Treasure Island

The favored residential location for foreigners on Penang Island is Batu Ferringhi (literally "Foreigner’s Rock"), but be warned: There’s a plethora of highrise condo developments before you get to the beach.

International Living Postcards-- your daily escape

Monday, May 1, 2006

Dear International Living Reader,

In the early 18th century, Malaysia's Penang Island was the haunt of pirates who plundered ships in the narrow Straits of Malacca. Enter Captain Francis Light of Britain's East India Company. Charged with building a safe haven for trading vessels plying the long-haul China-India route, Captain Light had a novel idea on how to motivate his workers to clear the land to construct Fort Cornwallis on Georgetown's Esplanade. Using his ship's cannons, he fired volleys of silver coins into the jungle.

Steenie Harvey, our roving editor, gives you the full scoop on this fascinating island in the May print issue of International Living:

"With sandy beaches almost at the doorstep, Georgetown is Penang Island's capital and port. Most of the island's population lives here. You can get here via one of the frequent flights from Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur; but if you arrive via the eight-mile road bridge from the mainland, your first impression is likely to be shock--the unsightly skyline resembles a forest of concrete towers. But the more you explore, the more Georgetown's charms are revealed to you.

"Named after Britain's King George III, Georgetown is one of those places where days simply vanish while you're prowling around the tightly packed alleyways. You'll come across the likes of tiny workshops specializing in mahjong tiles and dice, kong-teik craftsmen who make funerary paper artifacts, and fish being dried like laundry in the open air. The cultural maze includes a Jewish cemetery, Christian churches, and temples serving the Chinese and Indian communities. This being Malaysia, there are also plenty of mosques, where the wail of the muezzin calls Muslim devotees to prayer five times a day. Along Lorong Burma you'll also find a Thai temple complete with naga serpents and a giant reclining gold-leaf Buddha.

"Most streets are colonnaded with arcades. I'd guess this is because the island gets two monsoon seasons, and few people enjoy shopping in the rain. To help cope with the tropical downpours, sidewalk channels run alongside. Some are fairly deep, so take care not to stumble into them. And watch for manic drivers, too--few pedestrian signals work. Come to think of it, there aren't many pedestrian crossings.

"Although Georgetown's architectural heritage is under threat from developers, the core of this steamy city has a village-type ambiance thanks to its neighborhoods of Chinese and Indian shop-houses. With a business on the ground floor and accommodation above, this type of dwelling was once typical throughout colonial Southeast Asia. Sadly, many of them are now in a ramshackle state with gaping holes in their terracotta-tiled roofs.

"Most foreigners seek seaside condos [prices start at $66,000 for an 850-square-foot seafront apartment], but some look for these heritage properties. If you can untangle title issues, starting price for a 1,200-square-foot shop-house in so-so condition is around $80,000. Bringing such a property up to a comfortable level would require an extra $13,000 or so in renovation costs.

"Naturally, Georgetown's wealthier inhabitants build mansions. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to a Spanish hacienda, one of the strangest mansions is on Larut Road. Built in 1917 for a wealthy miller's son, it's now been taken over by KFC. Seeing the Colonel's face beaming down from its tower is quite the culture shock."

Penang lies off Malaysia's west coast. At 113 square miles, it isn't a large island; you can drive its circumference in less than three hours. Mostly jungle and fruit farms, the west coast is almost completely uninhabited and impossible to access without a boat. But not to worry, the rest of Penang has plenty to keep you occupied--Steenie tells all, and International Living subscribers can read the rest of this article online right now to learn what Steenie found.

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