George Town, Penang, Malaysia: Exploring one of the oldest towns in Malaysia

 

Overview: After visiting the natural beauties of Penang in Penang Hill, the national Park and the beaches, our next destination was the famous Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple and the historic George Town, which is also a UNESCO world heritage site.
First we visited the Kek Lok Si temple, which can be reached till the top if we have our own vehicle or commute by a taxi. But if travelling by Rapid Transport buses, one has to get down at the bus stop and climb a series of stairs to reach the temple top. Its Pagoda is a blend of Burmese, Thai and Chinese architecture. At the top there is a huge 100 ft statue of Kuan Yin which is visible from as far as the top of Penang Hill.
The Outer part of George Town is more developed with malls, big skyscrapers like the Komtar building and other temples/mosques can be seen.
The inner part of the city still retains the old world charm. The chowrasta market is the largest market area of George Town. One attraction in the heart of Georgetown is the use of Trishaw for commuting. Another major attraction in the town is the street art by Ernest Zacharevic. Lot of paintings and Iron Caricatures can be seen on the historic walls of the town. We then visited Fort Cornwallis and the Town hall before heading towards Little India for dinner.
                  

References: http://www.tourismpenang.net.my/
How to reach: Penang is well connected by road with the rest of Malaysia. It also has an international airport serving the Asian sector.
Food/Accommodation: Plenty of food options available for various types of cuisines. Being a business destination as well, Penang has some very good luxury hotels.

Comments

  1. Thanks for the detailed post. Georgetown has been on my wishlist for a while now, it's a treasure trove of heritage monuments. Was in Malaysia last year but only saw Kuala Lumpur and Melaka.

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