Malaysia attracts tourists not only with its exotic nature, beach holidays, diving and surfing, but also because it has a lot to see. Penang deserves special attention for lovers of excursions – attractions are found here literally at every step. According to various sources, on this relatively small island there are from 1 to 3 thousand attractions. Most of them are located in the capital of Penang – George Town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Let’s look at what to see in Penang in the first place.
Penang Peranakan Mansion
Peranakan Mansion is a house of a rich family belonging to the Chinese diaspora, preserved from the XIX – early XX centuries. Peranakans in Malaysia are descendants of Chinese immigrants whose culture combines Chinese, Malay and European traditions. All these trends can be clearly traced in the rich decoration of the Penang Peranakan House-Museum.
The mansion was built for the family of a wealthy Jojtown merchant, Chung Keng Kui, who was an influential figure in the Peranakan community.
The decoration and furnishings of the house were carefully restored, which allows you to see how the upper class of Peranakan lived at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries.
- You can visit the Penang Peranakan House Museum on any day, including public holidays. Opening hours: 9: 30-17: 00.
- Address: 29, Church Street, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.
- Ticket price for adults RM 20.00. Admission is free for children under 6 years old.
On a note! Read more about the features of holidays and prices in Penang here.
ESCAPE Amusement Park
An hour’s drive from downtown Georgetown, ESCAPE Amusement Park is located next to the Entopia Butterfly Farm. Here are collected attractions that will give pleasure to both children and adults.
Water park and rope park, descent in flight from towers of various heights, all kinds of trampolines, slides, bungee jumping, swimming on inflatable cameras-everyone can choose entertainment to taste. In accordance with its motto: “You don’t have to grow up!”, ESCAPE Amusement Park provides an opportunity for everyone to feel like a child. All attractions are arranged in accordance with the principles of complete safety.
The price of tickets depends on the age of visitors, you can find it on the site of this attraction www.escape.my.
- Visiting hours are Tue-Sun, 10.00-18.00.
- Where to find: 828 Jalan Teluk Bahang, Malaysia, Penang 11050.
Entopia Butterfly Farm
Near the ESCAPE amusement Park is another attraction of the island – the Entopia butterfly farm. Here you can not only look at the butterflies, but also “chat” with them. Smeared with a special cream, you can feel like a flower that attracts butterflies. There are more than 120 species of them collected here.
Entopia Farm also introduces many other insects and arachnids: scorpions, spiders, bees, giant millipedes, which can be observed from a safe distance. In addition to insects, here you can see carnivorous plants and reptiles: monitor lizards, snakes, geckos, turtles, water dragons.
- Opening hours: daily from 9: 00-18: 00.
- Address: 830 Jalan Teluk Bahang, Teluk Bahang, Penang Island 11050, Malaysia
- Ticket price: adult-RM 69, children (4-12 years old) – RM 49 (up to 4 years old free of charge).
- Website: www.entopia.com.
Crane Hill Monastery (Kek Lok Si Temple)
Kek Lok Si Temple is an active monastery. There is no more famous attraction on the island of Penang in Malaysia than Kek Lok Si Temple, because it is the largest Buddhist sanctuary in the entire Southeast Asian region.
Located on the slope of the Crane Hill, the monastery complex rises to its very top, where a gazebo with a statue of the Goddess of Mercy 36 m high is installed. You can get up here by funicular, car or on foot. From the top, you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the surrounding area.
Kek Lok Si Temple features Buddhist temples and pagodas dating back to 1885. All of them are active and free to visit. A lot of souvenir shops and cafes, well-equipped recreation areas are very useful, because familiarization with this attraction can last several hours.
- Kek Lok Si Temple is open 7.00-21.00, admission is free.
- Location: Air Itam, Penang Island 11500, Malaysia.
- Website: http://kekloksitemple.com/.
Street Art in Georgetown
Georgetown’s wall art is also a tourist attraction, as it attracts a lot of interest from tourists. The idea to paint the walls of Georgetown houses belongs to a young Baltic artist who lived here, who at first did it at night. Residents and visitors of the city liked the results of its work, and the government supported this initiative.
Now in the state capital of Penang there are many street art objects, the location of which is marked on maps. Walking through the exotic Asian streets in search of wall paintings allows you to look at the city from the inside and get to know it better. It is better to choose cloudy days for this purpose.
Armenian Street
One of the central streets of Jojtown, Armenian Street, got its name from the Armenian diaspora that once lived here and built its own church. Currently, Armenians do not live here, the church has not been preserved, and the street has become a landmark of Penang, thanks to the authentic architecture and flavor of the old city.
Armenian Street attracts visitors with its unusual decor – bas-reliefs, mosaics, lanterns. Here you can see both Buddhist temples and modern graffiti. It offers tourists-a lot of cafes with different cuisines, souvenir shops and shops.
Khoo Kongsi Temple House
One of the most memorable sights of the capital of Penang is the Khoo Kongsi House-temple. This religious building looks especially impressive in the evening illumination. It was built by the first Chinese immigrants of the Khu clan as a sign of worship to their ancestors. For more than a century and a half of its history, the building has been repeatedly destroyed, but the Chinese diaspora has always restored it.
Khoo Kongsi Temple House attracts with its elegant architecture, rich decor, stucco and stone carvings. Once inside, you can see the temple rooms, the community hall, and the theater, which hosts traditional Chinese opera performances every six months.
- Khoo Kongsi House-temple welcomes visitors on weekdays 09: 00-17: 00, on Saturdays 9: 00-13: 00, on Sundays-a day off.
- Ticket price: RM 10.00 for adults and RM 1.00 for children under 12 years of age.
- Address: 18 Lebuh Cannon, Georgetown, Penang Island 10200, Malaysia.
- Website: www.khookongsi.com.my.
Penang Hill Observation Deck
Mount Penang observation deck offers views of the city and surrounding landscape. If the weather is clear, you can see the famous bridge that connects the island to the Malaysian mainland. There are also other attractions that attract tourists to Penang Island: Muslim and Hindu temples, mini-botanical garden, owl Museum. Access to the observation deck, mosque and Hindu temple is free of charge. There are cafes and specially designed places for taking photos.
You can get to the top of Penang Hill by funicular, the journey time from the foot of the mountain is 12 minutes.
- The price of one – way cable car tickets is RM 15.00, children get a discount depending on their age.
- The funicular operates from 6.30-19.00.
You can also get to the observation deck by car or go up on foot from the Botanical Garden, the ascent will take at least 2 hours.
Penang National Park (Taman Negara Pulau Pinang)
Penang National Park is one of the main natural attractions of the island, it provides a unique opportunity to visit the real equatorial jungle. The National Park is located on the north-western tip of Penang, and the 101 bus route runs from Georgetown to it. The journey time is about 40 minutes, and the ticket price is RM4.
At the entrance to the park, you need to register and choose a route to one of the two beaches where you can see monkeys or baby sea turtles. Admission is free, and you will only have to pay for a boat ride along the coast.
The routes in Penang National Park are quite long, so it’s best to plan your trip in the morning. Comfortable closed shoes and the use of repellents are recommended.
Penang Botanical Gardens
The Penang Botanic Garden is a favorite place for recreation and sports activities of citizens. Tourists are attracted to this attraction by the opportunity to see monkeys of the genus macaques and langurs in their habitat, as well as many plants of the equatorial flora, which are equipped with signs with their names. You can also meet squirrels, large exotic butterflies, millipedes and other harmless representatives of the local fauna.
The entrance to the botanical garden is free, there is a shop with drinks, grocery and souvenir goods nearby.
- You can get to Penang Botanical Gardens from the center by bus route 10, ticket price-RM 2.
- The Botanical Garden is open to the public daily, 5.00-20.00.
- Address: Jalan Air Terjun, Georgetown, Penang Island, Malaysia.
Upside Down Museum
The Upside-down museum, in fact, is not a museum, but a place of entertainment that allows you to take funny photos and videos. Visitors pass through a series of rooms whose interiors are turned upside down. The people entering the rooms are standing on the ceiling, which looks funny in the inverted image. Employees of this museum work in each of the rooms, suggesting the funniest poses to visitors and photographing them with personal photo equipment.
Air-conditioned rooms allow you to relax from the heat, and the visit usually does not take more than 40 minutes. Upside Down Museum can be called the most fun attraction in Penang. The photos and videos made in it are funny to see for yourself and show to your friends.
- Upside Down Museum is open daily, 9: 30-18: 30
- Ticket price: RM 25, for children-RM 15 .
- Address: 45 Lebuh Kimberley, Georgetown, Malaysia, Penang 10100.
Dharmikarama Burmese Temple in Burma
The Dharmikarama Burmese Temple is a Burmese-style Buddhist temple, the only one of its kind in Penang. The history of this landmark dates back more than two centuries, during which the wealthy townspeople presented the Dharmikarama temple with statues of the Buddha. Here you can see the unique architecture of the temple, frescoes with scenes from the life of the Buddha, countless statues of the Indian deity.
On the territory of the temple there is a mini-park with a small pond inhabited by a variety of fish and turtles. It offers tourists all sorts of “magical” entertainment: striking the bell, purifying the soul, making the desired trips on the globe, hitting coins in rotating pots with the inscriptions “luck”, “happiness”, etc.
- Opening hours: 07: 00-18: 00
- Admission is free.
- Address: 24 Lorong Burmah, 10250 Penang.
Not to count all the interesting places that attract tourists to Penang, the sights described in this article are only a small part of what you can see on this Malaysian island.
