We decided to go away to Penang, Malaysia for the long Chinese New Year weekend. Most of the hotels were fully-booked so the Hard Rock Hotel seemed like the best choice. Because of the festive holiday, it was parked like sardines with kids everywhere we turned. The pool was constantly packed and the hotel in general was rather noisy. If we do return to Penang, it won't be to stay at this hotel.

We had to pay RM40 for a taxi ride to the city. The malls are quite modern but there's nothing really there that we can't get in Singapore. The food we had at a restaurant along Ferringghi Beach was mediocre at best. It was an ok trip but CNY is definitely not a good time to travel around Asia.