3 Insider Tips for Choosing The Best Food Tour on Your Penang Trip

If you’re taking a trip to Penang this holiday season you might be thinking of taking a food tour or two. Food tours can create especially memorable experiences on your trip. A host or guide can show you some really delicious local food, tell you more about the local culture and answer any questions you have about the place.

We often take food tours when we travel too, because we understand how much it can add to the experience. Many of our own guests have asked us how we choose our food tours when we travel. So here are 3 of our insider tips to choosing the best food tour for you:

Tip 1: Ask Yourself What kind of Food Tour You Want

There are many different kinds of food tour experiences, each with its own plus points. If you’re looking at food tours in Penang, there are a few broad options. There are walking food tours or tours that take you on buses or vans. Some tours are much cheaper but you’ll have to pay for your food and drink separately, while others are all inclusive. The duration and what’s offered on each tour are also different. All these factors can affect how you experience George Town, its food and its people. 

When choosing, it is very helpful to ask yourself how you want to experience a place you are visiting. In general, we’ve found that good walking food tours dive more deeply into details while vehicle tours provide a general overview. There are exceptions to the rule and some cities require a mix of both, but it’s a good rule of thumb to consider. While researching, ask yourself: How would I like to experience this city or place? A general overview of the sights or a deep dive into culture, place and food?

All of the above!

Tip 2: List Your Needs and Communicate Them

This is a practical and necessary step when thinking about booking a food tour. If you’re traveling with friends or family, ask everyone about their allergies or dietary preferences. Make a list and connect each to the associated person’s name. Most food tours will give you the option to state any food allergies or dietary preferences during or after booking (we do it on our website booking form). Take advantage of this option as it can save you a lot of time and energy (and pain) during your food tour.

If you’re booking through an online travel platform like TripAdvisor, remember to indicate any allergies or dietary needs when making your booking. If there isn’t the option to do so when making your booking, you can usually message the food tour business or operator you want to book with through the app or booking platform.

We prefer to visit the business website and speak to the business directly whenever possible. It feels more personal and it’s often easier to communicate our needs that way. A quick Google search usually does the trick.

Tip 3: Remember to Go With Your Gut

Food tours are, ultimately, about people. About lives, communities, histories and more. Some food tours do a great job of helping you immerse yourself in the place you are visiting - to learn the local culture, the significance of things on people who live here and provide an almost uncanny opportunity to reach outside of what you’re expecting to experience on your visit.

When you’re researching which food tour to book, remember to listen to how they make you feel. Does something about a particular one excite you? Does it seem more interesting than others? Do you just feel a connection with what they’re trying to do? 

As much as objective factors such as recommendations, value for money, etc do matter, remember to listen to your gut feeling too. This is often the deciding factor for us when traveling. If something seems special or interesting to you, it’s probably worth trying.

And yes, we did kind of sneak in a pun here :) 

Ultimately it’s about creating memories you’ll cherish with a big smile!

Got your own tips? Let us know in the comments! And you can check out our experience of taking really great tours in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon and Kuala Lumpur.