ECO-travellers will soon have another reason to visit the Penang Hill when the restoration works of the Hillside Bungalow and Tulip House are completed.
The eco-friendly colonial-styled accommodations are scheduled to be ready by the end of October.
Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) general manager Cheok Lay Leng said the Hillside Bungalow, situated along the Upper Tunnel Road, would have four boutique rooms, four bunk rooms and an open space that could accommodate up to 16 four-person-tents for camping after the restoration.
“Besides a design that blends well with the environment, extensive amenities such as living and dining areas, toilets and shower rooms, refuse and recyclable material storage area, rain harvesting system and many more eco-friendly features will be made available.
“Campers can take in the beauty of the stars while breathing in the cool and fresh air when they camped here,” he told a press conference in Komtar today.
The Hillside Bungalow was built in the early 1900s and is one of the oldest bungalows on Penang Hill. It is classified as a Category II heritage building in the Penang Hill Local Plan 1998 and the Penang Hill Special Area Plan 2016.
The bungalow was once used as a rest house for the British government officers, before it was turned into a rest house for public servants after Malaya won its independence. It has been left vacant.
Cheok said the Tulip House, located just below the main Summit Road near the Bee Gallery, would have two rooms after the restoration.
“The Tulip House was built by the British in the 1920s for the workers during that period. It was used as a government quarter after independence. The building was handed over to PHC after 2011 and was renovated in 2016,” he said.
Cheok said a Request for Proposal (RFP) was called in September 2017 and Pembinaan YSBT (M) Sdn Bhd was selected to refurbish, equip and operate the Hillside Bungalow and Tulip House.
“YSBT will operate them as Hillside Retreat Penang. The company aimed at making them available to the public at affordable prices,” he said.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state supported PHC’s vision in making Penang Hill the most preferred destination to visit.
“This will provide visitors more time to explore the gems of Penang Hill.
“It reflects the state’s initiative to promote ecotourism,” Chow added.
For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/hillsideretreatpenang/ or https://www.facebook.com/mypenanghill/
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Alissala Thian