Butterworth

Introduction

Butterworth is the city centre of Seberang Perai, on the Malaysian mainland side of Penang. It sits across the Penang Strait from George Town, the state capital, roughly three kilometres to the west, so the two are close neighbours separated by water.

Use Butterworth as a mainland base for exploring Seberang Perai and for crossing to George Town. The source gives little more than its setting and role, so treat it as a starting point rather than a destination in itself.

Getting there

Butterworth's main rail station sits next to the bus and ferry terminals, just south of the town centre, and it's the transport hub you'll likely arrive at. ETS trains run south to Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, while Komuter trains head north to Padang Besar on the Thai border, where you can connect to Hat Yai and Bangkok. Seats on the Kuala Lumpur trains often sell out, so book ahead at the KTMB office in the George Town ferry terminal or online. Komuter services to Padang Besar run hourly and take just under two hours; from there, shuttle trains reach Hat Yai, or you can take a local bus from the Thai side of the border. Border formalities happen inside Padang Besar station, but there's no ATM or currency exchange there, so sort out some Thai baht beforehand. Komuter trains also run south towards Taiping, where you can pick up more ETS services.

The bus station is a few metres from the train station, under the highway overpass, and any station representative can point you towards it. Buses serve many destinations around the country, including near-hourly services to Kuala Lumpur; most coaches have air-con, and while they usually lack restrooms, they stop at rest areas with food and facilities. Watch out for friendly-seeming touts at the bus station who sell overpriced vouchers rather than tickets. By road, the city is reached via the Butterworth Outer Ring Road and the Butterworth–Kulim Expressway. The Penang ferry to George Town departs regularly from the ferry terminal, which is linked to the rail and bus terminals by covered walkways and well signposted from the train station; the new ferries carry only pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles, and the onboard toilets are best avoided.

Getting around

Butterworth works best as a transport hub, and its key nodes are clustered together: the railway station, the Penang Sentral bus terminal and the ferry terminal all sit within a short walk of each other, linked by covered walkways. You can move between long-distance trains, interstate buses and the crossing to George Town without needing a taxi in between. The bus station is just a few metres from the train station, tucked under the highway overpass, and any train station representative can point you toward it. Directions to the ferry terminal (terminal feri) are well signposted from the train station.

For local journeys, Rapid Penang is the bus service covering most of the city as well as the entire Penang state. If you are heading across to George Town, the Penang ferry departs regularly from the ferry terminal; the new ferries carry only pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles, as the old car ferries have been decommissioned. You may want to use toilets at your hotel or at a restaurant before boarding, as the ferry toilets are known for their overuse and offensive odours. By road, the city is accessible via the Butterworth Outer Ring Road and the Butterworth–Kulim Expressway, the latter part of the North–South Expressway.

Where to stay

Butterworth has relatively few places to stay, and the options are mostly practical hotels rather than hostels or resorts. Several cluster in and around Bagan Luar, including Butterworth Travel Lodge on Lrg Bagan Luar 1 and Hotel Palm Inn on Jl Bagan Luar; the latter offers free Wi-Fi in all rooms, hot water, televisions and private bathrooms, though you may find the twin rooms short on toilet paper. De' Garden Hotel sits off Jl Telaga Air, a short drive from the ferry and bus terminal and close to the Raja Uda food enclave, with air-conditioning, cable TV, coffee and tea makers, internet access and a mini-bar, plus a business centre, laundry service and safe deposit boxes. Chariton Hotel on Lorong Jermal Indah is a budget-friendly choice with quality services and facilities.

Further out, Pearl View Hotel is in Chai Leng Park and includes a gym, spa and ballroom, while Sunway Hotel is in Seberang Jaya, across from George Town. If you are arriving via the Penang Bridge, allow roughly fifteen to thirty minutes to reach these hotels, depending on traffic. Book ahead if you are visiting at a busy time, as the town's room stock is limited.

Food & drink

Butterworth rewards you most at the table, and the eating spreads across several distinct areas. In Bandar Sunway you'll find a cluster of cafés including Old Town Kopitiam, Swenz and Sri Wan, a popular local hangout. Along the road toward the sea, Chinese restaurants line up one after another. Head to Pantai Bersih for seafood: the beach there has shrunk to a patch since the BORR highway arrived, but the handful of restaurants that remain serve good, cheap seafood.

• Jalan Raja Uda is the backbone of local eating, with hawker centres along its length offering most of the Penang repertoire. Two morning markets sit along the road, one off Jalan Ong Yi How and another further north known as 'Apollo'. The newer southern stretch, Wooly Avenue, has shoplots and restaurants.
• Bukit Tambun, in Seberang Perai Selatan, is known for relatively low-price fresh seafood, open daily from the evening.
• Sweet Paradise Dim Sum is a very popular dim sum restaurant, serving what is likely the best and largest variety of dim sum in the region.
• Heap Hoe Hin on Jalan Raja Uda has sold biscuits since 1949, with more than 450 kinds on offer.
• Times Moving Cafe on Jalan Ong Yi How, near Chung Ling High School, is known for low-price fresh wafer and French fries in many flavours, including cheese, BBQ and chocolate; look for the sharp pink van.
• For something sweet, a Mixue dessert shop sits in Taman Selayang Utama, Sungai Puyu.

What to see and do

Butterworth's most striking sight is the Temple of the Ninth Emperor God on Jl Raja Uda, a highly ornate complex with three grand prayer halls, neat sculptures and carvings, and architecture that rewards a slow look. It was built in 2000 by around fifty craftsmen from China and replaced an older temple that stood beside it from 1971. If you time your visit to the ninth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, you'll find the temple decorated for the annual Nine Emperor Gods (Kew Ong Yeah) festival.

For something outdoors, head to Pantai Bersih Beach at Bagan Ajam, a sandy stretch known for its seafood restaurants and popular with locals for picnics. Outside the city, the Penang Bird Park at Seberang Jaya in Perai houses a wide range of species from around the world, about half of them Malaysian, and lets you hand-feed birds in geodesic domes and two giant walk-in aviaries, with bird shows twice daily; note that some visitors report poor conditions for the birds, while others find it worthwhile. You can reach it by a short bus ride from the Butterworth Ferry Terminal. Also outside the city, the Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest is a protected recreation park little known to the public, with boardwalks and suspension bridges through the forest and views from observation towers and gazebos.

Three days in Butterworth

Day one: Start in Butterworth itself, the mainland gateway on the Penang Strait, and use the town as your base for exploring Seberang Perai. Begin around Bagan Luar, the old commercial heart near the waterfront, where you can get your bearings and arrange transport. Butterworth is well connected by rail: the ETS links it to Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, while the Komuter serves Padang Besar on the Thai border and onward toward Hat Yai and Bangkok. Seats on KTMB services are best booked ahead. If you arrive by road, the North South Expressway, Butterworth Outer Ring Road and Kulim Expressway all feed into the area, and buses also connect the town with Taiping. Settle in, sort out an ATM and a local SIM, and take an evening stroll to watch the strait.

• Base yourself in Butterworth and orient around Bagan Luar
• Book KTMB seats in advance for ETS and Komuter journeys
• Use the North South Expressway, Butterworth Outer Ring Road or Kulim Expressway if driving

Day two: Cross the Penang Strait to George Town, the island's historic capital, and spend the day wandering its streets and sampling Malaysian food. The Penang ferry and Penang Sentral make the crossing straightforward, and Rapid Penang buses will get you around once you are on the island. Return to Butterworth in the evening; the Butterworth Travel Lodge is a convenient place to stay if you prefer to keep the mainland as your base.

• Take the ferry or Penang Sentral connections across the Penang Strait
• Explore George Town on foot and by Rapid Penang bus
• Return to Butterworth for the night

Day three: Use Butterworth as a springboard for the wider region. Head north by Komuter toward Padang Besar and the Thai border, or south by ETS to Ipoh or Kuala Lumpur if you are continuing your journey. For a shorter outing, buses run to Taiping. Check directions and timings at Penang Sentral before you set out, and keep some time to enjoy the waterfront and the town's everyday Malaysian character before you leave.

• Day trips by Komuter or ETS toward Padang Besar, Ipoh or Kuala Lumpur
• Buses to Taiping for a shorter excursion
• Confirm directions and timings at Penang Sentral