Sign In

My Timeline

GuRoute

Discover Your World

Share your Experiences

Record your Life

beta

Discover Your World

  1
   

Top Attractions in Penang

Georgetown

George Town is the capital and largest city of the state of Penang, Malaysia. George Town is also the district capital of North East Penang Island district. Named after Britain's King George III, George Town is located on the north-east corner of Penang Island. The inner city has a population of 510,996, while the metropolitan area, also known as the George Town Conurbation, consists of Jelutong, Sungai Pinang, Sungai Nibong, Gelugor, Air Itam, Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong with a combined population of 2.5 million making it the second largest metropolitan area and the biggest northern metropolis in Malaysia. The settlement was declared a city in 1957 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In 2015, Penang island, on which George Town is located, was also awarded city status. The inner city of George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The enclave consists of colonial architecture built during the heyday of British rule over the Straits Settlements mixed with Chinese shophouses, five foot ways and places of worship of various religions. George Town is awarded the UNESCO listing for its "unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia". George Town is also known as Tanjung in Malay, Qiáozhì Shì in Chinese and ஜோர்ஜ் டவுன் in Tamil. Its Malay name is derived from the older name of the town, Tanjung Penaga .

Kek Lok Si

The Kek Lok Si Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang facing the sea and commanding an impressive view, and is one of the best known temples on the island. It is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia. It is also an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and other countries in Southeast Asia. This entire complex of temples was built over a period from 1890 to 1930, an inspirational initiative of Beow Lean, the Abbot. The main draw in the complex is the striking seven-storey Pagoda of Rama VI with 10,000 alabaster and bronze statues of Buddha, and the 30.2 metres tall bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism and traditional Chinese rituals blend into a harmonious whole, both in the temple architecture and artwork as well as in the daily activities of worshippers. The temple is heavily commercialised with shops at every level and inside the main temple complexes selling all religious paraphernalia.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is located at 14 Leith Street, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The mansions indigo-blue outer wall makes it a very distinct building in the area. The Circa 1880s mansion built by the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of 19th century has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases 220 vernacular timber louvre windows. The architecture of the mansion however originates from the Su Chow Dynasty Period in China. Other features of the house include Gothic louvred windows, Chinese cut and paste porcelain work, Stoke-on-Trent floor tiles made of encaustic clay in geometric pieces all shaped to fit to a perfect square, Glasgow cast iron works by MacFarlanes Co. and Art Nouveau48 stained glass windows. The mansion was originally built with careful attention to the principles of Feng Shui.The domestic annexe is built in front of it to prevent any road being built to create a T-Junction in front of it; it has water running through a meandering network of pipes that begin from the eaves of the roof, channelled through the upper ceiling, down the walls collecting in the central courtyard before being channelled away from the property via a similar network of pipes, in this case, underneath the entire flooring system and is built with a step in the middle to create a slope . The distinctive blue colour of the mansion is the result of mixing lime with natural blue dye made from the Indigo plant. The blue was very popular in the Colonial period and the dye was imported from India to Penang by the British. The lime-wash was very effective in a tropical weather as it absorbed moisture and cooled the house whilst dispelling moisture without damage to the structural integrity of the walls. Though white was the most easily available colour, the indigo-blue was chosen as the former is a colour synonymous with death for the Chinese. The mansion was purchased from Cheong Fatt Tzes descendants in 1989 by a group of local Penang individuals to save the edifice from encroaching development and possible demolition. While it remains until now, a private-residence, the property operates as a 16 Room Bed Breakfast-cum-museum as part of the adaptive reuse of an ongoing restoration project which has won awards from UNESCO. Tours are offered in English three times a day to central parts of the house. The mansion has been featured in various films including the 1993 Oscar-winning French film "Indochine" starring Catherine Deneuve, The Red Kebaya, "Road to Dawn, 3rd Generation and the critically acclaimed The Blue Mansion in 2009 by Singapore Director Glen Goei of Forever Fever fame. The mansion has also been featured in programs broadcast on various international television channels .

Penang National Park

The Penang National Park spans 1,213ha of land and sea and is used by scientists, researchers, and nature lovers to explore its natural treasures. Previously known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, this pristine site is known to harbour 417 flora and 143 fauna species. Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, located at the northwestern tip of Penang, was declared the Penang National Park in April 2003. Penang National Park is the first protected area legally gazetted under Malaysias National Park Act of 1980, signifying the State and Federal governments environmental protection efforts. Penang National Park was established to preserve and protect flora and fauna as well as objects with geological, archaeological, historical, ethnological, scientific, and scenic interests. Natural attractions of Pulau Pinang National Park include the hill / lowland dipterocarp forests, mangrove forest areas, sandy beach habitats, a seasonal meromictic lake and the open coastal seas. Stands of seraya trees, common feature of coastal dipterocarp forest, can be easily seen on steep slopes around Muka Head. There are over 1000 species of plants recorded which are dominated by the families Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminosae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae. Part of the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve had been logged before 1955; no forest areas there have been logged since 1955. All logging activities were stopped in 1996, and Malaysian public funding has been allocated to develop the Penang National Park, within guidelines.

Batu Ferringhi

Batu Ferringhi is a beach area in Penang, Malaysia. Along this famous beach area, there are numerous houses, large hotels, restaurants, transport rental services, and souvenir stores. Batu Ferringhi is located adjacent to Teluk Bahang and Tanjung Bungah. Counterfeit goods can be purchased at the night markets along the beach road. For tourists, Batu Ferringhi features hotels such as Hard Rock Hotel Penang, Hydro Hotel, Holiday Inn, Bayview Beach Resort, Golden Sands Resort, Grand Plaza Parkroyal Penang, Shangri-Las Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa, etc. It is also famous for its Night Market, featuring many foreigners at night. Beach boys would able to service the many tourists to this place. Batu Feringgi is also followed the district of North East Penang Island. Its district capital is George Town, not Bayan Lepas. Batu Ferringhi was hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. No lives were lost. This was unlike other parts of the island where lives were lost to the tsunami.

Wat Chayamangkalaram

Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram is a Thai Buddhist temple in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, most notable for its Reclining Buddha statue. The statue is the 3rd largest of its kind, being 33 meters in length. In the main shrine in front of the Reclining Buddha there are smaller shrines of different Buddhas and popular Thai deities. Also on the temple grounds many colored statues of Devas and other mythical creatures are on display. The temple was built in 1845 on a piece of land given by Queen Victoria to four women trustees as a gesture of goodwill to boost trading relations with Thailand. The first monk was a Theravada Buddhist monk from Thailand, Phorthan Kuat, also known as the "Powerful Monk". Legend has it that he was very fond of laksa, a local specialty and even today devotees bring a bowl of laksa as an offering to his shrine. In addition to the 108ft-long reclining Buddha, Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram Temple also has smaller statues of the ‘Awakened One’ in various guises plus you can also see statuettes of other popular Thai deities in the main prayer hall. Besides that there is a series of colourful statues of Devas and other mythical creatures on display, spread out across the temple grounds. Vibrant murals depicting Buddha’s life story are painted on the temple walls. Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram Temple is open between sunrise and sunset and entrance is free.

Sungai Ara

Sungai Ara is a big township located in Penang, Malaysia. The name Sungai Ara comes from a river flow through the town from the hill behind it. It is located near the Penang International Airport. Sungai Ara is famed for its 21⁄2 storey houses and houses on the hill with private backyards , and it is also known for its double storey terrace houses. The climate around Changkat Sungai Ara area is cool especially during raining season. There is a hill which is now being developed as luxury bungalow residential area, accessible from Changkat Sungai Ara 2. The hill has a view of the whole Bayan Lepas area and is visited by health lovers for jogging and walking. There are lots of orchards and farms around Sungai Ara and on the hills. Sungai Ara has many schools, near to many major shopping complexes, wet market and safe neighborhood. Sungai Ara has the lowest crime rate in Penang and the best air quality. Sungai Ara is also located 'in between' the Penang Bridge and the second link in Batu Maung. Travelling from Sungai Ara to Komtar takes about 30 minutes via Queensbay Mall and the toll free Jelutong Express highway. Church of the Divine Mercy, a Roman Catholic church and Christian Community Centre has been constructed since 2007 and completed in 2010 will be a landmark for the township. On 29 September 2010, Bishop Antony Selvanayagam officiate the opening of the church.

Han Chiang Indoor Stadium

Han Chiang Indoor Stadium is a basketball arena located at Jalan Lim Lean Teng, Penang, Malaysia. It is situated not far from the schools hostel and is attached with a stall selling a great variety of ice-creams, sweets, etc. Around this newly established stadium is an outdoor car park. Construction on the arena began in 1962, and was completed in 1966. The capacity of the stadium at that time was 1,000. Due to the bad condition inside the stadium, the Han Chiang Board Of Directors allocated RM 500,000 to renovate and repaint the building and the basketball court, changing it from old seats to new and fully air conditioned the stadium. Renovation works began in June 2007 and completed in July 2007. The newly renovated stadium was launched by The Han Chiang Board Of Director, Tan Sri Dato Tan Kok Ping on 17 July 2007. The capacity of the stadium now is 2,000. In October 2007, the stadium hosted the Penang Chief Ministers Asian Basketball Invitation 2007.

Penang Masonic Temple

The Penang Masonic Temple is an historic Masonic building located st 136 Jalan Utama {Western Road), corner of Jalan Brown , in the former city of George Town on Penang Island in the state of Penang, Malaysia. In 1924, The Royal Prince of Wales Lodge No. 1555, United Grand Lodge of England, and Lodge Scotia No. 1003, Grand Lodge of Scotland, each of which had its own meeting hall, agreed to build the Penang Masonic Temple at its current site to serve their own needs as well as those of other Masonic bodies in the area. A limited company was formed, with each lodge controlling half, to buy the property, construct the building and own and maintain it thereafter. The land was acquired in 1926 and the foundation was laid on 17 December 1927 Designed by architect Howard Leicester in the Art Deco style of architecture, the building was built by contractor Lee Ghee Sok. Today it is considered a heritage site and its white exterior is painted white with some of its Art Deco details are painted blue. It is still used by the founding lodges for their meetings and is also utilised by 7 other Masonic bodies of either English or Scottish jurisdiction, which pay rent for its use.

Komtar

Komtar Tower, or Menara Komtar Complex is Penang's tallest building and the sixth tallest building in Malaysia located in the heart of George Town, dominating the island's skyline. KOMTAR is an acronym for Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak. When the skyscraper topped out it was the second tallest building in Asia after Sunshine 60 in Tokyo. Komtar was still Malaysia's tallest building for 3 years before it was surpassed by Menara Maybank in Kuala Lumpur in 1988. Komtar is a multipurpose complex consisting of retail outlets, transportation hub and administrative offices for the Penang State Government. An acronym for Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak, KOMTAR was named after Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the second prime minister of Malaysia, who officiated in the piling of Phase 1 on 1 January 1974. It bears the same name as Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak in Johor Bahru, built about the same time but on a smaller scale. The Johor Bahru KOMTAR only has 25 storeys. The 65-storey tower is a 232 m 12-sided geometric block atop a 4-storey podium. The complex comprises office and retail commercial space as well as public and recreational facilities. It was designed by Architects Team 3 of Singapore. and designed and constructed with local expertise, also a geodesic dome of Buckminster Fuller's design. The architect involved in the design of the building was Lim Chong Keat, the younger brother of Dr Lim Chong Eu. KOMTAR Tower commenced construction in 1974 and at the time of its construction, Komtar is regarded as one of the cutting-edge buildings in Penang. KOMTAR was the vision of the then Chief Minister of Penang Dr Lim Chong Eu to revitalise the urban centre of George Town and usher the state forward. KOMTAR occupies an 11-hectare site and is the single most ambitious urban renewal project undertaken by Penang Development Corporation, the development arm of the Penang state government. The master plan is divided into five phases for implementation.

Jelutong

George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang, located on the north-east corner of the island. It had an estimated population of 500,000 as of 2010. The metropolitan area (which consists of Jelutong, Sungai Pinang, Sungai Nibong, Gelugor, Air Itam, Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong) has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the second largest metropolitan area and the biggest northern metropolis in Malaysia. Excluding the metropolitan area, the area of George Town is the seventh largest city by population in Malaysia. Together with Alor Setar and Malacca City, it is one of the Malaysian oldest cities in the Straits of Malacca since its foundation by Francis Light, who was a captain and trader for the British East India Company (EIC) after being instructed by his company, Jourdain Sullivan and de Souza to establish presence in the Malay Archipelago. Light gained control of Penang Island through a treaty negotiated with the Sultan of Kedah, although in the early stages of negotiation the Sultan refused to cede the island. The Fort Cornwallis was then established and he was successful in increasing the island import values and settlement population especially with the free trade policy the British used at the time. The Sultan of Kedah tried to regain control of the area when he saw the British had failed to provide protection to them as promised earlier in the treaty they had signed when the Sultan was attacked by the Siamese, the plan was however ended with a failure when Light implemented night raids on the Sultan's fortress. Prior to its successful trading post, many Chinese traders began to settle in the town as well to other areas in Penang Island to participate in agriculture and to manage plantations. This was continued under the administration of Straits Settlements with the migration of more Chinese together with Indian workers prior to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The situation during the World War I did not directly impact the town daily activities, although the Imperial German Cruiser Emden sank a French destroyer and a Russian cruiser before shelling the oil storage tanks near the city in the Battle of Penang. During World War II, however, the town suffered greatly, since as it was heavily bombed first by the Japanese and later by the Allies. After the war, the town remained as the capital of Penang until the formation of Malaysia in 1963. In 2008, it was listed together with Malacca City as one of Malaysian UNESCO World Heritage Site for its long history as a cosmopolitan city. Today, George Town is well known for its unique street foods, culture and heritage as well with its position as a medical tourism hub with many patients from neighbouring Sumatra in Indonesia frequently visiting the city to undergoing treatment.

Paya Terubong

George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang, located on the north-east corner of the island. It had an estimated population of 500,000 as of 2010. The metropolitan area (which consists of Jelutong, Sungai Pinang, Sungai Nibong, Gelugor, Air Itam, Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong) has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the second largest metropolitan area and the biggest northern metropolis in Malaysia. Excluding the metropolitan area, the area of George Town is the seventh largest city by population in Malaysia. Together with Alor Setar and Malacca City, it is one of the Malaysian oldest cities in the Straits of Malacca since its foundation by Francis Light, who was a captain and trader for the British East India Company (EIC) after being instructed by his company, Jourdain Sullivan and de Souza to establish presence in the Malay Archipelago. Light gained control of Penang Island through a treaty negotiated with the Sultan of Kedah, although in the early stages of negotiation the Sultan refused to cede the island. The Fort Cornwallis was then established and he was successful in increasing the island import values and settlement population especially with the free trade policy the British used at the time. The Sultan of Kedah tried to regain control of the area when he saw the British had failed to provide protection to them as promised earlier in the treaty they had signed when the Sultan was attacked by the Siamese, the plan was however ended with a failure when Light implemented night raids on the Sultan's fortress. Prior to its successful trading post, many Chinese traders began to settle in the town as well to other areas in Penang Island to participate in agriculture and to manage plantations. This was continued under the administration of Straits Settlements with the migration of more Chinese together with Indian workers prior to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The situation during the World War I did not directly impact the town daily activities, although the Imperial German Cruiser Emden sank a French destroyer and a Russian cruiser before shelling the oil storage tanks near the city in the Battle of Penang. During World War II, however, the town suffered greatly, since as it was heavily bombed first by the Japanese and later by the Allies. After the war, the town remained as the capital of Penang until the formation of Malaysia in 1963. In 2008, it was listed together with Malacca City as one of Malaysian UNESCO World Heritage Site for its long history as a cosmopolitan city. Today, George Town is well known for its unique street foods, culture and heritage as well with its position as a medical tourism hub with many patients from neighbouring Sumatra in Indonesia frequently visiting the city to undergoing treatment.

Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple

The Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple of Seberang Jaya is a South Indian Hindu temple noted for having the largest rajagopuram, or main sculpture tower, in Malaysia. It stands at a height of 72 feet . The entrance of the rajagopuram, at 21 ft tall and 11 ft wide, is also the biggest in Malaysia. The Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple, as with many Hindu temples in Malaysia, had its humble origin over a hundred years ago as an estate temple catering to the needs of the estate workers living in the Paduma Estate in Perai. The area where the estate was located was turned into the new township of Seberang Jaya in the 1970s, resulting in the removal of two temples located in the area. Nevertheless, in response to the urging of the residents, the Penang State Government granted a piece of land for the building of a new Hindu temple. Work on the new temple began in 1996. Dato Seri S. Samy Velu, the Minister of Works, laid the foundation stone of the temple on 16 February 1997. The temple was completed at the cost of RM2.3 million, and dedicated to the Hindu deity Arulmigu Karumariamman, a mother deity among the rural South Indians.
♥

This attraction is located in

This is a private property. Please enjoy respectfully and do not disturb the occupants.

Edit Categories
Add Tours

This attraction is not part of any tours

Add Collections

This attraction is not part of any collections

 

Some of the attractions we imported from Wikipedia are not perfect. Send us an email detailing what's wrong and we'll look into fixing it.

GuRoute is all about Gurus sharing their local knowledge. If you feel up to fixing this problem yourself, why not adopt it. You will become the owner and can fix whatever problems you see.

We've copied a link to this attraction into your clipboard so that ou can paste it into an email or text message...

More Info... ✔
You can add your friends to the visit yourself, or, send them a link and let them add themselves...

The visit will appear on both your timelines and on your Shared Timeline.

Click below and we'll email you a link that you can send on to friends or post on your group's Facebook page.

If your friends aren't members of GuRoute yet, this is a great way to get them started.
Recent
Recently used Collections will appear here...
Recent
Recently used tours will appear here...

Where is this?

GuRoute likes to place attractions inside other attractions. So, maybe it's in a city, or maybe it's inside a particular park in that city. Maybe your attraction is a huge park that spans half the county, or multiple counties.

Determining where this attraction is gives it context - if it's in a park, you'll be able to see it alongside all the other attractions in that park. And that helps define the park.

GuRoute will automatically calculate a parent region for this attraction. You can change it if there is something more appropriate.

This attraction is currently located in .

Change

This attraction does not yet have any reviews

Please login to write a review...

Reviewed by
Record new Visit

Add this location to your timneline?

  • If there's an existing attraction open it and add it to your timeline...
  • If not, enter a title and we'll create a new attraction for your memories...
Create new Attraction

Create a new attraction at this location?

  • We rely on Gurus like you to share your local knowledge...
(Give a name for this location)

+
Add this to your timeline instead...

Imagine having a record of all the cool things you've done in your life!


Using our timeline you can keep track of everywhere you visit in your lifetime...

But, you'll need to sign in first...

Add contacts so that you can share your travels and record places that you visit together...

Family
Favorites
Family
Favorites

Profile TimeLine Our Visits Edit Accept Decline Invite

If you have any more friends that visited this place with you, feel free to add them to the visit. We'll write it to their timeline and once they confirm it, they too will have this memory for a lifetime.

If they're not already registered, you just need their name and email address and you can add them and we'll send them an invite on your behlaf.

Add a tour comment

Add some extra information for when this attraction is viewed as part of your tour...

Next Stop Instructions

Add some instructions for what to see/do on the way to the next stop...

Next Stop Instructions

Add some instructions for what to see/do on the way to the next stop...

If you're visiting an existing attraction, open it and add it to your timeline. If there is no attraction for the place you are visiting...

  • Click 'Add My Location' below
  • Or right-click on the map to mark a different location
  • Or long-press if you have a touch screen
You can even add locations while you're offline....
  • Load up the map when you're online and we'll keep track of your locaiton
  • You can add locations to your timeline
  • When you are online again we'll sync them with the cloud

We can't connect to the internet right now. The following attractions are saved locally and can be uploaded when you're online...

GuRoute would like to access your current location so that we can pin you on the map and show you nearby attractions

Add friends so that you can share your experiences with each other...

Add tour to What's Next?

Go...

Either for yourself or someone else...

  1. Do your trip research in GuRoute
    Add all the places that you think might be worthy of a visit into a trip-plan
  2. Add your trip-plan to your "What's Next" timeline
    (or a friend's "What's Next" timeline)
  3. When you're on vacation you'll have all your research at your fingertips
  4. Share your timline with your friends
    They can enjoy your vacation with you, seeing not only where you've been, but where you're going next...
  5. Add/remove attractions if things change

It also makes a great souvenir of your trip

Collections

Go...

Create a home page for a collection of attractions

  • Add an image and description to display on the homepage
  • Start adding content
    Add existing attractions to your collection or create new attractions of your own
  • Collections can be:
    • Public (Anyone can add attractions to your collection)
    • Shared (Only yourself and Gurus you nominate can add content)
    • Private (The collection will only be visible to yourself)

Uses

  • Local business or hotel
    Showcase local attractions that you endorse
  • Clubs
    Showcase attractions that members have created (eg. local historical society)
  • Special Interest
    If GuRoute does not have a category for your special interest you add your attractions to your own collection instead

Examples

Walking/Driving Tours

Go...

A guided tour where GuRoute will direct you from stop to stop and narrate a description of each attraction you arrive at

  • GuRoute uses your phone's GPS to guide you from stop to stop
  • GuRoute automatically detects when you arrive at the next tour-stop and narrates the description of the attraction (Chrome Only)
  • It then sends you on to the next stop

Tours are great to attract people to your town. Even places with no significant points of interest can be lots of fun when part of a tour


Cater tours to your Audience

  • Kid-friendly Tours
    • Focus on what will keep kids interested
    • Instead of parents having to drag their kids around they'll be struggling to keep up
    • Let the kids navigate and they'll get more fun out of finding that historical plaque than they ever would from reading it
  • Accessible tours
  • Short and long tours of the same location

What you need to do...

  1. Click 'Go...'
    Enter a title, description and location for the tour
  2. Add existing attractions OR create new ones and add them to the tour
  3. For existing attractions you can add more information specific to the theme of the tour
  4. You can also add instructions on what to do or see en-route to the next tour-stop
  5. Try out your tour and see how it works...

Mystery Tour

Go...

Create a Mystery Tour

Create a series of clues to show people around a city, neighborhood or whatever place you like...

  • GuRoute will show people clues to get them from attraction to attraction
  • When they reach each stop GuRoute will tell them about the place and give them the next clue
  • Take as long or as you like and explore each location at your leisure

Scavenger Hunt

Go...

Create a Scavenger Hunt

Create a series of questions that people have to answer. The answers can all be discovered by walking aroung the area, looking for clues.

  • How many beers are on tap at Michael Collin's Irish Bar?
  • What's the name of the oldest building on main streeet?
  • Show a picture of some public art and ask them what it is called
  • Clues can have numeric or multiple choice answers