Penang, Malaysia | January 2024

Come join us in Penang, Malaysia for a fun-filled and community-centered worldschooling gathering January 28 - February 3, 2024. Chinese New Year is celebrated on Feb 10, 2024, and we hope to catch the beginnings of this festive season in Penang.

The Worldschool Pop-Up Hub provides super casual, budget-friendly opportunities to gather, connect with other worldschoolers, learn about the local area, instill new friendships, share your insights, and immerse in a friendly, accepting mobile community. Our activities highlight local nature, history, food, and culture... but you'll also have plenty of time to relax, get to know each other, and even stray from the itinerary to add activities that cater to the group's interests.

Pop in for a few days or the full week. Join as many activities as you'd like. It's up to you!  

Our itinerary will include activities such as the following: 

*Georgetown UNESCO World Heritage Zone + it's iconic murals

*Clan Jetties 

*Entopia Butterfly Farm 

*Penang Hill 

*Taman Bandaraya Youth Park 

*Eat at a Hawker Centre 

*Kek Lok Si Temple 

*New World Park 

*Hin Market 

*Balik Pulau - Saanen Dairy Goat Farm 

*Sunset at Pantai Malindo

*Beach Day 

*Friendship Park "I Love Penang" Sign Photo-Op

Add-ons include the Snake Temple, Floating Mosque, Penang National Park, and The Habitat on Penang Hill.

COST per Family

US$100 Early Bird Rate, expires October 15, 2023

US$140 Regular Rates (a $25 discount is available for families in need, use code PENANG25 at checkout)

MEET YOUR HOST:

Rachel & family sold everything in 2014 and never have looked back. They've been completely nomadic since 2018, homeschooling their three children. Some of their favorite family travel destinations include Turkey, Romania, New Zealand, Spain, and London. Their two younger kids will join the Penang Pop-Up and will be 14 and 16 years old.

LODGING & NEIGHBORHOODS:

Georgetown & Tanjung Tokong will be the most centralized locations for our activities, however there are many neighborhoods to choose from. Here are a few to consider: 

• Georgetown - The historic center and capital of the island... and is the UNESCO World Heritage Zone. Housing will typically be in old, unique shop houses although many units are renovated and modern on the inside.
• Tanjung Tokong and Straits Quay - North of Georgetown, a much more modern-looking area with many skyscrapers. The host family will be staying here.
• Batu Ferringhi - The popular beaches area and expat haven (although expats will be found in all these neighborhoods)
• *Note, if you choose to stay longer to experience Lunar New Year, traffic everywhere will be quite bad for the holidays, but perhaps most especially along this entire northern stretch of the island, from Georgetown to Batu Ferringhi.
• Air Itam - A decidedly more local neighborhood, despite being home to many tourist attractions in Penang Hill and the Kek Lok Si Temple.

TRANSPORT CONSIDERATIONS:

Grab will almost always be the best option, so be sure to download the app (basically Southeast Asia's version of Uber). Unfortunately, traffic will likely be awful for the entire week. This is the downside to being in a popular destination during the biggest holiday of the year. However, we will plan a logistically efficient itinerary, grouping activities by proximity.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Join the private Facebook group to ask questions, stay up to date on activities in the area, meet the host, and interact with other potential attendees:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/penangpopup2024

Browse our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how our pop-ups work:

https://www.worldschoolpopuphub.com/faqs

Sign up for our mailing list to get notifications of future events! Visit www.worldschoolpopuphub.com and fill out the subscribe form in the footer.