Sven from Sweden, his daughter Eva and her British husband Levinson admiring the decorations at Shangri-La Rasa Sayang in Batu Ferringhi, Penang. — Photos: LIM BENG TATT/The Star
FOR most Europeans, the holiday season is defined by puffy coats, fleeting daylight, and fireside gatherings.
But a growing number have traded those for sandals, sunny days and sea breezes by opting to spend Christmas in Penang instead.
What they find here is no less festive; in some ways it can be even more joyful, thanks to the state’s diverse communities and laid-back pace.
Dutchman Marc Stalp certainly attests to this after flying from Amsterdam for his annual vacation, something he has done since 2010.
“I used to come in October and November before heading home by December.
“I often saw locals putting up decorations but never experienced the actual festivities.
“This year, with most of my extended family still unsure about their year-end plans, I decided to spend Christmas in Penang.
Stalp reading the festive wishes hung on the resort’s Christmas tree. The wishes are submitted by underprivileged children.
“I appreciate how everyone wholeheartedly embraces every celebration,” said Stalp when met at Shangri-La Rasa Sayang situated along the island’s famous Batu Ferringhi beach.
Portugal-based Piers Badcoe and his wife Ivy are no strangers to the property either.
They first stayed in 1976, two years after the resort opened, and have been returning ever since.
Though many of those early visits took place in December, more recent ones happened in January or February.
“This was supposed to be a vacation with our neighbours who prefer to come at the end of the year rather than the beginning.
“But they were ultimately unable to make it.
“As it’s our first Christmas back here after a very long time, we intend to take it easy, lie in the sun and have nice meals,” Piers shared.
As “empty nesters”, spending festive seasons half a world away can be much easier.
“Our kids are all grown up with jobs that take them all over the world.
“There’s no way to tell if they’ll be around for Christmas anyway.
“Luckily this year, one of our daughters is able to fly out to join us,” said Ivy, who is originally from Ipoh in Perak and will take the opportunity to reconnect with relatives.
Annual tradition
Tomorrow will be the 27th Christmas that Andrew Howard Young and wife Sarah Jane have spent at the resort, which they consider their winter escape.
“Penang is undoubtedly a food paradise.
“Beyond the street food, there is something magical about enjoying a Christmas buffet outdoors in the garden.
“We cannot do that back home without getting frozen!” Andrew quipped.
English couple Andrew and Sarah plan to celebrate Christmas in Penang for as long as they can.
The English couple’s daughter was only four during their first visit in 1997.
She grew up thinking Christmas was warm, and only experienced the snowy version later.
About their plans this year Sarah said: “She’ll be joining us here once again. We’ve all made many friends over the years and it feels like one big family.
“For Christmas Eve, we are looking forward to the customary carolling session, then a nice meal and toasting good times together.”
Another frequent visitor, Sven Gunnar Karlstrom from Sweden has extra reason to celebrate as he turns 93 today.
He intends to mark it with his usual ritual – by popping champagne, taking a stroll and then having dinner with daughter Eva and her British husband Anthony Levinson.
“I’ve always enjoyed the Christmas carols on my birthday,” said Sven, who has accumulated over 2,000 nights at the resort since 1985.
Barring a few years, he has been returning to Penang annually without fail.
He and his late wife even stayed at the resort during the Covid-19 shutdown in 2020.
“This marks my 35th visit. It’s become a habit.
“When you get older, warmer weather is kinder on the joints,” he said.
Eva first met Levinson at the hotel’s New Year’s Eve countdown party on the last day
of 2011, and tropical Christmases have become the norm for them.
Levinson shared: “It’s been so many years since we actually celebrated Christmas back in Stockholm.
“The atmosphere here is no less festive.
“The food is slightly different but good and plentiful.
“Perhaps the only thing missing here are live Christmas trees,” he said.
Eva said they felt safe in Penang, which offers the comfort of home.
“I am sure many other couples and families feel the same.
“That is why it has become an annual tradition to celebrate here.
“Once we get to the later half of the year, we will all be texting each other to sync our plans.”
Piers and Ivy enjoying the Christmas vibe at the resort.
Warm welcome
For these frequent visitors to Penang, the holidays carry both a sense of nostalgia and discovery.
There is the comfort of familiar faces, hangout spots and eateries.
But each visit also underscores how much the island has changed.
Levinson’s father served with the British Army and was based in Singapore in the late 1950s.
As a child, he was taken on trips through then-Malaya, including Penang.
“Back then, the entire Batu Ferringhi stretch was jungle on both sides with the odd bungalow here and there,” he recalled.
Though the physical sights may have changed over the years, the hospitality of locals has not, the visitors noted.
Stalp said, “The warm welcome every time we visit makes each trip feel like a homecoming.”
Sarah pointed to staff members at the resort and other places they frequent as a key factor that keeps them coming back.
“When you travel to new places, it can take you a while to settle. But Penang feels so familiar.”
Chiming in, Andrew said they did not really miss spending Christmas back home and that they intended to keep coming to Penang as long as they were able to.
The resort’s communications director Datuk Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman said frontliners were the unsung heroes who made Penang and Malaysia so attractive to repeat visitors.
“Warmth and heartfelt care are what guests remember long after they leave any destination or establishment.
“These are the personal connections that make a place feel like a second home,” he said.
