History
Known in British colonial times as “The Pearl of the Orient”, Penang
was founded in 1786 by a an English sea captain and entrepreneur,
Francis Light, who persuaded the local Sultan of Kedah to grant him
the entire 285 sq km island of Pulau Pinang and create a trading
port. Located on the Straits of Malacca, it later formed part of the socalled
‘Straits Settlement’ along with Malacca and Singapore,
flourishing into a multicultural hub and centre for such commodities
as tea, spices, porcelain and cloth. Indian, Malay, Chinese, British,
Portuguese and Dutch inhabitants and traders all made their
presence felt in the culture and religion with many architectural
remnants left to explore. Within this multiracial melting pot a unique
culture developed. The so-called Baba-Nyonya culture of
“peranakan” grew from the many Chinese-Malay intermarriages,
spawning its own food, costume and rituals. A dedicated display can
be found in the Penang State Museum.
In 1957 the British Colonial rulers granted Malaysia independence
and in 2008, the historic district of George Town was inscribed by
UNESCO onto their World Heritage list.
Who Goes There?
Penang’s deepwater, century-old Swettenham Pier is frequented by
local cruise lines like Star Cruises who offer 3-night Phuket/Krabi
trips, but also others who choose this colourful metropolis for its
vibrant shore attractions. In the last 12 months, Penang has seen
visits from RCCL, Cunard, Princess, Costa, Oceania, Ponant, AIDA,
Silversea, Seabourn, Seven Seas and P&O (UK). Azamara joins this
list from 2013 with the newly refurbished vessel, Journey. Peak
arrivals are in January and December, with total cruise ship
movements expected to be around 100 for 2013. 115,000 passengers
arrived in Penang last year (3% up from 2011) with the vast majority
from Singapore and India. Australian arrivals are declining, down to
just 6500 last year from a peak of 12,400 in 2009, but expect that
number to trend upward again as new and larger vessels find their way
into the region.
Going Ashore
Offered excursions will almost certainly include tours of the many
heritage buildings, places of worship and sites such as Fort Cornwallis,
City Hall and State Museum, but Penang is also renown as a confluence
of food cultures. On every street corner and down every tiny lane there
seems to be a row of little food carts offering everything from coconut,
rice noodle and bean desserts (cendol) to more spicy offerings such as
nasi lemak, nyonya kuih, prawn noodle, apom balik and the famous
asam laksa acclaimed by CNNGo as one of the world’s 50 most
delicious foods. If the timing is right, cruises may arrive during any one
of the almost monthly festivals and celebrations such as the
Staying on
If you are fortunate (or clever) enough to arrange extra time in Penang
by starting or ending your cruise there, the obvious accommodation
option is the magnificent 1885-built Eastern & Oriental Hotel,
(www.easternandoriental.com) located in the heart of the historic
district and recently renovated to its full glory.
Flying there
Malaysia Airlines flies regularly from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Penang
(PEN). www.malaysiaairlines.com
More Info: www.malaysiatourism.com.au
