Travel Guide to Penang

Location

Set off the west coast of Malaysia, since 1985, the island has been joined to the mainland by the Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world. Alternatively, travellers arriving from the mainland can hop onto the ferry and take a 20-minute ride across. There are also international flights that connect directly to the international airport on the island.

Shopping

Shopping in Penang is an exciting experience. Antiques and curios stores do brisk business along Chulia Street, Penang Road and Burmah Road. Each is well stocked with all manner of items in art deco, art nouveau, baroque, rococo or chinoiserie styles, cast from silver, china or glass and come in the forms of objet d’art and bric-à-brac. Campbell Street (a pedestrian mall) is a hive of activity and the place to head to for the best bargains on shoes, clothes, luggage, cosmetics, perfumes and food. Great bargains can also be found at roadside stalls that sell leather goods, clothing and souvenir items.

There are four or five shopping malls in and around Georgetown.

If you crave the unusual, head on down to the flea market at Lorong Kulit, which is open from morning until around 2:00pm daily. Dubious looking antiques lie side by side with throwaway junk, and new things juxtapose with used items, but with a little patience and perseverance, you might unearth a hidden gem from underneath all the jumble and hodgepodge.

Geography

Penang or its Malay name of Pulau Pinang is made up of a turtle-shaped island, a total of 285 square kilometres, and a strip of land called Seberang Prai on Peninsular Malaysia about 48 kilometres wide.

History

In the 16th century, Penang was a staging post where Portuguese traders from Goa could replenish their water stocks and, for several hundred years, it was also an excellent place for ships to shelter during the monsoon. Unfortunately, it was a great base for pirates too.
In the 18th century, the Sultan Kedah offered the island to Francis Light in return for British protection. In 1786 Francis Light officially took possession of the island. He christened it "The Prince of Wales Island" and the Union Jack was hoisted over the new stockade. So, in all legal documents, Penang was known as Prince of Wales Island. The settlement on the eastern cape of the island was called Georgetown, named after the King of England, George III.

After Francis Light’s death, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) arrived in Penang to coordinate the defences of the island. It was in 1800 that Sir George Leith, then Lieutenant Governor of Prince of Wales Island, secured a strip of land across the channel from the island. He named it Province Wellesley. This gave Penang control over its harbour and food supplies from the mainland. Till this day, the State of Penang comprises two areas – Penang Island and Province Wellesley.

The latter part of the 19th century saw Penang enjoy a trade boom, when rich deposits of tin were found in the neighbouring state of Perak. Initially famed for clove and nutmeg, Penang gradually turned to sugar and coconut as cash crops. Pepper was imported from Acheh in Sumatra, part of the Indonesian Archipelago, for re-export. With British intervention in the Malay states, Penang became rich from the tin mines of Perak.

At the turn of the 20th century, Penang became a centre of export for rubber and tin. Rubber was in demand for the manufacturing of pneumatic tyres for first generation motorcars. The European planters and Chinese towkays (business leaders) made their money in the plantations and mines of the other northern states but built their mansions in Georgetown and sent their children to school there. With the advent of new food canning technology, tin was also in great demand. In 1905 the first hydroelectric scheme in Penang was completed, giving the island its first electricity. Penang’s first electric tramway appeared in 1906. By the mid 20th century, other modes of transport, such as the jin-rickshaws introduced by the Chinese, the bullock carts introduced by the Indian, and the horse-carts, gradually disappeared from Penang’s roads.

By the 1930s, more than forty steamship lines had connected Penang to the rest of the world, along with the existing "Flying Boat" services to London and Singapore. Penang had become an entertainment centre with cabarets, cinemas, amusement parks and gambling establishments.

Climate

What makes it so special?

The mixture of old and new.

Where to visit?

Not to be left out of your itinerary are the Colonial Quarter, Little India, Chinatown and the historic port settlements. Heritage tours are recommended if you want to check out every nook, cranny and side street. To get a panoramic view of Georgetown, check out the viewing gallery on the 58th floor of Komtar.

For the fun-loving and outdoorsy tourist, there are numerous beaches, fishing villages, nature trails, recreation forest and waterfalls. If you find touristy spots like Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi too crowded, you can retreat to more remote, but no less attractive, beaches at Muka Head, Pantai Keracut, Monkey Beach, Pantai Acheh and Gertak Sanggul.

While in Teluk Bahang don’t forget to visit the butterfly farm and batik factory.
To rejuvenate jaded senses, Penang Hill beckons with the promise of fresh, cool air and an awe-inspiring view of the island. Still relatively unspoilt, Penang Hill provides a quiet break from the hectic pace of the city. Breathtaking views of the island and the Andaman Sea can also be enjoyed during the drive to and from Balik Pulau

Most popular tours

Island tour
Half-day Georgetown