Penang in the best destination for holiday

Penang Island (檳島) is located within the state of Penang , Malaysia. It is formerly known as Prince of Wales Island when first founded by the British, named on 12 August 1786 to commemorate the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later, King George IV. The capital Georgetown, was named after King George III of Great Britain .

A vacation to escape the chilling winter this season? Or to find a place to relax during long school holidays? Then, why not give Penang Island a try? Penang is a perfect place for all vacationist, young and old alike. And with the scores of Penang Tourist Attractions that showcase the culture, the beauty & the charm on this lovely island - It is a trip worth visiting and remembering. And if you really scrutinize every nook and cranny of Penang, you'll find that it's amazing that Penang Tourist Attractions has it all - Exotic tropical beaches, famous heritage trail, exiting nature parks, multi-cultural worshippers places & of course - beautiful gardens & hills. Killing few birds in one stone is all I can describe. Penang has attracted many foreigners who want to make it their retirement or holiday homes. It is a combination of slow life, friendly people, great food, absence of language problem, excellent infrastructure.

Kek Lok Si (or 极乐寺 in Chinese) is a Buddhist temple situated on a hill in Air Hitam in Penang. It is the best known Buddhist temple on the island. . Stands majestically on a hill in Air Itam, this temple built in tiers culminates the beautifully crafted ''Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas''. It took more than 20 years to build which features gardens, a turtle pond, shrines and beautiful sculptures. There are many souvenir shops leading up to the temple which offers good buys. And as for food lovers,famous hawker food are lined up near the Air Itam market.

If you have visited the Pagoda and the Main Prayer Hall of the Kek Lok Si, then you must go back to the souvenir stands and turn right for a visit to the bronze the statue of the Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). You could walk up the hill, but the best way is to do, is to take the "Inclined Lift". A signboard tells us, that the fare (RM4.-) is a contribution towards the temple maintenance and development fund.The "incline lift" is air conditioned and you have press the buttons for going "up" or "down" by yourself.

On Penang Hill you can escape the heat of tropical Georgetown. The hill, also known as Bukit Bendera, is 830 meter high (2,750 foot) and it's much cooler than in the city below. It's about 3 degrees cooler than the places near the coast. The funicular at the railway station takes you to the top and it will cost you RM4.50 for one way. The train leaves the station at Air Itam at 6.30am and at half hourly intervals. The funicular railway will not take you straight to the top, you have to change trains halfway. in the meantime you'll pass several small station, where the local people get off. There are are also some small hotels and guesthouses on this stretch. The railway was built in 1923 and it takes about half an hour to the top. At the top of the hill, you'll find a tea kiosk, restaurants, souvenir stalls, a mosque, Hindu temple, and the old Bellevue hotel. The summit offers a magnificent panoramic view of Georgetown, the mainland and Penang Bridge.

Devotees praying at the main prayer hall in the Snake Temple in Penang with one of the resident snakes perched on a branch.


The Snake Temple is located at Sungai Kluang near Bayan Lepas airport in the Penang Island. Snake Temple in Penang reveres the divine powers of Chor Soo Kong, a Buddhist monk. This monk is known to have moved to Penang and had healing capabilities. During Chor Soo Kong's birthday on the sixth day of the first lunar month, devotees from other South-east Asian countries like Singapore and Taiwan, come to this temple. Built in 1850, the temple has a statue of Chor Soo Kong, which was brought to Penang by a monk from China. According to legends, the monk used to offer shelter to the snakes of the jungle, all of which moved into the temple once it was completely built. They are regarded as the guardian spirits of the temple.

This beautiful gold plated reclining Buddha of the Wat Chayamangkalaram (Thai budhhist temple) is said to be the 3rd largest of its kind (but the truth is that it is not), with its 33 meters length. The temple was built in 1845 on a land (5 acres) which was donated by Queen Victoria to the Thai community. The first monk was a Theravada Buddhist monk from Thailand, Phorthan Kuat, also known as the “Powerful Monk”. You can find the temple of the Reclining Buddha in Lorong Burmah, Pulau Tikus

The Penang Butterfly Farm (PBF), the first tropical butterfly farm ever set up in the world, was founded in 1986. It is located in Telok Bahang, a fishing village located north of the island. A sanctuary for over 120 species of rare and exotic butterflies. The farm is complete with a hatchery and a “Preserved Butterflies of the World” museum. Apart from butterflies, there are also frogs, scorpions and other insects here living in their natural habitat. The beauty of the place is enhanced by the existence of a lily pond, a rock garden, several artificial waterfalls and a bubbling mud pool. Other attractions at the farm include a breeding area, laboratory, exhibition area, souvenir shops and an information centre.

Malaysia Tropical Fruit-Durian, Mongosteen, Rambutan,

The rich Malaysia soil allows many of these fruits to grow in abundance and throughout the year. These tropical fruits sweet fleshy and rich in vitamins. Wherever your travel in Malaysia you are bound to come across some stalls that sell fruits of the country. Tropical countries have typical exotic tropical fruits. Many of those fruits can not be found elsewhere then in the tropics, even exporting some is difficult. The reasons can vary. It is sometimes difficult to keep the fruit fresh. Fruits like rambutan and mangosteen are little known in some western countries for this reason.

So, what do we have here in Malaysia on fruits? Here's a selection.

Durian is well known as 'the King of fruit', the fruit that smells like hell but taste like heaven. Each individual fruit is divided into five compartments, each containing a brown seed covered by a sac of thick, creamy pulp with an aroma that is legendary. To judge the quality of the durian, there are three important criteria to remember. The first is the appearance of the durian. The colour must be even ranging from pale white to golden yellow, and to orange. Second is the aroma. It must have a strong or a light smell. Thirdly, the texture – it should be creamy wet or creamy dry, sweet or bitter sweet. The flesh must be smooth and fully cover the whole seed. Aside from being eaten fresh, the durian fruit is made into durian flavored candies, cakes, biscuits, shakes, ice cream and (believe it or not) durian flavored condoms - due to it's reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Mangosteen (山竹－果中之后) is known as the “Queen of Fruits”, is considered to be a choice tropical fruit and like the durian, native to Malaysia. While the durian is seen as " heaty" for the body, the mangosteen is "cooling". Shaped like round berries, the size of tennis balls, it has a thick fibrous outer layer that is usually maroon in color. It is easy to open by merely pressing between the palms. To eat it, you can crush the brittle yet moist rind with your palms to reveal the pure-white delicacy inside. The bitter rind is inedible, and the fruit comes in the form of variously sized wedged segments, the largest of which may hold a solitary seed. The number of segments usually varies from 4 to 8 which is matched by the number of points on the protrusion from the underside of the fruit; therefore, you can discover how many segments you are in for before you open the mangosteen. The mangosteen has flavors that range from strawberry, peach, vanilla ice cream - it is definitely sweet tempered with a very slight sourness. This small purple-brown fruit (which is unrelated to the mango) has tasty white segments inside .

The name Rambutan (红毛丹) is derived from the Malay word rambut (meaning hair). This hairy fruits hang on branches on woody stalk and is round or oblong in shape. This hairy fruits hang on branches on woody stalk and is round or oblong in shape. It is green at the beginning but ripen to various shades of red and yellow. Each fruit has a large seed surround with a white or yellowish pulp (flesh) of varying thickness. The flesh is translucent, firm and juicy but its flavor and quality vary enormously. In a good variety, it is sweet with an extremely pleasant, mild, sub acid flavor. In the best varieties the flesh comes away easily from the seed- this is referred to as Rambutan lekang. You have to cut through the skin to open the rambutan with your nails or bare hands. Rambutan is usually eaten in fresh and raw or can be added to fruit salads or made into jams.