Bukit Mertajam

Bukit Mertajam is a town in Penang, Malaysia.

Get in

By bus

Bukit Mertajam is a town in Penang State. There are two main express bus stations in Penang, Butterworth Bus Terminal near the ferry terminal and KTM train station and Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal on Penang Island (around 10 minutes drive from Butterworth). Bukit Mertajam is just a short distance away from Butterworth Bus / KTM (Train) / Ferry terminal. To get to Butterworth Bus terminal, take an express bus. Many major bus companies like Transnasional, Konsortium, Sri Maju, Suasana Edaran and Aeroline go to Penang / Butterworth / Georgetown. You can find the express bus schedules at Roadhop. The bus driver will drop you off direct at Bukit Mertajam. If that is not possible, take the ferry from Butterworth Bus terminal to Penang Sentral local bus terminal on Penang Island. When you arrive, take bus 701 and 702 from Rapidpenang for around 2.7RM to go to Bukit Mertajam. These buses do not come often but it is the cheapest way to get in.

By train

Alternatively, you can take the KTM train. There are a number of lines to choose from, for example, Express Rakyat 1 and Express Langkawi EL8. Trains are really convenient if you are coming from locations without express bus terminals! Bukit Mertajam was a major railway hub for both passengers and cargo. If you drive to Bukit Mertajam, you will encounter a surprising number of railway crossings everywhere. There is one coming from the short cut from Permatang Tinggi and two coming from Permatang Tengah. Moreover, the railway station once won the most beautiful station in Malaysia award.

• 1 Bukit Mertajam railway station (Stesen keretapi Bukit Mertajam). (updated May 2020)

By taxi

If you can also take a taxi from Penang Sentral to Bukit Mertajam, but you risk having a high fare because of the traffic. It will cost around RM 30-50 for a day trip or RM 120-150 at night. Ironically, the taxi drivers at Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal actually charge much less and have a fixed price! In Bukit Mertajam, there are local buses connecting from towns like Kulim and Parit Buntar. It is also a short distance away from the beach resorts at Batu Ferringhi.

By car

Most of the car rental places in Penang are located at the airport, so if you will like to drive to Bukit Mertajam, it is better to fly in using one of the budget flights and rent a car.

Get around

The only public transport available in the town is bus, with some lines running as infrequently as once every hour or two. You can travel around with taxi too, but you can rarely get a taxi on the street. Normally, you only can get the taxi from the main taxi terminal.

See

• Bukit Berapit - a hill full of fruit trees such as durian, mangosteen, and nutmeg, with two Buddhist temples and scenic views
• Mengkuang Dam - the biggest dam in Penang, and a recreational activities venue
• The railway station - once won the most beautiful station in Malaysia award

Religious sites

• 1 St. Anne Church. The church was built in 1888. Every 3rd-4th week of July, pilgrims from around the world flock to this church and spend a night celebrating St. Anne's Day.  
• Pek Kong Cheng - Also known as "Tua Pek Gong Biu" to some, is an old Chinese temple with its rich history and existed since the early development of Bukit Mertajam. It serves not only as a place of worship, but also as a central point of the town's major wet and dry market. There are many food stalls located around the temple each with different specialty (operates 24 hours) and it is a popular eating spot for both the locals and tourists. Few of the specialties include silver needle noodles (Niao Chu Hun/Bee Tai Bak), white wantan mee and roast duck/pork rice.

Do

• Tokun Hill - It is a small hill for hiking. On the track up to the hill, you can always notice invertebrates like millipedes and colorful butterflies.

Buy

• Auto City, 1688-F8, Jalan Perusahaan, Highway Auto-City, North-South Highway Juru Interchange, ☏ +60 4-5011222, golden@autocity.com.my. Area full of restaurants, pubs and cafes. A lot of youngsters hang out there after 9 or 10PM. Among the shops there are the fast food restaurants KFC, McDonalds, and Subway; the coffee shops Starbucks, Coffee Bean, and Segafredo; the SOHO and Bed pubs; Sushi King, The Manhattan Fish Market, Isshin Japanese Restaurant, Tao Japanese Buffet, Chicago Rib House; and Swensen and Haagen-Dazs for ice cream. 
• 1 ÆON Mall Bukit Mertajam. (updated Apr 2022) Spacious mall featuring a supermarket, familiar chain eateries & retailers like KFC, Baskin Robbins and Nando's & a TGV movie theater.

Eat

• Black man's rojak (pronounced olang rojak in Hokkien)
• Duck egg fried kuey teow (there are 3 stalls operated by 3 brothers, one in front of the railway station, another beside the taxi station, and the latest one in Jalan Kulim)
• Soya milk (nearby Pek Kong Cheng temple along Jalan Pasar)
• Roast duck and pork rice (roadside stall beside Pek Kong Cheng temple)
• Chendol - BM Chendol House, or the one in the market, behind KFC
• Yam rice at Taman Sentosa
• Hawker food in Taman Sri Rambai, Taman Sentosa
• Dim sum ("Wong Chow" or "Soon Hong" restaurant)
• Nasi kandar pelita
• Konlo mee (also known as tok tok mee) and mee soup (similar to Koay Teow Th'ng) - stall is located between the fruit stalls and Pek Kong Cheng temple
• Bak kut teh non-halal food/soup - there are 2 shops located at Jalan Mutiara, Taman Sri Rambai, operated by brothers; one is top 20 most delicious bak kut teh in Malaysia

Sleep

The Summit Hotel

Palm inn

Iconic Hotel

Chariton Hotel Alma

U Design Hotel

My Hotel Bukit Mertajam