Penang island’s strong Chinese influences can be seen through its art, eats and old streets
From its tasty street food scenes to George Town’s architecture and umbrella-topped cycle rickshaws, the legacy left by China’s migrants is still abundantly clear
Penang is the rare tropical island where hitting the town beats lazing on the beach.
Fortune-seekers from China, Europe and India have been drawn to this Malaysian island for more than two centuries, creating along with local Malays an eclectic mix that can feel both seductively familiar and exotic at the same time.
The good, bad and ugly sides to a holiday in Penang, Malaysia
The colonial capital they’ve left behind oozes a hauntingly rustic charm, with colourful street art as much a draw as the historical architecture and one of southeast Asia’s tastiest street food scenes.
Wander the old town
There are plenty of tourist-friendly stretches of sand if that is what you’re looking for. The most popular are along the resort strip of Batu Ferringhi on the island’s northern coast.
Where Penang really shines, though, is in the scrappy but alluring lanes of the provincial capital George Town. Its historical centre is listed along with Melaka, another enchanting Malaysian city further down the coast, on the Unesco World Heritage list.
