Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
242
Georgetown became B ritain's principal post in M alaya, attracting E uropeans, Arabs,
northern and southern I ndians, southern Chinese, and M alays from the mainland and
Sumatra to trade and settle. But it was never extremely profitable for England, especially
when in 1819 S ir Stamford Raffles founded a ne w trading post in S ingapore. Penang
couldn't keep up with the ne w port's success.
In 1826, Penang, along with M elaka and Singapore, formed a unit called the S traits
Settlements, over which Penang was voted the seat of go vernment by a narrow margin.
Finally, in 1832, S ingapore stole its thunder when authority shifted ther e. In the late
1800s, Penang got a big br eak. Tin mines and r ubber plantations on mainland M alaya
were booming, and with the opening of the railway betw een KL and Butterworth (the
town on the mainland just opposite the island), P enang once again thriv ed. Singapore
firms scrambled to open offices in B utterworth.
The Great Depression hit Penang hard. So did the Japanese Occupation from 1941 to
1945, when the island was badly bombed. B ut since M alaysia's independence in 1957,
Penang has had relatively good financial success.
Today the state of P enang is made up of the island and a small strip of land on the
Malaysian mainland. Georgetown is the seat of go vernment for the state. Penang Island
is 285 sq. km (111 sq. miles) and has a population of a little mor e than one million.
Surprisingly, the population is mostly Chinese (59%), follo wed by Malays (32%) and
Indians (7%).
Georgetown r eminds me of the way S ingapore looked befor e massiv e go vernment
redevelopment and restoration projects “sanitized” the old neighborhoods. Georgetown's
grid of narr ow streets are still lined with shophouses that bustle with activity . Historic
churches, temples, and mosques mingle with the city 's newer architecture.
West of Georgetown, along Penang's northern shore, you'll find a number of popular
resorts, sprawling complexes along strips of sandy beaches. U nfortunately, because Pen-
ang is located in the S traits of Malacca, the waters ar e not the idyllic cr ystal-clear azure
you hope for in a tr opical v acation. Yes, y ou've got sun, sand, and seaspor ts, but no
snorkeling or scuba. In my opinion, if you really want it all, enjoy the waters and sea life
while you stay at one of the luxury resorts on Langkawi to the north (covered later in this
chapter), and hop on a ferry to Georgetown for a day trip of sightseeing. There are short
flights between the two islands as w ell.
13
ESSENTIALS
Visitor Information
The main Tourism Malaysia office is located at Lev el 56, K OMTAR Building (Kom-
pleks Tun Abdul Razak) on J alan Penang ( & 04/264-3494 ). There's another informa-
tion center at Penang International Airport ( & 04/643-0501 ).
Getting There
BY PLANE Penang International Airport ( & 04/643-4411 ) has flights that connect
from all o ver the world. Malaysia Airlines ( & 1300/883-000; www.malaysiaairlines.
com) has about 20 flights each day fr om KL, plus connecting flights fr om all o ver the
country and r egion. O ther airlines that ser vice Penang ar e Singapore Airlines, Thai
Airways, C athay Pacific, AirAsia ( & 1300/889-933; www.airasia.com), and Firefly
( & 03/7845-4543; www.fireflyz.com.my).
The airport is 20km (12 miles) fr om the city. To get into to wn, you must pur chase
fixed-rate coupons for taxis RM38 ($11/£6.85) to G eorgetown, RM60 ($17/£11) to
Batu Feringgi. There are also car rentals at the airport; choose Avis ( & 04/643-9633 ).
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