Call us the leaders of budget stays that don't look like budgety at all, in fact they look fabulous! My husband spend hours searching for stays that fulfill our criteria, like proximity to the city centre or bus stop, beach or supermarket, with amenities like swimming pool or play areas (depending on whether we are traveling with kids, parents or as a couple).
For Penang, we divided our stay into 3 parts: two in Georgetown, the capital/city centre of Penang and the third stay on the beach. The most popular beach is Feringhi Beach and hence the properties there (of our liking were humungously expensive.) So we searched for properties on that part of the island, but a different, lesser known beach and found Tanjung Bungah beach. Of course there were a tonne of beachfront properties (mostly skyscrapers) and while there were biggies like Hilton and Flamingo, we chose Rainbow Paradise Resort as it suited more to our budget.
We were staying at the 25th floor from which we could see the sea, the city and the sea and the city and the roads. Basically we had a 270 degrees free view, something that we simply lucked out on and money couldn't buy. We had our drinks (coffee, tea and soda) out in the balcony, whenever we could and would never get tired of.
The breakfast spread was nice but the poolside and sea view from the dining hall was even better! There were activities like pickle ball and mini golf too, on extra payment. And during the night, there used to be fire shows on the beach, which must not be missed at any cost.
The property was a bit run down, but it was bougie on a budget nevertheless. A room that big with that kind of view is unforgettable. It was definitely a great choice.
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