Koh Lipe to Penang

By joint speedboat and bus service the journey from Koh Lipe to George Town in Penang is scheduled to take from 8 hours 15 minutes to 11 hours depending upon which service you take.

Bus Times from Koh Lipe to Penang

There are currently 9 services a day from Koh Lipe to Penang available to book online.

Buy Tickets from Koh Lipe to Penang

Use the Search Box below to buy your tickets from Koh Lipe to Penang.

Koh Lipe Ferry Pier

Speedboat services from Koh Lipe to the mainland depart from Pattaya Beach during the high season.

Penang Bus Stop

Most of the services from Koh Lipe to Penang terminate at the Bus Terminal Komtar in George Town, Penang Island.

About Travel to Penang

George Town is the largest city, and the most important tourist destination, in Penang State. This city on an island has a population of around 800,000 permanent residents, around half of whom have Chinese ancestry. It’s a multicultural city, with a long history, and plenty of interesting places to visit.

Arrival in Penang

Travel by bus or minivan direct to George Town is a convenient option. The main city centre bus station in George Town, Bus Terminal Komtar, is within 1 km walking distance of the areas of the city such as Chulia Street which are popular with leisure visitors. If you decide to travel by train instead bear in mind that the closest train station to Penang Island, Butterworth Railway Station, is located on the mainland and from the train station visitors need to take a ferry or a taxi over a bridge to reach George Town.

Where to Stay in Penang

The most popular place to stay in Penang is in the historic old quarter of George Town, which is located in the eastern part of the city near the coast. Popular streets to stay on include Chulia Street, Armenia Street, Carnarvon Street, Muntri Street, Penang Road and nearby smaller streets. The reason these areas are popular is because this is where the old buildings are located, as well as many of the city’s most lively bars, cafes and restaurants.

George Town isn’t the only place on Penang Island where visitors can stay. To the north of George Town, there are two beach resort areas which are popular with leisure visitors, Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah. Both areas have good hotels and a range of restaurants, but few other tourist attractions than a beach. Some visitors may find staying outside the main city near a beach, and travelling into George Town for day trips, a more pleasant way to enjoy Penang Island.

Places to Visit in Penang

There are enough places to visit just in George Town itself to occupy visitors for at least 2 days. Many of these visitor attractions are located within a compact area right in the centre of George Town, others are on the edge of the city and visitors need to travel a few kilometres by taxi or bus to reach them. The most efficient way to see the best of what Penang Island has to offer in a 2 day period is to spend 1 day looking around the city centre and another day visiting the attractions away from the city centre.

City Centre Attractions

Penang Island was purchased by the British government in 1786. At that time the island was heavily forested and the first place the British constructed a town on the island developed into modern day George Town. Many of the civic buildings in George Town were designed and built by the British colonialists, however, a lot of the original city was built by Indian and Chinese immigrants who came to work in the newly created trading port of George Town.

The older part of George Town, which dates back to the late 18th Century, has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Among the places of interest to visit in the old quarter of the city are:

• Thean Hou Kong Temple
• Cheah Kongsi clan house
• Chew Jetty
• Little India
• The 6 Ernest Zacharevic wall murals
• St. George’s Church
• Sri Mahamariamman Temple
• Chulia Street Night Market
• Penang City Hall
• Fort Cornwallis

Other Attractions

There are also two great attractions located on the edge of George Town, Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple.

Penang Hill is located 7 km by road to the west of the old quarter of George Town. To visit you need to take a taxi or a local bus to the base of the hill and ascend either by the funicular railway or by climbing a lot of stairs to reach an elevation of around 800 metres above sea level.

Penang Hill isn’t a single hill, it’s an area spread across several hills which was first used by the British colonialists at the end of the 18th Century as a holiday retreat to escape the hot weather of the city. The funicular railway runs to the top of Flagstaff Hill (Bukit Bendera) which was the most developed part of the Penang Hill development. As well as a number of colonial era buildings, Penang Hill has an observation deck, numerous restaurants, and a very good nature reserve with several different types of monkey, and a small tree dwelling mammal which glides between trees.

Kek Lok Si Temple, which is close to Penang Hill, is a large Buddhist temple built on a hill in the late 19th Century. Kek Lok Si Temple is a Chinese style temple featuring architecture and artwork associated with the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism and other Chinese religious traditions.

The main features of Kek Lok Si Temple are its 7 storey pagoda, enormous statue of Guan Yin (the Buddhist goddess of Mercy), and several large prayer and shrine halls. There is a lot to see at this temple. Visitors can also enjoy great views across the city.