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I WAS taken aback when someone who is actively involved in Penang’s hospitality industry recently passed a remark that these days, the beach resorts and hotels in Batu Ferringhi looked more like hospitals or old folks homes.

He must surely be joking, I thought. But no, the person who said it was dead serious although everyone else who heard the remark cracked up and started laughing out loud.

The thing about it was that the person who said it was no greenhorn to Batu Ferringhi who was just shooting off his mouth after a few rounds of beer.

Nope, this was a person who knew what he was talking about. He has seen it all and been through the best of times when Batu Ferringhi was the place to be at.

A veteran of the nightlife scene at Batu Ferringhi, he said there was no doubt that the beachside was still a famed destination which could easily rival the best tourist spots in the region.

“However, the oomph factor is long gone and this place just does not have the charisma it used to have. The feeling is just not right.

“Now, the hotels and resorts look more like hospitals or old folks homes. The kind of tourists coming here are just not the same as those who used to flock to Batu Ferringhi in the good old days,” he said.

Curiosity soon got the better of me and after some checking with those familiar with Penang’s tourism scene, I gathered that things were indeed different at Batu Ferringhi now compared to the carefree days of the 80s and 90s.

Located on the northern coast of the turtle-shaped Penang island, Batu Ferringhi was a happening place back then.

The era was deemed as the golden age of Batu Ferringhi. It was a time when numerous motels and bed-and-breakfast (B&B) joints sprung up at every nook and corner to cater to all the backpackers who made a beeline to the beachfront.

At the more posh beachside hotels, business was also roaring with guests — especially those from Scandinavian countries spending their winter holidays here.

People also had multiple choices to enjoy at the various pubs, beachside bars and discotheques which are still spoken about until today. These include joints like the Cinta discotheque, Fun Pub, Kuda Laut, Palm Beach, Beers pub and Borsalino and The Study discotheques.

These were all the places that people flocked to not just on the weekends but week days with guests making a beeline there from all over.

They comprised not only tourists but also the many expatriates who used to work at the electronics companies in the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone.

It was boom time for the electronics industry then and employees in the factories enjoyed humongous bonuses, money which they freely spent enjoying at the pubs and discos in Batu Ferringhi.

Fast forward to now, and one would be left wondering what has happened to the once-vibrant and exciting place.

Gone are the young, carefree backpackers and the tourist arrivals are seasonal at best.

Only during long weekends does the place become somewhat livelier. But oops, just what option do visitors have upon reaching Batu Ferringhi?

The place is virtually dead throughout the day and only comes alive when the night market operators start setting up their stalls around 8pm to sell all the pirated DVDs and counterfeit brands.

Of course, there is also the ever-packed Long Beach hawker centre which attracts all the gwai lo (Westerners) who cannot get enough of the “absolutely delicious and dirt-cheap” food (as they describe it) there.

It is safe to say that those looking for a rocking good time at Batu Ferringhi inevitably end up at the Hard Rock Hotel — which is now the most rocking place in the area.

It is true that Batu Ferringhi may not be as lively as it used to be. But to say that it is akin to one big retirement zone is definitely an exaggeration.

But then again, controlling the establishment of entertainment centres may just be the best thing to happen for the holiday spot.

After all, Penang already has enough watering holes and entertainment joints all over the island. Those seeking such fun can easily head to places like Straits Quay or Upper Penang Road, just to name a few destinations for livelier activities.

Batu Ferringhi should be left as an idyllic spot for people to enjoy its natural settings, although this is also fast disappearing with numerous upscale residential projects springing up all over, especially along the hillsides.

To sum it up, Batu Ferringhi has seen its heyday as a top tourist destination that was really happening.

Perhaps it is now only appropriate that it is promoted as a serene spot for family vacations and an attraction for those seeking some peace and quiet.

News source

Posted by admin on July 2, 2011 under Travelogue.