Light claimed Penang for King George III in 1786 and independence was won in 1957.
The smallest national park in the world, Penang National Park (you can walk across it in two hours), has an array of habitats – wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, and my favorite – turtle nesting beaches and a turtle sanctuary. Boats can be hired.
Panang’s Kek Lok Si temple, or Temple of Supreme Bliss, is an oddity right from the start – as you wander narrow byways of shops stacked upon shops to reach the temple. It’s a veritable mountain of souvenir kitsch, with Kwan Yin, the goddess of mercy perched on top. Construction of Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, began in 1890.
Beyond Kwan Yin, the 7-story Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, completed in 1930, surveys the mountain from its golden Burmese crown. The Chinese New Year turns the mountain luminous with thousands of lights, and for 30 days following – a great time to visit.
Best Penang eats: Tree Monkey restaurant, an idyllic spot on a hill, overlooking the Andaman Sea. Also, take the tour of the adjoining Tropical Spice Garden for a valuable short course in Malaysia botany.
Langkawi, Rainforest Heaven
I found the island of Langkawi a respite – from shopping. The Frangipani Langkawi beach resort was largely responsible, with expansive views of the Andaman Sea and surrounding 99 rainforest islands. It’s here that you want to do – absolutely nothing. Room rates are from US $190 for a deluxe room, $287 for beach villas, and $475 for suites.
But if you must, the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park is a great day trip from the resort, which also offers sailing, jungle treks, diving, fishing, mountain climbing and other adventures. The 297 square mile park is the region’s first UNESCO Geopark. Boats speed you through mangrove forests dotted with diving reddish brown eagles (the word Langkawi means eagle), that speed from towering pinnacles.
Billed as the world’s steepest cable car with ascents up to 42 degrees, the Panorama Langkawi Sky Cab is true white-knuckle ride. About 15 minutes drive from the Langkawi International Airport, the cable car carries 700 passenger an hour on half-hour round trips. At the top station, you can view near and distant Thai islands, dine at a café and most of all – just look at the beautiful spread of Langkawi islands.
Getting There
Flying to Malaysia can be arduous for U.S. visitors - there are no non-stop flights. From Los Angeles, a Malaysia Airlines flight to Tokyo was just shy of 12 hours; the flight into Kuala Lumpur another 7 hours. Consider visiting the country as part of a multi-country stop. Flights into Kuala Lumpur are fairly inexpensive from the nearby countries of Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.
Getting into Kuala Lumpur from the international airport is easy with the high-speed rail, KLIA Ekspres. The trip to central Kuala Lumpur takes 28 minutes with trains leaving every 15 to 20 minutes. Tickets are about $12.
Kula Lumpur’s hop on and hop off buses are a great way to see the city. They run from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Cost: $12.50 for one day; $21 for two days.