Penang is famous for its local food that is the unique blend of cultures and races that can be found on the island. In this how to visit Penang page, you will learn some basic information about the island. Penang is a small island west of Malaysia and is one of the best tourism spots in the country. Penang has pristine beaches, beautiful nature, and cultural heritage that make the island a great spot for vacation.

Penang is located at Malaysia, which means you need to have visa to enter Malaysia if you come from abroad. If you come from the Commonwealth country, or from Singapore and Brunei, you can stay for 3 months without visa and if you come from ASEAN country, you can stay without visa for a month.http://www.penang-traveltips.com/entry-requirements.htm If you come from another country, please contact your travel agent for more information.

The national language is Malay, but you can find people in Penang speaking some Chinese dialects and other languages according to their ethnicity and cultures. Penang people are called Penangites and primarily consist of Chinese, Indian and Malay people with Chinese as the predominant ethnic group. They are usually warm and friendly, except when you criticize their food.http://www.penang-traveltips.com/ You will find that many Penangites speak English fluently.

The official currency for Penang is Malaysian Ringgit. Penang is relatively cheap compared to other tourist destination spots in the world.

To reach Penang, you can ride buses, ferries, and planes. The best transportation in Penang is by foot. Walk around the town, especially George Town to explore all the sight and experience the daily lives of Penang. If you prefer to take a bus, take bus number 11 to explore George Town.http://www.penang-traveltips.com/ There are some free buses and buses that connect Penang with other parts of Malaysia.

Taxis do not use meters in Penang but fixed charges.http://www.penang-traveltips.com/taking-the-taxi.htm For traditional transportation, try trishaw, although it’s not for long distance travel. Another option to explore the island is to rent a car.

Staying at Penang is relatively cheap. You can stay at budget hotels, hostels, mid-range hotels, or high-end hotels and resorts. You need to compare prices between sites and travel agents as the same room in the same hotel can have different prices between sites and agents.http://www.penang-traveltips.com/ To ensure you get the best services, book hotel that is a member of the Penang-Malaysia Association of Hotels which are established in 1958 which currently consists of 40 hotels.http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/accomodations.html

You can also rent apartments as the alternative for staying at hotels. Renting apartment is quite economical. You can also purchase an apartment or other real estate in Penang but they are quite expensive.

For some people, Penang is one of the best food travel destinations in the world. Because Penang is located at the crossroad of many islands and culture, Penang cuisine is the fusion of Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian and Western food. The fusion makes Penang cuisine unique to the island.

Although you can also find fine dining at restaurants and hotels, but the authentic Penang cuisine experience and taste can be found at the street, from street vendors, stalls, and night food courts. Penang people like to eat and hang out at the food courts and you can find the food court flocked at night.

Some of the Penang’s signature dishes are:

• Penang laksa. Penang Laksa is a unique laksa that is unique to Penang and is completely different from Malaysian or Singapore version of this dish. Penang laksa tastes hot and sour.
• Char Koay Teow. This dish literally mean “fried rice noodle”. The thicker version of the rice noodles are stir fried with eggs, seafood, and soy sauce.
• Bukit Tambun Seafood. At this place, you can find the cheapest and freshest seafood dish in Malaysia, and since food in Malaysia is usually very economical you will find that the prices are very economical.http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/top_10_picks_eat.html
• Hokkien Mee or Hokkien Style Noodles. This dish consists of a bowl of thick egg noodles with prawns and other meat.
• Ice kachang and Chendol. Penang desserts are mix of Western and Asian desserts. It is usually served cold as the weather is quite hot in Penang. Ice kachang is delightful mix of ingredients served with shaved ice.

The most famous beach in Penang is Batu Ferringhihttp://www.penang-traveltips.com/batu-ferringhi.htm There are many beach resorts located in the area and the night life in this location is the most “happening” in the island. You can also do some horse riding and water sports in this area.

Aside from pristine sandy beaches and food courts, there are a lot of sights to see in Penang for its rich cultural heritage. George Town in Penang has been selected as one of the UNESCO heritage sites because of its cultural legacy during the colonial era in Penang. See the European style buildings that are still well preserved by foot or by riding the traditional trishaw.

There are a lot of Buddhist temples in Penang with wonderful sights and cultural significance. Some of these temples are Jade Emperor’s Temple, Ke Lok Si Temple, which is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and the Reclining Buddha statue.http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/top_10_picks_see.html

For a unique experience, visit the Toy Museum in Tanjung Bunga. Also, don’t miss shopping at the night bazaars, flea markets, and traditional markets around Penang for souvenirs, spices, and snacks.

Penang Island is also famous for medical tourism. Many people from around Asia visit Penang for its great medical service with great value.http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/medical_tourism.html The medical service is available for elective or cosmetic surgeries to live threatening surgeries such as heart surgeries.