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Kedah .
Penang .
Perak .
Selangor .
Melaka .
Kelantan .
Terengganu .
Sarawak .
Kuala Lumpur .
Others |
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MALAYSIA |
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MY PENANG |
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About Penang |
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myMalaysiabooks
brings you the delights of Penang, which is very close to
our hearts. Read about her rich cultural heritage and fabulous
street food and Nyonya cuisine - a place that truly reflect
the diverse cultures of Asia, history and traditions.
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Welcome to the Pearl
of the Orient |
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PENANG or
Pulau Pinang |
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Francis Light |
Kek Lok Si Temple |
Pulau
Pinang
or better known as Penang
is a state in
Malaysia
with an interesting history - a unique Asian city, rich in
the cultures and traditions of Asia.
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The state
of Pulau Pinang or Penang comprises an island (Penang
island) and a stretch of land on the west coast on the Malaysian
Peninsular (Seberang Perai).
The Pearl of the Orient,
as she is referred to, is a melting
pot of many cultures. Her history is reflected in her cultural
diversity and urban landscape.
Penang is linked to other parts of Malaysia and internationally
by roads, rails, air or sea. Travel to Penang by road (bus or
private vehicle) by the expressway, or by rail to Butterworth
from Singapore or Bangkok. Fly from all over the world to her
international airport or travel by cruise ship or yacht to the
island of Penang.Location: North-western part of Peninsular Malalysia
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Head of State: Chief Minister
Population: 1.7 million
Capital: George Town
From 2008 March......
Read about Penang New Government and Chief Minister at
Malaysia News Page
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Offers online
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George Town, Penang |
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George Town, the administrative centre is a cosmopolitan
city with a mix of old and new, east and west. Move around the
city to see the many
cultural
and heritage sites - Chinese clan houses, colonial buildings, old temples, mosques
and the many pre-war shop houses.
Heritage enclave of Penang
The best way to see George Town is to walk
the streets of and alley in the city or take a trishaw ride. See the mix
cultural heritage that is both Asian and European - from the activities in
the streets to the architectural diversity of the urban landscape. A walk
through the streets of Georgetown will take you through a cultural
landscape that can only be found only in this part of South-east Asia. You
can also hop onto the free George Town shuttlebus (Free
shuttlebus map) and see George Town. Walk round
the historical enclaves of Penang aroung Armenian Street, China Town,
Queen Street, Lebuh Farquhar, Lebuh Leigh, etc and see some of these
cultural and historical sites: Chinese Kongsi houses, Indian temples,
museums, Fort Cornwallis....see our
heritage of Penang photos gallery.
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Penang Food
If you are in Penang be sure to sample the
infinite array of Penang street food. You will find such a wide variety
of food that is uniquely Penang or Malaysia - Malay, Chinese, Indian,
Thai, Peranakan (Nyonya/ Nonya) food and even a fusion of continental
cuisines. Penang offers the best of Malaysian street food or better
known as hawker food. Penang is often referred to as the
food capital of Malaysia.
The best of Penang ihawker food) canrange from rice dishes to noodles and
snacks. The most famous of her street food is usually a fusion of what
is a combination of Asian food - sino-Malay, Indian-Muslim, etc.
Typical Penang hawker food
are: hokkien mee , laksa, char kueh teow, chee cheong
fun, lobak or otak-otak, pasembur, etc.
However, don't leave Penang
without tasting the unique local
Nonya
Cuisine (Nonya / Peranakan Cuisine), which is a mix of Chinese
and Malay cooking - often of food cooked with aromatic herbs. And of
course Nyonya Kueh - famed
throughout Malaysia that originates here.
Visitors can shop
at open-air markets or air-conditioned shopping complexes. A
unique experience is to walk through the night market or pasar malam, a place for you to get all sorts of bargains,
from clothes to fruits. The most popular night market is at Batu
Ferringhi, Penang Island.
Malaysian
Food
Malaysian
cakes/ kuih muih Malaysia
Malaysian
home recipes
You will find details of all this in our travel guide My Penang (myPenang)
and Details here on Penang Food
Unique
Cultural Experience in Penang
With cultural diversity comes
numerous cultural and religious holidays and celebrations. You
will see in her celebrations a mingling of Malay, Chinese,
Indian, Arabic and European cultures. Enjoy her
celebrations and
festivals that reflects what is in Asia. Visit Penang
during one of the many Malaysian festival to enjoy the celebration
and festivities, all on one small island. Check out the numerous
Chinese festivals of Penang
here. Get to know more about Penang in
myPenang.
The most renowned temple is of course Kek Lok Si,
which is the most visited tourist spot at the foothill of penang
hill. However, also
at the foothills of Penang Hill, adjacent to the Penang Hill
railway station is the newly restored Thni Kong Tnua or Jade
Emperor God’s temple....Penang Hill is a
place for relaxationcheck
out this place. Visit Chinese clan houses, the snake temple, Fort Cornwallis, Air Itam, Kuan Imm Teng, museums, churches, mosques,
and many more places.
For nature lovers, there are ample
parks and beautiful beaches on Penang island, along Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang. Or venture
further to vacation in the nearby mystical island of Langkawi
in
Kedah.
........................................More
on Penang
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Notes:
Nyonya / Nonya
refers to the women who are
decedents of the early Chinese settlers in Malaysia. Many
married the locals or adopted the some Malay cultural practices
resulting in a unique culture which is a mix of Malay and
Chinese. These people are referred to as the Peranakans or Baba
and Nyonyas. (Baba refers to the male Peranakans)
To know
more about the Peranakan get a copy of
myPenang, written by a
local who knows the culture. |
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History of Penang
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 The island of Penang was once a pirate haven, belonging to the
Kedah
Sultanate. Penang island was taken over by the Sir Francis Light
of the British East India Company in 1786. When the Sultan of Kedah tried to take it back, Kedah lost and was also forced to
cede Penang and a stretch of land on the mainland (Seberang
Perai) to the British. Penang soon became a British colonial
administrative centre.
Located
at the northern end of the Straits of Malacca
(Melaka), the settlement on the island grew into a port and
trading post during the 18th century,
attracting traders and settlers from far-flung corners of the
world. With trade came immigrants - Chinese, Indians, Burmese,
Europeans, Armenians, Bugis and Arabs, began settling in Penang.
This ingestion and fusion of different races, beliefs and
customs have contributed to Penang's rich tradition and culture today.
The history of Penang before the British took over the island is
in the History of
Kedah.
Heritage
Sites of Penang -
Penang
Heritage sites - Photo gallery
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Where to Stay |
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How
to get here |
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A chapter on how to get to Penang in My Penang
By Air
Fly to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport or straight to the
Penang International Airport, on Penang Island. The airport is
just 20 minutes from Georgetown. There are a number of daily
flights from
Kuala Lumpur,
Johor, East Malaysia (Kuching,
Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) and Singapore, to Penang.
Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia and Singapore Airlines fly most
frequently here. Other Asian airlines such as Xiamen air, Eva
Air, Thai International also flies to Penang airport. Daily
flights are also available to and from Langkawi island.
Malaysia-Singapore low cost airlines:
Air Asia flies from here to Johor Bahru (JB)
- this route is
frequented by those travelling to Singapore. It is easy to get a
taxi or bus from the JB to Singapore or vice versa.
Alternatively, fly by Air Asia from Penang to KLIA (LCCT
terminal), check out and then check in to fly on Air Asia or
another budget airlines. Air Asia, Jet Star and Tiger Airways
flies from KLIA to Singapore daily (operations starts 1st
February 2008).
(Important note: Budget
airlines are point to point air services, so be sure to have 3
hours interval between your flight schedule, if you have to
board another flight.)
Malaysia Airlines's
budget airline based in Penang, called
Firefly,
flies to the island from Phuket and
Koh Samui, Thailand. Other connecting air flights
available from Penang are to domestic airports are: Langkawi (Kedah),
Kota Baru (Kelantan), Kuala Terengganu (Terrenggnu) and Kuantan
(Pahang).
Search
for air flight deals
Asia
Airline websites
By Road
By coach/ bus or car, the north-south expressway takes you to
Butterworth or Seberang Perai (in the State of Pulau Pinang). You can cross to Penang
island by ferry or drive through the Penang bridge. The Penang
Bridge, leads you to the south eastern part of
Penang island. It is linked to the North South expressway in
Peninsular Malaysia
There are
many express buses from KL, Ipoh, Alor Setar, Johor and other
major towns in Peninsular Malaysia that
goes to Penang Island or Butterworth. Buses are available daily
from Thailand and Singapore (tours or express bus) to Penang
island or Butterworth (on the peninsular).
On Penang Island, you can go
sightseeing by bus. There is a free shuttle bus service for
visitors to move around Georgetown. (Free
Map of Penang & Shuttle
bus Map)
By Train Travelling by
train takes you close to the Ferry Terminal at Butterworth (Seberang
Perai, Penang). There are Daily train services from Hat Yai and
from KL. Then catch the passenger ferry to Penang Island.
From Bangkok you can travel by the International Express to
Butterworth. Its a daily service run by Thai Railways. For luxurious
travel, travel to Butterworth (state of Penang) by the Oriental
Express from Bangkok. (How to
travel from
Thailand to Malaysia)
By sea
Ferries cross from Butterworth (Seberang Perai)
on the Malaysian Peninsular to Penang every half hour. The ferry
terminal is right at the city of George Town.
If you are in
Langkawi Island, travel by ferry from Kuah, Langkawi to
Penang island. Cruise ships from Port Klang and Singapore also
stops at Port Swettenham in Penang island. There are also
ferries from Medan Indonesia to Penang island.
There is also a new yacht marina
located next to the ferry terminal:
 Tanjung City Marina
(Penang Port Sdn Bhd)
Pengkalan Weld, 10300 Penang
Tel: 604-210 2336, 337, 338 and 339; Fax 04-210 2334
www.penang port.com.my
Details of Transport and
travel essentials at:
Transport in
Malaysia
From Singapore to Malaysia
From Thailand to Malaysia
........more on Penang
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