After four nights in Kuala Lumpur, we took this morning the train towards Penang, a state in northern Malaysia and home to George Town, a multicultural colonial city on Penang Island. After a beautiful but cold train ride through green Malaysia as well as a ferry trip to Penang Island, we arrived five hours later in George Town.
Trains in Malaysia
I have to admit, I really underestimated the railway infrastructure here in Malaysia. Not only was it possible to buy the train tickets incl. seat reservation online, but the train was also very modern and cruised at speeds above 100 km/h. The fact that the trains are also air conditioned is nice in a country with hot temperatures and humidity, but as expected, they turned the whole train into a fridge. We were glad when we finally could exit the train in Butterworth and could change to the ferry which took us to George Town.
Multicultural George Town
Do you feel like some Chinese dinner? Some Indian lunch? Some western café or even a Swiss restaurant? Or do you prefer Malaysian cuisine? It does not matter, George Town has it all. It is not by coincidence that Lonely Planet calls the city the food capital of Malaysia.
When walking through the historical center of George Town, a lot of different cultures meet each other. As a former colonial town, the architecture of some buildings is typical for that period, however, the Chinese with their temples, the Muslims with their mosques, and the Indians with their spices and clothes shops contribute a lot to the multicultural atmosphere in George Town. I am quite confident that in the next two days that we will be staying here there are plenty of things to discover.
George Town also has some interesting street art to offer:
Situated on Penang Island, George Town is also the starting point for going to some white sand beaches outside of town or go trekking in the rainforest in the hills, so it is not just about a city, but also about nature here.
