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 From its establishment as the first British trading
post in the Far East in 1786 when Francis Light managed
to persuade the Sultan of Kedah to cede 'Pulau
Pinang' (Betel Nut Island) to the British East
India Company, Penang is today a
bustling city with a unique blend of the East and West.
This is reflected in its heritage buildings as well as
in the lifestyles, food and customs of the local
people and it is no surprised that this island is also
called the Pearl of the Orient. Penang is
regarded as a famous tourist city with many
beautiful tourists attractions and the foreign
visitors who come here are glad that English is
widely spoken Photo: Kek Lok Si Temple
in Penang
throughout this beautiful island. When you are
sightseeing in Penang, always remember to bring
along a city map since this travel guide will
allow you to admire its many famous places of
interest which are located in every corner of
the city.
 Penang lies off the northwest coast of
Peninsular Malaysia and Georgetown, at the
northeastern tip of the island is the capital
city of Penang which is named after King George III of England, is
the seat of the state's administration as well as the
centre for commerce, education, social activities and
entertainment. The state of Penang is made up of the
island of Penang and a strip of mainland known
as Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai) with
Butterworth as its main town. Among the famous
places of interest in Penang that are worth
exploring
are the Acheen Street Mosque, Batu Ferringhi
Photo: Penang Road
Bazaar,
Batu Maung Fishing Village, Butterfly Farm,
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Chinatown, City Hall,
Penang Clock Tower, Dhamikarama Burmese Temple,
Fort Cornwallis, Goddess of Mercy Temple,
Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kek Lok Si Temple, Khoo
Kongsi, Komtar, Penang Bird Park, Penang
Botanical Garden, Penang Bridge, Penang Museum
and Art Gallery, Snake Temple, Sri Mariamman
Temple, State Mosque, St. George's Church and
Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram. Visitors can hike up to Penang Hill to enjoy
the scenic beauty of the island. On your way back, you
can travel to Balik Pulau
and sample its highly acclaimed durians
and nutmegs. For water sports activities, there are many
beautiful beaches in Penang that you can visit
and some of the famous beaches in Penang are the
Batu Ferringhi Beach, Tanjung Bungah Beach and
Teluk Bahang Beach.
 The delightful variety of Penang food reflects
the different cooking styles and tastes of its
multi-racial population. There is a
mouth-watering selection of Chinese, Malay,
Indian and Nyonya cuisine to sample, not to
mention the irresistible hawker fare. Peranakan
or Nyonya cooking consists of an exotic blend of
Chinese and Malay savory cuisines. The
style of cooking is quite elaborate involving a
fine mixture of many spices, herbs and plants
with onions, garlic and chili. You can never go
hungry in Penang.
Not to be missed local hawker favorites are
noodle dishes such as asam laksa, hokkien mee,
char koay teow and satay which is made up of meat kebabs
and it is served
with rice cake, cucumber and peanut gravy.
Malaysians from all over the peninsular are
known to drive for hours just to get to Penang
to taste its many delicious hawker food. With
its excellent Peranakan
Mansion
food and unique tourists attractions, Penang is
the top travel destination for you to visit when
you are in Malaysia. So, bring along your camera
and capture all the sweet moments in Penang to
share it with your friends back home.
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