Places to visit in Penang, Malaysia
15 places to visit in Penang, Malaysia, each with LOQAH's carefully crafted stamp of its own: Fort Cornwallis, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kek Lok Si Temple and more. Stand at any of them with the app open and the stamp is yours, confirmed on site, in your Penang volume.
2 UNESCO World Heritage sites · 2 Famous places to visit · 11 Hidden gems
UNESCO World Heritage sites in Penang (2)
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Fort Cornwallis
A star-shaped fort raised by the British East India Company in the late 18th century, at the spot where Francis Light is said to have landed. Named after Lord Cornwallis, it is the largest standing fort in Malaysia, its ramparts still lined with old cannon facing the sea.
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Kapitan Keling Mosque
A mosque founded in the early 1800s by Indian Muslim traders, on land granted to their leader Cauder Mohudeen, at the corner of Pitt Street. It was the first permanent Muslim institution in the area and still anchors the Tamil Muslim quarter of the George Town World Heritage Site.
Famous places to visit in Penang (2)
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Kek Lok Si Temple
The largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, built on the hillside at Air Itam between 1890 and 1930. Its seven-storey Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas mixes Chinese, Thai and Burmese styles, and a 36.57 metre bronze statue of Guanyin stands above it.
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Penang Hill
A cluster of forested peaks at the centre of Penang Island, 9 km west of George Town, long used as a cool retreat. A funicular railway climbs to the top, where old bungalows, a mosque and a temple look out over the city and the strait.
Hidden gems in Penang (11)
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Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple
A hilltop temple to Murugan, reached by 513 steps, set even higher above the ground than Batu Caves. Its seven-storey gopuram, 21.6 metres tall, is said to make it the largest Murugan temple outside India, and it is the climax of Penang's Thaipusam.
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Batu Ferringhi
Penang's main beach, a 4 km stretch of sand on the island's north coast about 11 km from George Town. Big hotels line the shore, and after dark the roadside fills with a long night market.
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Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
The indigo-walled home of the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze, built at the end of the 19th century on Leith Street. It has 38 rooms, five granite courtyards and 220 timber louvre windows, and served as both his house and the seat of his business.
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Khoo Kongsi
The grandest clan temple in Malaysia, home of the Hokkien Khoo clan, its roof and walls thick with carving, gilding and painted figures. It sits on a granite square in the old heart of George Town, ringed by a theatre and the 19th century rowhouses of clan members.
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Little India Penang
The Indian quarter in the heart of old George Town, a few streets of spice shops, sari stores, music and sweet stalls. The oldest Hindu temple in Penang, Sri Mahamariamman, stands among them.
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Penang Botanic Gardens
A botanical garden on Jalan Air Terjun, set in a forested valley at the foot of Penang Hill. People call it the Waterfall Gardens for the cascade nearby, and its lawns and jungle paths are a favourite morning walk, shared with macaques.
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Penang National Park
A small national park on the northwestern tip of Penang Island, covering 1,213 hectares of forest and sea. Trails and boats lead to quiet coves such as Monkey Beach and the lighthouse at Muka Head.
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Pinang Peranakan Mansion
A green-painted mansion on Church Street that was once the home and office of the 19th century tycoon Chung Keng Quee. It is now a museum of Penang's Peranakan heritage, filled with carved screens, porcelain, jewellery and the furnishings of a wealthy Straits Chinese household.
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Snake Temple
A Chinese temple at Bayan Lepas dedicated to the monk Master Qingshui, also called the Temple of the Azure Clouds. Pit vipers rest on its altars and branches, said to be reincarnations of his disciples, and they are left to come and go as they please.
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Sri Mahamariamman Temple Penang
The oldest Hindu temple in Penang, built in 1833 in what is now Little India. Sculptures of gods and goddesses crowd its gateway tower and façade, rising above the busy lane outside.
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Wat Chayamangkalaram
The oldest Siamese temple in Penang, on Lorong Burma opposite a Burmese temple, and home to a long gilded reclining Buddha. It becomes the centre of the city's Songkran, Loy Krathong and Vesak celebrations each year.
Collecting in Penang
What are the best places to visit in Penang?
LOQAH lists 15 places in Penang. The best known include Fort Cornwallis, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang Hill and Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple. Each has a stamp of its own to collect when you are there.
How many LOQAH stamps are there in Penang?
15, and more are added over time. Each place has LOQAH's carefully crafted stamp of its own.
How do I collect a stamp in Penang?
Open LOQAH at the place and get its stamp. LOQAH checks where you are once, at that moment; at the place itself the stamp is confirmed on site, with a gold badge.
I have been to places in Penang before. Can I add them?
Yes. In Earlier trips, choose Penang and swipe through its stamps, or import your Google Timeline. Each one goes into your volume with the date, if you know it.
More in Malaysia
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.