A tropical island blessed with stretches of pocket beaches, Penang was a quiet corner of the Kedah Sultanate till a British adventurer named Francis Light decided that it was a suitable location for a British supply port. He somehow managed to gain control of the island in 1786, at the expense of the Kedah Sultan and Penang, as we know it, was born.

It would soon outlive its founder, and gain fame as the Pearl of the Orient, becoming an exotic destination in the British Empire. The irony was that Penang's success did not come from the spice plantations that were built to break the Dutch monopoly at that time, nor its importance as a supply port for the British. The plantations had withered and failed in the early years of Penang's founding, and Singapore, not Penang, became the long sought after British port of call along the sea route to China. Yet there it was, a booming island with a cosmopolitan and thriving town, the centre of British civilisation in the Malay Peninsular, a beacon of hope to those eager to seek out their fortune in the world
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So Why Penang?

Penang is one of those places that is just simply hard to describe in a single word. The word unique does seem to fit, but just barely especially when everything about the island is taken into account. It exudes a sense of commonplace familiarity that is unassuming and perhaps a bit uncouth yet irresistibly charming and humble. It is not a fancy city filled with glitz and glamour like Kuala Lumpur, nor has it been traditionally linked to Malaysian history like Malacca. The recent listing of Georgetown as a World Heritage City has indeed shifted the focus on heritage tourism, but once again, this is ironic, as Penang had been marketed as a premier beach destination just a decade or two before. The locals swear that the food on the island is the best to be had in all Malaysia, which is mostly true, but only if you are adventurous enough to try some.

Perhaps fame comes easily to this island, as it still manages to retain its unique personality no matter what role is thrust upon it. Maybe that is its true secret of success – not its beaches and natural beauty, its storied past and historic buildings, nor the rich culture of the people who settled here. That's the thing about Penang, you just never will know, not until you have been here.

So, come on over and find out what Penang has in store for you!

For more information of Penang please click http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/