Situated on the shores of Batu Ferringhi Beach, the PARKROYAL Penang is an ideal location to explore Penang's National Park and surrounding area.
Located on Batu Ferringhi beach and only a 30 minute ride from the airport, The PARKROYAL Penang makes for an ideal location for exploring the hidden gem of Penang; Penang National Park (Taman Negara Pulau Pinang).
If your are coming to Penang, Malaysia and are looking for something to do other than eating your way through the old town and admiring really cool street art, than you might want to consider visiting their National Park. This small protected forest is full of nature trails, streams and plenty of different animal species to keep you entertained.
Although you can easily visit the park on your own, we wanted to learn about the trees and the animals, so we decided to organize a stay with the Park Royal Penang, which was located only a few minutes from the National Park. Conveniently they also offer a private tour of the park with a well-educated and experienced guide.
We opted to stay at the PARKROYAL Penang because of the various activities and excursions they can help you can plan for during your stay; especially the jungle trek and their spa.
Visiting Penangs National Park
Even though this hotel felt completely geared towards families and large business groups, the exclusive activities is what truly sets this property apart. We specifically came to the Batu Ferringhi area so that we could do some jungle trekking and see the Penang National Park. We were looking for something different!
We met with ourprivate guide in the morning at the hotel and after a short drive to the park we were ready! We were taken on a guided walk (it wasn’t too treacherous) through the jungles to seek out various animal species in their natural habitat and learn about the different plant and flower life surrounding the area. Climbing over naturally made staircases, cooling off in little streams and looking around at all the greenery, made us really appreciate just how beautiful this world really is.
Here we were, standing in the middle of the worlds smallest National Park, completely soaked in sweat, tired, thousands of miles away from home and we couldn’t have been happier. We followed monkeys through the trees, learned about the different poisonous plants and watched Monitor Lizards swim up to shore. It was a fascinating experience and a definite must do, when visiting Penang.
About PARKROYAL Penang
Park Royal Penang has 309 rooms and suites divided into 10 different rooms categories: some are pool facing with stunning ocean views, while other look out at the lush tropical hills. No matter what room type you choose, make sure to reserve a room with a balcony. Watching the sunset as you sip some wine or an ice cold beer from the privacy of your balcony, is what coming to Penang is all about. It’s taking in the stunning scenery, while completely relaxing.
We stayed in a Grand Deluxe Ocean Room, which was a bit out of date, but had all the important necessities, complete with a large private terrace with chaise lounges. Our room was comfortable, had great WiFi and was in the perfect location for our needs.
Our view also overlooked the large swimming area which had a kids pool, complete with two giant water slides. The rest of the pool area was quite expansive with plenty of lounge chairs and places to bask in the sun or hide under some shade. There are plenty of activities to do around the pool such as water volleyball, Marco Polo, or if you're like us - the Sunset Bar is nearby :)
Dining at PARKROYAL Penang
The resort has four restaurants and a wonderful sunset bar all of which consist of eastern and western cuisine with views of the ocean. We had dinner one night at Uncle Zack’s, where we choose to indulge in the restaurants large mixed grill buffet. From grilled lobster, to mussels, to steaks, to salads and plenty of desserts, we feasted on a bit of everything while taking in the beautiful sunsets, Penang is known for.
If you want to get out of the resort, there are plenty of local restaurants within walking distance. The concierge team is available to give you great recommendations, or just walk outside of the hotel and you’ll find several delicious options.
One of the Best Massages
So you've had a massage, you’ve probably had a couple…but have you ever had a traditional Malay Massage? My masseuse alternated between gentle and hard touches as she stretched and kneaded my sore body. She applied herbal oils that just added to the experience and left my body feeling smooth and relaxed. It was absolutely wonderful and definitely one of the best massages I’ve had. If anything, I’ll be back to Penang for a massage!
PARKROYAL Penang is home to the St. Gregory spa and was definitely a welcome escape from the hot, humid air of Penang. They offer an extensive range of holistic therapeutic treatments such as Thalgo Marine Facials, traditional Malay massages, as well as Thalgo Specialised Hydrobaths and Ayurvedic treatments. The team at the spa was incredibly professional and did a great job working out my knots. St. Gregory has also won many honors and awards over the years including the ‘Best Traditional Treatment’ award in Harper’s Bazaar (Malaysia).
For more information about PARKROYAL Penang, make sure to visit their website: