The pearl of the orient

For me, Penang has it all. As the oldest of the British straits settlements it oozes history and culture, it has unique architecture, (arguably) the best food in Malaysia, it has both beaches and malls, tonnes of beautiful religious buildings, a national park, quirky neighbourhoods and friendly locals.

Every day was a surprise in Penang; I usually know what to expect when I get to a new place from previous research, but the lonely planet was quite vague about Penang and so the sights I happened upon during my stay were a complete surprise, and consequently all the more enjoyable!

On my second day on the island, I had wandered down to the waterfront in Georgetown to check out the sights, when I happened upon the fantastic 'clan jetties'. The jetties are traditional houses built over the sea on stilts, and connected by wooden walkways. Walking through this neighborhood was a brilliant experience, and I was so in awe of this completely unique way of living. The jetties were buzzing with activity; women were sat in groups peeling vegetables, kids were running around the rickety walkways, and men were collecting scrap metal on their scooters. Nobody seemed to mind that I was wandering through their tight-nit community, peering into their houses and taking photographs incessantly, in fact by the time I had finished wandering around I had built up quite a rapport with one of the local men and he had nicknamed me 'England'. I still can't believe that this area doesn't get a mention in LP... but maybe some secrets are better kept that way.

Another sight I happened upon by accident was the 'Kek Lok Si' temple which is just outside of Georgetown. I had got on a bus intending to visit somewhere else when we drove past Kek Lok Si, I was so struck by the temples appearance that I decided that I had to jump off the bus and check it out- my original destination could wait!
Kek Lok Si is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and stands on a hilltop at Air Itam. As I made my way up the hill through the temple complex I was struck by how detailed the decoration of this temple was- money was obviously no object when constructing this place! Kek Lok Si is definitely no secret, and there were plenty of other people milling around enjoying the temples beauty, but it somehow still managed to feel peaceful and sacred. Definitely a lucky find!

The other real highlight of my time in Penang was 'Penang Hill' which served as a hill retreat for Europeans during the colonial period. The hill is 830m above sea level with refreshingly cool temperatures and panoramic views of the island. It was a fun, if expensive, ride to the top of the hill via funicular train, but it was worth every penny once I saw the views! I could see across the whole island and back onto peninsular Malaysia, it was very clear why Europeans came up here for a break. Atop the hill is a pretty Hindu temple, a mosque, a hotel, a restaurant, walking trails and pic-nic spots, making for a perfect afternoons entertainment.

Penang was nicknamed 'the pearl of the orient' during the colonial era, and after a few days spent soaking up the sights I think it is still very much a 'pearl' with an abundance of wonderful sights waiting to be discovered. I really enjoyed my time in Penang, wandering around the colourful streets and meeting the friendly locals and could have easily stayed longer, but I had applied for my Thai visa during my stay, and with it freshly stamped in my passport I was more eager than ever to continue my journey to Thailand!