Pete's Penang

Batu Ferringhi, Penang

Beach at Batu Ferringhi, Penang, 2007

Xmas Day at Beach at Batu Ferringhi, Penang, 2006

Xmas Day, 2006 at Batu Ferringhi, Penang

Batu Ferringhi from the west side of the bay.

One of the great beauties of the coast around Batu Ferringhi is the tree covered hills running right down to the sea. Enjoy the view soon, because the trees are being ripped up and the hills covered with concrete. See that break in the trees on the skyline between Sri Sayang and Holiday Inn, that is the invasion of the developers. See the other side of that hill in the next photo.

Moonlight Bay development.

The developers are building these properties faster than people want to buy them, (that is apart from speculators). Along the north coast of Penang there are thousands and thousands of properties standing empty and rapidly deteriorating. The developers find speculators who just need to deposit 10%. If the developer doesn't go bankrupt, the speculator gets his property which he thinks he's going to sell or rent for a fortune, but most of them can not find suckers to pay their inflated prices so the property stand empty.

Sri Sayang Apartments, Batu Ferringhi, 2006

Sri Sayang Apartments, Batu Ferringhi.
Click here to see a satellite view of Sri Sayang Apartments on Google Earth

Eden Fairway, Batu Ferringhi, Penang, 2007

Batu Ferringhi Golf Course ?
That block of apartments in the middle is Eden Fairway. Yes, fairway as in golf courses.
When the place was built purchasers thought that a golf course was to be built right next to their apartments.
Instead houses were built. (View from Sri Sayang apartments).

View of Batu Ferringhi from Sri Sayang Apartments.
In 2007 the bottom right corner was full of trees, it's now a building site.
The developers are ripping up the trees and building at the rear, the side and at the front :-(

View East from Sri Sayang Apartments.
In early 2008 this was a hillside covered with trees. This view is Nov. 2009.
Some of those expensive houses will have a view of little more than the rear of Sri Sayang and its car park, not the sea.
The containers at the bottom right are the homes for the building site workers.

Sunset from Sri Sayang apartments.

Sunset Bistro, Batu Ferringhi.
Click on the picture to see a 360° panorama of Sunset Bistro.
This is the worst panorama on all of my websites, but it is also the most popular of all.
Sadly, for all the publicity I give Sunset Bistro I have never had a free beer there ;-(

Sunset from Sunset Bistro, Batu Ferringhi

I shot this sunset from Sunset Bistro in March 2008. You might be reluctant to believe it, but I tried to reproduce the actual colours of the sunset. Most people take sunset shots too early then artificially exaggerate the red/orange tones. Usually the sunsets are pretty poor and colourless, but if you hang around long enough a good one comes along.

Teluk_Bahang, 3km beyond Batu Ferringhi.
Click on the picture to see a 360° panorama of the pier.

Char Hor Fan, 3 Ringgit (about .40p), 2006

Lunch, Char Hor Fun, Batu Ferringhi
There are prawns, squid, chicken, spinach(?) and two sorts of noodles. Cost - 3.50 Ringgit, (about .50p, UK).
When I returned, after being away for 7-8 months, the staff remembered my name, my favourite dish and my regular drink, and the boss,
a very pretty young girl, invited me to her wedding. Now that's what I call personal service :-)