"Georgetown - Malaysia's British Colonial... " a Penang Travel Page by M0B1US

The Island of Penang (AKA Betelnut Island) is the site of the oldest British settlement in Malaysia and predates both Singapore and Melaka dating from 1786 when Captain Francis Light claimed it.

Georgetown, the colourful and historically captivating capital of the island is a fabulous melting pot of British Colonialism, Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures and a hotbed of superb cuisine and political intrigue.

On the overland trail from Singapore to Bangkok, it was a must see stop for us as well as a welcome break on our long journey. We were dropped off at modern Komtar complex, which is on the edge of the old town and after finding a suitable café to rest up at, phoned our list of accommodations before plumping for the characterful Cathay Hotel.

The old town of Georgetown still retains much of its old world charm and atmospheric streets and we found it to be a friendly place for a few days stay as we explored it.

Check out the delicious night markets such as the Esplanade Food Centre near Fort Cornwallis, or the mouth-watering restaurants and eateries that line the narrow streets of the old town. There is plenty on offer from local specialities, seafood, Nyonya cuisine, Indian food such as the ‘Curry Kapitan’ and more hawker stalls than you can shake a stick at! All the food we tried was excellent, inexpensive and served in a friendly manner.

For us the highlights of our visit were our trip to the beautiful Buddhist Kok Lek Si Temple and the spectacular views from Penang Hill.

Other highlights include just merely soaking up the atmosphere of the streets and hanging out with the locals. We were also luckly that Georgetown was the final destination of the Thaipusam festival held at the Batu Caves just days earlier.

Lebuh Chulia has quite a lot of cheap internet cafes and ticket agents for buses to Thailand and elsewhere in Malaysia

There are a number of beaches on Penang that are recommended though apparently not as good as Thai ones and there is an intriguing sounding Snake Temple to the south of the island.

There are many ways to get to Penang, the two most popular being by bus or train to Butterworth. The bus is far more convenient as it takes you over the massive Penang Bridge and straight into town and runs far more regularly, whereas if you take the train you have to get off at Butterworth and take a ferry across the channel.

For the more adventurous, or those with more time, it is possible to take a ferry to the Langkawi Archipelago (or vice versa) and then on to Thailand.

There is also the Bayan Lepas airport on the island itself with international flights.

In Penang itself, the main part of the city is so compact that it is easy to get around by walking. It is also ideal for taking trishaws, especially at night when it takes on a magical quality. You can also rent bicycles fairly easily for about RM10 a day.

For trips further afield, Penang has a cheap and comprehensive bus system that can take you around the whole island. We found it to be cheap and reliable on our trip out to the Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill.