The beautiful architecture of Penang

I leave today at 3 pm and I feel good about going back to HK. Penang is the right size for a four day getaway. It is not so big that you need weeks but not so small where you see everything in a day. There is a good public transportation system for the island so it is easy and cheap to move from place to place without a guide. As with most of SE Asia, everyone speaks fluent English so there are little or no problems with communication.

I have written before about the one thing I love about this place: it’s diversity of cultures. The other diversity is in its landscapes. The main town of Georgetown is an old colonial town with old buildings. There are big new modern shopping malls. For me, the best is the lush green jungles in the centre of the island. There is a beach area that reminds me of Thailand but the beaches are not as clean and white. The water has a lot of trash floating in it. At least there is an ocean where I got to visit some nice fishing villages. The National Park was one of my favorite places along with the spice and fruit farms. Yes they were touristy but they smelled great and I got all you can eat fruit.

The costs are comparable and I’d say even cheaper than Thailand. The gay life is small and barely visible but it is illegal here. I didn’t explore it that much as I usually do. I have been told it is one of the nicest and tourist friendly places in Malaysia. I am motivated to explore more of this country maybe Borneo or the other side of the peninsula. I like it here more than Thailand but there is still more to see.