Visiting Penang Malaysia: What to See in Penang Malaysia
March 7th, 2009
By Heide Lynne Canlas
Planning to visit to Penang, Malaysia? Read up and know what places to see and things to do in Penang Malaysia!
Visiting Penang Malaysia is truly a one-of-a-kind experience because Penang is one of the most popular destinations in the country. Located off the northwestern shores of the mainland, Penang is a 285-square-kilometer island with fascinating colonial-era buildings, grand ancient structures, and an interesting multi-ethnic personality.
Walking along the streets of Pulau Penang is like walking down memory lane. It became a trading center in Southeast Asia in 1786 when the English arrived, drawing different people from all over the region. Soon, Penang became a melting pot of different ethnic backgrounds, from the Indians in the west, to the Chinese from the east, and Malays coming from the mainland.
Existing structures in Georgetown, the island’s capital city, is a testament to the rich cultural diversity of the island. The majestic Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple, for example, is a mixture of Burmese, Chinese, and Thai architecture. At the heart of the city are the Indian’s Sri Mariamman Temple at the north side, the Kapitan Keling Mosque, the Chinese Khoo Kongsi clan house, the Moorish-styled clock tower, and the British Fort Cornwallis. Vintage shops and houses of mixed Asian and European designs still line the avenues.
A stroll around town is like a crash course on the culture of different races owing to the bright red temples and herbal shops of the Chinese, the loud banghra music of the Indians, the trinket shops, street markets, and traditional trishaw drivers.
But to really experience the peaceful co-existence of the different cultures in Penang, one must try the local kitchens for that true melting pot of flavors. Must-try culinary concoctions along the streets of Penang include the Char Kway Teow, a delicious wok-fried mixture of bean sprouts, cockles, garlic, chili, and rice. Another famous gastronomic delight is the Mee Goreng, a dish of stir-fried seafood, noodles, and herbs with fiery Indian gravy. But the most famous in Penang would be Penang Laksa, the native-style version of the Malay laksa soup. It is a blend of chili paste, fish gravy, prawn paste, vegetables, and thick noodles.
 
Truly, Penang is an explosion of varied and colorful cultures. So for that explosive experience, make Penang a destination in your itinerary.
**photo credit1 & photo credit2**
March 12th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Hi, nice post
Penang is really an amazing historical place to visit in Malaysia. I visited once and feel like visiting again
All the buildings, temples, architecture.. everything is just amazing …
I put up some information about Penang Travel Guide in my blog . Please visit and have some comments .. Hopefully I will visit Penang soon
cheers …
May 24th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Interesting. thanks for the insights. I will add this to my favourites and come back to check out your updates. very cool
August 17th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Thank you for this article
September 24th, 2009 at 8:19 am
I website is very interesting and well done over all. Keep up the good work!!