| Widely
known as the Pearl of the Orient, Penang is one of Asia
's most famous islands. Its natural beauty
and exotic heritage have been attracting
curious visitor for centuries. Travel guides
have referred to it as "a place of
mysterious temples and palm-shrouded
beaches", while literary giant Somerset
Maugham is known to have stayed on the
island and spun tales about the romance of
the white planter in South-East Asia.
Penang today is very much an amalgam if
the old and the new - a bustling port, a
heritage city and an industrial base.
Perhaps it has more to offer per square mile
then any other place in the world. For sheer
variety of locales, cultures and foods, Penang is hard to beat.
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| In its capital Georgetown, modern skyscrapers rise from one of
Southeast Asia's largest collections of intact prewar
buildings. Manufactures of sophisticated
electronic good compete for space with wet
markets and old temple, and Indian temple,
and a Muslim mosque all within a five-minute
walk from one another? Likewise, tall urban
structures stand beside the red-tiled roots
of Chinatown and "little India: is just across the road,
while the Malay Kampungs lie on the outskirts. The
Seamless melding of the many peoples of Penang
is best reflected in the delicious hawker
foods (available around the clock) and the
adherence to traditions and customs.
Festivals abound throughout the year.
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| Should one wish to get away from the busy city,
the idyllic beaches and soothing hills are
but minutes away, while the industrial free
trade zone, the " Silicon Valley
of the East", and the international
airport are equally accessible. Penang or
its Malays name of Pulau Pinang is mad up of a
turtle-shaped island, a total of 285 square
kilometers, and a strip land called Seberang
Prai on Peninsular Malaysia about 48 kilometers wide. Since 11985,
the island has been joined to the mainland
by the Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world.
Alternatively, travelers arriving from the
mainland can hop onto the ferry and take a
20-minute ride across. There are also
international flights that connect directly
to the international airport on the island.
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