Penang
At 23 sq km, this is Malaysia's smallest national park, but it's beach-fringed forests are home to silvered leaf monkeys, flying lemurs, leopard cats and…
Must-see attractions in Penang
George Town
The most photographed building in George Town, this magnificent 38-room, 220-window mansion was built in the 1880s and rescued from ruin in the 1990s…
Penang
Facing a beautiful white-sand beach on the 101 bus route, this beautifully landscaped oasis preserves 500 species of tropical flora, spread across 200…
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George Town
Lovingly restored, this ostentatious, mint-green structure was one of the most stunning private residences in George Town. Every door, wall and archway is…
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Penang
Malaysia's largest Buddhist temple is a colourful explosion of statues, pagodas and pavilions, cascading down a hillside in Air Itam, around 8km from the…
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George Town
The most spectacular clanhouse in George Town, Khoo Kongsi is an explosion of colour. Intricate ceramic mosaics of immortals, carp and dragons dance…
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George Town
Dedicated to Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy, this temple is the liveliest place of worship in George Town. The current temple was built in the early 19th…
George Town
Built in 1883, Sri Mariamman is George Town’s oldest Hindu house of worship. For local South Indians, the temple fulfils the purpose of a Chinese…
George Town
Captain Francis Light first built a wooden fort here in 1786, establishing the free port where trade would, he hoped, be lured from Britain’s Dutch rivals…
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Penang
This 873-hectare forest reserve contains a chunk of Penang's virgin rainforests. Guides are rarely available, so pick up a hiking leaflet at the ranger's…
George Town
Penang's state-run museum includes exhibits on the history, customs and traditions of the island’s various ethnic groups, with photos, videos, documents,…
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George Town
Looking splendid after a major restoration, Cheah Kongsi is home to the oldest Straits Chinese clan association in Penang. Topped by a tiled pagoda roof,…
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George Town
The largest and most intact of the clan jetties, Chew Jetty consists of 75 elevated houses, several Chinese temples, a community hall and lots of tourist…
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George Town
Although this street is named for Penang's Armenian population (such as the famous Sarkies, who established the Eastern & Oriental Hotel), there's no…
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George Town
This museum compound is dedicated to the 1950s and '60s movie star P Ramlee, who was born here. Ramlee was particularly known for his singing; he also…
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Penang
Once a granite quarry, Penang's Botanical Gardens were founded in 1884 by Charles Curtis, a tireless British plant lover who collected the original…
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George Town
This impressive Georgian-style mansion is built on the site of the original residence of Francis Light, founder of the colony and native of Suffolk,…
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George Town
This impressive 1903 building, with rows of columns holding up balconies and shaded exterior corridors, is Malaysia's oldest high court. Outside is a…
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George Town
A typical feature of Malaysian colonial cities is the padang, which is an open playing field surrounded by public buildings. George Town’s padang…
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George Town
The industrial remains of this former bus station have become a vibrant hub for George Town's burgeoning contemporary art scene. There are cafes and pop…
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George Town
This Thai temple, dating from 1942, is home to the 'Lifting Buddha', a renowned, 100-year-old, gold-leaf-encrusted Buddha statue about the size of a well…
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George Town
Under a canopy of magnolia trees you’ll find the graves of Captain Francis Light, the founder of the British colony of Penang, and many others, including…
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Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm
Penang
Entopia is about so much more than tropical butterflies – although there's some 13,000 of these beauties from around 120 species fluttering freely around…
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George Town
There are all kinds of attractions – most targeted at families – in this major revamp of part of George Town's iconic KOMTAR tower. The biggest draw is…
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Penang
This small seaside temple overlooking fishing boats and the second Penang bridge has a shrine dedicated to the legendary Admiral Zheng He. Also known as…
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George Town
Believed to be the oldest single Jewish burial ground in Southeast Asia, here you'll find some 107 graves, the earliest of which dates back to 1835. The…
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George Town
Since this splendid collection of modern and contemporary art works, mainly from Vietnam and Cambodia, is displayed in the home of their owner, Adrian…
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Penang
Bordering one of Penang's two virgin rainforest reserves, the spine of this fantastic addition to the Penang Hill experience is a finely crafted 1.6km…
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George Town
If you don't know your Lat from your Tezuka Osamu, then this is the place to become more closely acquainted with the dynamic work of comic-book artists…
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Penang
Perched on top of the steep Bukit Batu Maung hill, this former British fort, built in the 1930s, was used as a prison and torture camp by the Japanese…
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George Town
Dr Sun Yat Sen was the leader of the 1911 Chinese revolution, which established China as the first republic in Asia. He lived in George Town with his…
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Penang
This seven-tier, 30m-high tower is one of the most striking features of Kek Lok Si Temple. Completed in 1927, the octagonal pagoda is Burmese at the top,…
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Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple
George Town
Penang's first Buddhist temple was built in 1805 by migrants from Myanmar (Burma). A series of panel paintings on the life of the Buddha line the walkways…
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Penang
This attractive village is worth a look before or after a trip to the nearby island of Pulau Aman. The shophouses along the main street are painted with…
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George Town
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is a typical Thai temple, complete with mosaic-covered naga serpents guarding the entrance, a sharp-eaved pagoda roof,…
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Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church
Penang
When this Catholic church was first established in 1854, it occupied a hut made of palm leaves; the handsome current structure dates from 1894. The floor…
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George Town
Originally built in 1884, the E&O was the archetypal 19th-century colonial grand hotel. It was established by two of the Armenian Sarkies brothers, Tigram…
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George Town
This 1850 temple is dedicated to its patron deity, the Taoist God of Prosperity. Resplendent in red, gold and polished black columns, it has quite a few…
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George Town
Set up in 1860, this Clanhouse is also known as Kew Leong Tong, which means Hall of Nine Dragons. The association is open to anyone with the surname Lim,…
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George Town
This 2018 addition to George Town's ever-growing collection of public artworks is a gallery crafted from two vacant pre-WWII shophouses. Artworks run the…
