About Penang
Penang (Pulau Pinang), affectionately known as the Pearl of the Orient, is one of the bestknown and most-visited corners of Malaysia, and is the only one of the country’s 13 states to have a Chinese majority population, giving the island a very distinct character all of its own. Its main centre, Georgetown, attracts the most tourists with its impressive stock of colonial architecture, temples and museums, lively Chinese culture, great shopping and even better food. But there are many attractions elsewhere on the island, including Malaysia’s newest, and smallest, national park on the northwest headland, beaches on the northern coast, charming
Penang Hill with its funicular and colonial hill station, and the amazing Kek Lok Si Temple – the largest Buddhist shrine in the country.
Circling the island, you’ll discover a varied landscape of jungle and coast, farmland, plantations and fishing villages, though you’ll need your own transport to do it justice. Sights further afield include the eerie Penang War Museum, the slithery Snake Temple and the inland town of Balik Pulau. Georgetown also has air and bus links to other towns in Malaysia and beyond.
Penang state also encompasses a narrow strip of mainland coast known as Seberang Perai (or Province Wellesley), although there’s little to see or do other than change buses or trains in the main town of Butterworth, a major transport hub with many more bus connections to other cities in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as trains running between Kuala Lumpur and Thailand.
Posted by admin on June 4, 2011 under About Penang.
