T
he island of Penang has long been a popular travel destination, but on July 7th, 2008, the sleepy
city of George Town was formally deemed to be
a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the pace of
tourism development went into overdrive. This historic
settlement, located about halfway up the eastern side
of the island, was officially recognized as having a
unique architectural and cultural townscape without
parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia, and
the heart of the old town is like a real-time map on
which can be traced all the shapings of this miniature
metropolis. There are remnants of the English colonial
past, evidence of the sizeable influx of Chinese immigrants, pockets of population that hail from India
and the sub-continent, and multiple mosques that
bear witness to the island’s overall Malaysian Muslim
heritage.
Tourism in Penang roughly breaks down into 2 categories – those who are coming to visit George Town
– also spelt Georgetown – and those who are coming
to enjoy the island’s white sand beaches, the most
popular of which is Batu Ferringhi located about
a 35 minute drive north of George Town. There are
also other attractions that draw visitors to the island,
including Kek Lok Si (the largest Buddhist temple
in Southeast Asia), and Penang National Park (the
smallest national park of the world). But with so much
to see and do in George Town alone, it’s hard to cover
the entire island in just one visit.
31