The first half of the year is gone, and now we welcome the second half. Kayden has worked hard during his first semester in primary one. He used to be a boy who dislikes the Chinese language, but after attending his primary school, his passion for his mother tongue grew. To reward for his hard work, my wife and myself decided to go for a short vacation which will not break our savings account.

Staycation in Singapore is not an option because a night stay in Sentosa could cost us about SG$400 per night for a small room. We want to get out of Singapore and experience something new. Therefore, we decided to travel to Penang, an island in Malaysia which we have never visited before. With good currency exchange rates and short travelling time, a family holiday to Malaysia’s Penang is definitely a wise choice.

Comparing several budget airlines flying to Penang, Air Asia offers the best arrival timing, departure timings and pricing. Per pax, I am paying SG$203 including extra leg room and taxes. Therefore for our family of four, we are paying SG$610, and Baby N travels free since he is a baby.

Departing from Changi Airport Terminal 4, our Air Asia departure time is at 11.25am and the estimated arrival time is at 12.45pm. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, our flight was delayed for 30 minutes. The flight delay was quite a letdown as this is our first time taking Air Asia. We reached Penang International Airport at 1.30pm and took a taxi to DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Penang. How much was our taxi fare? RM63.

My flight ✈ has been delayed. Oh well, we just take photo 📷 first ok? #Familyphotography #familytime #familyportrait #thehappynow #smiles #gratitude #makingmemories #happyiness #parenting #babiesofinstagram #familylife #daddylife #dadlife #instasg #enjoythelittlethings #simplepleasures #fatherhood #sgparentblogger #fatherhoodmoments #airasia #penang

A post shared by Soon Koon (@lemonfilmblog) on Jun 1, 2018 at 8:52pm PDT

Located along the northern beach area of Penang, our travel journey from Penang International Airport to DoubleTree Resort took about 50 minutes. There were some minor traffic jams, but it wasn’t bad. Our taxi driver told me that DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Penang is a one-year-old hotel. He even offered RM200 per day (maximum 8 hours) to be our tour guide. I thought it will be convenient for us since we had a one-year-old baby and a six-year-old boy who is active every moment. Giving it a thought, we decided to use Grab for our daily commuting needs instead.

First Thoughts On DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Penang

From far, the building structure of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Penang looks like staircases. Painted in white, the resort blends perfectly well to the bluish sea colour which it is facing.

Chocolate chip walnut cookie is what DoubleTree Resort offers to all its guests. Generous chunky walnuts and large chocolate bits, no one will say no to their signature warm cookies. There is also a refreshing iced cold water infused with slices of oranges. This is something that will quench anyone’s thirst.

After a short wait, we got our holiday room which is on level five. My first impression of the place? It is really huge! Named the King Terrance Suite Seaview, this is a one-bedroom apartment facing the sea.

Our King Terrance Suite Seaview measures 58 square meters. The bedroom is fully furnished with a king-sized bed and an LCD flat panel television. The most stunning is the 32 square meter balcony overlooking the sea, equipped with two sundeck chairs and an 8 seated dining table.

The bathroom has a bathtub and a walk-in rain shower. DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Penang even partnered with Crabtree & Evelyn to provide luxurious toiletries for its guests. Our room comes with free WiFi which I feel the network speed is reasonable. I would say our hotel room is safe for young children.

Our room is so comfortable that we are too lazy to get out of our room and explore the hotel. Kayden and Baby N had so much fun running around the room, shouting and laughing. As the time is almost 3 pm and we have yet to have our lunch, we decided to call for room service to satisfy our hungry stomachs.

We ordered Nasi Lemak (RM30), Nasi Goreng Kampung (RM38), Char Kuay Teow (RM35) and Saga Gula Melaka (RM28) by calling the hotel’s help desk. After waiting for almost an hour, our late lunch is delivered to our room. To our surprise, our lunch turns out very delicious. I would rate five out of five!

At 5 pm, we decided to set off to Batu Ferringhi. Known as the second most popular destination after Georgetown in Penang, you can find restaurants, pubs and night markets in Batu Ferringhi. If you are craving for hawker street food, you have to visit Georgetown instead.

Lovely White Beach At Batu Ferringhi

Batu Ferringhi is the destination for water sports and lovely sandy beaches. If you are looking for a beautiful place to chill, I would recommend the Starbucks located at Jalan Batu Ferringhi. Just a few steps away, you can walk to the sandy beach or enjoy the sunset from the Starbucks’ outdoor viewing area.

This is how we have enjoyed and chilled on our first day in Penang. We don’t want to rush for time, but instead spend time and experience new things together.