Malaysia

Penang's sprawling main centre, Georgetown, boasts impressive colonial architecture, temples, lively Chinese culture, great shopping and even better food. Steeped in history, with an appealing old-fashioned character that's fast disappearing, it attracts most of the island's tourists.

Before the 20th century

Little is known of Penang's early history. Chinese seafarers were aware of the island, which they called Pulo Pinang (Betelnut Island), as far back as the 15th century, but it appears to have been uninhabited. When English merchant-adventurer Captain James Lancaster swung by in 1593, Penang was still an unpopulated jungly wilderness. 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 Georgetown. 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 it trading rights in exchange for military assistance against Siam. In 1786 Captain Francis Light, on behalf of the East India Company, took possession of Penang, which was formally signed over to the company in 1791.

Light renamed it Prince of Wales Island, as the acquisition date fell on the prince's birthday. It's said that Light fired silver dollars from his ship's cannons into the jungle to encourage his labourers to hack back the undergrowth for settlement. Whatever the truth of the tale, he soon established the small town of Georgetown, also named after the Prince of Wales (who later became King George IV), with Lebuh Light, Lebuh Chulia, Lebuh Pitt and Lebuh Bishop as its boundaries. By 1800 Light had also negotiated for a portion of the mainland adjacent to the island; this became known as Province Wellesley, after the governor of India.

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, soon attracted settlers from all over Asia. By the turn of the 19th century Penang was home to over 10,000 people. The local economy was slow to develop, as mostly European planters set up spice plantations - slow-growing crops requiring a high initial outlay. Although the planters later turned to sugar and coconut, agriculture was hindered by a limited labour force.

In 1805 Penang became a presidency government, on a par with the cities of Madras and Bombay in India, and so gained a much more sophisticated administrative structure. It even became the capital of the Straits Settlements briefly in 1826 (including Melaka and Singapore) until it was superseded by the more prosperous 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. In 1867, the simmering violence came to a head when large-scale rioting broke out between two rival Chinese secret societies, who had each allied themselves with similar Malay groups. Once the fighting had been brought under control, the British authorities fined each group the then huge sum of $10,000. The proceeds were used to establish a permanent police force in the colony.

Modern history

Although Penang thrived as a centre of international trade, it never saw the rapid development experienced by Singapore, resulting in much of its early colonial architecture remaining intact to this day. A royal charter awarded city status to Georgetown in January 1957, just seven months before Malaysian independence; in the 1960s Penang became a free port.

Recent history

The island enjoyed rapid economic growth in the following decades, but lost its duty-free status to Langkawi in the 1980s. Since then, numerous international high-tech companies have set up in Penang, earning it the title of 'Silicon Valley of the East', while tourism has become one of the state's most lucrative industries.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Penang has a tropical climate, with incredibly consistent temperatures year-round. Average monthly highs range from 30°C to 31°C (86-88°F) for the whole year; average monthly lows are between 23°C and 24°C (74-75°F).

There are brief, torrential downpours at all times of year, though the periods between April and May and August and October see more rain.

Humidity is normally 85% to 90%, so you won't need to wear your jammies to bed.

Average weather

• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Sunshine

Transport

Getting there and away

Penang's mainland strip of Seberang Perai is easily accessed by road and rail from other parts of the peninsula. Butterworth is the transport hub and the departure point for ferries to Pulau Penang, which is also linked to the mainland by road-bridge; a second bridge link is being planned.

Buses to all major towns on the peninsula leave from both Georgetown and Butterworth. Georgetown, the capital of Penang, also has ferry links to Langkawi and to Medan in Indonesia and an airport with regular flights to KL, Singapore, Johor Bahru and Langkawi.

Penang is a major centre for cheap airline tickets, although international air fares are less competitive than they used to be. Malaysia Airlines has at least one flight daily to Medan in Sumatra and with Singapore Airlines to Singapore. Cathay Pacific also offer flights to and from Penang. Other international connections include Mumbai, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Sydney.

There are also bus and minibus services out of Malaysia to Thailand, including Hat Yai, Krabi, Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Samui and even Bangkok, though it's a long haul. The minibuses don't go directly to some destinations; you'll probably be dumped for a change of vehicle in Hat Yai or Surat Thani, sometimes with significant waiting times.

It's best to buy your minibus ticket from a guesthouse that contracts directly with a minibus agency, instead of from bucket shops on Lebuh Chulia. Then, in the case of your minibus showing up two hours late, or not at all, you have someone to hold responsible.

The train station (tel: 323 7962) is next to the ferry terminal and bus-and-taxi station in Butterworth. There is a nightly train to KL and an early morning train to Hat Yai in Thailand. Fares and timetables change frequently, so check with the station before you travel.

Getting around

Seberang Perai and Pulau Penang are linked by road-bridge and a 24hr ferry service. Georgetown is well served by bus, and trishaws (bicycle rickshaws) are a popular way to get around the city centre.

Buses from Georgetown to other parts of the island are less frequent and getting around the island by road is easiest with your own transport, particularly since the road does not always run along the coast and you have to leave the main road to get to the small fishing villages and isolated beaches.

Penang's a good place to rent a car, but you'll probably have to reserve in advance, especially for weekends and holidays. Good deals can be found at smaller agents, though the main companies are also worth trying for special deals.

Penang's Bayan Lepas International Airport is 18km (11mi) south of Georgetown. There's a coupon system for taxis from the airport.

Taxis take about 45min from the centre of town, while the bus takes at least an hour. Yellow Bus No 83 runs to and from the airport.

There's a 24hr ferry service between Georgetown and Butterworth. Fares are charged only for the journey from Butterworth to Penang; returning to the mainland is free.

There are several bus departure points in Georgetown, and half a dozen bus companies. The main city bus terminal is in the Komtar basement and almost all buses (including minibuses) stop here. Another main stand is at Pengkalan Weld, next to the ferry terminal jetty.

You can circuit the island by public transport. Start with a Yellow Bus No 66 and hop off at the Snake Temple. This Yellow Bus No 66 will take you all the way to Balik Pulau, where you have to transfer to Yellow Bus No 76 for Teluk Bahang. There are only a few per day, between 07:30 and 19:15, so it's wise to check the departure times. From Teluk Bahang, on the north-beach strip, take a TransitLink bus No 202 or a blue Hin Bus No 93 back to Georgetown via Batu Ferringhi.

You can hire bicycles and motorbikes from many places, including travellers' guesthouses and shops along Lebuh Chulia or out at Batu Ferringhi.

Penang's taxis all have meters, which drivers flatly refuse to use, so negotiate the fare before you set off. Bicycle rickshaws are an ideal way to negotiate Georgetown's backstreets - but, as with taxis, it's important to make sure you agree on the fare before departure.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

While generally a safe place to wander, Georgetown, like any big city, does have its seamy side. Foreign tourists have been attacked and mugged in Love Lane and other dimly lit side streets, and it's unwise to linger in these areas alone after dark. Foreign motorists have also been targeted by motorcyclists who flag them down on the pretext that there has been an accident, and then attempt to attack and rob them. After dark, exercise caution around the Lebuh Pantai financial district as this area becomes eerily deserted.

Robberies have occurred in some backpacker hostels, so you should never leave valuables, especially your passport, unattended. Meanwhile, drug dealing still occurs in Georgetown, despite Malaysia's very stiff anti-drug laws; don't get involved.