Many making their way up north to Penang

Cool pair: Yap (centre) and her daughter Sui Yee Hui cradling a python at the Snake Temple in Bayan Lepas, Penang. — K.T.GOH/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Technician Mohd Arif Fahmi brought his family to Penang early to beat the expected massive jam along the highway this weekend.

“We are here with my parents and my four children aged between nine months and eight. We arrived here on Wednesday.

“My kids have not left the house since March last year and they were so excited to travel.

“The first thing we did here was to satisfy our craving for nasi kandar and ikan bakar, but decided to take away our food and indulge them at the hotel as my children are still young,” he said when met at the Snake Temple in Bayan Lepas yesterday.

As a precaution, Mohd Arif said the whole family took a Covid-19 self-test prior to leaving the house.

“Since we live in Kuala Lumpur, we stopped by Perak to see my parents and brought them along as well.

“Both my parents, my wife and I have been fully vaccinated and we made sure to strictly follow the standard operating procedure,” he said.

Also at the temple was freelancer Natasya Teo, 25, who came to Penang with her family and friend to avoid the water disruption in Selangor.

“This is my first interstate trip since the first movement control order last year. I have been here since Wednesday.

“It is good to finally get to travel a bit. We went sightseeing at the beach and also enjoyed the nasi kandar.

“To ensure our safety and health, we avoided crowded areas and visited only open areas,” she said.

Children’s playground contractor Yap Kue Hong, 46, said she and her family did their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests before travelling to Penang from Kuala Lumpur.

“Since I have some work commitments here, my husband and our 19-year-old daughter decided to join me for a few days in Penang.

“This is the first time my daughter visited the Snake Temple and luckily there were only a handful of people here,” she said.

Civil servant Mohd Nizam Zainal, 54, and his family were seen quenching their thirst at the Teochew cendol stall in Keng Kwee Street.

“Penang used to be our favourite destination but we have not come here for almost two years now.

“We came in three cars from Johor, comprising three families of eight adults and nine children.

“The children are excited as this is their first trip this year,” he said.