When travelers say ‘Penang’, they really refer to two places, the island of Penang and it’s largest town, the city of Georgetown. The residents are a bit more particular. For them Penang refers only to the island.
Penang is a 15 minute ferry ride off the west coast of Malaysia. Georgetown is the most Chinese city in the country, but has a large Malay and Indian population. The Chinese fusion architectural style and food is known as Nonya.
Sights
 Walk through Chinatown and Little India where most buildings are shophouses, with a business below and a residence above. Visit Beach Street for colonial architecture, and stroll the ruins of Fort Cornwallis.
The Blue Mansion, once a derelict inhabited by squatters, has been rescued an turned into a museum and B&B. Also known as the Cheng Fatt Tze mansion, it belonged to a man known as the Rockefeller of the east.
The Khoo Kongsi clan house burned the day it was completed. Fearful that the building was too ornate and had offended the gods, the clan built a simpler version. Stop by and wonder at the ‘simplicity’ of the building, then take a look at the graceful, simple structure of the nearby Kapitan Kling mosque.
Visit the Nonya-style shop house where Sun Yat Sen plotted the Chinese revolution both for its historic significance and its design.
Food
Penang food is famous, and incredibly inexpensive. Dine on Nonya cuisine, Indian Tandoori chicken, or stop at a kopi kedai for chicken rice (pronounced as one word).
Places to Stay
Backpackers stay in Chinatown. 75 Traveler’s Lodge on Lebuh Muntri is very clean and quiet, with a friendly staff. Many who stay long term in Georgetown are at the Noble, near the Kapitan Kling Mosque.
Getting Around
A free yellow shuttle bus takes a circuitous route around Georgetown, past most of the major attractions. Make sure it says ‘shuttle’, as a private bus line also has bright yellow buses. Buses aren’t expensive, but the private ones won’t be taking the route you want.
Walk, rent a motorbike, take a trishaw, or get a taxi. Buses leave from the Komtar shopping center to other parts of the island.
Getting There
Trains from Kuala Lumpur and Thailand to Georgetown stop at Butterworth, on the mainland. The Kuala Lumpur train is an overnight trip. Buses leave both from Georgetown and Butterworth.
Ferries go to the beach resort island of Langkawi, and to Medan, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Other Services
Most guesthouses and hotels offer internet access at around 2 RM (Malaysian Ringgit) for half an hour. Internet cafes are also available.
Free WiFi is available at the Malibu Cafe on Lebuh Chulia and at Starbucks in the Prangin Mall, next to the Komtar shopping center. The Malibu also has rooms.
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