Ever since the cable car of Penang Hill was upgraded, locals and foreigners were seen dashing to the railway station to take a ride on the new funicular train. As expected, there was a long queue waiting to enter the station especially due to the long weekends .
The wait for the cable car was about 20 minutes. Whereas the ride of the journey to the destination takes only 4 minutes. My suggestion to those wanting to visit Penang Hill, do it during the non peak season or on weekday to avoid the crowd.
Nevertheless, we had a comfortable ride up to the hill this time. Imagine in those days we had to pack with the crowd and squeezed ourselves in the non-air-conditioned cabin. Not to say that we had to change train on the mid hill. Now, with the new funicular train it is a non-stop journey straight up to the hill. All the cabins are fully equipped with air conditioning and the ride is far more quiet and faster compared to the previous one.
Ticket for the Funicular Train to Penang Hill :-
MYR4.00 for adults (one way)
MYR2.00 for children (Below 12 years old)
The train operating hours is from 7.00 am to 11.15 pm.
After arriving at the destination, you will see a beautiful aeriel view of Penang island. Although the climate these days is hotter compared to those days, the fresh breeze and the cooling air still make this place a relaxing one.
One of the attractions on top of Penang Hill is the smoke house that has been well kept and restored to its previous glory. The name of this place is David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terrace. This restaurant is in association with The Smokehouse Cameron Highlands. This house was built during pre-war time. David Brown’s offers a view of almost every significant landmark of the island.
The well-manicured garden with iconic lily pond sets the scene for dining in the garden. The seats for garden dining is catered for 50 guests or more.
The furnishing with the elegant English style is still well preserved.
The fireplace to keep warm is still standing at the side of this house.
The Smokehouse Cream Tea – RM28. Pot of tea, slice of fruitcake and 2 scones with homemade strawberry preserve and cream.
This set caters just enough for a person. The scones tasted fresh from the oven. The scones didn’t include any raisins. For raisin lovers, this wouldn’t satisfy you. However, for the fruit cake served, you will have all the bites with preserved fruit and raisin.
The cream that served together with the scone was so soft and creamy. I just love this.
The aroma of tea was very smooth and refreshing. It didn’t taste like the usual tea bag from the supermarket.
The splash of the pouring tea let out its wonderful tea aroma. Nice.
For side orders, a choice of sandwich will be as good to fill you up. The list of sandwiches are as below:
- Club RM30
- Steak RM30
- Smoked Salmon RM30
- Roast Beef RM28
- Roast Chicke RM18
- Cheese RM18
- Tuna RM18
- Tomato RM16
- Cucumber RM16
- Egg RM16
I ordered myself a set of tuna sandwich. The taste of this sandwich was normal but the fries were fresh from the pan.
Overall, the ambiance here is very cozy and it seems like turning back the time to pre war period, no hassle and no rush. The price of the food here is averagely high, while the taste of the food here is acceptably good. The only drawback is queuing up for the funicular during public holiday or festive season will be a headache.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
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| Price |  |
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Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking | |
| Pork Free | |
| Alcohol | |
| Credit Card | |
| Smoking | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room |  |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 9:00am – 9:00pm (7 days a week)
Contact: 04-828 8337
Address:Lot 400, MK 17, Daerah Bart Daya, Strawberry Hill, Bukit Bendera, 11300 Ayer Itam, Penang
GPS: 5° 42′ 88.46″ N, 100° 26′ 96.42″ E
more development is require, i went up there before the train ready by walking up from botanical garden, it a great way to exercise but on top of the hill is really under develop, hope our state gov can make it a great tourist attraction.
Hi Steven> According to asiaone.com, prices for foreigners are even higher. Milking the Ang Mo Cow?
GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia – The state-owned Penang Hill Corporation has announced that fares for the newly-upgraded Penang Hill funicular train system will be raised by 100 per cent for locals beginning May 1.
The new fares for a return ticket for Malaysians will be RM8 (S$3) per adult and RM4 per child, compared with RM4 and RM2 previously.
The fare for foreigners has also been raised by more than sevenfold, RM30 for a return ticket for adults and RM15 for children.
Previously, foreigners were charged the same rates as locals.
Good you have given me an idea to spend time in the island. Thanks
Hi Jay, thanks for the reminder. I need to reconfirm back the price again 🙂 will keep you posted once any updates
I am Desmond from MMW Food. How can I get in touch with you?
To those who well travelled, you will know that even in europe there is 2 price for places of attraction. One is for european and another for non-european. So, whats wrong with charging the tourist a little bit more to subsidice the local?
I think the price for one-way is RM5, not RM4.
Kindly refer to the below link:
http://www.penanghill.gov.my/index.php/ticket-and-train
Thanks for the information meiyi, will change the information later
hi, is this halal?
Nadiah, I know is pork free, but not sure is Halal. You can call up the restaurant to ask for details. The contact is at the end of my page.
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