Penang

Penang is also well known as the Pearl of the Orient here in Malaysia where Penang itself is situated at the north-western coast of the Peninsular Malaysia. Together with the mainland, this turtle shaped island (Penang) is both linked together by a 13.5 km bridge known as the Penang Bridge where this 1985 built bridge is considerably one of the longest bridges in the world today. As of the year 2000, Penang now has a population of 1.2 million people and counting, this amount of population in return makes Penang as the state in Malaysia with the highest population density per square kilometer.

With Georgetown serving as the capital state of Penang, there are additions of 5 main districts here in Penang, these districts include Barat Daya, Seberang Perai Selatan, Seberang Perai Tengah, Seberang Perai Utara and Timur Laut. Nowadays, Penang state has the third largest economy pie here in Malaysia where manufacturing is the main contributor (45.9% of the state’s GDP) in the economy of the Penang state. The reason behind this is because the southern part of the Penang Island is being occupied by a lot of high-tech electronics plants such as Intel, AMD, Motorola, OSRAM and Seagate.

Another important contributor to the state’s economy is none other that the tourism industry. The reasoning to this is because Penang is an extremely well known place for all of the food lovers, be it local or international. Besides this reason, the northern shore of Penang, which is known as Batu Feringhi also proves to be one of the major attractions here in Penang as Batu Feringhi is a popular beach resorts with sandy beaches and high rise hotels. Aside from the sandy beaches and the swaying coconut trees, Penang is also a historic centre where some of the tourists visit Penang for the sole purpose of catching a glimpse at these historical monuments and the nineteenth-century buildings.

There are various ways to reach Penang where a traveler can choose to drive through the 13.5 kilometer Penang Bridge. If a traveler prefers the breeze wind of the sea, he can always choose to utilize the ferry services which are available between Georgetown and Butterworth. Aside from the land and the sea, the air is always a great option due to the reason where the Bayan Lepas International Airport is located at the southern part of the island. However, the traveler on wheels should always be aware and understand that due to the dense population, the traffic here in Penang is extremely congested. To put matters in a more conservative way, it can be said that it is not easy for one to drive around Penang through the narrow roads and congested traffics.

The climate here in Penang is sunny and warm throughout the year. Therefore, Penang is always one of the perfect choices for people seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of their everyday life.

How to go
By Air
The Penang International Airport is located in the south and receives direct flights from major cities in the region. Malaysian Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia (budget airlines) operates more than 20 flights daily to and from Kuala Lumpur.

From the airport, you can either take taxis or buses to reach any point on the island.

Penang Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penang