Just off the northwest coast of Malaysia are two large islands. The larger of these, Langkawi, can be found by clicking here. The other island, Penang, has been a historically relevant place for the past three centuries, owing to it's location and the northern end of the Straits of Malacca, the single busiest (and one of the oldest) shipping routes on the planet. Thanks to it's long history as a British colony, the island, and it's largest city, Georgetown, have become a thriving, modern place and should be high on any Malaysia-bound visitor. We spent four and a half days here on our 2015 Malay Vacation, and enjoyed every minute.
Although inhabited since Neolithic times, the island is most famous for it's time under the British Crown, and experienced most of it's growth in that time. The first English to land on the island was Captain Francis Light, and through some classic colonial swindling and manipulation of the local sultans and tribes, ended up in control of the island. Fort Cornwallis, a large outpost of English power, quickly went up, and from there it just kept growing, right up this very day. The island is a complex melting pot of ethnicities cultures. Large populations of Malays, Chinese, and Indians dominate the numbers, but there are also sizeable communities of other ethnicities from throughout Asia and Southeast Asian nations. The resulting mix of populations has created a wonderful mix of culture in the city. The city is also a key international shipping port at the head of the Malacca Straits, and is well connected to major shipping routes. |
Yet, despite it's lengthy involvement in world affairs, it's multiple burgeoning communities, and it's rapid development, the island is still an exercise in marked contrast; the Penang National Park that sprawls over it's northwest corner is over 1,200 hectares in size, and it and the forests along the summits of Penang Hill are still surprisingly wild. It's pretty amazing to go from the glittering towers of Gurney Drive, to still wild jungle, in a matter of less than an hour. If that wasn't enough, not only does the island boast a modern infrastructure, a melting pot of cultures, rich natural beauty and an impressive history, but Penang also has a surprisingly thriving art scene, and it shows in the massive amount of street art that can be found around Georgetown's Old Town, both in the form of paintings and sculpture. Indeed, the city is renowned across the area for it's street art. So many factors together combine to provide a rich tapestry of Penang today.