
Hey Guys,Just being employed by a major asian carrier I am looking for a nice place to live;I am to move from Europe and I am used to live in the country side but we like city-life as well.My departure airport being Signapore I would need good connections to Signapore for evening departures.Signapore as a living place would be difficult regarding living expenses.We are hesitating between Penang and Melaka.We have no children and like to go out,have dinner,mountain biking and working out...
Any suggestions where to go in function of these conditions ?
How can you get a permit for residency in Malaysia ?
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!:O
well,congrats on ur new job.Go MELAKA...PEN is just far away.MELAKA is just 2hrs++ by road n its just 90mins away from KL.If ur thkg of buying the ID ticket for PEN-SIN,try your luck!These flts are always full...MELAKA is town with loads of history,u can njoy the city n the countryside.Living in MALAYSIA will be lot cheaper than in SIN-but u need a car...Y dont u try JOHOR BAHRU,just a stone's throw from SIN. :ok:
fhchiang
7th Jul 2004, 13:40
if u want a city live...
go to PEnang...
certainly u won't be driving to KL every weekend or every alternate weekends just to do some shopping.................
Penang.... i would say if top 5 busiest city in malaysia.
a lot of foreigners in Penang....
also.,.,,
Foreigners Know PENANG Better Than Malaysia
GUNTHER
then again it really depends on how ru goin to travel to SIN.PEN is not a bad place either,just a bit far if ur gonna drive to SIN.
but if ur gonna be on the 7days on,6days off thingy...u can try commuting from PEN by AIR.Jump seat is a big NO NO nowadays...
so I dont thk its a gud idea to be stranded in PEN just bcos the flts are full.
fhchiang
8th Jul 2004, 10:12
well penang...
has nice beach...
it's one of malaysia's tourist atrtraction after all....
u won't be dissapointed with penang...
as for melaka...
the life is just too boring... not many high-end supermarket....
penang is small.... and has many high ends shopping.......
for melaka... doing shopping.. it's like my god......
it's bigger than penang....
and.. buildings per km is very low...
yyzdub
8th Jul 2004, 13:30
PENANG! PENANG! PENANG!
www.tourismpenang.gov.my is a good starting point for info.
It will probably wear on you after a year or two but during that time you'd have a fantastic time.
As was said previously, you probably won't be driving into KL frequently and you can get pretty cheap flights from Penang to Singapore or KL if you are carving the city.
Personally, living on the beach is a dream - take it!
flying jocks
8th Jul 2004, 13:44
Definitely Melaka. You have a choice of places to visit (Port Dickson being one of them), 2 hours drive from SIN when the plane is full and close to Kay-EL (for entertainment, shopping etc.). I like Penang to visit, but it would just get too tiring for a regular commute especially if you couldn't get on the flight.
Good luck:ok:
MASsenger
9th Jul 2004, 13:41
Gunther, looking at your requirements, I`d say Penang is the place for you. Penang`s got excellent connections by SIA & MAS to Singapore. CP & TG are also on this run, though less frequent. You could also drive, but I`d say this should be your last choice. Though the highway is excellent all the way to Singapore, it could be an 8 hour run, may be a bit shorter if you drive like the bandit. Smokey will be on your tail in no time, so I wouldn’t encourage it. Actually they have got pretty sophisticated radar systems, so you`ll be staring Smokey in the face. As a place to live, it`s a dream. It`s got the mountains, rivers, beaches, shops, malls, city life and remote villages where you can go play with orang utans, if that’s your plate. You could live in a posh condominium down town or by the beach, or a wooden bungalow on stilts in a remote village on the opposite side of the island where the water is crystal clear. If you haven’t had Penang food, then you probably missed out on the best of Asian cuisine. When it comes to dinning, the west meets the east in Penang. There is nothing in terms of food that you cannot get in Penang.
Now Melaka is an interesting rustic place. It`s got lots of history which you might relate to, especially if you are of Portuguese descend. It`s got almost everything Penang has, but I take exception on two issues. The beach is awful. Situated on the main shipping straits of the East, the shores are besieged with miles and miles of mud. The heavy liners plying the straits daily have not been kind to the beach. The other aspect is, commuting to work. You have no option other than to drive. Due to the excellent highway to Singapore, the Airlines have stopped. You could drive to Changi Airport in about 2 hrs via the second link. The main causeway gets choked most of the days.
You`ll love the people, pleasant & mild mannered. Being a foreigner not working in Malaysia, you are only given two weeks stay at a time in Malaysia. You and the family have to step in and out of Malaysia every two weeks once to validate the visa. Very cumbersome process and a sure way to run out of pages on the passport. However, there is a green card scheme for foreign investors in Malaysia, which may be as simple as purchase of a property. When you get here, check with the local barristers for details.
Good luck buddy, catch you for a beer sometime, if you get down here. What`s your brew, we got em all!
:ok:
GUNTHER
10th Jul 2004, 04:50
Hey Guys, thanks for all the info,I think I go down to Penang to check it out since our company would open a base over there and so the travel-worries would be out of the way.Seems it is really a quite nice place to live...Thanks again,you helped me a lot.
7sex7
10th Jul 2004, 16:23
gunther,
If thats the case,then PEN is the right place for you..:8
The govt is making it easier now for the foreigner who spend their money here..:D