About Penang
Highlights
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Awards in 2016:
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#1 in Top 10 Best Budget Travel Destinations for 2016 - Forbes
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#4 in Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2016 (George Town) - Lonely Planet
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#6 in Best Places to Retire Abroad - CNN
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1 of 16 Must-Visit Destinations - Los Angeles Times
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15 Best Cities in the World for Food in 2016 - The Culture Trip
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Video credit: Penang Global Tourism
It's all in Penang. Experience it.
Founded in 1781 by Captain Francis Light, an English trader-adventurer, Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia situated in the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It comprises a “turtle shaped” Penang Island and Seberang Perai (formerly known as Wellesley Province) that sit on the mainland of the peninsular, and for more than two centuries it has dubbed by traders and seafarers as “The Pearl of the Orient” due to its unique strategic location between East and West.
Recently rated by Yahoo Travel as the “10 islands to explore before you die”, Penang has long been one of the finest tourist destinations in Asia. People from all over the world come here to experience its multi-faceted personality, in particularly its unique blend of different cultures, as well as its fascinating fusion of the East and the West.
The capital of Penang, George Town, is blessed with the warmth of well-preserved heritage buildings, as well as its harmonious multiracial and multi religious inhabitants. Indeed the accordance of the listing as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2008 clearly highlights this uniqueness.
Also regarded as the food paradise of the region, Penang offers a mix of a diverse and exotic mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine, which reflects the multicultural mix of the city. In 2013, Penang was ranked one of the top 10 street food cities in Asia by CNN, and rated by Lonely Planet as the top culinary destination in 2014.
The beautiful palm-shrouded beaches, preserved forest, rich exotic heritage, scrumptious cuisines and multiple tangible and intangible attractions will no doubt make a trip to Penang more than worthwhile.
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