Top 7 to see in Penang

The capital of Penang, Georgetown has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Georgetown was the capital of the British Straits Settlements, which also comprised of Singapore and Malacca. In its early days, it was an important port for the trading of textiles, pepper and nutmeg from India and Indonesia, and tea, ceramics and silk from China. read more »

Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia in Malay) runs through Chinatown in Penang, where old Georgetown used to be. It used to be the first destination for travellers upon arrival in Penang island, offering cheap accommodation as well as services providing for their travel needs, such as transportation and food. There is still an abundance of restaurants, bicycle or motorbike rental shops, internet cafes, travel agents, and even instant laundries sprawled on Chulia Street today. read more »

The Penang National Park (Taman Negara Pulau Pinang), at the north-west corner of the island, is one of the last remaining natural forested areas left in the area, and also the smallest national park in the world. It is also called Muka Head, meaning face or head, as that corner of Penang Island is shaped somewhat like the side view of a face. The Penang National Park was officially established in 2003, after starting out as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve. read more »

A clan jetty refers to a village built over the water, with houses connected by planked walkways. The Weld Quay Clan Jetties have been around since the 1800s, and are located at the inland portion of the sea where Penang Island faces the mainland. There are 8 clan jetties here, the Chew, Koay, Lee, Lim, Peng Aun, Tan, Yeoh and Mixed Clans Jetties, named after the respective house owners. read more »

Once an abandoned rubber plantation along Penang's north-western shores, the overgrown plot of land was converted into a garden by David and Rebecca Wilkinson, founders of the Tropical Spice Garden. After one and a half years of work, the Tropical Spice Garden is now home to over 500 species of tropical flora, with many of the existing rubber trees being left untouched. Visitors can take any of the 3 trails available here, namely the Spice trail, Ornamental trail and Jungle trail. read more »

Located at Sungai Kluang on the Penang Island, the Snake Temple is a temple that honours the Buddhist monk Chor Soo Kong. He is believed to have healing powers, and many devotees come here to pray on his birthday. Visitors here will find many snakes here, and can even take photographs with snakes draped around their necks. read more »

Set up as a 'living museum', the Penang Butterfly Farm is the first tropical butterfly museum ever set up in the tropical world. With the Malay Peninsular having over 1000 recorded butterfly species, the Penang Butterfly Farm aims to serve both as a research centre and an educational resource for the public. Home to an average of 4000 Malaysian butterflies of 120 different species, visitors will be surrounded by fluttering butterflies. read more »