Penang

Many travelers say Penang is their favorite city in SE Asia, and it's easy to see why. The people are pleasant enough, and although Chinese outnumber the other ethnic groups, Penang is still an interesting melting pot. There are temples throughout the island representing various faiths. If you are trying to plan the rest of your trip, Penang is an up and coming travel center: there are a lot of "bucket shops" where you can find good airfare deals.

WHAT TO SEE: Panang is actually an island, and most likely you'll stay in Georgetown, on the northeast, closest to the mainland. Temples of all faiths are all over the place. Wat Chayamangkalaram, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is home to the "third longest reclining Buddha in the world." Indians have built shrines at the Kapitan Kling Mosque and the Sri Mariamman Temple, and the Chinese built their houses of worship at Kuan Yin Teng Temple and Kek Lok Si Temple. Go to the top of Penang Hill and you get an incredible view of the island and mainland. Near the airport is the Snake Temple, which was disappointing when I visited because I only saw a couple critters, which are drugged and then can be wrapped around you for a fee. Fort Cornwallis on the Esplanade is surrounded by old British colonial buildings.

WHAT TO DO: Rent a motorbike and cruise around for the day. It's a beautiful island. The beaches may be a bit disappointing; pollution is a problem here, but the scenery is nice. Teluk Behang is a small fishing village that will give you a glimpse of old Malaysia. This is a good town for shopping; Jalan Penang has countless stores and restaurants.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Skip the butterfly farm unless you're a entomologist. It's a tourist trap and you'll never be able to see anything cause busloads of Japanese tourists taking a million pictures block anything you'd want to see.

WHERE TO EAT: If you like to eat, you've come to the right place: there are a lot of restaurants! Penang is basically a Chinese city, so you've got great choices for breakfast dim sum or evening banquets! The night markets serve awesome food: check out Guerney Drive or along the Esplanade. You'll find fresh fruit juice everywhere: try a starfruit juice! Medicinal teas, hot and iced, are everywhere as well. A speciality in Penang is Hainanese chicken and rice; it's sold all over and makes for a good, cheap meal. Little India, on Lebuh Pasar, between Lebuh Penang and Lebuh Pitt, is home to Muslim and south Indian cuisine.

WHERE TO STAY: Lebuh Chulia and Lebuh Campbell are where you can find most of the cheap guesthouses. There is a youth hostel on Lebuh Farquhar, and the YMCA (04-362211) has reasonable accomodation.