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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 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

Do Some Shopping at Night Bazaar of Batu Ferringhi

This bazaar is a nightly activity in Batu Ferringhi that usually starts from 7 pm up to 1 am. There is something that you should not miss here, the entire stretch of Batu Ferringhi becomes a night market after sunset. You will find at least 1000 stores lined along the main road in Batu Ferringhi. If you are fond of shopping, you will definitely enjoy picking up sorties of items and many more.

Climb up Penang Hill

Never miss this hill when visiting Penang. With it perfectly formed peak, the Flagstaff Hill, it is popularly known as the Bukit Bendera. The Penang Hill railway is one best way up to the Penang Hill. This is cable railway that brings passengers toward Flagstaff Hill. The cable train leaves with an interval of 22-30 minutes with the load of up to 85 passengers every trip. You can also go up hill through 4×4 vehicles.

You can also follow other trails like the trail from the Municipality Park, the trail from Hye Keat Estate, the trail to Tiger Hill via Air Itam Dam, and the Moongate Trail. It have to spend around 3 hours in order to get to the top of the hill from Penang Botanical Gardens by foot.

Visit Gurney Drive to enjoy its food and views

You can find here several tasty cuisine. You can also enjoy watching the sunset while gorging yourself with the best delicacies this road offers. Gurney Drive fronts the Penang sea just a little way off Georgetown City. The top delicacies that you should try are Hokkien Mee, Asam Laksa, last but not least the famous Char Keow Teow. Along Gurney Drive you will find the Gurney Plaza Shopping Center, a very popular shopping location in Penang where you able buy here some popular foreign and Malaysian brands.

Enjoy the stunning 360 view of Penang from KOMTAR

You should try visiting KOMTAR and go to the 60th floor to see the spectacular 360 view of the entire Penang Island. KOMTAR building  is still the tallest construction in Penang and has ben established as the landmark of the area. You will find in this building exhibition centers, hotels, shopping complexes, and government offices.

Take a stroll at Georgetown Heritage Walk

You will find here many featured tourist spots like some religious temples from different beliefs and old-aged historical sites. Some of popular attractions you can find here are the Queen Victoria Clock Tower, Penang Peranakan mansion, and also the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.

Indulge the nightlife in Penang Road

When night comes, Georgetown in upper Penang is filled with live bands, and DJs. You can merely chill out, dance, or sing out loud with its Karaoke. You can bring in company to enjoy these amusements until all night long.

Cross one of the longest and largest bridge in Asia, Penang Bridge

Don’t miss the fascinating view of Penang while crossing this bridge which the national landmark and the pride of Penang. It is status symbol of Penang’s economy. The Penang Bridge Marathon that held annually is also hosted here.

Drop by the largest Buddhist Temple in Malaysia

The Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple is located in Ait Itam and known as the largest temple for Buddhist in Malaysia. You can find here several monasteries, beautiful gardens, temples, and prayer halls.

Try the enjoyable ferry ride from Butterworth

Butterworth is the main entrance to the island and the ferry ride is something that you should not miss. Butterworth is the base terminal of all ferry that go to Penang. The ferry operates round the clock and the ride provides opportunity to take beautiful photos on views and wonderful landscape.

Image by tk_yeoh, kelvin.schafli, paulbsr