Penang Off The Beaten Path Tips by SLLiew Top 5 Page for this destination

Penang State Mosque, Jalan Masjid Negeri

This State Mosque (Masjid Negeri) is located at the traffic junction/fly over of Scotland Road, Dato Kramat Road, Air Itam Road and Jalan Masjid Negeri (formerly Green Lane).

You will pass by the yellow dome mosque if you are driving from the airport or Penang Bridge to Komtar or Batu Ferrringhi via Jalan Masjid Negeri.

The entrance of the mosque is from Air Itam Road. The mosque has a capacity of 5,000 and is mostly packed on Friday afternoon prayers.

Penang Hill side - "Thian Kong Than" Temple

When you take the tram up Penang Hill, the first stop is at this Chinese temple which is thronged by devotees on Chinese New Year.

Now there is a new road and series of steps built so that you can easily reach this temple from the bottom of the hill without using the railway tram.

Currently under major renovation. But drop by and take a look if you are in the neighborhood.

Air Itam - Bat Cave Temple

There is a direction sign on your right for this unique temple on the final road stretch to the Penang Hill Railway Station.

It is a good 5 minutes drive uphill to this small temple dedicated to a "Tua Pek Kong" of a cave that is called "Bat Cave" for obvious reason.

Don't expect Batman and Robin to appear. Chat with the local caretaker if you want to know more about the history of this temple.

Oldest English School in Southeast Asia

Penang Free School was founded in 1816 and was one of the earliest English School set up east of India. It is a boys school. First building was the current Penang State Museum and present location is near the State Mosque at Jalan Masjid Negeri (Green Lane).

For decades, it was the premier school in Penang and Northern Malaysia where the medium of instruction was in English, where famous sons of Malayisa attended, like the first Prime Minister of Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman and the former Chief Minister Lim Chong Eu and many graduating students further their studies at Oxford or Cambridge in UK. The OFA (Old Free Association) has a glittering of alumni around the world.

Today Penang Free School is still of one the leading schools although the language of instruction is now Bahasa Malaysia (Malay) and many students are opting to studying in schools like Chung Ling, another boy school with students who opted to attend Chinese language primary schools.

Other leading former English secondary schools for boys are St. Xaviers's Institution at Light Street, Methodist Boys School at Dato' Kramat and for girls are Convent Light Street, Convent Green Lane, Methodist Girls School and St. Georges Girls School.

Website: http://www.pfs.edu.my/

Former Royal Australian Air Force Base

Located about 15 minutes drive north of Butterworth, along the coastal road Route 1, is the former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base. There is two replicas of aeroplane outside, so you cannot miss it. It is now used as the the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

We were given a tour of the place during a school organized trip. There is even an adjacent golf course. This air strip serve as an emergency back up landing for Penang International Airport. So if your airplane suddenly is diverted here, you know it is an emergency!

In the yester years, you will often seen the jets and their trails of air stream up in the sky even from Penang Island. Buses will daily carry the RAAF servicemen who wear their beige khaki uniform of shorts, high socks and a cap from their residences around Tannjung Bungah to the ferry terminal. They will walk across to take the passenger ferry and then another fleet of buses will carry them to the RAAF air base in Butterworth.

Today, many ex-Australian servicemen and their families often return to Penang and Butterworth for their nostalgic memories.

Bagan Ajam - Intricate Thean Hock Keong Temple

Was surprised to see this intricate and ornate looking Chinese temple at Bagan Ajam. It is one of the oldest temple in mainland Penang - started in 1888 and was renovated in 1997.

As a Taoist temple, there are many dieties worshipped including Guang Gong, a deified military general during Emperor Liu Bang's time in China. Guang Gong is often depicted to stand for honor and loyalty with a dark face and broad sword.

The temple is worth a stop and to wander inside and enjoyed the beauty of the carvings. There is a dragon overlooking a fountain of fish outside.

Butterworth - Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple

What is special is that this Hindu temple is right by the sea. It is located at Jalan Jeti Lama (Old Jetty Road) in this old part of Butterworth town where boats used to leave from the mainland to Penang Island.

The temple height is taller than average and the sculpture and carvings are intricate and colorful. Asked the guardian if Thaipusam was held there but told that they have firewalking ceremony.

There a lot of pigeons and so be careful where you park your car to avoid having a car wash later.

Jaimul al-Badawi Mosque at Kepala Batas

If you happen to be in Kepala Batas, it is worth a quick stop to take a look at the elegant Jaimul al-Badawi Mosque. It is located about 300 m from the downtown road junction.

The Mosque is fairly recent and is located just opposite the hometown residence of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

So if you are a Muslim and when the PM is back in town, you have the opportunity to pray together with the PM in this mosque.

Rural Malay Villages

In the south west of Penang Island (Balik Pulau) and northern area of Mainland Penang (Seberang Perai Utara), you can see typical rural Malay villages.

The houses are built on stilts surrounded by coconut trees either in rice fields or near the river and coast as fishing villages.

Chickens are reared below the house surrounded by fruit trees and canals where one can fish. So a Malay house is almost complete and being on stilts is prepared if it ever flood. Now each house has a car or two. Wonder where to put the car if it ever flood.

Rice fields in Penang?

Many of Penang's agricultural land use of rice fields, rubber, palm oil and coconut plantations has long been replaced by factories and housing, there is still a sizeable area cultivated for rice on the northern area of mainland Penang (Seberang Perai Utara).

If you cross Penang Bridge into Butterworth and head north to Sungei Petani, you will see many rice fields before crossing in Kedah state.