PENANG

Hi, Welcome to Penang

If you are looking for beauty, I am not so sure you will find it here in Penang, unless you look at hotels and selected beaches. Having said that, we were here for 4 days and it really was enough for us to visit the places we wanted to and take home some great memories.

Here is a typical street in Georgetown...

Khoo Kongsi

The forefathers of the Khoo family who emigrated from South China built it as a clan-house for members of the Khoo family. It was burnt down in 1894 and some believed that it was due to its resemblance to the Emperor's palace. A scaled down version was later built in 1902. The building features a magnificent hall embellished with intricate carvings and richly ornamented beams of the finest wood bearing the mark of master craftsmen from China.
Opening hours: 9 am - 5 pm, Monday to Friday & 9 am - 1 pm, Saturday.
Permission to enter must be obtained from the Kongsi officials.

Snake Temple

This snake temple was built in 1850 and dedicated to the deity The Buddhist Priest Chor Soo Kong, who is said to have had healing powers. The temple is located 3.2 km from the Penang International Airport. It is a sanctuary for pit-vipers said to be the 'servants' of the deity. These poisonous snakes, seen coiled round the pillars, beams and potted plants within the temple are believed to be rendered harmless by the smoke of the burning incense. They did seem dopey, so if you have a fear of snakes, this really wont alarm you. Some devotees come to the temple on Chor Sor Kong's birthday (the sixth day of the first lunar month).
 

Fort Cornwallis

We spent quite some here, exploring this fort.  We had a good guide to show us around and he was both knowledgeable and enthusiastic.  All the staff were in period costume and this helped to set the ambiance of what was the most historical site in history for Penang. The fort was built on the site of Francis Light's historic landing in 1786. It was originally a wooden stockade, it was replaced by a concrete structure built by convict labour, in 1804. Today, it is an open-air amphitheatre, a history gallery and a handicraft and souvenir centre occupies the interior. It houses the famous Dutch cannon called the Seri Rambai presented to the Sultan of Johor by the Dutch and which finally found its way to Penang after being looted by the Portuguese. Local women place flowers on the barrel in supplication for improved fertility

Hawker Stalls

I have to say if your adventurous, these are the places to try the local delicacies. We chose to eat at a local food hall, where the food was cooked fresh and as regards prices it was so cheap you could really eat all day here ha ha! Penang came to life at night when the aromas of spices filled the air, if you were not hungry before you left your hotel the aromas that filled the skies would certainly make a

Penang has such a great variety of food that it is often said that Penangites don't eat to live; they live to eat. Hawkers stalls offering diverse selection of local fare are in abundance everywhere you go. Nasi Kandar, Satay (skewered marinated meat pieces), Laksa (noodles in spicy sour soup), Hainanese Chicken Rice, Popiah and Rojak are just some of Penang's sumptuous treats you can't afford to miss.