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Penang Island a.k.a Pearl of the Orient. Locally, it is known as Pulau Pinang. It is named after the Pinang Tree ( a small tree which looks much like a coconut tree but everything is rather small, from the top till the bottom and to the fruits. Fruit is not edible.) The island was named ... Read review
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Advantages: Dirt Cheap, Food, Beach, All in an Island Disadvantages: Taxi, dirty surroundings on some parts, traffic
_________________NAME ________________
Penang Island a.k.a Pearl of the Orient. Locally, it is known as Pulau Pinang. It is named after the Pinang Tree ( a small tree which looks much like a coconut tree but everything is rather small, from the top till the bottom and to the fruits. Fruit is not edible.) The island was named after it due to the excess growth of these plants many years back.
During the 1990’s, Penang was famous ... ...have never seen it in Penang in my life before. I wondered why…..
______________MAIN CITY_______________
Georgetown. Located at the North of the island.
_______________WEATHER______________
Usually sunny, but will rain a lot during October and November. Once in a while there are strong winds but no typhoon and no earthquake. Thank God this Island is protected by Sumatra, Indonesia. Temperature ranges ... more
_______________NAME ________________ Penang Island a.k.a Pearl of the Orient. Locally, it is known as Pulau Pinang. It is named after the Pinang Tree ( a small tree which looks much like a coconut tree but everything is rather small, from the top till the bottom and to the fruits. Fruit is not edible.) The island was named after it due to the excess growth of these plants many years back.
During the 1990’s, Penang was famous throughout Malaysia as it was rated by the government to be one of the dirtiest and filthiest places. It was then given a nickname as ‘RUBBISH Island’! The state government then managed to struggle to keep the island clean and 10 years later, the nickname was lifted. The Pearl is starting to shine now. Penang’s mascot would be the leatherback turtle, but I have never seen it in Penang in my life before. I wondered why…..
______________MAIN CITY_______________ Georgetown. Located at the North of the island.
_____________WEATHER______________ Usually sunny, but will rain a lot during October and November. Once in a while there are strong winds but no typhoon and no earthquake. Thank God this Island is protected by Sumatra, Indonesia. Temperature ranges from 22-34 Celsius. It depends wholly on which one you would want to visit. Weather’s not certain though, it might rain or shine unexpectedly sometimes. But it’s quite hot here, so bring along some light, thin clothes and an umbrella. I’m sure you’ll sweat a bucket. Some parts of Penang gets flooded if there's a heavy downpour.
______GEOGRAPHICAL LANDSCAPE_______ It’s an island! Lush forest, hills and rivers, mostly flat land. Hardly any waterfalls. Penang consists of the Island itself and part of the mainland, which is known as Province Wellesley. The island’s size is much smaller than Langkawi.
____________LOCATION_______________ North West of Malaysia, along the straits of Malacca, South of Langkawi Island.
__________HOW TO GET THERE__________ There’s a direct flight from London to Kuala Lumpur, and from there, you might want to get a shuttle and head to the North. Journey from KL takes about 4 Hours. You can also take a domestic flight from KL to Penang International Airport. Once you get here, you don’t have to worry, everyone here speaks English. (whaddaya think? It’s an ex-british colony, so locals here speak English!)
______________DENSITY________________ About 500,000. Don’t worry; there are still a lot of vacant places and lands. Most foreigners come to Penang to buy a house and turn them into a retirement home. Interested? The government claimed it to have 1 million people…nah..i don’t think so. To live in Penang is very cheap.
______________CURRENCY______________ Malaysian Ringgit (RM), but would gladly accept USD or GBP. Currently, 1GBP=7RM. (July, 2004) Money changes are everywhere so don't worry.
_______________HISTORY_______________ I don’t really know much about history, but I will try to explain what I can. This island was previously opened by a British colony during WW 2. This island was nothing much like today, as it was previously just a stock piling place for food, and a port for British ships to dock. Most of the buildings of WW2 can still be seen here. If you’d like visit an ex-British Colony, then come down here. Penang is one of the Straits Settlement islands, besides Malacca and Singapore. There are still a lot of small boats and wharfs around because most locals here work as fishermen.
________________PEOPLE_______________ Mostly Chinese, at around 70%. In fact, it’s the only state in Malaysia with the most Chinese population! Other 30% includes Malay, Indian and other races. People are friendly here, and speak mostly in English and Mandarin. But of cos’, we do have rude people here too…
___________CELEBRATIONS___________ Celebrations go throughout the year, You’ll find Chinese New Year, Thaipusum, Wesak Day, Dragon Boat Race Day, International Food Fest Day, Deepavali, Independace Day, Hari Raya, and of cos’ Christmas Day, very fascinating and interesting! There’s lots more to celebrate!
___________TRANSPORT______________ Try to get a tour here. It’s better that way cos’ they’ll explain to you everything and take you to most places with a big shuttle bus. Alternatively, you can hire a car, but that will not go cheap, at around 10-20GBP a day. Hiring a car would not be a good idea as there’s always mass traffic congestion. The old people used to say ‘If you can drive a car in Penang, you can drive a car anywhere else on earth.’ Most motorists are inconsiderate and they ignore traffic rules. Renting a motorbike would be the best. It’s cheap, easy to maneuver and it’s good to overtake in and out and going through between cars. For most backpackers, taking the public bus is no problem. It costs you just 10-20pence per journey which takes you to a distance of quarter an island. Waiting for the bus however takes a very long time for them to arrive, and some buses might be old and rickety, and is terribly vandalized inside out. It’s just too bad some people have a third world mentality. I would suggest all these but, WARNING! NEVER take a taxi! They will take advantage on tourists, they are rude, and they are lazy. They charge very unreasonably and they refuse to use the taxi meter. They’re just a bunch of unscrupulous idiots and citizens are boycotting them. Let’s see how they’ll survive! For a challenging and unforgettable moment, try the trishaw ride! I don’t know how much it costs but I don’t think it will be expensive. Penang does not have any rail tracks or any metro system, so don’t bother looking for it.
____________ACCOMODATION____________ Don’t worry about accommodation. You’ll get it cheap over here. There are a lot of hotels here, located in every location of the island. Motels aren’t so good and I would not recommend it. At least, a 3 star hotel would be a better choice. If you’re looking for the 5 stars, look out for Equatorial Hotel or Shangri-La hotels. If you want a City Hotel by the beach, choose E & O Hotel. For a city hotel, you can choose either Sheraton, Shangri-La Komtar, Northam, Agora, Sunway, Midtowne, Crown Jewel, Copthorne Orchid, Naza, Cititel or Beachcomber Paradise. Most hotels are located at the beach along Batu Ferringghi. You may find Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort, Golden Sands, Grand Plaza Parkroyal, Lone Pine, Holiday Inn, Sri Sayang, Casuarina, Mutiara beach Resort, and Bayview. There’s a new hotel which is called the Jerejak Resort & Spa, and is located on a small island, 5 minutes boat ride away from Penang Island.
___________PLACES TO VISIT_____________ Penang Hill – You definitely wont miss this cos’ it’s located right in the middle of the island is everywhere you go, I never disappears from your sight. At the mean time, if you wanna visit whats at the top, I guess you’ll just have to take a ride from a pickup truck or you might want to hike up there yourself, it just takes about 1 ½ hours to reach to the top. At the peak, there’s lotsa greens, and souvenir shops to visit, and they also have a tea garden. There is a place to rent to if you’d like to stay up there for a night. The best thing at the peak is that you get a 360 degree view of the island! The cable car ride once used to be the main transport, but last year, the cable was broken so the service has to be shut down. I’m not sure if it is fixed, but I do know that they have to order the cable from Switzerland and takes about 1 year for the order to arrive. At the mean time, I think the service is still unavailable. Updated 26/07/2004: Yes, it is indeed still not in service and Swiss experts are here to do the repairs. Repairs costs around 300,000GBP!
Snake temple – Located near the airport, the temple is filled with tamed snakes. A nice place to take photos. Face your fears if you hate snakes.
Bird Park – It is not located in Penang Island. It is in province Wellesley, so you’ll have to take a trip across Penang Bridge to get there.
Orchid Farm – Located at Teluk Bahang, it’s a place to go if you’re an orchid collector. Lots of common and rare exotic orchids. You can buy some if you like. Costs only 1GBP to 3GBP for a whole plant with the flowers.
Reptile Farm – Also near the airport, and is located on the way up to Equatorial Hotel. The same is rather small, and it costs around 1.5-2GBP for an entry. This is a place to go if you like wildlife. Although it’s called reptile farm, they do have some birds, mammals and fish. Lots of souvenirs on sale.
Butterfly Farm – This is one of the best places I’ve ever visited. For just about 1.5-2 GBP, you get to enter a whole new world of Butterflies! Butterflies and moths are everywhere and you can actually pick them up with your hands and put in on your clothes or head! Just watch out for the cocoons and caterpillars. There’s some snake, scorpion and other insects performances everyday. Updated 26/07/2004: The butterfly farm is going to be renovated and increase in size, 6 times larger than usual, and to be renamed butterfly kingdom once done within 2 or 3 years time. This farm is already 18 years old and is the world's first tropical butterfly farm. It will also comprise of a world's first dragonfly farm once renovated.
Batu Ferringhi – This is the place where I live, the best place in Penang. This is where you can find a night market, pubs and cafes, restaurants, Hotels, Beach, fun activities, food and of cos’ lots of Fake DVD’s and VCD at only around 1.2GBP for a good quality DVD. Enforcements practices sudden raids and you might have a chance to see vendors in action escaping and carting away with their illegal goods. Batu Ferringhi is located on the North of the island and it takes about 25 minutes drive from the city. You’ll have to pass by a narrow winding and busy road along the coastline at the hill slope. Some might find the journey interesting, some might find it scary. You decide. Driving yourself on these roads is challenging. The road was opened years back by the British! It’s a tourists place for sure! Here you can find good bargain of seafood and I’m sure it has the most seafood restaurants compared to anywhere else! There’s lots of activities to indulge in. There’s always boat ride, sailing, speedboat, water scooter, banana boat ride, paragliding, and swimming available! But certainly no surfing(cos the waves are not big enough) and no snorkeling( the water is the murky type, not the clear ones) All activites are available provided by the local people. Don’t forget to haggle! There’s even a horsie ride along the beach! You might also want to get some batik clothes when you come here.
City – The city is Georgetown and it’s always busy except for Public Holidays. Massive traffic everyday and cars seem to be more in quantity compared to humans. You can find anything you want it the city. Don’t forget to haggle if you decide to buy something.
Shopping – well those who are sick of animals and prefer city life, go shopping. There’s 5 major shopping malls in the Island. The first would be Complex Bukit Jambul, located near Equatorial Hotel, is a large shopping mall with 6 screens cinema. Next would be Komtar/Prangin Mall, right in the middle of Georgetown. Komtar and Prangin Mall are joined so it’s the largest and busiest shopping place. It a bit dirty though. Midlands Park, is located in Pulau Tikus. The Shopping Mall is still in use but the popularity is going down due to competition. Not much a place worth visiting now. Island Plaza is located at Tanjung Tokong, Is the smallest of all, but the shops in there are quality based and it also has a cinema. The best shopping Mall would be the latest, the Gurney Plaza, located at gurney drive, is the place to be. It’s the best so far in the island, and it has 12 screens cinema! It is also the cleanest of all 5. Shopping in Penang is just so-so. I am a shopaholic, and I find Penang a bit dull actually. Even the best in Penang can’t beat an average shopping mall in KL. Still, KL would be the best place to shop,especially in KLCC, Isetan and Times Square. Penang is only half as good in shopping compared to KL.
Little India – Located in town, near the banking areas. The whole place is full of Indians left and right. Shop lots sells Indian clothes, food, ornaments, incense and everything that is Indian! This is the best place to visit if you like spicy food. But just bring along a WW2 gas mask if you’re not used to the ‘indian’ odour. Due to the incense, herbal oils and coconut, the surrounding smell is just overwhelming. You may choke on it, I’m serious.
Chinatown – Chinatown? Located in town too, near Little India. In fact, The whole of Penang is a Chinatown!
Pulau Tikus – There are lots of things to see and eat. On both sides, left and right, you can find banks, tailors, coffee houses, restaurants, wine shops, fine dining, everything. This place gets busy 6p.m onwards.
Gurney Drive – This is where Gurney Plaza is located. It is a long coastline which runs about 1Km or more. You can sit by the drive to relax. It’s a popular place to jog early in the morning when the sun rises. Along Gurney Drive are foods, Coffee Bean, Starbucks, 7 Eleven, whatever….this could be one of the most happening places in Penang. You can try fishing here too! I don’t really recommend it cos’ there’s lots of rocks around. If you want to fish, Batu Ferringhi is the best place.
Komtar – Short form of Kompleks Tunku Abdul Rahman, this is where you can view the highest building in Penang. 60 floors high and a large geodesic dome beside it. Shangri-La is just next to it, in fact, it’s joined. At the 58-59th floor, there is a rotating restaurant! While you eat, the floor moves around so you can have a view of Penang 360 degrees!
Beach Street – the famous banking area. The whole stretch lies all the old preserved British buildings. All these English architectural buildings are preserved well and is turned into banks like the HSBC and Standard Chartered. There are a lot of shops too which sells cars, raw materials, household goods and food. There’s a big old clock tower nearby.
Beach – The whole island has beaches. Stop by anywhere and enjoy.
Penang Bridge – one of the longest bridge in the world, with a span of 13.5Km. It was built by a Korean Company and was done by 1984. This bridge is the only bridge which connects Penang island to the mainland. No stopping on the bridge is allowed, but if you wanna take a picture, do it quick!
Kek Lok Si Temple – On the hill slope on the other side of the island. From the view below, you can see a large bronze statue of Kuan Yin, which is around 50-80Feet Tall! The temple is very old and it has gone through many phases of restoration. The largest Chinese temple in Penang.
Buddhist Temple – If you follow the tour, this is a place you wont miss. The temple was built more than 100 years ago when the Buddhists monks came to Penang. There’s 2 actually, both entrances facing one another. One is the Thai and the other is the Myanmar.
Teluk Bahang – To get good and cheap seafood, you must visit here. You’ll find large lobsters, prawns, crab, clams, squids, and much more. My dad eats it so often that now the doctor has asked him to reduce his intake on seafood cos’ he has high cholesterol. Here is also where you hire boats to go deep sea fishing. It will only cost 100GBP for a whole big boat for ten persons the whole night. For anglers, you won’t be disappointed!
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion – The mansion is very famous around the world because it was voted to be a protected Heritage site by the UNICEF. Once, it was a place for a wealthy Chinese businessman, and years later it was abandoned after his death. A few years back, a restoration programme was done by a private company and it is now operational for tourists and locals to visit. The whole place is filled with history inside and outside.
Chain Ferry – Take a ferry ride for only 10pence if you want to enjoy the sea breeze and the view of Penang from the sea. The port is located on Beach Street.
Fort Cornwallis – This is where Francis Light built his fort during the war. It is now preserved and is a tourist site.
Botanical Garden – Located at the foot hill of Penang hill’s entrance, here, you may find this garden very big, filled with beautiful wild and homely plants and trees. Watch out for monkeys! If you don’t have food in your hand, they won’t come near you. A good place for a brisk walks though.
Penang State Museum – It’s quite average in size and I can’t remember how it is inside cos’ I haven’t been there in years! All I know and is that it has done a renovation project on it.
Sports – There’s a rifle range, many golf courses, International Swimming Pool, Gym everywhere and much much more for those sports enthusiast.
There’s much more, but basically all are small attractions.
_________________FOOD________________ Well, what can I say? Penang definitely has the best foods around the world! It’s a food haven! You may find any, I mean ANY types of food in this small island, ranging from Japanese to Italian to Indian cuisines. It’s amazing how such a small island can actually fit all the foods around the world. People from as far as Kuala Lumpur and Johor comes down to Penang all the way just to get their hands on the food here. Local delicacies are definitely the best! Well, some of them are unhygienic too. If you come down to Penang, and not to eat is part of your plan, then you’ve just wasted your time. Besides having lavish, and reasonable restaurants to suit everyone’s taste, the most famous and widely sought after foods are from the hawker stalls. Hawker stalls can be found almost everywhere, and they operate 24 hours! Penang really holds up it’s title and deserved to be called a food haven! Don’t worry if you’re hungry at 1a.m or 5 a.m. You can find food everywhere, anytime. ‘Mamak’ stalls or restaurants operate 24 hours in Penang. Some are big, some are small, but they offer equally good Indian and Malay cuisine. Local delicacies which you must try? Well take a note of it if you plan to come down here soon. Char Koay Teow, Laksa, Curry Mee, Hokkien Mee, Rojak, Ice Kachang, Wan Thun Mee, Roast Pork Rice, Cendol, Hainan Chicken with rice, Roti Canai, The Tarik, Lam Mee, Nasi Kandar, and of cos’ Seafood! Foods might be oily to some, and I’m afraid that most stalls might disgust you. Most of them are unhygienic, but they do produce really tasty food. Well, try not to look at the surroundings while you eat. That’s a tip. This is because hawker stalls operate anywhere, by the road side, beside the drain, on a pavement, or just anywhere else they may find suitable to set up their stalls. Once you’re used to eating food here, you’ll love it and you’ll find your tasting and eating skills improved. When you eat good food here and you go somewhere else other than Penang, it’s no surprise you’ll find yourself complaining about other foods that sucks. Nowhere else in Malaysia you can ever find food that is as delicious in Penang. Even Kuala Lumpur is no match for it. And guess what? The food here is dirt cheap! Honestly! You may find the price 5 or 10 times cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur! Prices ranges from 5-50pence for a good, proper meal! Nightlife? Don’t worry. It’s not as dead as Langkawi and there’s lots of pubs and cafes with operates throughout the night! Head on to Belissa Row, Gurney Hotel, Lieth Street, Penang Street, Batu Ferringghi for it! There’s always a party going on somewhere. Food ranges from fine dining, to a simple hawker stall. If you’d like some wine or whisky to go along with your food, liquor and wine store’s are always easily found. There’s also lots of fruits here. Since Penang has a lot of orchards, there are massive supply of fruits, ranging from starfruit, durian, langsat, rambutans, ciku, watermelons, bananas, and etc. and they are very cheap. I love to eat so I would proudly say I know where to get the best of every local delicacy.
__________DISADVANTAGES___________ Penang might still be dirty to many, although it has gone through many phases of cleaning up. The state authority certainly needs to do more. The traffic is definitely terrible and the roads are bumpy, with lots of pot holes and uneven roads. Taxis are a nuisance. Only Penang Island is nice, province Wellesley is sorta dead. Watch out for snatch thieves too. Shopping here won't be as good as it is in KL.
Below are some pictures which I have previously taken. Have a look!
For those who are here before, I'm sure you'll agree with my review! if you don't , please let me know ok?
Well, lastly…just ask me anything about Penang if you’d like to know more about it! I’m a Penangite and I’ve been living here for the past 20 years! There’s another saying which goes ‘You can never diet in Penang’.
I’ll be leaving this Island soon to head for UK to further my studies. One thing I’ll definitely miss is the food……
P/s: will update this if there's anything new i know in Penang.
Advantages: Good and Cheap Food Disadvantages: To Much Traffic & Pollution
...and Kedah, two other states. Penang consists of one part Island and the other part Mainland connected by a 13.5KM long bridge that used to be the longest bridge in Asia 10 years ago.
The History
Penang was founded by Sir Francis Light. Sir Francis Light was also the person who founded Adelaide in Australia. He fooled the Sultan of Kedah, where Penang used to belong to in promising to provide Military aid against Thailand. He never kept his promise ... ...from the Sultan of Kedah. Penang later became one of the main ports for trading because of its convenient location between China and India routes. It also act as an Army base for the British.
Getting There
If you happened to drop by in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, Penang is just an hour away by Plane or 3-4hours drive or by coach. Cheap air tickets can be bought through Air Asia (http://www.airasia.com) that could range from as low as ...
bennyong 06.03.2004 (07.03.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Penang (Malaysia)
A trip to Penang is like a trip back in time. Penang has the highest number of historical buildings in Malaysia and is home to the famous E&O Hotel, which was built in the late 19th century by two Armenian brothers, who were traders during the time when Penang ws an important spice trading island in the Far East.
Walk down any of the streets such as Chulia street, Armenian Street, Cannon Street or Love Lane, and it will show you the splendour of ... ...time out to visit the Penang Museum which houses an excellent record of what life was like in the time of Sir Francis Light and the British rule over the island. Touring the centre of town is best done in the evening as Penang has a vibrant and colourful night life in the form of its street markets and hawker stalls. One way to get around without having to walk and yet being able to take in all that there is to see; and let me tell you now that there ...
willow 16.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Penang (Malaysia)
Advantages: Sun, sea, sand, shopping and sightseeing on one small island. Disadvantages: Its so far away.
...on the north coast of Penang and forms the main tourist area of the island. There are many superb hotels along the beach but the Ferringhi Beach Hotel is not one of them (this is on a rocky promontory quite some distance from the beach – too far to walk). We stayed at the Casuarina Beach Hotel and were absolutely delighted. Toward the western end of the beach, far enough to be tranquil but near enough to the centre of activity to walk there ... ...where should you go? Penang Bridge, the Kek Lok Si Temple, the Snake Temple, the Botanical Gardens, the Thai Temple and the Burmese Temple are probably the main destinations. You can reach the butterfly farm by bus from the resort, and of course you should visit the capital, Georgetown.
The weather was lovely, with only occasional torrential rain (it was the rainy season) and the drinking water is reputed to be the cleanest in the world. ...
petehall 15.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Penang (Malaysia)
Advantages: Cheap/Food/Shopping/Visa runs from Thailand Disadvantages: Oily sea/Jellyfish/Expensive Taxis
...the "Pearl of the Orient" Penang is an island that not too many people have heard of. At times it was so, so quiet. One night I was in a large fancy restaurant with only me and one other family, which was creepy after travelling from Thailand.
A beautiful Island that is almost on a par with Phuket, with loads of places to go and great places to shop. I found the people to be amongst the nicest I've known. One day was trying to find the Thai consulate ... ...Town for about an hour and got nowhere fast. As a last chance option because they where about to close I ended up asking a very old man on a motorbike. No problem - follow me he replied. Took me straight there and I got my VISA.
At the north of the island (Batu Ferringhi) you will find the best beaches. Although the sea was oily in places and was not as nice as Phuket (Thailand) I would still recommend a visit. Also be aware of Jellyfish. I experienced ...
Scott 02.02.2001 (13.03.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Penang (Malaysia)
Advantages: Peacefulness, quality, night markets Disadvantages: Nothing to do during day if it rains!
We went to Penang in October 2003 and stayed at the Grand Plaza Park Royal which was a lovely hotel, clean rooms helpful staff. Fantasic for the price we paid about £20pppn.
Night markets are a must! Ok it's all copies but you can get well known makes of handbags for about £5! The nigt markets also sell little photo albums made out of paper with flowers and leaves entwined into the paper these are a snatch at abot £2! Hotel facilities are: Pool, ... ...is the main city in Penang and a Trishaw ride there is a must however it is quite scary at times as they just pull out infront of cars! Many temples as locals are very religious. Although georgetoen is classed as a city there isn;t really much to do whilst you are there is is the size of one of out towns in the UK.
Mosquitos are a problem.
We ate out most nights and a main course + few bottles of Tiger beer would cost about £5pp. ...
Jostevens 02.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Penang (Malaysia)
Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly
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Advantages: Excellent food and cheap Disadvantages: Food hygiene is an issue
For all travellers out there, this is a must place to visit if you do come to Malaysia. Penang, also known as the Pearl of the Orient, has bountiful of places to sample the local dishes and cuisines. Being an island, it has plenty of restaurants serving delicious sea foods and not to forget the famous Penang laksa, a type of spicy noodles. There are also stretches of beach which housed some of the most famous hotels in Malaysia. The easiest way to get the best out of Malaysian food is to visit the Gurney drive where you can find a stretch of small hawker stalls selling Malaysian food ranging from noodles to smoked squids! Price wise is really cheap, you can get a lot of food without spending a fortune. ...
Advantages: Great sites. Exotic. Friendly people. Pro British Disadvantages: Can get crowded
hectares Forest Recreation Park which also serves as a centre of research for botany and zoology. A Museum houses exhibits of tropical timber and there are also freshwater pools,foothpaths,rest huts and a kiddies playground.
Make a visit to the Kek Lok Si-the largest Buddhist Temple Complex in Malaysia. The temple is dominated by the seven-tier Ban Po Thar pagoda which rises some 30 metres. The remple is at Air Itam.
Finally set aside some time for a trip up Penang Hill,which at 830 metres high,is a pleasant 3 or 4 degrees C cooler than the lowlands. Journey to the top in the funicular railway-the views from the peak over Georgetown are magnificent.! ...
Advantages: The Sand, Food, Scenery - everything really Disadvantages: You have to go at the right time of year as it is very often hot and very humid
Penang is a small island off the main Malay coastline. It is very aptly nicknamed the Pearl of the Orient as it is a real jewel. Although it has become a very popular tourist attraction, it still remains an asset to Malaysia. Penang boasts a great market in Georgetown, a fantasic butterfly farm, batic (silk painting) factories and food to dye for.
The island also has many hotels ranging from the reasonable priced to the luxury five star ones.
Flights to Kuala Lumpur go regularly from many major UK airports and from there you can connect to Penang. ...
