Holidaymakers flock to Penang as hotels offer all you can eat durian deals

GEORGE TOWN – Never underestimate the power of the Musang King, Black Thorn and all their genetic cousins to pull in the crowds.

With the durian season coinciding with school holidays, most hotels were at least 85 per cent full over the weekend while some were fully booked, said Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chap­­ter chairman Tony Goh.

“The hotels were packed and did well during the long weekend. Hotels by the beach and in the town area were almost full,” he said.

In keeping with the yearly tradition, most hotels bundled room rentals with all-you-can-eat durian feasting.

“Penang is renowned for ­having orchards that produce durians you cannot find in other states.

“Other than the ever-popular Musang King and Black Thorn, there are ‘vintage’ clones like Hor Lor, Red Prawn, Green Skin and Capri, and rare variants like Tupai King and Lin Feng Jiao (pur­portedly named after Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan’s wife).

“Each variant offers a slightly different tang, and for durian ­lovers, these are complex flavours to be appreciated and deciphe­red,” added Mr Goh.

Penang tourism committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the king of fruits was a fail-proof attraction.

He said with the surge in visitors, the funicular train to Penang Hill also saw an increase in ­ridership: 6,691 on May 30; 8,183 on May 31; 9,396 on June 1; and 9,251 on June 2.

“The ridership totalled 33,521 in the past four days. On normal non-peak days, it is around 4,000 a day,” Mr Wong said.

He said the increase in visitors was also attributed to Singapore’s school holidays, which had started as well.

Mr Wong urged tourism players, including hawkers, to give out good deals and provide top-level service during the holiday ­period.

As for Penang’s iconic murals, Mr Wong urged visitors to avoid