Comments on Capturing Penang: A House; A Hotel; A School; A Film Set; A Treasure...

Hi Chi Chung - It's wonderful to know that you...

2011-09-16T18:48:13.639-07:00

Hi Chi Chung - It's wonderful to know that you had a great time in Penang. Looks like you managed to explore some of the off touristy places for the unique experiences.

Hi, we had great time at Penang, couldn't get ...

2011-09-14T01:04:15.500-07:00

Hi, we had great time at Penang, couldn't get to the Crag Hotel, but we enjoyed the night market for food, second-hand bookshop at the Chowrasta Market, Flea Market, Goh Chan Lau (Shih Chung School) and the 99-Door Mansion at Nibong Tebal. We also like the ferry to the Butterworth as well, George Town is just like a old Hong Kong, we would like to come again. cheers!

Hi Chi Chung, sorry for the late reply. We've...

2011-09-06T03:38:11.871-07:00

Hi Chi Chung, sorry for the late reply. We've been pretty busy with www.SeasonWithSpice.com.

Hope you had a wonderful trip to Penang and made it to Crag Hotel!

Very nice webpage, i will try to follow your recom...

2011-08-29T07:53:40.700-07:00

Very nice webpage, i will try to follow your recommends. such as second book shop...etc
is still possible to visit the old Crag Hotel? i'll travel to Penang tomorrow for six days (30Aug~4Spet), i love to see the old place around Penang (specially abandoned place). would you mind to show me the way how to get there.
or u could also send to my E-mail account: chunglala@hotmail.com
ChiChung From Hong Kong

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your stories of Uplan...

2011-07-15T19:51:09.254-07:00

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your stories of Uplands School. Always wonderful to hear firsthand accounts of what life was like in Penang many years ago.

Nice to see these photos. I was a boarder here bac...

2011-07-15T05:25:04.687-07:00

Nice to see these photos. I was a boarder here back in 1953 (lower bungalow school then up to crags) 1955-56.We used to have assembly in a room to the right of the main entrance and mealtimes at the big building with the stone steps. To the left of this and below there were a couple of caves in the granite foundations under the building which were out of bounds if my memory serves me well

What a fascinating post! i'd have been scared ...

2011-07-14T01:03:20.834-07:00

What a fascinating post! i'd have been scared to bits walking in there. Looks very scary, haunted. I'll keep fingers crossed too that the developer treats the place with respect and does more good than harm. Keep us in the loop!

Thanks Bee. It will be good to see the property b...

2011-06-17T05:35:17.684-07:00

Thanks Bee. It will be good to see the property brought back to life and used as it originally was - a hotel.

Great to see and read the history of this hotel wh...

2011-06-13T13:58:12.559-07:00

Great to see and read the history of this hotel which will be an Amanresorts in the future. Having an Amanresorts in Penang WILL put Penang on a completely new level of hip, and I am personally very excited about it.

Thank you Debi and Christina! Yes, fingers crosse...

2011-06-05T22:34:42.094-07:00

Thank you Debi and Christina! Yes, fingers crossed that the developers keep the main building intact, and also keep the historic appeal of the area (and keep a ghost or two around).

Will keep everyone updated.

What a fascinating post! i'd have been scared ...

2011-06-02T20:42:49.216-07:00

Reese, I loved reading this. I hope the main buil...

2011-06-02T17:15:05.888-07:00

Reese,

I loved reading this. I hope the main building will be preserved. From the pictures, it's a fascinating place.

The building looks mysterious and inviting to the curious. The green surroundings give an aura of safety.

These are beautiful pictures taken with an artistic eye.

Reese, It is available from Amazon.com, but I a...

2011-06-01T12:15:14.628-07:00

Reese,

It is available from Amazon.com, but I am not sure if about deliveries to Malaysia. I am in Arkansas, so I was able to order it online.

Cheers,
Han Chuan

Hi Han Chuan, Thanks for the tip. Would love to...

2011-05-31T07:43:44.258-07:00

Hi Han Chuan,

Thanks for the tip. Would love to read it, but I haven't seen it anywhere in Penang. Any idea where we can pick up a copy?

Thanks!

Reese

Hi Stephen, Wonder if they will hire a few "...

2011-05-31T07:40:23.641-07:00

Hi Stephen,

Wonder if they will hire a few "Penang Ghost Busters" before they renovate the place. Plenty of them around willing to do the job.

Mark & Reese

P.S. Got your last comment - let's just say you, "hit the nail on the head"

For a good read on the former British governors...

2011-05-30T19:14:23.552-07:00

For a good read on the former British governors' fascination with Penang Hill as a respite from the tropical heat, read Kate Sanderson's Past Particles in Penang. The book describes the Penang that I was never aware of when living on the island for 18 years of my life.

The artist rendering of the place after Reno works...

2011-05-30T05:13:00.739-07:00

The artist rendering of the place after Reno works depicts a building of glass which looks totally Incongruent with the setting.I hope they restore the "Sanatorium" to it's former glory and keep it's rustic charm.I don't mind spending a couple of nights there after the transformation to take in the ethereal charm of the place, have tea in the gardens amidst the foliage, cool minty breeze and maybe have the company of ghosts from the past to talk about about how it was in those days of fluctuating rubber prices, tropical maladies and perils of tin mining or even the problems of native help. That would be brilliant!

An update since I posted this story yesterday: Th...

2011-05-28T07:48:52.354-07:00

An update since I posted this story yesterday:

The Star published an article today about the Penang State government reaching a deal with a big resort developer based in Indonesia, which will be signed in two weeks. The developer stated that they will preserve the main building and turn it into a restaurant/lounge.

Difficult to trust developers in Penang, but fingers crossed they keep their word and retain the historical charm of the site.

For anyone wanting to visit the site in its current state, I would recommend getting there soon. I'm sure the developer will seal off the property soon, if not already.

Hi Victor, Very eery. Not a place I would want to...

2011-05-28T07:42:28.977-07:00

Hi Victor,

Very eery. Not a place I would want to walk through at night.

I heard the main building/site was haunted. Looked...

2011-05-28T05:17:11.552-07:00

I heard the main building/site was haunted. Looked eerily enough just looking at the photos, and the black dog (something out of a horror movie).