Straits Quay Marina isn’t really the first thing that would come to one’s mind when one speaks of Penang. The city is so rich in history and this place has, err, none of it. But that was where our feet led us as we met with C’s aunt who resides on the island during our second day in the city.

STRAITS QUAY MARINA IN PENANG

It was a slow afternoon when we took the bus from Penang’s Georgetown to the marina. The weather, as usual, was very humid—we were plastered with sweat even before we reached the mall near the breakwater. There were a couple of yachts docked right by the bay, towered over by the massive seven-storey lighthouse—easily the marina’s best feature.

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STRAIT QUAY’S MASSIVE LIGHTHOUSE

Straits Quay is a project by the same group who did E&O Hotel at Georgetown. The twelve-acre land is set with posh waterside residential houses, restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops. It’s a nice enough place, especially if you have cash to spare.

FOLLOW THE RABBITHOLE

As evening set in, I found a lighted path right by the water leading to, err, I really didn’t know then where it led to, but from where I was standing, I can see the skyline of Penang’s Butterworth, the mainland part of the state. My feet soon started on its own and before I knew it, I was walking for a good half hour, passing the pooled residences (modernly resplendent but looking too much like each other) and getting nowhere near the cityscapes of Butterworth.

ERR… WHERE’S EVERYBODY?

Full dark has settled along the land and I was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. It has been several minutes since I passed by someone walking along the same path. I was totally alone and the desolateness was starting to creep me out.

PENANG MAINLAND FROM THE ISLAND

After some more minutes, finally, I reached the end of the boardwalk; a metal gate blocked me from going any further. It was as close as I was gonna get to the lighted landscape at the other side of the Selatan Strait. I set my tripod, dialed in my settings and took a few frames before going back the way I came.

Irish Beers Rock!

A photo posted by Christian L. Sangoyo (@lakadpilipinas) on Feb 21, 2014 at 6:04am PST

Where have you been!? My companions all exclaimed when I finally reached the Straits Quay Marina Mall. Drenched in sweat, I told them we should head over to the nearest bar, I definitely needed a glass of cold beer!

Straits Quay Marina
Address: Seri Tanjung Penang, Penang, Malaysia
Entrance Fee: None
Open Hours: 9:00AM to 1:00AM Daily
GPS Coordinates Map: 5.458145, 100.313513

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