The state Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state after Perlis and is composed of two parts – Penang Island (Pulau Penang) and Seberang Perai on the mainland of Malaysia. Surrounded by the Straight of Melaka, Pulau Penang is situated at the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Shaped like a turtle, the island is the main attraction of Penang and can be seen as one of the most exciting tourist destinations in Malaysia due to its huge variety of possible activities for visitors. In 2008, the capital city of Penang, George Town, has been awarded as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Aside of being one of the most developed places in the country, its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language, and confessions. No wonder, that this island is popular among foreigners, mainly Europeans and Australians, as well as tourists from all over Asia.
Penang is a stunning place for everyone, whether you are a backpacker or striving for relaxing in a luxury resort. Discover the island by car, bus, motorbike, bicycle or take a walk, everything is possible and gives you a different point of view on the variety of attractions.
Getting There
Things to see and do
Hotels & Resorts
Getting there
By Air
Airlines flying to Penang include Air Asia (from Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Singapore, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Surabaya, Jakarta, Medan, Bangkok and Hong Kong), Malaysia Airlines (from Kuala Lumpur); Firefly (from Banda Aceh, Kota Bharu, Kuantan, Langkawi, Medan, Phuket, Subang); Silk Air (from Singapore) Cathay Pacific (from Hong Kong), China Airlines (from Taipei-Taoyuan), China Southern Airlines (from Guangzhou), Sriwijaya Air (from Batam, Medan), Thai Airways International (from Bangkok), Tiger Airways (from Singapore) Lion Air (from Medan).
By Ferry
- From Butterworth (15 minutes) ferries leave from 06:00am to 1:00am to George Town approximately every 30 minutes and return to the mainland with the same frequency.
- From Penang (2 hours 45 minutes) there are two ferries leaving in the afternoon to Langkawi; return ferries leave in the morning from Langkawi. These ferries make a stop at Pulau Payar on the way.
By Road
Penang can be accessed via the Penang Bridge. The speed limit in Malaysia is 110km/h and roads are well lit and in good condition.
Coaches run from all over Malaysia and from Singapore to Butterworth and George Town. Coaches are very comfortable, but remember to bring a sweater as the air conditioning can be a bit extreme.
From Kuala Lumpur
- By car: It is a 4-5 hour drive from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. (Check http://maps.live.com or http://maps.google.com for maps and directions)
- By bus: Regular coaches leave between 07:00 and 24:00 daily to Georg Town (5 hours).
From Singapore
- By car: It is a 9-10 hour drive from Singapore to Penang. (Check http://maps.live.com or http://maps.google.com for maps and directions)
- By bus: There are several daily luxury coachs between 9:00am and 10pm to Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal, Penang Island (SGD$ 45-55). Alternatively, take a public bus from Queen St terminal or Kranji MRT to Johor Bahru’s Larkin bus terminal from where various coach companies have bus services to Penang.
Things to see and do
Places of Interest
-
Balik Pulau
- Botanical Garden
- Bus Terminal Butterworth
- Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies
- Coast View
- Ferry
- Floating Mosque
- Fort Cornwallis
- George Town
- Kapitan Keling Mosque
- Komtar Walk
- Little India
- Local Food Stall
- Monkeycup Garden
- Northcoast
- Penang Bird Park
- Penang Butterfly Farm
- Penang Hill Lower/Top Train Station
- Penang Mega Mall/ Sunway carnival Mall
- Penang National Park
- Penang State Museum
- Prangin Mall
- Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple
- Sri Mahamariamman Temple
- Sunshine Square Mall
- Telok Bahang Dam
- Teluk Duyung Monkey Beach
- Tropical Fruit Farm
- Tropical Spice Garden
- War Museum