Penang
Malaysia · Southeast Asia
George Town's shophouses, clan halls and temples, a heritage hotel on the sea front and the most celebrated street food in Malaysia.
Why visit
Why visit Penang
Go for an old Asian port that was not pulled down. George Town is a grid of shophouses, with the monuments of each trading community standing among them, and it is small enough to see on foot.
Go also for the food. Penang is regarded by Malaysians as the country's capital of eating, and the Michelin Guide has covered it since its first Malaysian edition. Our guide to George Town has the detail.
Explore
What to see
Khoo Kongsi. The most elaborate of the Hokkien clan halls, hidden in its own square behind the houses.
The Blue Mansion. The indigo house of the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze, now a small hotel shown on guided tours.
The Pinang Peranakan Mansion. A town house that shows how the Straits Chinese lived.
The Street of Harmony. An Anglican church, a Chinese temple, a Hindu temple and a mosque along one road.
The clan jetties. Houses on stilts along wooden piers on the waterfront.
Street art. The murals painted by Ernest Zacharevic in 2012, and those that followed.
Beyond the town. Penang Hill, climbed by a funicular railway, and the temple of Kek Lok Si at its foot.
Hotels
Where to stay in Penang
The grandest place to stay is the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, founded on the sea front in 1885 by the Sarkies brothers; it appears in our guide to Asia's grand old hotels. Many of the old houses of George Town, the Blue Mansion among them, have become small hotels.
Experiences
Experiences in Penang
Before you go
Practical information
Best time to visit
Penang is hot at any season. The heaviest rain falls from September to November. The old town is best walked early and late in the day.
Getting around
Penang has an international airport, and is reached from Kuala Lumpur by train to Butterworth and a ferry across the strait. The old town is walked. Belmond's Eastern & Oriental Express travels the peninsula from Singapore.
Practical notes
Two or three days suit the old town and the hill. Hawker stalls keep their own hours, and many close one day a week.
Continue exploring
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