Episode Description
It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's Where to Go list. In 2026, we want to lessen the burden on overtouristed destinations and expand visitation to other parts of the world. So our editors carefully selected 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales that will inspire your next great adventure.
Places like Penang, Malaysia, a small island with one of Southeast Asia's most fascinating and underrated food and cultural scenes.
In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with Kathryn Romeyn, a Bali-based journalist who explored Penang for the first time last year. Kathryn shares what it's like to wander the UNESCO-listed streets of Georgetown. She digs into the food—from char kway teow to laksa to the elaborate Malaysian breakfast culture that UNESCO recently recognized—and shares what's new on the island, including boutique hotels and a weekend art market that's become a creative hub for locals and travelers alike.
Plan Your Penang Getaway
Stay
—Book a room the Millen Penang, Autograph Collection, a hotel on Millionaire's Row
—Watch for Soori Penang, a new 15-room boutique hotel opening in January 2025
Eat and Drink
—Try char kway teow, the iconic Penang dish of flat rice noodles stir-fried over charcoal flames with prawns, cockles, sausage, and bean sprouts
—Eat laksa, the spicy, aromatic noodle soup that's a Penang obsession
—Visit Mum's, a beloved Peranakan restaurant serving home-style cooking
—Experience Malaysian breakfast culture (a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage)
See and Do
—Visit Hin Bus Depot on weekends for the art market
—Visit Kek Lok Si Temple, home to the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas
—Ride the Penang Hill funicular, the oldest in Southeast Asia (opened 1923), for panoramic views
—Join the local hiking community via the Facebook group "Hiking Trails in Penang" (nearly 50,000 members)—they've created trails in the shapes of animals like elephants, unicorns, and even Pokémon characters
Resources
• Follow Kathryn's work on Instagram
• Visit Kathryn's website
• Explore all 24 destinations on Afar's Where to Go in 2026 list
• Follow us on Instagram: @afarmedia
Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series
E2: Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret
E3: The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago
E4: Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate
E5: Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention E6: Three Hours From Nashville, the South's Next Great Food Capital Is Waiting E7: The French Riviera's Last Stop Before Italy—and Its Best-Kept Secret E8: Skip the Serengeti Traffic Jams for This Under-the-Radar Kenyan Safari E9: The Pacific Northwest's 80-Mile Playground Just Got Even Better
E10: The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing
E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense (this one!)
Stay Connected
- Sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode.
- Explore our other podcasts, View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.
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