Penang

INTRO
Penang is one of the 13th Malaysia's states and a favourite tourist destination because of its culture, cuisine, history and last but not least - splendid nature. Penang is also called "The Pearl of the Orient" and it totally deserves that name - except the fantastic sights, it can also offers you mysterious legends from its cryptic folklore.

City Profile
City: Penang
Country: Malaysia
Area: 1,046.3 km2
Population: 1.47 million
Language: Bahasa Malaysia(Malay)

LOCATION
Penang is situated on Peninsular Malaysia, on its north-western tip. It actually consists of an island and a land territory, the two of them connected with a 13km bridge between. The mainland is formally known as Seberang Perai and the main town is called Georgetown, which is the administrative centre of that resort. Penang is a very busy and vivid area, maybe the second cosmopolitan one behind Kuala Lumpur.

TIME TO VISIT
Penang has a warm and humid equatorial climate whole year-round. The average temperature vary from 23 C to 32 C. There are no specific rain and hot seasons, but generally from April to September is wetter. Its rush hour is around Christmas, New Year and the surrounding holidays, as well as the Chinese New Year (around the end of January), when there are many festivals and the atmosphere just grabs you.

POPULATION
It is curious how on such small area there are more than 1.47 million inhabitants, which makes Penang the state with the highest density in Malaysia. The numbers are: 2,031.74 people per square km on the island and 865.99 - on the mainland. There is another curious fact about Penang - it is one of the two states, where the ethnic Chinese form the plurality.

CITIES AND ISLETS

Georgetown: except a capital and a main island, Georgetown is also a great mix of oppositions: English churches and Chinese temples; busy pubs and oriental local cuisine; modern malls and the old part of the city, with its colonial buildings and narrow alleys. The city is named after King George III, by the British in 1786.
Butterworth: it is a true Georgetown's twin but on the mainland and also the connecting point between the land and the island, with its 13 km bridge and ferries. It is the second biggest after the capital and plays a significant part in Penang's tourism and economy.
Batu Ferringhi: it is probably the most developed tourist city in the entire country. Tons of concrete are standing under many hotels and resorts, but still there is place for miles of white beaches and tropical palm trees. A place where you can just lie down, think of nothing and drink an exotic cocktail - the real dream of every tourist.
Bukit Mertajam: a city known simply as BM, famous with its well performing high schools and some very interesting and visited historical sights.
Batu Kawan: a small town on an island, where one of the ends of future Penang Second Bridge is planned to be. It is one of the oldest towns and lately has been developing fast.
Bayan Lepas an industrial zone of Penang with many factories located there as well as Penang International Airport. Famous with its biggest mall and Penang's only Giant Hypermarket.
Sungai Ara: a small city which seems as the perfect place to raise children and make a family. It has very convenient location and many banks, shopping centers, cinemas, good schools. A city where many professionals and young families invest in.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

Fort Cornwallis: once a wooden fort, it was rebuild to a concrete one and today it is a favorite tourist destination with an amphitheatre, gallery and a souvenir centre. It is open from 8.30am to 7.00pm and its ticket cost is 1RM per person. http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/fort%20cornwallis.html
Penang Hills: they are easy-reachable by train which comes on every half hour and present a gorgeous panorama of Georgetown. The hills are several and carry names like: Tiger Hill, Strawberry Hill, Flagstaff and others. If you decide to take a long and nice walk it will take you around 4 hours. http://www.malaysiasite.nl/hill.htm
Khoo Kongsi: this kongsi has once been designed with such glory and beauty that they said it is as magnificent as the emperor's palace. Maybe that is the reason why it was burnt very soon after that. Today's version is also a very impressive building, but to visit it you need a permission of Kongsi office. The opening hours are from 9.00 to 5.00 everyday except Saturday, when it closes at 1.00. On Sunday it doesn't work. http://www.malaysiasite.nl/khookongsi.htm
Penang Museum and Art Gallery:l built in 1821 it was designed to be Penang Free School, today it keeps many old maps, photographs, old documents and historical relics. It is situated in Lebuh Farquhar. http://202.157.188.226/consumer/destinations/item.asp?item=penangmuseum
Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple: this temple, except being extraordinary glamorous, holds a gigantic golden statue of Buddha, that may possibly be the third largest in the world. There are urns behind that statue which contain the ashes of devoted people. http://travelmalaysiaguide.com/wat-chayamangkalaram-penang/
Snake Temple: the temple is a unique building with an incredible design, located near Bayan Lepas airport. It is really brave to enter the temple, because the snakes inside are poisonous, although locals say they have never bitten anyone. http://www.malaysiasite.nl/snaketempleng.htm
Kek Lok Si: the largest Buddhist temple in south Asia, it represents an incredible complex which design embraces different elements of the Chinese, Burmese and Thai culture. There are many statues, the latest one is of Goddess of Mercy, completed in 2002. A lift that costs 2 RM each way leads you to a terrace where the goddess stands. Another unique thing that must be seen is the seven-storey pagoda with 10,000 Buddha images. http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/article.cfm?id=44
St George's Church: built in 1818, the church is one of the oldest sights, left from the British. Compared to all the glory temples it kind of look at the wrong place, but is one of the most beautiful Penang's landmarks nonetheless. http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/article.cfm?id=84
Sri Mariamman Temple: the oldest Hindu temple in Penang, having colourful walls and around 40 statues of sacred animals, goddesses and gods. It was built in 1883 and is located in Georgetown. http://malaysia.travel/consumer/destinations/item.asp?item=srimariamman

AIRPORT

Penang International Airport (PEN), which is situated in Bayan Lepas, 20 km from Georgetown have direct flights with the major capitals around. Air Asia and Malaysian Airlines (MAS) operates many daily flights to and from Kuala Lumpur. Once at the airport, it is easy to get a taxi or a bus to get anywhere in the island.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Buses: very unreliable and with a bad reputation. Their cost is low, but they are not regular and very inconvenient especially in rush hour. They have machines that accept coins and their main terminals are in Georgetown and in Weld Quay.
Taxis: generally they should go by a meter but most of them will to haggle. It is best to fix and agree on some price before using one.
Trishaws: they were once a very popular way to travel around but now they use mostly for tourist entertainment. As same as the taxis, there is no fix price.
Rented Cars: It will be the easiest way to travel around, but keep in mind the rush hour if you don't want to spend your vacation in a traffic jam. There are so many agencies that offers renter cars that you will probably find the most useful for you.
Ferry: it is a very pleasant way to get from Butterworth to the island. Ticket costs are 1.20RM for adults and 0.60RM for children.

HISTORY
In the 16th century, Portuguese traders landed at Penang in search for spices. After that is became a natural harbor where ships stopped for fresh water and supplies. In 1771 the sultan of Kedah offered the island of Penang in return for a protection. The refused and later he made an army to fight Captain Francis Light, who had established business in Penang. The sultan was defeated and signed a contact giving Penang to Britain. Light then promised to pay the sultan 6,000 Spanish dollars annually and today the Penang State Government still pays RM 18,800.00 to the Sultan of Kedah annually.

CITY LINKS

a site with a lot of information for the tourists: http://www.penang.ws/index.htm
Penang Adventist Hospital: http://www.pah.com.my/
Penang government: http://www.penang.gov.my/index.php?lang=eng
Penang's restaurants: http://www.10best.com/Penang_Island/Restaurants/
Penang's local maps: http://www.penang-hotels.com/maps/

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Penang Medical College http://www.pmc.edu.my/hospital.html
International College Penang http://www.intipen.edu.my/
Kolej Damansara Utama Penang http://www.kdupg.edu.my/newhp/general/index.aspx