Penang Island Travel
Penang Overview
Penang Island, also known as the Betel Nut Island, was a part of the sultanate of Kedah until 1786, when Francis Light persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to surrender the island to British East India Company. Penang is now a city of full of life with the mixture of East and West. Like the rest of Malaysia, Palau Penang (Penang Island) has an equatorial climate. The best time to visit the island is during Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. That pretty much covers the months of January to February.
Penang Main Attractions
The famous attraction of the island is the delightful variety of Penang food. It reflects different cooking styles and tastes of its multi-cultured population. The uniqueness of the food took its inspiration from Chinese, Malay, Indian and Nyonya cuisine. Peranakan or Nyonya cooking consists of an exotic blend of Chinese and Malay savory cuisines, involving the fine concoction of many spices, herbs and plants with onions, garlic and chilli detailed the cooking styles.
Another attraction of the island is the blend of Southeast Asian and Western historical infrastructures. You could check the different temples ranging from Chinese, Buddhist, Indian Hindu and Muslim. In some strips of the island you could also see westernized buildings. This emphasized the mixture of cultures and inhabitants that lives in the island and basically showing tourists the rich history of Penang.
Penang Activities
For its historical buildings, museums and interesting sightseeing opportunities, the best activity I could recommend is strolling around the island. This is the best way to experience the beauty of the island. Taking advantage of Penang Island’s sightseeing by checking on local tours is also the best way to understand and appreciate the island.
Penang Accommodation & Dining
Penang Island has a variety of accommodations to suit your taste and budget – from luxurious and pampering vacation of 5 star hotels to a simpler place. Hotel personnel, no matter where you decided to stay, put focus on excellence in service with comfortable, clean and inviting accommodations to satisfy your travelling needs. And seeing as the main attraction of the island is the food and the rich culture, you can expect that the dining experience in Penang would be amazing. The cuisines range from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Malaysian, seafood to international. It’s true that you could not leave Penang hungry.
Penang Shopping & Nightlife
Searching for nightlife in Palau Penang is no trouble. As the sun sets, the island gets a second wind. The neighboring bars and pubs are popular for nightlife. Whatever your inclination, sit at the bar and take a beer, a glass of pinot noir, or a classic martini. You may meet new friends in the bar. A good opportunity to grow your social life while checking out the Penang Island nightlife selections. Shopping in Penang Island is majestic. You could check out every shopping site in the island. You could buy the most unusual gifts and trinkets, art, antiques and clothing in many districts in Penang Island. It is also nice to check out malls and shopping centres of the island.
Getting To & Around Penang
You can reach the island by air, by water and by land. By plane, you may set foot at Penang Bayan Lepas International Airport. Flights are available from Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Medan, Singapore, Phuket, and Jakarta. By land, Penang is connected to the mainland by the Penang Bridge so you could use any land transportation vehicles. By water, you can use the Penang port and Langkawi Ferry service.
