Overview
Take a trip to Penang Island on your Malaysia Vacation
One exceptional place to visit on Malaysia vacations is Penang Island, the most populated island in Malaysia located in the state of Penang, off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia and the fourth largest in size, measuring 285 sq. km (177 sq. miles).
As the oldest British settlement in Malaysia, Penang Island features a rich multicultural blend of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and European influences, and is considered the ‘food paradise of Malaysia'.
Penang Island’s northern coast features the city of Batu Ferringhi, where its white sandy beaches and luxurious hotels make Penang Island a premier resort destination on a Malaysia tour.
Georgetown, Penang’s state capital, is situated on Penang Island and features many colonial buildings, 19th-century churches, temples, mosques, and Fort Cornwallis, the largest fort in Malaysia. A major tourist attraction on Malaysia tours, Georgetown is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Penang Hill, situated 830metres (2722 ft) above Georgetown and featuring pleasant gardens, a hotel, a Hindu temple and a mosque, offers great views of Georgetown’s twinkling city lights.
Penang Island features various cities, all offering their own unique attractions, including an array of water and land activities, scenic gardens, temples, markets, cuisine, shopping, and festivals. With its warm, tropical climate, Penang Island is a destination offering something for everyone on a Malaysia vacation.
Penang Hill, situated 830metres (2722 ft) above Georgetown and featuring pleasant gardens, a hotel, a Hindu temple and a mosque, offers great views of Georgetown’s twinkling city lights.
Penang Island features various cities, all offering their own unique attractions, including an array of water and land activities, scenic gardens, temples, markets, cuisine, shopping, and festivals. With its warm, tropical climate, Penang Island is a destination offering something for everyone on a Malaysia vacation.
At a Glance
Languages
Malay[e]Currency
Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)What do the experts say?
I love Malaysia's delicious food. The country is also incredibly affordable, and visitors' easy access to public transit is a great way for them to experience local life.
If you want to get out of the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, then you should visit Malacca. The history of this ancient port city is well worth the trip.
I absolutely love travelling through Malaysia by train. It is incredibly scenic. I also love Kuala Lumpur's amazing skyline and Malacca's old Portuguese and Dutch buildings.
St Georges Church
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Fishing on the beach under a blue sky
Town Hall
A chinese temple in Georgetown on Penang Island...
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ExcellentBased on 5,220 ReviewsIngrid did a phenomenal job creating a 22 day trip beginning in with 3 days in Turkey, that included a Turkish Bath and a private tour of the mosques, we then took a 10 day cruise through the Mediterranean, Greece, Croatia, plus a couple of other stops. We got off the cruise in Ravenna Italy our transportation was spot on picking us up (I would have to stay all of our transportation was impressive, always there, on time, very helpful) we traveled from Ravenna to Venice where we stayed for two nights. Venice is the only place we had a hiccup, we weren't sure if someone was meeting us at our Hotel to take us to the water taxi to get to the train station, we figured it out, made the train and all was good. Traveled to Florence, had the best time there with one of our most favorite excusions, stayed in Florence for two nights and then completed our trip with three nights in Rome. Rome is BUSY, I was not prepared for that but should of expected it. This is our second big trip planning through Goway Travel, I can not recommend enough, they are so detailed and take care of everything you need and everything you didn't know you needed. Paula Hall-KeefeThe booking processs was really easy. Katie was very communicative and was very responsive. Every change we asked for, she quickly replied. The room arrangements had a small hiccupp but Katie fixed it within minutes! All the excursions were a blast and well planned.
The trip was a bucket list trip and was everything we hoped for. Alison MAllan Birkett at Goway has been an absolute godsend! Over the past year, he has helped me plan numerous vacations—especially honeymoons—and has been an incredible partner every step of the way.
He is always quick to respond, patient with my clients' frequent changes, and goes above and beyond to help whenever an issue comes up. His knowledge, professionalism, and dedication make my job as a travel advisor so much easier.
I truly appreciate everything Allan does and highly recommend him to anyone looking for exceptional service. Thank you, Allan, for always being thereBrooke EcholsOur 2-week trip to Normandy, Switzerland and Italy after we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton in mid-May was superb. Michael Keon did an amazing job of putting together highlights for us to see and visit with the short time we had. All the train reservations, private and small group tours and transportations were very well coordinated, on time, and usually exceeded our expectations. Drivers were courteous and knowledgeable. Mike did a wonderful job getting everything coordinated, in spite of our almost “last minute” booking. I booked a month-long trip through GOWAY back in 1989 for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and they were superb then. So I tried them again, and found the entire organization to be even better. Mike was quick to respond to any questions that came up regarding booksings and times, regardless of the 6-hour time difference. Just superb! Although we had a nasty experience in Milan, GOWAY was very responsive and saw to our requests and our needs. Again, Michael Keon is the person who coordinated our travel. I will ask for Mike when I travel again with GOWAY. I recommend GOWAY highly. PJ WheelerA BIG THANK YOU to Goway Travel, Brooke Theron and all of the partners onsite. Our trip to Africa was incredible, memories that will last forever.
Everything planned and more went perfectly. The guides, the excursions, the accommodations, everything, was just spectacular. Fortunately, everything ran on time, no delays, no problems.
Thank you again!!
Linda IriasI have been blessed to have an amazing rep, Farooq Qaisar!
He has helped me find the best spots for my clients to experience and when I am looking for something and just can't figure it out, he is able to put together something better than I was thinking. He my go-to and I am thankful for all his help over the years!SherriGoway helped plan our two week trip to Peru and they (Virginia in particular) did a great job. The on-site logistics with Condor Travel went very smoothly, and the trip exceeded our expectations overall. They proactively suggested changes to our initial itinerary which were welcomed. I would recommend them and would work with them again in the future.Kate O'NeillI recently went on an African Safari with my brother-in-law and sister and another couple who I knew. The entire experience was absolutely unbelievable. The complete details were flawlessly coordinated from the transfers to the breathtaking lodges. Our guides Peter showed us Kenya and Maulid Tanzania were very knowledgeable and very sharp eyes for finding the animals.
We were able to see the animals up close, learn a lot about the people, birds , vegetation etc.
We had several sundowners in the bush really added to a magical experience with beautiful sunsets.
I would highly recommend Goway to all my friends, they will not be disappointed.
Thank you to Bijal for the excellent African Safari that you put together for us. You were wonderful.Nancy HayWe enjoyed our trip very much. I was very pleased by the hotel, tours, and itinerary selections that Alice Teramoto made for us. It was all well organized and easy to follow.
Thank you very much for helping us have a great experience in Peru.INEverything was planned perfectly. The excursions were so small and personal. Ask for Mark! I have already planned another trip back to the Oregon wine country with Mark. Claire
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