But there is another, undiscovered side of Penang. Along the northwestern coastline, on the opposite side of the island from Georgetown, lie some of the finest and least known beaches on the island. Sparkling sea, powdery white sand, and sunlight filtering through coconut groves awaits those who are willing to hike the jungle paths that are the beaches' only access. The effort is more than worthwhile.

PLACES TO VISIT  

As fabulous as its beaches are, some of Penang's deeper mysteries should also be experienced.
According to local folklore, the Snake Temple, dedicated to a Buddhist healer-priest, was inhabited by snakes who crawled out of the jungle on the night of the temple's completion.
The snakes are still there today.

The Kek Lok Si Temple, at Air Itam, is reputed to be the most beautiful and largest temple complex in Southeast Asia.
It's seven-story pagoda, over 90 feet high, is a harmonious blend of Chinese, Thai, and Burmese architecture and craftsmanship.

Other worthwhile stops are the delightful Penang Bird Park, the romantic peak of Penang Hill, Fort Cornwallis, the site of Light's first landing, and the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve (crisscrossed with beautiful trails leading to isolated beaches).
A trek through the reserve's interior reveals rare flora, monkeys chattering in the trees, sea eagles surveying their prey, and maybe a glimpse of a Hawksbill turtle heading for the sea.
Some hotels organize early morning treks through the forest.

Penang today bears the mark of an early history of successive foreign influences - from the early Indian Civilization that took root in northern Malaya to that of the Portuguese, Dutch and later the British who came to this part of the world in search of spices and stayed to participate in the lucrative trade.

The history of modern Penang can be traced back to 1786 when Francis Light managed to persuade the Sultan of Kedah to cede "Pulau Pinang" (Betel Nut Island) to the British East India Company.
Light landed at the site of the present Esplanade and according to local legend, fired gold coins into the surrounding jungle to induce his men to clear the area.
The island was originally named Prince of Wales Island and the settlement that soon grew up was named Georgetown after King George III.
In 1800, the Sultan of Kedah further ceded a strip of land on the mainland across the channel which Light named Province Wellesley, after the then Governor of India.
In 1832, Penang formed part of the Straits Settlement with Melaka and Singapore. It flourished and grew to be a major trading post for a lucrative trade in tea, spices, china and cloth. For more than a hundred years, it remained under British Colonial rule until 1957 when it gained independence and became one of the states of the newly formed Federation of Malaya and later Malaysia in 1963.