ABicycle There are plenty of places that rent bicycles in George Town, although few of them have robust enough bikes for long-distance pedalling around the island (which is hilly).
ATrishaw Bicycle rickshaws are a fun, if touristy, way to negotiate George Town’s backstreets and cost between RM20 and RM40 per hour depending on your negotiating skills. As with taxis, it’s important to agree on the fare before departure.
USEFUL RAPID PENANG BUS SERVICES
Destination Route No Pickup
Batu Ferringhi 101 Pengkalan Weld, Lebuh Chulia, KOMTAR
Penang International Airport, Teluk Kumbar 401 Pengkalan Weld, Lebuh Chulia
Persiaran Gurney 101, 103 Pengkalan Weld, KOMTAR
Penang Hill 204 Pengkalan Weld, Lebuh Chulia, KOMTAR
Sungai Nibong Bus Station 401, 303 Pengkalan Weld, Lebuh Chulia, KOMTAR
Teluk Bahang 101 Pengkalan Weld
Need to Know
A Area Code 04
ALocation Penang is 370km northwest of Kuala Lumpur
APenang Global Tourism The visitor centre of the state tourism agency is the best all-round place to go for maps, brochures and local information.
History
Little is known of Penang’s early history. Chinese seafarers were aware of the island, which they called Betelnut Island, as far back as the 15th century, but it appears to have been uninhabited. It wasn’t until the early 1700s that colonists arrived from Sumatra and established settlements at Batu Uban and the area now covered by southern George Town. The island came under the control of the sultan of Kedah, but in 1771 the sultan signed the first agreement with the British East India Company, handing them trading rights in exchange for military assistance against Siam (present-day Thailand).
Fifteen years later Captain Francis Light, on behalf of the East India Company, took possession of Penang, which was formally signed over in 1791. Light renamed it Prince of Wales Island, as the acquisition date fell on the prince’s birthday. Light permitted new arrivals to claim as much land as they could clear and this, together with a duty-free port and an atmosphere of liberal tolerance, quickly attracted settlers from all over Asia. By the turn of the 18th century, Penang was home to over 10,000 people.
In 1800, a slice of the peninsula opposite Penang Island, today known as Seberang Perai, was ceded to the British by the sultan of Kedah. It was named Province Wellesley after Richard Wellesley, then Governor of Madras and Governor General of Bengal.
Penang briefly became the capital of the Straits Settlements (which included Melaka and Singapore) in 1826, until it was superseded by the more-thriving Singapore. By the middle of the 19th century, Penang had become a major player in the Chinese opium trade, which provided more than half of the colony’s revenue. It was a dangerous, rough-edged place, notorious for its brothels and gambling dens, all run by Chinese secret societies.
There was little action in Penang during WWI, but WWII was a different story. When it became evident that the Japanese would attack, Penang’s Europeans were immediately evacuated, leaving behind a largely defenceless population. Japan took over the island on 19 December 1941, only 12 days after the attack on Pearl Harbour in the US. The following 3½ years were the darkest of Penang’s history.
Things were not the same after the war. The local impression of the invincibility of the British had been irrevocably tainted and the end of British imperialism seemed imminent. The Straits Settlements were dissolved in 1946; Penang became a state of the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and one of independent Malaysia’s 13 states in 1963.
With its free-port status withdrawn in 1969, Penang went through several years of decline and high unemployment. Over the next 20 years, the island was able to build itself up as one of the largest electronics manufacturing centres of Asia and is now sometimes dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley of the East’.
Today, Penang is the only state in Malaysia that has elected an ethnic Chinese chief minister since independence, something that has caused relations with the Malay-led federal government to be, at times, less than accommodating. In June 2016, Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng was charged with two counts of corruption, a turn of events that is widely seen as politically motivated.
Penang
1Top Sights
1Art & Garden by Fuan WongB2
2Penang National ParkA1
3Tropical Spice GardenB1
1Sights
Ban Po TharC3
4Botanical GardensD2
5Entopia by Penang Butterfly FarmB2
6EscapeB1
7Holy Name of Jesus Catholic ChurchB4
8Kek Lok Si TempleC3
9Pantai Pasir PanjangA5
10Penang War MuseumC6
11Sam Poh Footprint TempleC6
12Suffolk HouseD2
13The HabitatC2
5Eating
BungalowC1
Cafe Ko Cha Bi Balik PulauB4
14David Brown'sC2
15Ferringhi GardenC1
16Gurney Drive Hawker StallsD2
17Hai Boey SeafoodB5
18Jia Siang CafeA5
Kek Lok Si Temple RestaurantC3
19KhunthaiB5
20Restoran K-HaleelB1
21Sea Pearl Lagoon CafeD1
Suffolk HouseD2
TarbushC1
Terapung Pulau AmanF6
Tree MonkeyB1
6Drinking & Nightlife
22Bora BoraC1
GravityD2
3Entertainment
Hard Rock CafeB1
7Shopping
23Gurney PlazaD2
2Sports & Activities
24Chi the Spa at Shangri-laC1
Tropical Spice Garden Cooking CoursesB1
4Sleeping
25Audi GuesthouseB5
26Baba Guest HouseB1
G Hotel GurneyD2
G Hotel KelawaiD2
27Hard Rock HotelB1
28Homestay Pulau AmanF6
29Hotel SportfishingB1
30Lone Pine HotelC1
LZBC1
31MalihomB5
Rasa Sayang ResortC1
RoomiesC1
Roomies SuitesC1
32Sea Princess HotelB1
Shangri-La Golden Sands ResortC1
George Town
Explore
Combine three distinct and ancient cultures, indigenous and colonial architecture, shake for a few centuries, and garnish with some of the best food in Southeast Asia, and you've got the irresistible urban cocktail that is George Town.
Alongside the time-worn shophouses of the Unesco World Heritage Zone, you’ll find Chinese temples in Little India and mosques in Chinatown, and Western-style skyscrapers and shopping complexes gleaming high above British Raj–era architecture.
The eclectic jumble makes this a city that rewards explorers. Get lost in the maze of chaotic streets and narrow lanes, past shrines decorated with strings of paper lanterns and fragrant shops selling Indian spices; or enjoy George Town's burgeoning street-art scene, its modern cafes and fun bars.
The Best…
ASight Blue Mansion
APlace to Eat Lg Baru (New Lane) Hawker Stalls
APlace to Drink Kopi C
Top Tip
There are no specific LGBT bars or clubs in George Town, although Seventy7 ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.facebook.com/Seventy7cafe; 34 Jln Nagore; h7.30pm-1.30am) is certainly gay-friendly. All the GHT properties (www.georgetownheritage.com) are LGBT-friendly too.
George Town
1Top Sights
1Blue MansionD2
2Cheah KongsiE4
3Khoo KongsiE4
4Pinang Peranakan Mansion & Straits Chinese Jewelry MuseumG3
1Sights
5Chew JettyF5
6Hin Bus Depot Art CentreB5
7Kids on a BicycleE4
8Komik AsiaC5
9Kuan Yin TengF3
10Lebuh ArmenianE4
11Penang MuseumE2
12Protestant CemeteryD1
13Sr
i Mariamman TempleE4
14Tech Dome PenangB4
15Teochew Puppet & Opera HouseE4
16The Top at KOMTARB4
17Town HallF2
18Yap KongsiE4
5Eating
Awesome CanteenF5
19Boey Chong KeeD4
BTBF4
20China HouseF4
21Cozy in the RocketE4
22Da Shu Xia Seafood HouseF5
23Fu Er DaiC1
24Goh Thew ChikD3
25HameediyahC3
26Hong Kee Bamboo NoodleD4
27Jawi HouseE4
28Joo Hooi CafeC4
29KebayaE3
30KirishimaD2
31Lebuh Presgrave Hawker StallsC6
32Lg Baru (New Lane) Hawker StallsA4
33Ming Xiang Tai Pastry DelightsF5
34Moody CowB3
35My Nonya FavouritesF3
36Ocean GreenC1
37Quay CaféG4
38Sri Ananda BahwanF3
39TeksenE3
40Tho Yuen RestaurantD3
41Top View Restaurant & LoungeB4
42Veloo VillasF3
43Via PreG3
44Wai KeiD3
6Drinking & Nightlife
45Beach Blanket BabylonC1
46C&J Alabama ShakeF3
47Café 55E3
48Constant GardenerG2
49InchE2
50Jing-Si Books & CafeG4
Kopi CF4
51MétisserC4
52Micke's PlaceE3
53Mish MashE2
54Mugshot CafeE3
55Odeon Trick Art Cafe & RestaurantC2
56Seventy7A2
57Three Sixty Revolving Restaurant & Sky BarE2
58Vine & SingleF5
3Entertainment
59CanteenF5
7Shopping
60Batek-LahB3
61Bon TonE4
62Campbell St MarketD4
63Chop KongsiF4
64Fuan WongE5
65Gerak BudayaE3
66Kuala Kangsar MarketC3
67Little Penang Street MarketD1
68Moon ShopD1
69ottokedaiF5
70Run AmokA6
71Sam's Batik HouseC3
72Shop HowardE4
Sunday Pop-Up MarketB5
73Tropical Spice Garden In TownF4
74Unique PenangE3
2Sports & Activities
75George Town World Heritage IncorporatedD4
76Nazlina Spice StationD4
77Penang Heritage TrustG3
4Sleeping
7823 Love LaneE3
Blue MansionD2
79Campbell HouseD3
80Coffee AtelierE3
81Container HotelF5
82Eastern & Oriental HotelD1
83Jawi Peranakan MansionB2
85Le DreamC4
86Muntri GroveD2
87Muntri MewsD2
88Museum HotelB2
89My Chew JettyF5
90Noordin MewsC6
91Penaga HotelC2
92Ren i TangF3
93Ryokan MuntriD2
94Segara NindaD2
95Seven TerracesE3
96SinkehD5
97Siok HostelC3
98Spices HotelD5
99The EdisonD2
100The Rice Miller HotelG4
101Tido Penang HostelC2
102Time Capsule HotelD3
103Tipsy Tiger Party HostelE3
104You Le YuenE2
1Sights
1Inside the Unesco Protected Zone
oBlue MansionHISTORIC BUILDING
(Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thebluemansion.com.my; 14 Lebuh Leith; adult/child RM16/8; htours 11am, 2pm & 3.30pm)
Now one of Penang's most authentic heritage hotels, the magnificent 38-room, 220-window 'Blue Mansion' was built in the 1880s and rescued from ruin in the 1990s. It blends Eastern and Western designs with louvred windows, art nouveau stained glass and beautiful floor tiles, and is a rare surviving example of the eclectic architectural style preferred by wealthy Straits Chinese.
Hour-long guided tours (included in the admission fee) provide a glimpse of the interior as well as an insight into traditional Chinese architecture.
The mansion was commissioned by Cheong Fatt Tze, a Hakka merchant-trader who left China as a penniless teenager and eventually established a vast financial empire throughout east Asia, earning himself the dual sobriquets 'Rockefeller of the East' and the 'Last Mandarin'. Its distinctive (and once-common in George Town) blue-hued exterior is the result of an indigo-based limewash.
oPinang Peranakan Mansion & Straits Chinese Jewelry MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.pinangperanakanmansion.com.my; 29 Lebuh Gereja; adult/child RM21.20/10.60; h9.30am-5.30pm)
This ostentatious, mint-green structure is among the most stunning restored residences in George Town. A self-guided tour reveals that every door, wall and archway is carved and often painted in gold leaf; the grand rooms are furnished with majestic wood furniture with intricate mother-of-pearl inlay; there are displays of charming antiques; and bright-coloured paintings and fascinating black-and-white photos of the family in regal Chinese dress grace the walls.
The house belonged to Chung Keng Quee, a 19th-century merchant, clan leader and community pillar as well as being one of the wealthiest Peranakan of that era.
After visiting the main house, be sure to also check out Chung Keng Kwi Temple, the adjacent ancestral hall and the attached Straits Chinese Jewelry Museum with its dazzling collection of vintage bling and glittery ornamentation.
Penang MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %04-263 1942; www.penangmuseum.gov.my; Lebuh Farquhar; RM1; h9am-5pm Sat-Thu)
Penang's state-run museum includes exhibits on the history, customs and traditions of the island’s various ethnic groups, with photos, videos, documents, costumes, furniture and other well-labelled, engaging displays. Upstairs is the history gallery, with a collection of early-19th-century watercolours by Captain Robert Smith, an engineer with the East India Company, and prints showing landscapes of old Penang.
Chew JettyAREA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Pengkalan Weld)
The largest and most intact of the clan jetties, Chew Jetty consists of 75 elevated houses, several Chinese temples, a community hall and lots of tourist facilities, all linked by elevated wooden walkways. It’s a fun place to wander around with docked fishing boats, folk cooking in their homes and kids running around. There is also a homestay option ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %013-438 1217; www.mychewjetty.com; 59A Chew Jetty; r incl breakfast from RM148; aW) here.
Kuan Yin TengBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(Temple of the Goddess of Mercy; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Masjid Kapital Keling; h24hr)F
This atmospheric and photogenic temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin – the goddess of mercy, good fortune, peace and fertility. Built in the early 19th century by the first Hokkien and Cantonese settlers in Penang, the temple is popular with the Chinese community, and seems to be forever swathed in smoke from the outside furnaces where worshippers burn paper money, and from the incense sticks waved around inside.
Protestant CemeteryCEMETERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah; h24hr)F
Under a canopy of magnolia trees you’ll find the graves of Captain Francis Light and many others, including governors, merchants, sailors and Chinese Christians who fled the Boxer Rebellion in China (a movement opposing Western imperialism and evangelism), only to die of fever in Penang. Also here is the tomb of Thomas Leonowens, the young officer who married Anna – the schoolmistress to the King of Siam, made famous by The King and I.
Sri Mariamman TempleHINDU TEMPLE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Lebuh Queen; h6am-noon, 4.30-9pm)F
Sri Mariamman was built in 1883 and is George Town’s oldest Hindu house of worship. For local south Indians, the temple fulfils the purpose of a Chinese clanhouse; it’s a reminder of the motherland
and the community bonds forged within the diaspora. It is a typically south Indian temple, dominated by the gopuram (entrance tower).
GEORGE TOWN STREET NAMES
Finding your way around George Town can be slightly complicated since many roads have both a Malay and an English name. While many street signs list both, it can still be confusing. We use primarily the Malay name. Here are the two names of some of the main roads:
Malay English
Lebuh Gereja Church St
Jln Masjid Kapitan Keling Pitt St
Jln Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah The Esplanade
Lebuh Pantai Beach St
Lebuh Pasar Market St
To make matters worse, Jln Penang may also be referred to as Jln Pinang or as Penang Rd – but there’s also a Penang St, which may also be called Lebuh Pinang! Similarly, Chulia St is Lebuh Chulia but there’s also a Lorong Chulia, and this confuses even the taxi drivers.
1Outside the Unesco Protected Zone
Hin Bus Depot Art CentreGALLERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://hinbusdepot.com/index.html; 31A Jln Gurdwara; hnoon-7pm)F
The elegant remains of this former bus station have become a vibrant hub for George Town's burgeoning contemporary art scene, hosting exhibitions, events, a regular arts and crafts market every Sunday, and art-house movies and documentaries on Tuesdays. The open-air areas are bedecked with street art.
Within the grounds there are also a couple of cafes, workshops and the Run Amok ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://runamok.my/wordpress; 59A Jln Timah; hnoon-7pm Tue-Sun) gallery.