Widely known as the Pearl
of the Orient, Penang is one of Asia's most
famous islands. Its natural beauty and exotic heritage
have been attracting curious visitors for centuries.
Travel guides have referred to it as "a place
of mysterious temples and palm-shrouded beaches",
while literary giant Somerset Maugham is known to
have stayed on the island and spun tales about the
romance of the white planter in South-East Asia.
Penang today is very much an amalgam of the old and
the new – a bustling port, a heritage city and
an industrial base. Perhaps it has more to offer per
square mile than any other place in the world. For
sheer variety of locales, cultures and foods, Penang
is hard to beat.
In it's capital Georgetown, modern
skyscrapers rise from one of Southeast Asia's largest
collections of intact prewar buildings. Manufactures
of sophisticated electronic goods compete for space
with wet markets and old temples. Where else can you
find a century-old church, a Chinese temple, an Indian
temple, and a Muslim mosque all within a five-minute
walk from one another? Likewise, tall urban structures
stand beside the red-tiled roofs of Chinatown and
"Little India" is just across the road,
while the Malay kampungs lie on the outskirts. The
seamless melding of the many peoples of Penang is
best reflected in the delicious hawker foods (available
around the clock) and the adherence to traditions
and customs. Festivals abound throughout the year.
Should one wish to get away from
the busy city, the idlyllic beaches and soothing hills
are but minutes away, while the industrial free trade
zone, the "Silicon Valley of the East",
and the international airport are equally accessible.
Penang or its Malay name of Pulau Pinang is made up
of a turtle-shaped island, a total of 285 square kilometers,
and a strip of land called Seberang Prai on Peninsular
Malaysia about 48 kilometers wide.
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
