The island of Penang in Malaysia is presently among the tourists’ favorite travel destinations in Asia. The world has come to accept this fact since Penang has been developed into an adorable city with modern structures however still able to retain its historical worth through the years showing the best of worlds for such small area.

The Pulau Pinang, fondly called Penang Island actually means the “island of Betel nut” and christened by Captain Francis Light. The name was given due to the usual betel nut that scatter all over the island. Penang’s community shows its diversity where you will be able various of community in this island that exists together gracefully such as Indians, Malays, Chinese, and many others.

Religion

In this side of the world, religion is freely respected and expressed. Though Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, in Penang you can find here other religious grounds and temples from various faiths like Hindu and Buddhist temples.

Annual Festivals

You will find Penang as a very busy island full of annual festivals of various cultures. Some of the festivals that you will experience is the Chinese New Year celebrated every late of January or February which indicates the start of the Lunar Chinese Year and on December when Christmas Day is being celebrated.

Some of the colorful festival held in Penang yearly are: Deepavali in remembrance of the slaying of evil king by Lord Krishna, National Day of Malaysia, Festival of Nine Emperor Gods, Hari Raya Haji, Saint Anne’s Feast, Hari Raya Puasa, the birthday of Lord Buddha or Wesak day, and the birthday of the Goddess of Mercy.

Cuisine

The Malays, Indians, and Chinese highly influenced the finest cuisine and delicacy in Penang. Your trip should not miss these tasty food even if you are a picky eater you will always find something that suits your taste. The food here is simply delicious visitors are wanting for more. Penang Laksa is the most popular dish which is a fish noodles soup in tamarind taste. You can find the best of Penang food at the well-known food steert – The Gurney Drive, a place where you will see plenty of stalls of food hawkers.

Some of the mouthwatering food you can indulge here are the vermicelli soup or Mee Suah Tau soup with crab meat, the Indian fried noodle Mee Goreng, fried oysters, beef ball noodles, Nyonya folded pancake Apong, Indian thin pancake Apom, and Malaysian style kebab Satay.

The list of these scrumptious cuisine seem unlimited.

Shopping

Tun Abdul Razak Complex is the largest most popular shopping complex in Penang island. It is also the 6th tallest building in Malaysia. On the other hand, Komtar boasts of its shopping outlets and retails shops homed in this one huge building that makes it a one-stop shopping location for tourists.

Beaches

Penang beaches are several miles wide from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang. The Batu Ferringhi is the most well-known beach which become loaded with visitors during peak seasons. Other beautiful beaches in Penang where you can have fun and relax are the Gertak Sanggul, Monkey Beach, Pantai Acheh, Pantai Keracut, Muka Head, and Tanjung Bungah.

Georgetown Heritage Site

Georgetown is the Penang island capital announced by UNESCO as world heritage site in 2008. You can find many popular tourist attractions here like the Queen Victoria Clock Tower, the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, Pinang Islamic Museum, Fort Cornwallis in Light Street, and Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Leith Street.

The Penang Bridge is the largest and longest bridge in Malaysia where you can enjoy beautiful view while passing this bridge. Penang Hill, one of the tourist favorite spots can be accessed by cable by foot or railway alternatively .

You will experience in Penang its rich diversified traditions and cultures which is unique in the entire world. If you want to relieve yourself form the humdrum of everyday life, Penang is the best place where you can find the best places and beaches to relax on.
It is guaranteed that you would not go home without bringing anything from Malaysia. Penang is studded with the best shopping outlets for clothing, electronics and other items marketed from Southeast Asia. Penang, Malaysia will surely fill you mentally and physically.

Image by LimitedExpress, stardex, Garbage Kingdom

The UNESCO World Heritage Sites has included on its list Georgetown heritage site on July 7, 2008 along with Melaka. The interesting history that themed this multicultural town has paved way to this declaration and become popular among tourists. Georgetown Heritage Walk is termed as guided tours since you can simply walk around Georgetown. You can also hire rickshaw which is paid by the hour to roam around the entire area.

The beauty of Georgetown Heritage is very apparent through its splendid past where the religious and cultural diversity is evident. You will notice here in Georgetown that different religious community and churches coexist peacefully. This ancient town of Georgetown is composed of religious communities and century old houses amazingly unified.

Georgetown houses that were built and maintained by their owners display delicate architecture and Chinese art. The Cheing Fatt Tze provides guided tours everyday to the residence of Zhang Bishi, a Hakka magnate and a Qing Dynasty consul. On the other hand, Penang Mansion displays collection of antiques of Baba Nyonya which is a home to a mine owner, Ching Keng Kwee. The house of Yeap Chor Ee is another historical gallery which displays attractive items of the Yeap residents. You can also find here the Leong Yin Khean, the home of Thirty-Two restaurant.

Captain Francis Light built Fort Cornwallis in 1786 furnished with a chapel, gallery, and lighthouse. You will also find the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Clocktower near the fort which was built in 1902 to honor the Queen’s 60th year of reign. Other historical sites that you can find nearby are supreme court building, town hall, city hall, the memorial cemetery, Zhemchuk wreck marker, and the state assembly building which exist since 1800.

There are particular landmarks in Georgetown, Malaysia that can touch hearts. Among those is dedicated to scholars and lawyers who died in 1869 fighting for the rights of the local residents, the Logan’s monument. The Penang State Museum is another interesting spot which opened its door in 1965 and displays pictures, porcelains, paintings, and other crafts that reflects the history of Penang.
Religious Grounds

Tourists and worshippers walk along this fascinating street showcasing various religious beliefs of Georgetown, Malaysia. You can experience here Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam religions.
The Church of Assumption was constructed in 1787 where the old original pipe organ is still in use. The St. George Anglican Church is the first Anglican Church which was built in 1818 and the main church of the British administration officers. The Muslim shrine, Nagore Shrine was built in 1801 in honor of South Indian Muslim saint. For the Muslim brothers ther is also the Kapitan Keling Mosque. You can also visit Sri Maha Mariaman temple built in 1833 for the Hindus.

Tourists can experience the combination of Islamic and Chinese ambiance in streets of Cannon, Acheen, and Armenina. You can see the two temples of the two religious faiths which stood side by side harmoniously. There is Hock Teik Cheng Sin temple is of course a Chinese temple, while for the Yap clansmen is the Yap Kongsi temple. A few steps away is the Malay mosque located in Acheen Street. Experience the heritage of Muslim communities in Penang in Penang Islamic Museum while visiting Georgetown which can be found in the 19th century Syed Alatas Mansion.

Georgetown Heritage Walk in Malaysia is worth reminiscing. The presence of enthralling sounds and sights here can bring you back in time. No wonder why UNESCO has chosen Georgetown as among the world’s heritage sites.

Image by Jolly_Jarvis, philipmak, Rock Portrait Photography

Melaka, Malaysia has been established as one of the world heritage sites by UNESCO because of its well kept heritage and culture. As Malaysia’s oldest historical city, Melaka or Malacca has become increasingly popular among tourists from around the world.

When visiting the small and compact town of Malacca, you can stroll down the streets installed with century-aged houses and specialty shops. With the support of both the American Express Foundation and Melaka Tourist Information Center, they were able to develop the Melaka Heritage Trail which will guide visitors and tourists to their destinations by simply following the map. This map is conveniently created with easy-to-follow illustrations and descriptions for every targeted site. Melaka Heritaage Trail is like turning back in time for most tourists.

You have to first drop at the Melaka Tourist Information Center when visiting Melaka located at the center of the old Malacca. This is where you get your map and inquire for best tips to optimize your touring to this historic town. You can enjoy 10 major stops not mentioning other mini stops along the trial. Here it is and have a great fun!

The first stop starts at the Malacca River where Melaka history began and molded. Previously, Malacca River was once known an active major port providing opportunities for trade but currently converted for attract tourists. Melaka had been taken over several times by foreigners because of this port. When riding along the river through Melaka River Cruises, you will see at the eastern bank the 15th century palace of Hindu Prince Parameswara.

Your next stop will be the Peranakan Culture or Baba Nyonya Heritage. This culture was initiated with inter-racial marriages between the native Malay women and the Chinese settlers in Melaka. When exploring the place, you will encounter the rich people lane Jalan Tun Tan Cheng where you will find delicately designed houses that show the combined influences of Dutch and Chinese. You can also request for a guided tour in the side of the street where Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum is located. You will see here the displayed miniature shoes which were used by the Baba Nyonyan women.

A few steps ahead you will see Cheng Hoon Teng or Green Cloud temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in Malaysia which despite its age, religious activities are still performed here everyday. Moving further you will see the Kampong Kling Mosque, the oldest mosque in Malaysia built in 1748 with Sumatran influence. It is still considered as the core of the Malay community.

Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar temple is the first and oldest Hindu temple in Malaysia. This temple was built for Vinayagar, a deity known to remove obstacles. You are in the right course when you see the well known bright red building referred by the locals as Christ Church, an old protestant church located in Dutch Square. It is believed that there are tombstones found underneath the church. You can regularly hear masses performed here in various dialects to serve its multiple language members.

You will see the St. Paul’s Historical Complex as you go around. It is the home of three oldest buildings in Melaka. Going at the foot of St. Paul’s Hill you will see a red building which was built in 1650 and the former home of Dutch governor. Moving up towards the top of the hill you will find St. Paul’s church which is overlooking the Malacca Strait. On the near side is the old gate of A’Famosa which was built in 1512 and known as Porta de Santiago.

On your way back you will see the Malacca Sultanate which is a newer structure among any other structures on the area. It is the replica of the original palace and turned as the new home to Malacca Cultural Museum. Your final stop will be the Proclamation of Independence memorial or the Malacca Club. This path will guide you back to Melaka Tourist Information Center, finishing your trip through this fascinating and rich culture of Melaka. When you finished visiting the highlighted sites, you can freely go around and experience more.

Melaka is the core of Malaccan history and the state of Malaysia’s oldest capital city. The former occupation of the Japanese, British, Portuguese, and Dutch molded the Malaccan history manifested through its well preserved landmarks. Melaka is currently established as world heritage site by UNESCO which you should not miss when touring Malaysia.

The center of the city offers the most fascinating travel locations in Melaka. For your food craving and additional antique collections, you can go to the famous Jalan Hang Jebat or Jonker Walker. This spectacular walkway is studded with specialty stores where you can also feel the unique ambiance of Perakan architecture which is evident in Jonker Walk.

The rich cultural heritage is the strong pillar of Melaka tourism consequently preserved as possible. You can visit here several extraordinary museums particularly in the area of Bandar Hilir. You can also experience charming view the A Famosa Fort and St. Paul Hill in this location which are remnants from 500 years way back.

At the foot of St. Paul’s Hill you will see the Melaka Sultanate museum where they keep the Malacca Cultural artifacts. Moreover, another heritage structure of Melaka is the St. Paul Church ruins can be seen as you climb up the St. Paul Hill.

A Famosa Fort is among Asia’s oldest European architectural landmarks. For years only the small gate remained from the formerly known as powerful and massive structure. Alfonso de Albuquerque, a Portuguese commander, built this fort believing that Melaka can be an ideal port to link Portugal and China.

As you stand at the stairway of St. Paul’s Church you will see next to it a huge red building known as Stadhuys. It is considered as the important landmark in Melaka where the Dutch Governor officially resided. At present, you can find here two museums, the Ethnography Museum and the Historic Museum where they home wide range of tradition bridal costume collections and Malacca’s relics. Going to the back portion of the building you can see another museum known as the Literature Museum.

The largest Chinese cemetery outside China can be found at the northeast portion of Malacca town. The Melaka people have preserved well the Bukit China’s tombs originated from the Ming Dynasty.

The Kampung Keling, built by Indian Muslim businessmen in the 18th century is among the oldest landmarks in Malacca. It displays the distinct architectural influence of Sumatra where you can also see the Cheng Hoon Teng temple abundantly adored with mythological images and magnificent wood furnishings and carvings. It considered as the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia.

Aside from experiencing the historical adventure of Melaka are the white sand beaches of the two major islands, the Pulau Besar considered as a beach sanctuary and Pulau Upeh the home of the rare Hawksbill turtle and considered as paradise for nature lovers. You can go to these islands via ferry from Jeti Anjung Batu in Umbai.

Beside from all of those amenities mentioned, there are other enthralling tourist’s spots in Melaka. Most tourists who come to the town of Melaka were delighted and fascinated by its tourist attractions. Moving around the town is not a problem through Panorama Melaka which conveniently shuttles tourists all over Melaka.

You tour to Melaka will always be a memorable one. You will be like stepping back in time with its well preserved culture that is rarely found anywhere in the world. The Melaka people have incredibly kept their heritage that stood until now to enrich its multicultural background.

Image by lOtkOt, treviño, zulyusof, Fahmishah