Penang Travel Guide
Travel guide to Penang, Malaysia with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Penang sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Penang Overview
Penang is Malaysia's most established beach holiday destination: a relatively small island covered in rubber plantations, rice paddies, long palm lined beaches and a very relaxed atmosphere.
Penang is usually visited as counterpoint to the frenetic pace of life in Kuala Lumpur, and is only about an hour by air from the capital, Penang offers relaxation for the traveller, and boasts some beach resorts and many historic shrines, monasteries and small temples.
The island offers good nightlife, as well as lots going on during the day if lying on a beach soaking up the warm sun is too much effort and you want to explore. Even though the flying time from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore to Penang is only about an, many people opt instead arrange car hire in Malaysia and drive through the Cameron Highlands seeing the sights on their way to Penang.
Penang is a very beautiful island, offering a combination of relaxation and culture that blends the British Colonial influences, with an Oriental twist. With plenty of history to soak up beneath the tropical sun, many people return to Penang year after year.
Top Penang Attractions
For thousands of visitors, the main reason for visiting Penang is the opportunity to lie back on the beach or relax by the pool at your luxury hotel. The most popular resort on the island is Batu Ferrenghi, where most of the hotels are. It is a great place to wander along the beach, buy some local craft goods from the beach traders, and enjoy water sports in a safe and pleasant environment.
Highlights of the island include the British Colonial City of Georgetown, the Temple of 10,000 Buddha's, and the infamous Snake Temple where drugged up snakes slither through the colourful buildings in a haze of incense smoke.
Shopping in Penang
The best place to go shopping in Penang is in Georgetown, where amongst the stalls of Chinatown markets and more modern shopping centres, there are plenty of Bargains to be had. Many people break their journey to Penang when they change aircraft in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, or Singapore, and as all of these cities provide excellent shopping opportunities.
Penang Sporting Events
The beaches of Penang offer visitors the chance to get into the warm ocean and try their hand at any number of exciting water sports. Whether you want to sail of windsurf, snorkel, or SCUBA dive in Penang, there are organisers who are happy to arrange the experience for you. Most hotels have a selection of boats, and some oven offer the opportunity to go deep-sea fishing and then have your catch cooked in one of the restaurants.
Inland, Penang has a landscape dominated by rainforests. There are some well thought out hiking trails through the jungle that allow you to get close to the real culture of the island, as well as showing some of its hidden treasures too.
