A world Of Penang

Sunday 16 December 2012

Penang Map

Penang Maps are the indispensable piece of information for travelers. It doesn’t matter whether you are coming here for pleasure or business as you'll definitely need the latest maps to get yourself familiarize and find your way around the island.

Think of the inconveniences & hassle that your are going to face if you do not have a proper map to plan you activities here. And worst of, a map that is outdated!Don't worry, I've got it all covered. Just browse thru the map from this site and I promise you with tons of accurate and precise information on Penang. I've also include in it, the location of Penang tourist attractions such as Penang Hills,
Kek Lok Si, Fort Cornwallis and more.Although there might be some new development in Penang from time to time that could trigger changes in the Map - I'll try as much as possible to keep it up to date so that you will get the latest information.

If you have any problem understanding the map directions, do e-mail me.Remember to print out the maps when you visit Penang as it will come in handy.

Penang Sitemap

Welcome to Penang Vacations sitemap - A place where you can see the complete contents of the site at a glance, and to navigate your way around easil

About Penang

Penang History

Getting There

Getting Around

Penang Beaches

Penang Tourist Attractions

Georgetown

Penang Food

B udget Hotels

Penang Festivals

Shopping

Penang Shopping Mall

Penang Bridge

Penang National Park

Penang Facts

Site Exchange

Komtar Penang

KOMTAR is located in central Georgetown, along the north-south Jalan Penang and east-west Jalan Magazine. The 65-storey high-rise and mall is one of the most prominent landmarks in Penang with a viewing deck on the 58th floor offering views of the island and across the straits to Penang’s mainland.The cylindrical skyscraper is the sixth-tallest building in Malaysia and Penang’s tallest structure. It towers over Georgetown’s western corner, a section of town unofficially known as Chinatown since it is dominated by clusters of shuttered two-storey shop-houses and kongsis (clan houses) that have stood here in a variety of forms since the late 18th century.

At 761ft the views from the top of KOMTAR, which sits atop a four-storey shopping centre, are the real reason most people see it as an indispensable part of Penang’s tourism scene. These days, KOMTAR has a flawed reputation. In the 90s it was Penang’s most popular mall and an almost mandatory stop on sightseeing trips but as the years went by, most people passed it over due to its worn out exterior. Most noticeably, the mall is not as popular as it used to be – after all Penang has flashier malls like Queensbay Mall and Gurney Plaza. However, recent plans to revitalise the tower has led to its rise from the ashes, so to speak.

Besides a great photo opportunity, the 12-sided tower houses retail shops and the administrative offices of the Penang State Government, plus it is one of Penang’s main transportation hubs with the ground floor KOMTAR Bus Terminal acting as the focal point through which all bus routes in Penang radiate from. What’s more, the viewing gallery has a souvenir store and coin operated telescopes much like New York’s Empire State Building. Designed by the Architects Team 3(AT3) of Singapore in 1974, KOMTAR occupies over 11 hectares and was initially built as part of an urban renewal project by the Penang Development Corporation.

Penang Accommodation

Saturday 8 December 2012

Penang during the year-end holiday season is always packed with visitors here for the excitement and its activities. As proven that many outstation and overseas tourists come to visit Penang during this time, most of the hotels are fully booked for the holiday season which in turn is a tremendous encouragement for tourism in Penang.

Just mention the word Penang, and many thoughts come to mind. Either it’s the great beaches and seaside or heritage and historical elements; however the ultimate thing that would strike anyone’s mind would be the great Penang Food.

It is undeniable that plenty of tourists, coming from regional states or even neighboring countries, take time off their busy schedule to make a journey across the majestic Penang Bridge into the Pearl of the Orient.

There are also other ways to access this charming island, and on top of that, there are even more ways to get around the island itself! Penang’s public transport system is efficient, and offers plenty of interesting modes of transport such as the trishaw while having the usual taxis and buses!

Penang hill

Penang Hill is located on this island of Penang, within the area called Air Itam. It is 6km from the city. Situated about 823 meters (2750 feet) above sea level on this northern part of Penang, this oldest hill resort and the first in Malaysia has cool, unpolluted air and historical feature. It stands prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area. It's original name was Flagstaff Hill known by the British, back in the old days of Penang , when a flag fluttering from a flagpole at Bel Retiro, the home of the Governor of Penang at that time, was used as a signal transmitter.
The locals affectionately called it Penang Hill or Bukit Bendera. The hokkien chinese calls it "Seng Kee Sua".It was Francis Light who plotted Penang Hill during his horse track way back in 1788. British colonials started building bungalows for private use in the 19th century as the climate is cooler on the hill compared to the city heat. Its average temperature is between 20-27 degree celcius.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

TEMPLES

Murugan Temple in Penang

THE Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani new temple building in Jalan Kebun Bunga is set to be a new tourist attraction in Penang when it is completed in June. The temple’s consecration ceremony is scheduled for June 29 2012.The hilltop temple, with its seven-storey 21.6m-tall gopuram (main tower), has been touted as the largest Lord Murugan temple outside India by its committee chairman.It is expected to receive thousands of visitors from all over the world yearly when completed after almost a decade of construction.Interestingly, the new temple’s features are inspired from the era of the Chola and Pallava kingdoms of India and the crafting work was done by Indian artisans from South India, specially brought in to Penang.He said there were more than 500 steps leading from the foothill to the 20,000sq ft temple in penang compared to Batu Cave. The main gateway is about 21.6m in height which is equivalent to a seven-storey high building.Visitors entering the temple’s 70,000sq ft grounds will be greeted by a majestic 8.23m-tall statue of Lord Shiva at the foot of the hill.An 18-ft high crafted teak wood door will be a special feature at the new Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Waterfall Road here.Visitors, both devotees and tourists alike, will enjoy walking on the cool granite floor while viewing the 11 different floral designs on the ceiling with that of a peacock facing the “Moolastanam” where the idol of Lord Murugan will be placed, he said.As visitors reach the top by climbing 511 stairs, they are bound to be amazed by the six pillars inside which represent the six main Murugan temples — the Aru Padai Veedu in Tamil Nadu — placed along the way up to the idol of Lord Murugan, he said.Dr V. Ganapati Sthapati, a well-known architect from Tamil Nadu, India, designed the temple, which sits on 70,000 sq ft of land surrounded by trees and hills.The temple is located 30 metres higher than the previous temple, which has been there from 1850.