After a relaxing day yesterday, we woke up and headed down for breakfast. The Lone Pine Hotel offered a great spread, and we thoroughly enjoyed the morning ambiance. The restaurant setup, nestled among the trees, provided a serene start to our day. We then took a final walk around the hotel grounds, admiring the colonial-style architecture and the way the morning light filtered through the casuarina trees. We wanted to stock up on a few food items for our long rail journey to Thailand so we walked around to pick up a few things from shops nearby.
We decided to be a little adventurous and take the local bus from our hotel to the jetty to catch the ferry to Butterworth on mainland Malaysia. We didn’t have to wait at the bus stop for long. The bus ride was pleasant, offering great views of the Andaman Sea as we wound along the coast. We also caught our first glimpse of the historic streets of Georgetown, where old colonial buildings began to appear more frequently.
At the jetty, we boarded the ferry along with a steady stream of people and vehicles. It was interesting to see the logistics of the operation; cars were packed onto the lower deck while passenger seating was located on the upper deck. The Georgetown Ferry Terminal is a bustling hub that has connected the island to the mainland for decades, maintaining a classic charm despite the modern city surrounding it.
On the way, we saw the famous Penang Bridge stretching across the horizon. It is among the longest bridges in the world and remains a proud national landmark for Malaysia. As we moved further away from the island, the skyline of Georgetown and the masts at the Georgetown Marina created a beautiful maritime silhouette against the sky.
Butterworth railway station was just a quick walk from the ferry terminal. Upon reaching the mainland, we walked around a bit and grabbed some food at a nearby hawker center. I had planned our travel from Malaysia to Thailand by rail because we wanted to do something different—moving away from the standard group tour itineraries that most tourists follow in South East Asia.
seat61.com is a fantastic resource that helped me coordinate the logistics. As we waited for our train, the International Express IE 36, we were treated to a view of the magnificent Eastern & Oriental Express. This luxury train is famous for its green and gold carriages and provides a high-end touring experience for those traveling from Bangkok to Butterworth (Penang) to Kuala Lumpur to Singapore or vice versa.
Soon, our own train arrived, and we made our way to our seats. The configuration was simple—just two compartments pulled by a diesel engine. It was relaxing to sit back and watch the lush Malaysian countryside roll by. As we approached the border with Thailand, the train slowed down and finally came to a halt at Padang Besar railway station.
This was a first for us: an international border crossing by rail. We were looking forward to the novelty of completing immigration and customs formalities at a railway station—a sharp contrast to the usual airport experience. Having crossed from the USA to Canada by road previously, we were excited to add “by rail” to our list (leaving only “by sea,” which I eventually checked off more than a decade later in Estonia 🔗).
We had to leave our bags on the train for inspection by customs officials. The process of leaving Malaysia and entering Thailand was surprisingly efficient, taking no more than 15 minutes. After changing some currency, we were back on board, officially traveling through Thailand. As the train began its journey north, the coach attendant set up our tables for dinner.
The sun set quickly, and the landscape outside turned into a dark blur. We soon approached Hat Yai, the first major town on the Thai side of the border. Here, our two compartments were attached to a larger train heading to Bangkok. Once we were underway again, the coach attendant transformed our seating area into cozy sleeper berths for the night. We fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of the tracks as the train made its way toward the Thai capital.
🚍 Rapid Penang Batu Ferringhi to Georgetown
⛴️ Penang Ferry Georgetown to Butterworth