Hidden Gems in Plain Sight in Penang

Discover a secluded waterfall, the private side of street art and great shopping

- Venessa Lee

PENANG - The term "hidden gem" is oft-abused. For every TikTok clip about a cafe or beach unmarred by the masses, there is one comment or 10, yelling something like "Hidden gem, my foot!"

Insider secrets are not likely to be spilled online.

But consider your neighbourhood bak chor mee stall. Sometimes, vinegary noodles savoured alone at night, while scrolling through your phone, is all you want.

The hidden gem in plain sight offers something the latest Michelin lollapalooza cannot: No pressure.

There is freedom from crowds, freedom from credit card overload and even freedom from Fomo (fear of missing out) because, hey, you have missed out on the hot ticket already, you might as well enjoy the party you have going on.

Even in Penang, known to generations of Singaporeans on a short break, there are attractions that deserve wider attention. A secluded waterfall, a narrow runway on the sea and a market for heritage buffs are among these quiet pleasures.

WATERFALL OASIS

A waterfall burbles near the tourist-friendly beaches of Batu Ferringhi. This suburb in northern Penang is less than 15 minutes by car from my hotel - the newly opened M Social Resort Penang, part of the M Social hotel chain by Millennium Hotels & Resorts, a global Singapore brand.

I take a Grab private-hire vehicle, the preferred way of taxiing around the Malaysian island, to the standalone Kafe Vsassy Enterprise in Jalan Batu Ferringhi, which serves hearty Indian food.

Fortified with teh tarik and thosai, I walk an easy half-hour into the nearby forest to reach Batu Ferringhi Iron Waterfall. The barking of dogs unseen, likely feral ones, fades as the path gives way to a gentle slope.

The waterfall, said to be named for the reddish colour of the surrounding rocks, stains some stones liver-red. It is small but vivifying. Tiny fish dart in finger-deep pools, improbably birthed on this broiling hill.