After Ipoh we went to Penang and Georgetown, one of the former British Straits Settlements (the other two were Melaka and Singapore). Georgetown was the first British settlement in Malaya and since it was eclipsed by first Melaka and then Singapore, it was not the British stronghold in Malaya during the Second World War, which pretty much saved it from being destroyed by Japanese bombs. Something the tourist of today can be very thankful for, since it left the historic, colonial town center of Georgetown intact. Today, central Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Going from Ipoh by bus, we arrived in Butterworth on the mainland and took the ferry to Georgetown from there. From the ferry, Georgetown did not look very charming, just another fairly large Malaysian city.
Penang has a lot to offer outside of Georgetown as well, we chose to visit a butterfly farm and the Tropical Spice Garden, a little Eden if you ask me. The garden is full of tropical plants and spices, and it is very tranquil and beautiful. Inside the garden, there is a really nice Thai restaurant with great food and lovely atmosphere. We could not resist having lunch here and were rewarded with the sighting of an Oriental Giant Squirrel.
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| Georgetown |
Luckily, it turned out that my assumption was wrong. Georgetown is really great and very cozy.
We spent two and a half days on Penang and enjoyed every second of it. We were lucky to find a very nice hotel for a bargain price and found ourselves in the middle of the protected heritage zone. Here are some Georgetown impressions:
We spent two and a half days on Penang and enjoyed every second of it. We were lucky to find a very nice hotel for a bargain price and found ourselves in the middle of the protected heritage zone. Here are some Georgetown impressions:
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| Khoo Kongsi |
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| City Hall |
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| Fort Cornwallis |
Penang has a lot to offer outside of Georgetown as well, we chose to visit a butterfly farm and the Tropical Spice Garden, a little Eden if you ask me. The garden is full of tropical plants and spices, and it is very tranquil and beautiful. Inside the garden, there is a really nice Thai restaurant with great food and lovely atmosphere. We could not resist having lunch here and were rewarded with the sighting of an Oriental Giant Squirrel.
Speaking of food, I have to praise the food again! In Penang you never have to worry about being hungry, the food stalls have everything you could wish for and they are cheap as well. Chinatown or Little India are the places to go for a very very good dinner, but the restaurants and tables of the food stalls are crammed with locals, so it can take a while to find somewhere to sit. But it is worth waiting...
Another attraction on Penang is the Snake Temple, a Chinese temple full of pit vipers. Apparently, they are harmless because of the incense fumes inside the temple. Matthias enjoyed the temple quite a bit, I thought it was interesting, but since I am afraid of snakes (and the pit viper is a very venomous kind...) I decided not to get too close.
Another attraction on Penang is the Snake Temple, a Chinese temple full of pit vipers. Apparently, they are harmless because of the incense fumes inside the temple. Matthias enjoyed the temple quite a bit, I thought it was interesting, but since I am afraid of snakes (and the pit viper is a very venomous kind...) I decided not to get too close.
Penang is certainly a place we could visit again, just the atmosphere in Georgetown was amazing and there are still a lot of places on the rest of the Island that would be nice to see.
-Cisela
-Cisela
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