MY · Penang · 5.27°N 100.46°E

bukit tambun

Riverside seafood, painted shophouses and fishing boats on the mainland.

Best time
Any time of year. Come in the late afternoon to see the murals in daylight, then stay for dinner as the restaurants fill up.
How long
Half a day
Getting there
About 3.5–4 hours' drive from KL on the North–South Expressway; leave at the Bukit Tambun exit. From George Town it's about 40 minutes over the second bridge. There's no handy bus, so drive.
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MY · Penangbukit tambun5.27°N 100.46°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Riverside seafood, painted shophouses and fishing boats on the mainland.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingBukit TambunMY, Penang
KLbukit tambun
≈ 273 km from KL, as the crow flies
Bukit Tambun, South Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia

Photo: Chongkian · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A fishing village on the Penang mainland where the seafood restaurants stand on stilts over Sungai Jawi. People drive over for long dinners of crab and prawns, and the shophouses on the main street are painted top to bottom with murals.

Makan

  1. Steamed fishWhatever is fresh that day, steamed Teochew-style or with ginger and soy.Map ↗
  2. Mantis prawnsFried with salt and pepper or tossed in a buttery sauce.Map ↗
  3. CrabChilli, salted egg or plain steamed: the messy centrepiece of the table.Map ↗
  4. Mee JawaYellow noodles in a thick, sweet prawn gravy, a lighter local favourite.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. The stilt restaurantsBig open-air seafood places built out over Sungai Jawi, busiest at dinner.Map ↗
  2. The painted main streetShophouses covered in murals, from Bruce Lee to portraits of the shopkeepers themselves.Map ↗
  3. The jettyWatch the fishing boats come up the river from the jetty beside the restaurants.Map ↗
  4. Pulau AmanThe kampung island is a short boat ride from the Batu Musang jetty, about 15 minutes' drive away.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The big seafood restaurants are Chinese-run and mostly not halal.
  • Weekend dinners get busy. Arrive before sunset or book ahead for a big group.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.