Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 12:47 am Post subject: PENANG CITY SIGHTS VISITING GUIDE
I guys
I guess it has alot to do with the strong emotional attachment...I was born and bred on this beautiful island.
During this brief period of my adulthood, I have seen Penang through some of her significant moments especially in her change in keeping up with the times and development with the rest of the world.
I would be honoured to take you around the Island of the Betelnut and discover sights and fancies that will captivate and enchant you...and with a little help from your imagination, take you back in time.
I shall tell you the history of the island, of the temples, churches, and mosques; show you the beaches, and marvellous scenery; introduce you to the endless array of local food, with something for every palette; all this, and more, is what makes Penang the 'Pearl of the Orient'.
So, let us push open the 'door to the East', and discover the best places and people which make the island of Penang unique...
PENANG CITY SIGHTS VISITING GUIDE
CHINATOWN
China Town on the island stretches from Weld Quay to Lebuh Stewart, Lebuh Muntri, Lebuh Campbell and Lebuh King. China Town is so large and well-preserved that you will sense and feel the lifestyle of Chinese immigrant settlers who came here in the 1800s. Visitors will be intrigued by many clanhouses, shophouses and temples found along these streets, which reflect the heritage left behind.
KAPITAN KLING MOSQUE
Influenced by Indian Islamic architecture, this mosque was built around 1800 and boasts a dome-shaped and well placed minaret. It was constructed by an Indian Muslim merchant, Cauder Mohudeen, who was the 'Kling Kapitan' (Indian Muslim headman) at that time.
ACHEEN STREET MOSQUE
Also known as 'Masjid Melayu', this mosque was built in accordance with the wishes of it's founder, Syed Sheriff Tengku Syed Hussain Aidid. The 1820 mosque features a small window halfway up the minerat which many believe was originally a hole made by a cannonball fired during 1867 triad riots.
KUAN YIN TEMPLE
Popularly known as the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, this is the oldest temple in Penang. Built in 1800 by the first Hokkien and Cantonese settlers, Kuan Yin temple reflects the splendour of an ancient Chinese architecture, decorated with intricately crafted dragons and stone sculptured dragons which are said to be guardians of it.
SRI MARIAMMAN TEMPLE
Built in 1883, this is the oldest Hindu temple in Penang which features fascinating sculptures of gods and goddesses over it's main entrance and facade. Housed within it's ornately decorated interior is the priceless statue of Lord Subramaniam embellished with gold, silver, diamonds and emeralds. The statue figures prominently in the annual Thaipusam festival when it is borne on a silver chariot though the city streets to the temple.
KHOO KONGSI
'Kongsi' or clan-house, are actually associations based on kinsmanhip and geographical ties. These 'Kongsis' started centuries ago in China, have now become popular meeting places for the Chinese on the island who treat them like second homes. The forefathers of the Khoo family who emigrated from South China built this clan-house for members of the Khoo family in 1843. By far, this 'Kongsi' is the most magnificant in Malaysia, with intricate carvings and richly ornamented beams of the finest wood bearing the mark of master craftsmen from China.
ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH
Built by convict labour in 1818, this is the oldest Anglican church in South-East Asia. This landmark is named after the patron saint of England and features a memorial canopy dedicated to Captain Francis Light.
FORT CORNWALLIS
Located on the Esplanade, this 200 year-old fort marks the spot where Captain Francis Light, the founder of Penang, first landed in 1786. Originally just a rickety wooden structure, Fort Cornwallis was reconstructed by convict labour between 1804-1805. Protruding from the moss-covered rampants are cannons, retrieved by the British from pirates who in turn had captured them from the Johor Sultanate, then under the Dutch protection.
KOMTAR
The Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (KOMTAR), located in the heart of Georgetown is Penang's most ambitious building complex, boasts a 65 storey tower which houses a labyrinth of Government departments, commercial offices, department stores, shops and restaurants.
CLOCK TOWER
This 60 foot (18.5 m) high clock tower was built in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee - with one foot to commemorate each year. It was presented to the town by millionaire Cheah Chen Eok.
Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 6:29 pm Post subject: weekend visit
hi sharon,
would you know how much it would take for a family of four to have a wonderful weekend at penang excluding the accomodations and the plane fare? how much are the fees to visit those locations you have mentioned. my kids would like also to visit the butterfly farm. hoping for your reply. thanks
Only have to pay for Khoo Kongsi and Butterfly Farm;the rest mentioned are FREE.
If I remember correctly,just a few Rm per person and the B.Farm has a Family Pkg.
There's a fee taking the cable car up to Pg Hill. When you're there try the Canopy Walk(Free). Not sure how much the cable car ride,be prepared to pay at least Rm10 per person.
The Tropical Fruit Farm in Teluk Bahang,visit is free,but the operators charge a fee I think Rm20 per person for the tour and that incl a plate of seasonal fruits after the tour.
Another fairly new place,the Spice Garden.
Also a Free Shuttle doing the 2 Heritage Routes in Georgetown. Always packed esp during peak hours bec even the locals get the free ride.
When you get to Pg go to the Tourist Info Office across the Clock Tower close to Fort Cornwallis, lots of free brochures and maps there.
Gender: Age: 102 Zodiac: Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 31 Location: Fox hole..somewhere in KL and Penang Home Country: NULL
Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 11:30 am Post subject: Re: weekend visit
viktor wrote:
hi sharon,
would you know how much it would take for a family of four to have a wonderful weekend at penang excluding the accomodations and the plane fare? how much are the fees to visit those locations you have mentioned. my kids would like also to visit the butterfly farm. hoping for your reply. thanks
Hi Victor,
WHere are you coming from? First, if you're local, it can be quite cheap to fly through Air Asia. book early and you get rates less than RM100 per person.
If you're coming with your kids, then stay near the beach front hotels. They'll have fun at the beach near Batu Ferringi. Moreover the butterfly farm is in Teluk Bahang, which is jsut near Batu Ferringi. You may take a cab or bus from your hotel.
There are different rates from the hotels depending on what you want. You get 5 star hotels from Mutiara, Golden Sands and Park Royal (around 300/night/room) or the lower rates like Corpthone (below 200), Ferringi beach and Bayview Beach, just to name a few.
Food isnt that cheap if you dont know where to eat. Gurney Drive has always been a tourist attraction. But food quality there is not as good as last time and prices go sky high due to the tourist market. swatow lane or new lane also have good hawker food though (new lane is very near Sunway hotel).
KOMTAR? its kinda run down now. If its shopping complex and cinema that you're looking for, try Gurney. Along Gurney Drive you will also find a few hotels and places to eat.
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 12 Location: Penang, Malaysia Home Country: malaysia
Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 12:14 am Post subject: Holiday in Penang
Hi Viktor,
Holidaying in Penang can be quite reasonable, again depending on what you really want to do.
The kids would surely love the butterfly farm, home to more than 3,000 species of butterflies, myriad of colors and also other insects including frogs, scorpions etc. The fees for foreigners are more expensive. RM10 for adult and RM5.00 for children. The farm opens from 9.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m.
The train ride up Penang Hill is another fun experience for the children.The entrance fees are RM4.00 adult and RM1.50 child. You can do the canopy walk, though I heard that it has been closed to the public recently. However, you get a great view of the island from the top.
If you do decide to go to Penang Hill, then a stop at the Kek Lok Si temple nearby is a must. The walk up to the temple is lined by little stores selling their wares to the tourists. The temple is one of the finest and biggest Buddhist temple in Malaysia and it is a must see. The children would love feeding the turtles.
Batu Ferringhi at night is a fun place to hang out at night. The streets are lined with little stalls and vendors selling their wares. You can pick up some intersting trinkets but make sure that you bargain the prices down to atleast half of what they suggest. And then work your way up from there.
There are lots of food stalls with hawker style food, the most popular being the stalls with the red stools. You cant miss it.
As for our beaches, they are not the greatest for swimming as there are jellyfishes around and many a swimmer has unpleasant stories to tell about their encounters with the jellyfish.
Soak in the sun or unwind on the beach and enjoy a host of aquatic thrills from banana boat rides to canoeing and jet skiing. For the more adventurous you can try parasailing to enjoy the view of the beach from the sky.
Penang is the food gourmet's paradise with every imaginable cuisine available, from hawker style to fine dining, from Middle Eastern, Italian, American fast food, Indian, Korean and more. Depending on where you eat, food can be reasonably priced if you don't eat in the hotels
I live in Penang and I love Penang so I may be biased in my comments about my island but I assure you that you will not be dissapointed with visiting this wonderful island.
Penang is indeed a very beautiful island cum city ... once you stay here for more than a year, you will get stucked and wouldnt want to live anyway else. hehehe...
Nothing like luna bar in penang. Upper penang road is the "sultan ismail of KL" and mohamed sultan rd of spore. However, the "happeningness" is nothing near that of KL or Spore. In general, penang girls are more conservative and dont like clubbing that much. And also the majority are engineers and engineers dont like social life. I am an engineer also but only the fews that actually clubs. Hehehe ..
However, penang is a pleasant city with a lot of unique seafood restaurants by the sea. I like the "Good Friends" seafood restaurant in Teluk Kumbar ..value for money.
Register
Log in
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
thanks
