Penang Island

Penang Island

Penang Island is the site of the oldest British settlement in Malaysia, founded in 1786 by Captain Francis Light. Captain Light was looking for a port where East India Company ships could anchor for repairs. He made a treaty with the Sultan and, in exchange for a promise of protection in case of war, was allowed to colonize the jungle-covered and virtually uninhabited island.

Background

In those days, Penang was called the Prince of Wales Island, and its capital was named after King George III’s son. Nowadays, Penang has the second largest economy among the states in Malaysia and a population of over 1.6 million. It is also the center of the country’s electronics industry.

For the most part, life in Penang is centered in the city, but you can relax at a coastal resort or escape the heat by taking the train to the top of Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera). While Georgetown has a predominantly Chinese population, the western part of the island is Malay countryside with orchards and fishing villages attracted by their original old-fashionedness.

Today, Mount Penang stands at the center of modern and vibrant Georgetown. Nearly 900 meters high, it dominates the island and offers wonderful views not only of the city and the island – on a clear day you can even see the mountains on the mainland.

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It takes about two hours to climb Penang Hill on foot, but the best way to see the sights is to take the cable car up. The road was built by Swiss engineers, the carriage slowly climbs up the hill on incredibly steeply laid rails, allowing a proper view of the palm trees, vines and tropical flowers in the forest around. At the top of the hill is a plateau and there are a few stores, cafes, a small Hindu temple and a mosque. It also houses a 1930s hotel, and there is even a bird sanctuary in the ornate park around it. Other attractions include a botanical garden and a rope bridge.

About 15 km northwest of Georgetown are the Batu Ferringi resorts, with sandy beaches and rows of luxury hotels offering water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, horseback riding and other activities. There are also small hotels for the non-wealthy traveler. When engaging in water sports, be especially careful as there have been accidents here, and yes, the beaches may disappoint those who have traveled elsewhere in Malaysia.

You can also visit the Penang National Park. This forest reserve covers 20 km² at the northwestern tip of the island. Only campsites are available here, and there is no transportation, but you can observe wildlife – you will see wild pigs, leopards, slow loris, lemurs, langurs (a genus of monkeys), macaques and black squirrels. Granite outcrops abound in the landscape.

Penang National Park is home to one of the two natural meromictic lakes in Asia, dotted near Pantai Kerachut Beach. The lake is seasonal, it fills with sea and fresh water only during the monsoon period (April – May and October – November). The lake is unique in that there is almost no circulation of water between the layers of different mineralization.

Near the urban center of Teluk Bahang is the Tropical Spice Garden and the Penang Cultural Center. At the latter you can see arts, crafts, learn about local music and dance as well as traditional Malaysian architecture. At the southern end of Teluk Bahang Village is the Pinang Butterfly Farm, which houses hundreds of different specimens of butterflies fluttering behind the mesh fences of landscaped gardens.

Just 8 km from Teluk Bahang is the Tropical Fruit Farm, where 140 species of exotic fruit trees have been grown on 10 hectares since opening in 1992.

How to get there

The island can be reached by car or train, there is a ferry from the industrial town of Seberang Prai via Selat Selatan. You can also take the 7 km road over the Pinang Bridge, which offers amazing views of the harbor. South of this bridge is the second Pinang Bridge (due for completion in late 2013), connecting Batu Maung to Batu Kawan on the mainland. Aircraft, including international flights, land at the Bayan Lepas International Airport, located 18 km south of Georgetown.

Deforestation

At the northeastern tip of the Kedah Point coastline marks the spot where Francis Light established the first English settlement on Penang. He is said to have devised a clever method of obtaining logs from the nearby forest for the town. He loaded a cannon with Spanish silver dollars, fired into the forest, and invited local laborers to cut their way through the undergrowth to get to the money.