What to do in Penang or Malaysia

Penang is a favourite spot for retiring. There are beaches, historical buildings, amazing food, beautiful scenery, lots of expats living there etc. One great advantage of living in Penang or Malaysia in general is that yo are central to Asia and it is easy to fly to nearby Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines and further norther to China, Japan, South Korea and so on. Penang has an airport and Air Asia flights are inexpensive with lots and lots of destinations.

I retired and moved to Malaysia in 2003 (KL), but got bored after living there for about 12 years. I found the place a bit tame and organized, so I moved to Indonesia and have not regretted it for one moment. But Malaysia is pretty safe so it's a nice base for retirement.

Dave and Lisa: If you're at all outdoorsy, then you may find Spain a better option. The climate in Malaysia militates against even moderate physical exertion outside in the daytime. Most people rush from one air conditioned space to another, so it's a very indoors lifestyle, unless you want to get up at 5am to go for a hike. I really miss the temperate climate of Europe. Malls rule in Malaysia.

Nevertheless I agree with the positive aspects pointed out by Shill88. Air connectivity is hugely better from KL rather than Penang, though.

I know Spain well. It's a diverse country, with many enjoyable aspects. But one thing marks it apart - the people are simply unfriendly, for the most part. They can be pleasant if they're getting something from you, but generally they stick to their families and pueblo. I've never been to Canada, but everyone I've met from there has been super friendly and nice, and I guess you might find the social atmosphere in Spain a little alienating. My theory is that Spain has been spoiled by the massive influx of north european retirees in the last few decades (plus millions of package tourists). But the flipside is that you will be able to find (depending on exact location, of course) many other retirees to socialise with if the locals are standoffish.

Malaysians are friendly enough, if not exactly super cheerful and outgoing - most of my friends are locals - but my guess is that you will find more people of like mind in Spain. Asia is a great part of the world to explore, but in terms of history and culture Europe is richer (and mostly far more expensive).

Let me add to my earlier post. I found Malaysia somewhat lacking in culture. Sure it has a food culture, religions and history, but culture-wise it has nothing compared to countries like Thailand and Indonesia.

What I will say about Malaysia is that it is more expensive than some of the other more interesting countries in Southeast Asia, it is probably safer, most people speak English, the shopping is good and the transport system is good. You can play golf, eat out at nice restaurants or cheap food places, and with good internet and TV channels you can have an easy and relaxed lifestyle. I did it for 12 years and ended up wondering what the heck I was doing there when there are so many other more interesting and challenging neighbouring countries to explore, many of them a lot cheaper than Malaysia.

Well the biggest reason so far for us was a combination of lower costs and their retirement visa. We really liked Thailand but their Visa system is goofy at best and with the Monarchy things are always in flux.

What other countries would you suggest that are cheaper than Malaysia, just as safe and have fairly easy retirement visas?

Thanks all for your inputs so far.

P.S. as for Spain, we found most people we talked to fairly friendly, though most were our Airbnb hosts so that may have had something to do with it.

Malaysia is alright, and for me the best thing about it is that you can buy and own property there in your own name. It could be worth checking out Indonesia but I do not know much about the retirement visa there, but I am fairly certain that it is a lot cheaper than the Malaysian one. The cost of living is also a lot cheaper. And, the biggest difference for me is that Indonesia still feels "raw" with so much of the land to explore such as the many islands and parts of Sumatra, whereas Malaysia is very civilized and organized. Indonesia has lots and lots of volcanoes and culture too. Malaysia has lots and lots and lots of oil palm plantations almost everywhere you go. In Indonesia foreigners cannot own land, at best, they can only lease it long term and build a house.

My wife and I have just had our MM2H visa approved. We will be moving to Penang either late next year or early 2021.

We both love the lifestyle there. Easy going locals, warm weather, great food. We've met quite a few retirees there over the past 6 years and not one of them has regretted moving to Penang. There is so much to do there. Exploring the place, finding a good spot to photograph. Going to a quiz night at an Irish pub. Joining a volunteer group.

We're going back in January to get the final details sorted with the MM2H visa and will be staying for 3 weeks.

Then the final planning starts to organise the move.

Can't wait

My husband and myself are going to malasia on 25th of Jan 2020 with a view of retiring there we are from Edinburg Scotland if anyone would like to befreind us when we get there it would be appreciated,

You really cant compare Spain and Malaysia, its apples and oranges. I too know Spain well and from the old days in the 70s before the British (and others) invasion. I would have chosen Spain first above all if it werent for that invasion. Culturally there is nothing to compare, one cant even find a normal museum in Malaysia, let alone what I would consider quality art, music and literature. But thats not the reason people come here. Its more about a steady warm climate, great food, lower prices, ease of getting around and that its also easy to get to other asian countries.

How do I put this. After 20 years here im bored and tired of the place and want to leave and part of the reason is that the grind of asian culture and ways eventually takes a toll on a person because its increasing hard to maintain the personal adjustments one has to make to be here at all. Im a westerner, its not my home, these arent my people. Eventually, you do want to see a face, a food, a climate, a storefront, a street, a conversation, even a bureaucrat behind a counter or a road you ARE familiar with. Malaysia especially, it becomes increasingly harder to deal with, or put on a face for, each different group--indian, chinese, malay, iban, etc--as they are so different and relate to you differently, too. It becomes harder because the differences slowly grind on you and wear you out. Still, for the good things about the place, how I see the best of an enjoyable time is to use it more sparingly, meaning that you stay part of the time in Malaysia, and part of the year somewhere else. Example, if I were rich enough to split time between US, a parador in Spain and a hilltop (but city accessible) place in Malaysia that I built myself, that would be an ideal life. To me personally, Malaysia is fantastic but not with all of your effort and all of your time. And, I dont want to be here as a hermit or only knowing other westerners, there would be no point or growth.

I feel im not being clear. There is a kind of struggle to understand and get along with each unfamiliar thing and its taxing. It never gets easier. Example, Chinese New Year is coming. In my neighborhood there is a public stage that at this time of year is used by practitioners of the lion dance to practice for their coming performances. BANG BANG BANG BOOM BOOM BOOM 8-10 hours a day pounding in your head. Its a Chinese thing, get used to it. Groups of Buddhists move to the neighborhood and close off the streets for a month for 20-hour a day chanting that blares and vibrates your skull. Be kind, get used to it, year after year. Either in a shop or govt office, you are told 50 different answers to the same question. Get used to it, year after year. You look around quiet villages looking for interesting food and people glare and stare at you because you dont belong there. Get used to it, year after year. An indian greets you while you wait sitting in a doctors office and demands to know 30 extremely personal things about you while revealing nothing about themselves. Get used to it. Oh sure, it was all great fun the first 1000 times, and then? This is why being here and also having a second or third home elsewhere several months a year could work so well.