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".
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.
Penang is one of Southeast Asia's most popular island resorts and with good reason. This Malaysian island paradise has been a trading hotspot for centuries, but these days it is tourists who come to soak up the sun and the history while they explore a varied tropical island. Penang is an oasis of Buddhist temples, warm seas, sandy beaches and excellent cuisine. The capital of Georgetown is the hub of island life, but it is to the hotels and resorts of Batu Ferringhi, Penang most famous resort town, that most holidaymakers head.
www.thgholidays.co.uk/far-east_malaysia_penang.phtml
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