Penang is one of those cities that starts out rather unimpressively, but as you stay, you realise there's a lot more life and soul in the place that you took for granted. There is a strange mix of old colonial buildings, mosques, modern shopping centres, run-down townhouses and other buildings of different cultural flavours. It's impressive just to look up at the streets and see all the different architectures that make up the terraces.

My trip to Penang started out on a minibus that picked me up from my tour agency home and across the Malaysian border without incident. I got to the Love Lane Inn which was a mere 100 yards from the bus stop and then wandered around Little India for my afternoon. The food here is generally great and cheap, and everything in the city is within walking distance. Actually, just before I discovered Penang, I discovered a cafe with free wifi (the hostel only had free wifi for private rooms - tight) and spent my first hour with an ice coffee that I ordered from one of the guys who was brazenly perusing porn on the computer. How's that for a lack of shame. Top bloke!

The next two days were nice weather and I spent one day with a northerner called Vikki in the national park. We went on an absolute mission to get to monkey beach before almost running back to get the the canopy walkway on time, which we half succeeded in doing. Chilled out on the beach and enjoyed freshly caught fish Penang style after the sun had set. Already over budget, we then met up with three of her friends and went out drinking and dancing. Good times!

Next day was very lazy. I think it mostly involved food, including ABC (jelly beans, red bean and ice, topped with sweetcorn...) and then I went to the obligatory Fort Cornwallis before heading out to Kapitan's for a great tandoori and then to get a much needed cutthroat shave for a quid. Bargain. That pretty much sums up Penang.