George Town

Where the port began

George Town's starting point is the Esplanade, a green facing the sea. Once the ground for military parades, sporting events and celebrations, it now belongs to morning walkers. Right next door, Fort Cornwallis was built by Light to protect the young settlement, and it's the largest surviving fort in Malaysia. Before you head into the lanes, stop by the Penang History Gallery. It lays out the years from 1786 to 1957 in order, so the temples and clan houses you'll meet later make far more sense.

The Street of Harmony

In the middle of George Town runs a road known as the Street of Harmony. Houses of worship from different faiths stand a few steps apart, and the street is known as a picture of those faiths living peacefully side by side. • Kapitan Keling Mosque — built by Indian Muslim traders in the early 19th century. If your clothes don't meet the dress code, they'll lend you a robe. • Sri Maha Mariamman Temple — Penang's oldest Hindu temple, known for its colourful entrance tower. • St. George's Church — completed in 1818, it's the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia. • Goddess of Mercy Temple — Penang's oldest Taoist temple, where you'll see people drawing fortune sticks through the incense smoke.

Clan houses and a village on the water

Early Chinese settlers who crossed the sea set up kongsi, clan associations grouped by surname, where they looked after one another and honoured their ancestors. The most ornate, Khoo Kongsi, was built in 1906 when the Khoo clan was at its most prosperous. Step into the courtyard and the carvings filling every roof and eave hit you all at once. Nearby, Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi is Penang's oldest clan house. Head down to the shore and you'll reach the Clan Jetties, a village of houses on wooden stilts strung along plank walkways. Descendants of Chinese families who settled here more than a century ago still live in them. Come in the late afternoon, as the sun starts to drop, and stand at the end of a walkway: the light lies low across the strait.

Murals and wire sculptures

George Town's street art gained international attention at the 2012 George Town Festival. The murals Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic painted for the Mirrors George Town project are interactive, composed so that whoever stands in front becomes part of the picture. There are also 52 sculptures drawn in black steel rod, like lines on paper, born of Marking George Town, a 2009 competition run by the Penang state government. You'll find them along streets, alleys and building walls. Several of the best-known murals are around Armenian Street, lined with cafés, workshops and galleries.

One plate at a time

Penang's food centres on its hawker stalls. Many hawkers make a single dish, so you end up going from stall to stall, collecting one plate at each. • Char koay teow — flat rice noodles stir-fried over high heat with prawns, bean sprouts and egg until they pick up the wok's smoky edge. • Assam laksa — thick rice noodles in a sour fish broth, topped with pineapple and mint. • Nasi kandar — Indian Muslim-style rice with several curries poured over and mixed in. • Cendol — shaved ice over green pandan jelly noodles, finished with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. For long-standing hawker streets, try the Gurney Drive area, New Lane and Chulia Street.

Inland: Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si

Once you've walked the heritage zone, head into the island's interior. Penang Hill is a cluster of hills over 700 m high, the tallest being Western Hill at 833 m. As Malaysia's only funicular climbs, George Town's rooftops and the strait spread wider out the window, and around sunset the lights of the city below come on one by one. On its slopes, Kek Lok Si, begun in 1891, is one of Southeast Asia's largest Buddhist temple complexes. It rises in tiers of stairways and corridors, so the view opens up the higher you go. The two fit together nicely in a single day.

Getting around and a 4-day plan

Most of the heritage zone is walkable; for anything farther, take a Rapid Penang bus or Grab. If you hop on a trishaw, agree on the fare and route before you set off. Day 1 — Esplanade and Fort Cornwallis → Street of Harmony → Pinang Peranakan Mansion → dinner at Gurney Drive Day 2 — Khoo Kongsi and Cheah Kongsi → Armenian Street murals → Clan Jetties in the late afternoon → dinner on New Lane Day 3 — Kek Lok Si → Penang Hill → sunset views → Chulia Street Day 4 — Penang Ferry Museum, or a ferry round trip to Butterworth → airport

What to eat

• Char koay teow (flat rice noodles, wok-fried)
• Assam laksa (sour fish-broth noodles)
• Nasi kandar (rice under mixed curries)
• Cendol (coconut shaved ice with pandan jelly)

Handy tips

• Submit Malaysia's Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online before you fly. It's only accepted if you arrive within 3 days, counting the day you submit.
• The free CAT (Central Area Transit) bus loops central George Town. It's handy for getting from one end of the heritage zone to the other at midday.
• The Penang Hill funicular has one fare for local ID holders (MyKad and others) and a separate Standard fare. On the Standard fare, an adult (13–59) return is RM40 in the normal lane or RM80 in the express lane, and one-way tickets are sold only at the counter.