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Destinations
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Places of Interest |
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Georgetown. At the northeastern
tip of the island is the seat of administration and the commercial hub of the
state. This bustling metropolis combines the best of East and West as seen in
its fine old buildings, each bearing the stamp of different foreign influences
in its colorful history. Much of its charm also lies in its famous golden
beaches and calm warm seas. Penang today is a resort island in full bloom - an
idyllic playground for worshippers of the sun and sea. Its multi-racial
population contributes to a wealth of cultural attractions and festive
celebrations for visitors to witness and enjoy. |
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Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (KOMTAR).
Better known as KOMTAR, this 65-storey building that stands the southern end of
Jalan Penang is a prominent landmark on the island. It houses government
departments, commercial offices, department stores, shops and restaurants.
There are also theatres, squash courts and a geodesic dome that serves as a
multipurpose hall. The Tourist Centre on the 58th floor offers a panoramic view
of the city center. KOMTAR also serves as Gerorgetown’s main bus and taxi
terminal. |
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Mengkuang Titi Village. With
distance of 30km away from Georgetown, this village
cultivates agriculture treasures such as rubber, oil palm, paddy and
coconut. Small home industries here include the production of mengkuang
(screwpine) leaf handicrafts, germination of bean sprouts, preparation of
traditional herbal potions and pottery. Though the pottery products are made
using simple tools and traditional methods, the quality of craftsmanship is
high. |
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Penang Bridge. The Penang Bridge,
which links Penang Island and the mainland, was opened in 1988. This
spectacular bridge spans 13.5km across the channel, offering a beautiful view
of the open sea, ships and the sprawling coastline. |
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Water World |
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Pulau Aman (Island of Peace).
Apart from the cockle culture project, this aquaculture centre also offers
activities such as kayaking, fishing and jungle trekking. There are other
historical spots include a World War II ammunition depot, a cave used by
pirates in the past and an ancient graveyard. |
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Tanjong Tokong. Comes a live
after sunset as most of the nightclubs and karaoke bars are located on the side
of the island. Delighful local hawker food can be found at the Fettes
residential area. |
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Batu Ferringghi. Apart from its
beautiful beaches, this spot is where visitors can find delicious local
and international food and many souvenir shops. |
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Teluk Bahang. Known in the past
as The End of The World, this shore is situated at the extreme northwest corner
of the island.
Tanjong Bungah. A range of
beachfront resorts of famous international chains lines the shores of this
beach. Some of them offer sea adventure facilities such as parasailing, wind
surfing and water skiing.
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Nature's Trail |
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Penang Hill. The hills of Penang
- Flagstaff Hill, Western Hill, Tiger Hill, Strawberry Hill, and others - have
long been popular refuges from the heat of the low-lying city. As the funicular
railway proceeds along its half-hour climb of the hill, a broad panoramic view
of Georgetown slowly unfolds. The view from Flagstaff Hill, at the top of the
line, is lovely as night descend over the island. The train leaves the station
at Air Itam at 6.30am with service at every half an hour. Train fare for adults
is RM3 and RM1.50 for children.
For those who enjoy a vigorous walk or fear a funicular ride, there is a very
good walking track up the hill. It takes about four hours and should not be
undertaken frivolously. The jungle trail begins at the moon gate at Waterfall
Road, about 300 metres from the entrance to the Botanical Gardens.
Read More.. |
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Bukit Mertajam Recreational Park.
Lying approximately 18 km from Butterworth ferry terminal, this park covers a
wide area of hilly terrain that ascends several hundred metres above sea level.
Its cool hill air encourages a profusion of ferns, epiphytes and wild flowers,
as well as exotic butterflies, birds and insects. For adventure seekers, there
are numerous jungle tracks leading to the heart of the forest. |
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Teluk Bahang Forestry Recreational Park.
Within the 100 hectares of the park lie fresh water pools, a children’s
playground, rest huts, jungle trails and the Forestry Museum. Various species
of tropical timber, timber products and insects are showcased in the museum.
Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve.
Renamed Penang National Park in 2003, it is unique as it contains several types
of habitats, including wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, coral reefs and
turtle-nesting beaches. Green turtles make their way here between April and
August while the Olive Redley visits the shores from September and February. |
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Historical & Heritage |
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War Museum. Built around the
remnant of the British fort, this 20-acre museum contains several installations
above and below ground where old war relics are stored. Visitors can weave
though a complex to view barracks, old cookhouses, lock-ups, tunnels and
ventilation shaft. |
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Penang Museum. Hundreds of old
prints, paintings, clay, stone and porcelain ware as well as other historical
artifacts that highlight the important periods in Penang’s development can be
found here. |
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Pinang Peranakan Mansion.
Contained in this mansion are elaborate traditional costumes and accessories,
lovely porcelain pieces, furniture, works of art brought in from China and
Europe as well as artifacts related to the history and colourful lifestyle of
the Baba Nyonya people of Penang. |
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Fort Cornwallis. This fort was
built on the site of Francis Light's historic landing in 1786. Originally a
wooden stockade, it was replaced by a concrete structure built by convict
labour, in 1804. Today, an open-air amphitheatre, a history gallery, and a
handicraft and souvenir centre occupy the fort. Fort Cornwallis also houses a
famous Dutch cannon that in some way or another has been associated with
virtually every shift in political alliances on the Peninsula since the early
17th century. The cannon arrived on the Peninsula in 1606 as a present from the
Dutch to the Sultan of Johor. Only a few years later, the Achenese in a raid on
Johor’s capital took the cannon. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the
cannon was sent to by the Achenese to Kuala Selangor in hopes of establishing
an alliance with the Bugis. The cannon's last move, from Kuala Selangor to
Penang, followed the British bombardment on Kuala Selangor in 1871. Visiting
hours are from 8.30am - 7.00pm and admission is RM 1 per person. |
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Khoo Kongsi. The wave of
Chinese immigration to Penang during the nineteenth century gave rise to the
formation of clan formations, or kongsi, which served as surrogate kinship and
professional associations for immigrants who had left behind family and
friends. A multitude of kongsi arose in Penang, and each organisation
constructed a hall to serve as the locus of its community. The Khoo Kongsi,
built in 1894 is the most famous example of these halls, having been designed
with such magnificence that it was said to rival the palace of China's emperor.
Whether by misfortune or because such a resemblance was viewed as an offence,
the original Khoo Kongsi burnt to the ground almost as soon as it was
completed. The present structure was built as a scaled down version of that
original, though it is an extraordinarily impressive structure nonetheless. The
building features a magnificent hall embellished with intricate carvings and
richly ornamented beams of the finest wood, each bearing the mark of master
craftsmen from China.
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Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s Penang Base.
Known as the father of Modern China, Dr. Sun Yat Sen was the leader of the
Chinese revolution against the Manchu government. The shop at 120, Lebuh
Armenia was used as the meeting venue for the supporters of his movement
between 1906-1911. On 13 November 1910, Dr. Sun planned the Pennag Conference,
which resulted in the canton Uprising of Spring in 1911.
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Weld Quay. First occupied by
the early Straits Chinese who were stevedores, these water villages are made up
of houses on stilts. Also known as jetties, the liveliest and biggest of them
is Chew Jetty. |
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Penang Museum and Art Gallery.
Located at Lebuh Farquhar, the Penang Museum and Art Gallery houses old
photographs, maps, charts and historical relics. It was built in 1821 and was
formerly Penang Free School. Opens daily from 9.00am-5.00pm and on Fridays, it
is closed between 12.15pm -2.45pm. |
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Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. This
is Pennag’s high profile private restoration project that was conferred the
inaugural UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Award in year 2000. A
mansion tailored based on Feng Shui, it has 38 rooms, five courtyards, seven
staircases and 220 windows. Today, it serves as an exclusive hotel. It fine
interior decorations such as sculptures make it a classic treasure. |
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Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple.
This Buddhist temple of Thai architecture houses a magnificent gold-plated
reclining Buddha that is said to be the third largest in the world. The niches
behind the statue house urns containing the ashes of devotees. Admission is
free. |
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Snake Temple. This is probably
the only temple of its kind in the world. The many pit vipers coiled around
objects on the altar, are harmless. They believed to have been rendered so by
the smoke of the burning incense in the temple. For safety of the public, the
snakes have been de-venomed. Admission is free. |
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Kek Lok Si is reputedly the
largest Buddhist temple complex in Southeast Asia. The temple is also widely
known for the beauty of its design, which incorporates elements of Chinese,
Thai, and Burmese architecture. Kek Lok Si is dominated by the seven-tiered
pagoda of Ban Po Thar, which is dedicated to the Boddhisattva Tsi Tsuang Wang,
who declined to enter nirvana after enlightenment in order that he might assist
others along the path. |
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Cathedral of the Assumption.
Built in 1860, it was earlier known as the Church of the Assumption. |
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Sri Maha Mariammam Temple. This
Hindi temple, built in 1883 in Lebuh Queen, features fascinating sculptures of
gods and goddesses over its entrance and on its facade. Housed within its
ornately decorated interior is a priceless statue of Lord Subramaniam,
embellished with gold, silver, diamonds, and emeralds. The statue is prominent
for the annual Thaipusam Festival, when it would be borne on a silver chariot
through the city streets to the temple at Jalan Waterfall. Visiting hours are
from morning to late evening. Permission to enter must be obtained from temple
officials. |
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Kuan Yin Teng Temple (The Goddess of Mercy
Temple). Decorated with finely crafted dragons and lion sculptures,
this is the oldest temple in Penang. Built in 1800 as a dedication to Kuan Yin,
the Goddess of Mercy and Mar Chor Poh, the patron saint of seafarers. Devotees
come to this temple to worship all year round, especially during the
anniversary celebrations on the 19th day of the second, sixth and ninth month
of the Chinese lunar calendar. |
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Kapitan Kling Mosque. Located
at Jalan Kapitan Kling (formerly called Pitt Street), this mosque was built in
1880 by and named after an Indian Muslim merchant and headman of South Indian
community, Caudeer Mohudeen. It features a dome-shaped minaret and architecture
that reflects Indian Muslim influences. |
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Tua Pek Kong Temple. Located
next to the Yap Kongsi, this temple was founded in 1844 by Khoo Teng Peng as a
dedication to the Chinese God of Prosperity. It used to be a base for the Tua
Pek Kong secret society. |
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Acheen Street Mosque. This is
the oldest extant mosque in Penang. Founded in 1808 by a wealthy merchant, Syed
Sheriff Tengku Syed Hussaid Aidid, the architecture is of the unique mix of the
Achehnese, Anglo-Indians and Chinese. Its unique features are the pagoda-like
minaret and swallow-tailed roof and fanlights. The tomb of the founder remains
in the compound of the mosque.
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Nagore Shrine. Inspired by
Moghul arcitecture, this shrine is a memorial to caliph Syed Shahrul Hamid. It
is located at the junction of Lebuh Chulia and Lebuh King. On Thursdays,
faithful devotees offer prayers here. |
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Dharmikarama Burmese Temple.
With a pair of white stone elephants at the entrance, this temple was founded
in 1805. Magnificent images of Buddha are housed here. Within the pagoda ground
stands a Bodhi tree and a wishing pond. This temple is the venue for many
interesting festivities especially the Buddhist water festival in April. |
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Flora & Fauna |
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Penang Bird Park. The Penang Bird
Park occupies a generous landscaped site in Seberang Jaya. Within its
beautifully designed aviaries are over four hundred species of birds from all
over the world. Man-made islands with cascades, gardens, and ornamental plants
abound. The park also contains a wide variety of orchids and hibiscus plants.
Entrance fee for adults is RM4.00 and, children at RM2 00. The park is open
daily from 10.00am-6.00pm.
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Penang Butterfly Farm. Located at
Teluk Bahang, the farm has hundreds of species of butterflies and insects
amidst landscaped tropical gardens. Opens daily from 9.00am to 5.00pm and
entrance fee is RM4. |
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Bukit Jambul Orchid, Hibiscus and Reptile
Garden. This intimate park at Bukit Jambul includes the Orchid and
Hibiscus Garden and a Reptile Farm. Home to many species of snakes and iguana,
other attractions include an ornamental Japanese pond, a cacti garden, a
pottery corner, a deer park, and cascades.
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Botanical Gardens. The Botanical
Gardens offer peace and tranquility amidst lush green surroundings, tropical
plants, and vibrant flora. The 30-hectare garden also features a waterfall.
Came about in 1884 during the British rule, it was a tribute to Charles Curtis,
the gardens’ first superintendent. Curtis collected botanical specimens from
the surrounding hills; specimens that have since become significant samples in
the world's major herbarium. The gardens are also well known for their bold
Rhesus monkeys. With free admission, it is open daily from 7.00am to 7.00pm. |
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Tropical Agro Farm. It is a
25-acre farm that cultivates and preserves tropical and sub-tropical fruit
trees from neighbouring countries. Four acres are covered with durian trees and
the remaining land is planted with 140 different types of fruits. The trees are
cultivated on the hill terraces that enable easy inspections. These terraces
make wonderful backdrop for photographs. Visitors get to sample the varieties
of fruit as fresh juicy fruits are sold at the farm. Tours with guides are also
available. |
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