DESTINATIONS — ASIA
City Hall, Penang
ornate gilded screens, courtyard water features and ornate furniture. The house is beautiful, and the story of the magnate’s life – and his many wives – fascinating. On the outskirts of town, visitors
can see Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in southeast Asia, and ride up to the top of Penang Hill on a steep, glass-walled funicular, for views of the city.
immaculate porch watching the passers-by, she’s the only member of her immediate family to still live on the jetty. Far from resenting the crowds of tourists, she says she’s pleased to see them: the majority of residents are still traders, after all. The network of streets behind the jetties are lined with Penang Bungalows, the name given to the two-storey, brick and wooden historic buildings with spacious porches and coloured facades. In a curiously Shoreditch-meets- southeast Asia situation, many have been converted into hipster coffee shops, and walls are adorned with street art graffiti. Rickshaws adorned with flowers weave among the traffic, and in the Little India area stalls sell samosas and chai. Nearby, one of Georgetown’s
grandest addresses is the Blue Mansion. Built by ‘Chinese Rockefeller’ Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of the 19th century, it has been immaculately restored. Within the striking indigo walls are
l A SANDY SHORE After all that culture, it’s time to relax, and that’s what Batu Ferringhi, the beach resort on the island’s northern shore, is designed for. It’s not a spot for total seclusion – send clients to the neighbouring, more luxury-focused island of Langkawi for that instead – but Penang’s premier resort works for those who like a lively bar or two and reasonably priced hotels. Hotels and luxury
condominiums line the coast road – Penang is Malaysia’s tech industry hub, so it’s an affluent spot for locals too – together with small shops, bars, street food courts and restaurants. Travel 2 recommends the Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La with its Cool Zone Kids Club for families, and the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, set in 30 acres of gardens and with an extensive spa, for couples. Eight nights at the former with breakfast and flights starts from £849. The two Shangri-La properties are most popular for Gold
Kek Lok Si Temple
TRIED & TESTED Malaysia Airlines Business Class
The country’s airline lives up to the culinary standards set in Penang. Flying business class with Malaysia Airlines, I had the chance to experience not only the comfy, 72-inch by 22-inch lie-flat beds in the A380s used on the Heathrow-Kuala Lumpur route, but also the airline’s Chef on Call service. I had been able to pre-order my main course in advance of the flight, giving me a wider choice of 15 options, both Malay and western. Food
quality is consistent and good, and frequent fliers with the airline look forward to the signature appetiser of peanut satay chicken and lamb skewers to accompany their champagne. Malaysia Airlines flies a twice-
daily non-stop A380 service from London to Kuala Lumpur, with onward connections across Malaysia, Asia and Australasia. Return flights to Penang start from £839 in economy and £3,109 in business.
21 May 2015 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 59
FAST FACT Abandoned
former government buildings at the top of
Penang Hill are a filming location for Channel 4 series Indian Summers
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PICTURES: TOURISM MALAYSIA; PENANG TOURISM
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