Perak

Perak is still an unsung part of the country, but deserves to be more than just a pleasant corridor between the capital and the well-oiled tourist facilities of Penang and Langkawi. The state’s topography is surprisingly diverse – monotonous coastal plains of mangrove and oil palm giving way inland to jagged limestone hills and the Titiwangsa mountain range – and so, in fact, are its attractions, not least its history. This was where the British began branching out from the Straits Settlements to open up the rest of the Peninsula, and consequently Perak’s towns have relatively deep roots and more than a veneer of prosperity. Much of that wealth was founded on tin – a little ironic given that perak is Malay for “silver”. Malaysia was the world’s biggest tin producer as recently as the 1970s, but a collapse in prices in the mid-1980s led to the country turning away from the metal. The old mining centres now offer inducements to visit that are anything but obviously linked to mining: grand Malay buildings at Kuala Kangsar, lush gardens and hill hiking at Taiping, and white-water rafting at Gopeng. One hub for all these is the state capital, Ipoh, a likeable city with colonial architecture, a widely respected food scene and unique cave temples. In contrast are the laid-back resort island of Pangkor (Perak’s most mainstream draw) and the Royal Belum State Park in the interior, which is an excellent place to spot stinky Rafflesia blooms. The most overlooked attraction is the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lenggong Valley, also in the interior, with two clusters of archeological sites spanning 1.83 million years, and the oldest evidence of hominids outside of Africa.

Ipoh and around

IPOH was founded on the back of the great tin rush that kicked off in the 1880s, when major deposits were found in the area. The new settlement was sited at the highest navigable point on the Kinta River, a tributary of the Perak River – the Peninsula’s second longest river – so was well placed for the ores to be collected for export. In common with the rest of the state, the city has seen a mini-exodus with the decline in mining, but in recent years people have been returning to invest in their hometown. Some half a million live here, making Ipoh the third-largest city in the country, its centre an architectural snapshot of how the tin boom helped create the diverse Malaysia of today, with the bonus of nearby sights such as outlying Chinese cave temples, set in dramatic surroundings, and the eccentric, anachronistic ruin of Kellie’s Castle. With excellent places to stay and eat, Ipoh is also a good springboard for the rest of Perak and Cameron Highlands.

Old town

Ipoh began on the west bank of the Kinta, an area still known as the old town. The padang and the colonial core lie in the northwest, the centrepiece being the grand train station, another Anglo-Moorish effort by A.B. Hubback, completed in 1917. A plaque at the front of the station marks the spot where an old specimen of an upas tree (pokok ipoh) used to stand, until it collapsed in 2017. Once abundant in the area, the upas – which gave the city its name – produces a toxic sap that the Orang Asli used on blowpipe darts. Opposite the station and nearly as handsome is the old City Hall (another Hubback creation), restored but used only for receptions and functions. Just east, the elegant Birch Memorial Clock Tower, commemorating the first British Resident of Perak, takes some of the sting out of the jarringly ugly 1960s Masjid Negeri nearby on Jalan Sultan Iskandar.

Chinatown

South of the colonial area is what might be deemed Ipoh’s historic Chinatown, a tight grid of streets lined with pastel-coloured shophouses that are starting to gentrify as new cafés and restaurants spring up. Amid the still-mainly-Chinese shops selling dried goods and textiles, look out for narrow Panglima Lane, which was nicknamed Concubine Lane, as this back alley was where wealthy merchants kept their mistresses; and for dying trades – Lau Hooi Kee, for example, is a maker of bamboo blinds on a lane just north of Jalan Sultan Iskandar.

There are some worthwhile museums, too: Art Deco Han Chin Pet Soo shophouse, on Jalan Bijeh Timah, houses a reconstruction of a former mining tycoon’s club; book a tour online (1hr 30min; RM10; ipohworld.org). And on Lorong Panglima, gallery Yasmin At Kong Heng (Sat & Sun 10am–4pm; free; facebook.com/yasminatkongheng) commemorates the legacy of legendary Malaysian film director Yasmin Ahmad, a voice for liberal and multicultural values.

New town

The tin boom had been under way for barely a decade when the cramped, wooden old town was devastated by fire in 1892. It underlined the pressing need for Ipoh to expand across the river, where hundreds of new shophouses were built on land once devoted to pig farms. But the tin price had slumped by the time this new town was completed in 1909, and the buildings remained vacant for some time – only to pick up when, in a smart move, the old town’s brothels were moved here.

Today there’s little sense of a transition upon crossing the Kinta, except that the new town has some modern high-rises, almost totally absent in the old town. The only sight here is the pretty blue-and-white Panglima Kinta mosque, close to the river and named after a prominent line of local Malay chieftains.

Chinese cave temples

Ipoh’s sprawling suburbs and noisy outer roads are overlooked by craggy limestone peaks, some riddled with caves where Chinese workers established popular shrines. On the Kuala Kangsar Road, 6km north of Ipoh, Perak Tong Temple (daily roughly 7.30am–5pm; free; bus #35 from Medan Kidd) has a huge first chamber dominated by a 15m-high golden statue of the Buddha. At the back, a steep flight of 385 steps climbs up to a sort of balcony, with views over the Kinta valley. Sam Poh Tong Temple (daily roughly 7.30am–3pm; free; bus #66 to Kampar or #T34 from Medan Kidd) starts small but opens in a beautiful tropical garden with turtle pond and a bright red-and-yellow pagoda encased by four lush limestone walls. Next to it, smaller Ling Sen Tong and Nam Then Tong temples have quirky and colourful statues, including characters from Journey to the West. From here it’s 1.7km north off the main road and right into a housing area to Kek Look Tong (daily roughly 7.30am–5pm; free). The massive cave entrance filled with statues and huge stalagmites leads to a large landscaped garden, bizarrely spoilt by a red-and-white transmission tower.

Kellie’s Castle

Kinta Kelas Rubber Estate, 12km south of Ipoh • Mon–Thurs 9am–5pm, Sat & Sun 9am–5.30pm • RM10 • 05 365 3381 • Taxi from Ipoh about RM50 return including a wait while you look around; alternatively, take Perak Transit #T36 or #T35a from Medan Kidd to Batu Gajah (30min), from where you can either walk the remaining 4km on the clearly signposted A8 road or take a taxi (around RM7)

Kellie’s Castle symbolizes the prosperity achieved by many enterprising foreigners in the rubber and tin industries in the early 1900s. One of these was William Kellie Smith, a Scot who celebrated his success – and the birth of a long-desired son – by designing this extraordinary mansion. A flu epidemic in 1920 killed many of the Tamil workers; when work resumed, Smith embarked on a trip to Britain but fell ill and died in Portugal, and the building was never completed.

Far from being a ruin, however, the mansion is a sort of tropical palace in apricot-coloured bricks, with a rectangular, off-centre tower. It incorporates a lift (the first in the Peninsula), underground tunnels only rediscovered in 2003, and rows of arched colonnades in Moorish style. Heavily influenced by Indian culture, Smith imported many of the bricks from Chennai (Madras) and even constructed an adjacent Hindu temple in thanks for the birth of his son.

Arrival and departure: ipoh

Ipoh’s compact centre has two major thoroughfares: Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, taking eastbound traffic, and westbound Jalan Sultan Iskandar. The suburbs are anything but compact, and the main bus station, Terminal Aman Jaya, is far north of the centre.

by plane

Sultan Azlan Shah airport The airport is 5km southeast of the centre (05 318 8202, ipoh.airport-authority.com). In theory, Perak Transit Bus #T37 and #T30 connect Terminal Aman Jaya to the airport and Medan Kidd bus station hourly from 6am–9pm (30min); in reality, these buses to stop at the airport roughly every 2hr, and only until 6.30pm. A taxi into the centre costs around RM20.

Destinations Johor Bahru (1–2 daily; 1hr 20min); Singapore (2 daily; 1hr 30min).

By train

Train station Ipoh station is on Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab, at the western end of the centre (05 254 7987). A trip from any central hotel should cost RM10.

Destinations Alor Star (5 daily; 2hr 30min); Butterworth (7 daily; 2hr); Gemas (4 daily; 4hr 30min); Kuala Kangsar (11 daily; 30min); Kuala Lumpur (every 1hr–1hr 30min; 2hr 30min); Padang Besar (5 daily; 2hr 50min); Sungai Petani (5 daily; 1hr 50min); Seremban (4 daily; 3hr 30min); Taiping (11 daily; 50min).

By bus

Ipoh’s main bus station, Terminal Aman Jaya, is nearly 10km north of the centre. From here, hourly Perak Transit (peraktransit.com.my) buses #T37 and #T30a run to Medan Kidd bus station (40min), a 10min walk south of the train station in the centre, where local buses service Perak’s satellite towns and the airport. Note that most services dwindle after 6.30pm.

Medan Kidd destinations Cameron Highlands (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Gopeng (#T34; every 1hr 30min; 45min); Kuala Kangsar (#35; every 20–30min; 1hr 15min); Taiping (every 45min; 1hr 45min).

Terminal Aman Jaya destinations Alor Star (8 daily; 3hr 30min); Butterworth (at least 8 daily; 2hr 30min); Cameron Highlands (every 2hr; 2hr); Johor Bahru (4 daily; 8hr); Kangar (5 daily; 4hr); KLIA/KLIA2 (8 daily; 4hr); Kota Bharu (2 daily; 8hr); Kuala Lumpur (hourly; 3hr 30min); Kuala Perlis (3 daily; 3hr 45min); Kuantan (3 daily; 8hr); Lenggong (hourly; 1hr 45min); Lumut (8 daily; 1hr 15min); Melaka (at least 6 daily; 5hr); Penang (every 2hr; 2hr 30min); Seremban (several daily; 4hr); Singapore (4 daily; 9hr 30min); Taiping (hourly; 1hr 30min); Sungai Petani (4 daily; 3hr).

Getting around

By taxi Uber (uber.com) and Grab (grab.com/my) are available in Ipoh and better value than regular taxis, which park opposite the Medan Kidd bus station. To book one, call 05 254 0251.

information

Tourist office Ipoh City Council runs an information centre at Jalan Tun Sambanthan, by the Padang (Mon–Thurs 8am–1pm & 2–5pm, Fri 8am–12.15pm & 2.45–5pm; 05 208 3155). Although staff dispense brochures liberally, their practical knowledge is variable and they may not keep to their opening hours.

Accommodation

1981 Guest House 26 Jalan Market 010 965 6991, facebook.com/1981GuestHouse; map. Right in the heart of the old town, this spick-and-span hostel has nice wooden floors and three big dorms – mixed, male and female – with mosquito nets and personal lockers. Free computers and self-service washing machine available. Cheaper if booked online. Dorms RM25

27@Concubine Lane 26 Jalan Market 012 221 3202, facebook.com/IpohConcubineLane; map. Only three a/c rooms and a mezzanine for groups up to seven (RM30/person) are available in this old-town shophouse, immaculately restored by British resident Big John without altering a single original fitting. It’s also a vintage haven, full of Malaysian memorabilia for sale. RM100

Bedrock Hotel 13–15 Jalan Che Tak 05 241 3031; map. Bedrock offers ten stylish and larger-than-life en-suite rooms, with Nespresso machines and Coway water purifiers, housed in a dark-hued boutique hotel with a unique Chinese Scholar’s Rock theme. RM220

Container Hotel 89–91 Jalan Sultan Yusuf 05 243 3311, chgworld.com; map. This two-storey industrial-chic hotel, with a quirky, futuristic theme and indoor slide, offers immaculate personal capsules (singles and queens). RM65

Sekeping Kong Heng 75 Jalan Panglima 05 241 8977, sekeping.com; map. Once a hostel for travelling troupes of Chinese opera performers, Sekeping Kong Heng seeded the old town’s gentrification when it was artfully restored in shabby-chic style. Rooms are charming, and the new wing next door boosts a swimming pool overlooking the old town. RM220

Eating

Although most of Ipoh’s incredible range of restaurants and bars are in the burgeoning suburbs, there’s a reasonable choice in the low-key centre as well. The numerous kopitiam joints of the old town are pretty foolproof for decent, cheap meals, though few are open at night.

Artisan Handmade Bread 27 Jalan Market 05 253 8558, facebook.com/ArtisanHandmadeBread; map. If you’ve tired of local food, come here for a taste of excellent Italian- and French-styled bread, including sourdough, wheat and rye varieties, and other European mains like chicken hash and croque madame. Vegetarian-friendly, too. A meal will set you back about RM30. Daily 9.30am–6pm.

Foh San 51 Jalan Leong Sin Nam 05 254 0308, fohsan.com.my; map. On two open-sided floors, this palatial restaurant is a fun place to come for a dim sum breakfast – order from counters packed with dumplings, pow, steamed sticky rice, custard tarts and other morsels. Some dishes are cooked to order, especially from noon when the lunch menu kicks in. Breakfast RM20. Daily except Tues 6.30am–2.30pm.

Haji Yahaya Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar, a 2min walk south of the UTC market complex; map. Marvellous Malay joint serving fried chicken and fish, curries, stews, noodles and rice, all for less than RM10 per plate – choose from nasi kunyit (turmeric rice) or even the purplish Kelantan-style nasi kerabu. Daily 7.30am–8pm.

Kong Heng Jalan Bandar Timah 012 227 2745; map. Popular old-town, old-school kopitiam, where the stalls excel at any number of things: rojak, laksa, chee cheong fun (Cantonese noodle rolls in a savoury sauce, with optional pork filling; RM5). You may have to queue for a table at lunchtime. Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun 7.30am–4pm.

Lou Wong New Town: 49 Jalan Yau Tet Shin; Old Town: 69 Jalan Bandar Timah 05 254 4199; map. Ipoh residents wax lyrical over – of all things – local bean sprouts, supposedly plumper, crunchier and sweeter than any elsewhere in the country. The favoured way to have them is stir-fried, with a separate plate of steamed sliced chicken and a bowl of noodles – and Lou Wong is the most popular of a cluster of restaurants serving it (around RM15). Branches in both the old and new towns. Daily 10.30am–11pm.

Nam Heong 2 Jalan Bandar Timah 012 588 8766; map. A no-frills local institution packed with Chinese customers who come here for the delicious white coffee (RM1.50), egg tarts, chee chong fun and freshly baked Portuguese egg tarts. Daily 6.30am–5pm.

Plan B 75 Jalan Panglima 05 249 8286, thebiggroup.co/plan-b; map. Part of Sekeping Kong Heng hotel, this glossy restaurant/café revels in high ceilings and glass panelling. It’s especially busy at weekends, when people come for brunch (around RM30), but just as worthwhile are the fusion-inspired mains, excellent pastries and cakes, and the decent selection of beers, ciders and wines. Mon–Thurs & Sun 9am–10pm, Fri & Sat 9am–midnight.

Sin Yoon Loong 17 Jalan Bandar Timah 05 241 4601; map. The kopitiam that popularized Ipoh’s quintessential white coffee still dishes up hearty Chinese delicacies such as chicken rice and barbecue pork (4.50RM), curry or mushroom chee cheong fun (RM4) and toasted bread with kaya (coconut jam). Daily 6.30am–5pm.

Thin Hei 22 Jalan Dass 05 253 7388; map. The best bet in town for vegetarians, serving up Chinese stir-fries and lots of fake soy/gluten “meats”, including an excellent spicy mock-mutton. Around RM15 for a meal with drinks. Daily 11am–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm.

drinking

Bricks & Barrels 28–30 Jalan Lau Ek Ching 05 253 8558, facebook.com/BricksAndBarrels; map. The city centre’s pioneer bar, where the decor is themed around exposed-brick walls and beer barrels, offers a wide range of draught beers. Bench seating ensures everyone can have a convivial chinwag, and there’s live music most nights from 10pm. Mon–Thurs & Sun 4pm–1am, Fri & Sat 4pm–2am.

Sinhalese Bar 2 Jalan Bijeh Timah 05 241 2235; map. There’s no better place in the old town for a drink than this boxy institution, opened in the 1930s, with saloon-style doors, lace curtains and what look like bathroom tiles on the walls. Come for cheap, cold beer to a backdrop of Tamil pop music and the whirring of fans overhead. Daily noon–10pm.

shopping

MARKETS

Gerbang Malam Night Market Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar; map. This market sells a bit of everything from clothes to trinkets, and it’s all dirt-cheap. Daily 6pm–midnight.

Kong Heng Artisan Market Jalan Panglima bit.ly/HongHeng; map. A old-town market offering handmade crafts and trendy trinkets. Daily 10am–5pm.

Memory Lane Flea Market Jalan Lim Bo Seng; map. Full of memorabilia, this morning market is a treasure trove for those looking for bargain antiques. Sun 6am–1pm.

MALLS

Ipoh Parade Shopping Mall Eastern end of Jalan Sultan Idris Shah ipoh.parade.com.my; map. One downtown mall worth browsing for its many shops and restaurant chains, and a Cineplex. Daily 10am–10pm.

BOOKSHOPS

Novel Hut 87 Jalan Abdul Jalil 05 253 6284, bit.ly/NovelHut; map. Good selection of new and secondhand books and magazines. Daily 9am–7pm.

GIFTS

Guan Heong Biscuits 160 Jalan Sultan Iskandar 017 573 6277, guanheong.com; map. Century-old traditional Chinese shop, good for chicken floss and lotus-paste biscuits. Daily 9am–7pm.

Arrival and activities: Gopeng

By bus Bus #66 from Ipoh’s Medan Kidd bus station drops you on Jalan Pasar in the heart of the old town. Although you could attempt to trudge to the river (where all the rafting operators and accommodation are) from here, far better to arrange for your hotel or tour company to collect you. Alternatively, take a Kampar-bound bus from Medan Kidd station and get off at the Sungai Itek junction along Road 1 (look out for the Nomad Adventure signboard), from where it’s about 2km to the river. Gopeng’s small long-distance bus station, in walking distance from the Heritage House, has useful connections to Kuala Lumpur and the south; hopping on a bus from here can save you backtracking 30km to Terminal Aman Jaya in Ipoh.

Destinations Ipoh (every 1hr 30min; 45min); Johor Bahru (5 daily; 9hr); KLIA/KLIA2 (several daily; 4hr); Kuala Lumpur (9 daily; 3hr); Kuantan (2 daily; 7hr); Melaka (2 daily; 5hr); Seremban (2 daily; 5hr); Singapore (5 daily; 10hr).

Activities Most visitors come on combined accommodation/activity deals, for which it’s best to book in advance. Nomad Adventures (016 201 1219, nomadadventure.com), Gopeng’s first and most established operator, is recommended. Book ahead to organize pick up in town, as their headquarters is 7km away next to the river. Rafting will cost around RM165 for a 4–5hr trip; a full-day package (RM265) adds a second activity (which otherwise costs RM65/person, minimum five people), such as a visit to one of the caves, or abseiling down a waterfall. From Nomad Adventures, it’s a 2km walk to Tempurung Cave, with paths branching off to the riverside and into the surrounding jungle.

Accommodation

Gopeng’s hotels are, inconveniently, 7km away in the river valley, reached by an informally signed narrow country road via Kampung Sungai Itek. If you are not driving, your accommodation should be able to pick you up in Gopeng town, connected to Ipoh by regular buses, or you can catch a taxi/Uber from Ipoh.

Adeline Along Jalan Sungai Itek, before Kampung Ulu Geruntum 05 359 2833, adelinevilla.com. Superbly run by a sociable hairdresser-turned-hotelier, Adeline offers slick timber-and-glass solar-powered “villas”, with a/c and en-suite rooms and dorms, alongside a “rest house” complex of shared-bathroom dorms in bamboo and rattan buildings. Everyone eats together in the restaurant, where meals can be basic or fancy depending on the chef’s mood. You can add on rafting and other activities, or go for a package. Rates are full board per person. Dorms RM105, doubles RM275

Nomad Earth Camp Off Route 1, roughly 2km inland along Jalan Hussin 016 201 1219, nomadadventure.com. Nomad Adventure’s headquarters offers a collection of eco-friendly en-suite chalets, simple treehouses and dorms next to the river. Meals are consumed in a convivial common area, next to which are the shared bathrooms. Groups can rent out full units. Rates include dinner and breakfast, and are per person. Dorms/treehouses RM59, chalets RM89

Pangkor and Lumut

The laidback island of Pangkor, barely 10km long, is known to every student of Malaysian history as the place where the Pangkor Treaty was signed, leading to the creation of the Resident system by which the British gradually brought every sultanate in the Peninsula under their wing. Now it’s a popular, affordable weekend beach retreat for families, taking advantage of the ease of getting here from cities like KL and Ipoh: there are frequent ferries from LUMUT, a small port and naval base 80km southwest of Ipoh.

Visitors mostly stay on the beaches of the island’s west coast, at Pasir Bogak or Teluk Nipah. The islanders are concentrated in a town and villages on the east coast, and the interior is hilly and forested. Things are pretty quiet except during holidays and the annual Hindu festival of Thaipusam, centred on the Sri Pathirakaliaman Temple in the east coast village of Sungai Pinang Kecil. There’s also a community-run arts festival with outdoor film screenings and concerts (Sept; pangkorislandfestival.com).

Pangkor Town and around

Ferries from Lumut dock at PANGKOR TOWN, the island’s principal settlement. The town has a few shops, banks and places to stay, but most people get straight on a minibus taxi to one of the beaches.

Just a couple of minutes’ walk east of the jetty, Galeri Pangkor (daily 9am–5pm; free) is a small museum with nineteenth-century photos of the Pangkor Treaty signatories, a few fish traps and pieces of Chinese porcelain. From the terrace, you can survey the boats docked at wooden wharves in Kampung Sungai Pinang Besar, then descend to the mainly Malay village itself and take a signed road 1km inland to Foo Lin Kong. Renovated in 2016, this Taoist complex is a riot of red and gold decorations and bright sculptures of animals – real and imaginary. There’s a semi-wild garden behind, with a fishpond inhabited by enormous arapaima, and a miniature version of the Great Wall of China snaking up the hillside above.

Kampung Teluk Gedong and around

The wooden stilt houses at Kampung Teluk Gedong stand 1.5km south of Pangkor Town along the coastal road. Set back from the road is Kota Belanda, or Dutch fort, founded in 1670 to store tin supplies from Perak and keep a check on piracy in the Straits. Destroyed twenty years later, it was rebuilt in 1743 but abandoned again in 1748; the half-built structure you see today is a recent reconstruction. About 100m south, Batu Bersurat is a huge granite boulder under a canopy. Look here for carvings of the Dutch East India Company logo, an intertwined “VOC”, and a tiger – a warning after a Dutch child was taken by one while playing nearby in 1743.

Pasir Bogak

It’s just 2km from Pangkor Town to the west coast and the southern end of Pasir Bogak, one of the island’s two main tourist beaches. This initial stretch is as busy as Pangkor gets, clustered with mid-range resorts popular with Malaysian Chinese. The beach itself is a lovely 2km arc of sand, looking out over a placid bay to the much smaller, privately owned Pangkor Laut island, and largely tranquil even though there is accommodation scattered across its length.

Teluk Ketapang

Around 2km north of Pasir Bogak and 1km south of Teluk Nipah is TELUK KETAPANG (“Turtle Bay”), named after the leatherback turtles that once nested here. The beach is worth a look, wide and attractively backed by forested hills, and quieter than it ought to be – perhaps because there are no facilities apart from a jetty and a lookout tower, or because a certain amount of debris can wash up on a bad day.

Teluk Nipah

In complete contrast to Pasir Bogak, TELUK NIPAH beach has a more Malay character and plenty of budget places to stay. It’s also teeming with hornbills; every day at 6.30pm, they come in droves for a feeding session at Sunset View Chalet (sunsetviewchalet.com). The beach is slightly narrower than at Bogak, especially at its north end – the busiest part of the strip – where the embanked road and a profusion of stalls encroach; at high tide there’s barely sand to stroll on without the water rushing around your ankles. Views over the bay are beautiful at sunset, with hunchbacked Mentagor Island rising darkly against the dusk.

The northern extension of Teluk Nipah, sometimes called Coral Bay, is a quieter, pleasant cove with a couple of eating places right on the beach, making this a great spot for a sundowner. Amid the rocks at its far end is a bizarre shrine, Lin Je Kong, replete with concrete toadstools and animal statues, including Mickey Mouse.

Arrival and information: Pangkor and Lumut

By bus Lumut’s bus station is 100m from the ferry terminal.

Destinations Alor Setar (at least 2 daily; 3hr 30min); Butterworth (7 daily; 2hr 30min); Ipoh (Perak Roadways buses to Medan Kidd: every 1hr 30min–2hr; 2hr); Ipoh (Amanjaya; 3 daily; 1hr 15min); Johor Bahru (at least 5 daily; 9hr); Melaka (3 daily; 5hr 30min); KLIA (5 daily; 5hr); Kota Bharu (3 daily; 9hr 30min); Kuala Kangsar (2 daily; 2hr); Kuala Lumpur (hourly; 4hr); Kuala Perlis (1 daily at 7.30am; 4hr 30min); Kuala Terengganu (at least 3 daily; 6hr); Kuantan (at least 1 daily; 9hr); Penang (1 daily at 3pm; 3hr); Seremban (2 daily; 5hr); Singapore (at least 5 daily; 10hr); Sungai Petani (at least 2 daily; 3hr); Taiping (3 daily; 1hr 10min).

By ferry Ferries run between Lumut and Pangkor Town daily from around 7am to 8.30pm (every 45min; 35min; RM14 return), calling at the village of Sungai Pinang Kecil en route. The Lumut ferry terminal has three ATMs, with a moneychanger and food court close by.

By taxi Lumut’s taxi rank is outside the bus station. A cab from Ipoh costs RM150 (1hr 30min).

Tourist office None on Pangkor itself; in Lumut, Tourism Malaysia occupies a traditionally styled wooden building close to the ferry terminal (Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun roughly 9am–12.30pm & 1.30–5.30pm, Fri 9am–noon & 3–5.30pm; 05 683 4057).

Pangkor watersports AND ACTIVITIES

Malaysian holidaymakers at Pangkor are particularly keen on banana boat rides, with four people being towed around one of the bays astride an elongated float, culminating in an obligatory dunking at the end (RM15). Rides on other bizarrely shaped floats are available too, as is jetskiing (RM60 for two; 15min). Much more worthwhile than any of these is a 45-minute island-hopping tour (negotiable RM150–250 for a group of up to four; make sure operators have a license and insurance), taking you out to Mentagor, Pangkor Laut and other islets for views of odd rock formations, after which you can swim and snorkel (no time limit – just arrange to be collected). For serious fishing or snorkelling, you’ll need to charter a boat out to the Sembilan Islands, well west of Pangkor, costing at least RM1500. You can book all of the above with Happy Island (012 414 1749), based in Pasir Bogak.

You can also ride all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) from Teluk Nipah along the Bukit Merah trail, a jungle path that goes beyond the airport strip and ends close to Teluk Dalam. ATV Adventure Pangkor (from RM80/person; 011 2746 0251, facebook.com/ATVAdventurePangkor) at the northern end of Teluk Nipah is a reliable operator.

GETTING AROUND

An 18km coast road, steep in places, loops around Pangkor, cutting inland only between Pangkor Town and Pasir Bogak. There are no buses.

By minibus taxi Pink minibus taxis park outside Pangkor’s ferry terminal and at the southern end of both Pasir Bogak and Teluk Nipah. A sign at the ferry terminal displays fares, for up to four passengers: from RM10 to Pasir Bogak (2km) to RM70 for a 2hr, round-island circuit.

By bicycle/motorbike Renting a motorbike in Pangkor Town or via your hotel costs RM40–50/day; some guesthouses have bikes to rent at RM10–15/day.

accommodation

Pangkor has plenty of accommodation, all rather hit-and-miss. Most budget places are at Teluk Nipah, which has a bustling neighbourhood feel and is cluttered with cheap restaurants and shops. Mid-range hotels, meanwhile are concentrated at Pasir Bogak, which is more upmarket and more dispersed, with few shops and restaurants outside the resorts (it can be worth taking a full-board package). The rates we quote here are typical outside holidays and weekends, when prices can rise by ten to fifty percent depending on the establishment.

Pasir Bogak

Puteri Bayu 300m inland from the beach along the main road 05 685 1929, puteribayu.com; map. Pleasant complex of not-bad rooms and some quite attractive chalets. Breakfast included. Doubles RM140, chalets RM250

Sandy Beach Resort Off the right end of Pasir Bogak’s access road 05 685 3027, pangkorsandybeach.com; map. Low-key buildings curling around a snazzy freeform pool. Rooms have all the customary conveniences, including fridges and safes, but are a little plain for the rate, which includes breakfast. RM210

Teluk Nipah

Anjungan North end of Teluk Nipah 05 685 1500, anjunganresortpangkor.com; map. The only mid-range resort in Teluk Nipah, comprising four-storey buildings surrounding a boat-shaped pool, with a popular restaurant. The rooms are comfortable enough, if rather plain; still, the overall tone is relaxed and the place is competently run. RM160

Belantara Camp North end of Teluk Nipah; map. Superbly chilled beach campsite for bliss-seekers. They provide four-man tents or you can bring your own, and there are basic toilets, a wooden bar and tables under a charming umbrella of branches where you can barbecue your food. No electricity, just candlelight. Camping pitch RM10, 4-man tent RM50

Budget Beach Resort Southernmost turning off the main road 05 685 3529, budgetbeachresort.com; map. The densely packed chalets here aren’t anything special at first sight, but they are in above-average condition, each with balcony and bathroom, and helpful staff keep the whole place shipshape. A sound choice. RM80

Nazri Nipah Camp Second turning off the main road 0111 142 8907, nazrinipahcamp@gmail.com; map. Laid back to a fault, with slightly frayed fan chalets and poky A-frames, some with bathrooms, around a pleasant communal garden area. A/c chalets are available too. Dorms RM25, A-frames RM40, chalets RM60

Nipah Bay Villa Second turning off the main road 05 685 2198, pulaupangkornipahbayvilla.blogspot.com; map. Behind the shaded restaurant at the front is a tall, institutional block of rooms as well as rather better chalets, all with a/c, TV and bathroom. Doubles RM90, chalets RM130

Nipah Guesthouse Southernmost turning off the main road 017 506 9259, facebook.com/Nipah.Guesthouse; map. This wonderful guesthouse has four spick-and-span A-framed huts surrounding a pleasant pool area with loungers, and a cluster of mini-apartments for families. The included breakfast consists of a continental buffet in the breezy dining area, where guests are encouraged to rustle up eggs and pancakes themselves. RM120

Ombak Inn Southernmost turning off the main road 05 685 5223, ombakinnchalet.com; map. Like a little kampung in the woods, this is a homely collection of chalets in grounds overgrown with bougainvillea. Rooms have a/c, TV and slightly cramped bathrooms. RM100

ELSEWHERE

Tiger Rock Inland of Kota Belanda 019 574 7183, tigerrock.info; map. Tiger Rock is almost a mini country estate, but set in the tropics. There’s a huge, wooden main house and various other buildings, all in colonial-era styles, lovingly decorated by the owner, artist Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson. There’s a total of eight tasteful rooms, a beautiful infinity pool facing a wild jungle slope, and a tennis court. Wi-fi in the lobby only. Full-board double plus round-island trip RM1400

Eating

There are few restaurants but plenty of street stalls on Teluk Nipah’s main road, mostly dishing up simple Malay food and snacks such as BBQ sweetcorn and lempeng pisang (a banana and coconut pancake grilled inside a banana-leaf wrapping). At Pasir Bogak, a few stalls cluster on the road to the Sea View hotel, but most visitors eat at their resort.

Pasir Bogak

Sea View Sea View Hotel, Pasir Bogak 05 685 1605; map. With tables on a beachside verandah, this perennially popular restaurant has an all-round menu of Chinese food (RM12–30) – try standbys like tangy chicken in lemon sauce or the curry fish with asam (tamarind) – plus Western mains and snacks including black pepper steak (RM40). Daily 7am–11pm.

Teluk Nipah

Daddy’s Café A 5min walk north from Teluk Nipah 011 5984173, bit.ly/DaddysCafe; map. This beachside restaurant-bar has tables on the sand overlooking the bay, a nice setting for a candlelit dinner. The menu covers a range of Western dishes, including steak and fish and chips, but the jumbo grilled prawns are spectacular. Beer is frosty-cold. Mains from RM30. Daily 11am–11pm.

Nipah Deli Teluk Nipah, before Daddy’s Café 05 685 1416, facebook.com/NipahDeli; map. The Chinese resident chef here makes his steamboat spicy – and delicious. Other menu items include hot-off-the wok, unusual green-curry chicken noodles, Nyonya seafood laksa and seafood-based rice dishes (all RM12–18). Vegan and vegetarian versions on request. Daily roughly 12.30–10pm.

Kuala Kangsar

A bustling country town, KUALA KANGSAR is Perak’s royal seat, playing a similar role opposite Ipoh as Pekan on the east coast does for Kuantan, Pahang’s capital. For Malaysians, Kuala Kangsar is best known as a centre for the production of labu – water pitchers with a pumpkin-shaped base (labu means “gourd” in Malay), excellent as souvenirs – and as the home of the Malay College. Founded in 1905 as a British-style boarding school, it began educating the most promising or well-connected Malay boys, thus bringing the community least involved in the colonial project into the Western intellectual fold; many of its students have gone on to achieve greatness in Malaysian public life, notably the prominent opposition politician and former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. For visitors, the town is worthwhile for its royal and Islamic buildings, although note that the most interesting of these, the Perak Royal Museum, seems eternally closed, pending long-term repairs.

Royal quarter

What passes for the town’s royal quarter is Bukit Chandan, the hilly area south of the little Kangsar River, spanned by a road bridge close to the golden-topped clock tower in the town centre. The most prominent sight is the hilltop Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery, a colonially styled former palace containing daft regalia and ephemera pertaining to the Perak royals (Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun 10am–5pm, Fri 10am–12.15pm & 2.45–5pm; RM4; 05 777 5362). Some 500m beyond, Masjid Ubudiah sports a splendid array of golden onion domes amid a thicket of striped minarets.

Perak Royal Museum

Closed at the time of writing

Around 1km beyond Masjid Ubudiah, past the marble 1930s Istana Iskandariah, the sultan’s palace, lies the former palace, the Istana Kenangan. Now the Perak Royal Museum, it was built in the 1920s as a modest temporary residence while the present palace was being finished, and is of interest not for its exhibits but as a beautiful example of a traditional Malay mansion. Fashioned from wood without a single nail being used, the house is adorned with friezes and geometric-patterned panels. Sadly, it was closed for long-term repairs at the time of writing; ask at local tourist offices to find out whether it has reopened.

Sayong

Head east from the clock tower and you come almost immediately to the estuary of the Kangsar and the wide Perak River that the town is named for. Visible on the east bank of the latter is the village of Sayong, where the production and sale of labu is a major cottage industry. Boats shuttle across the river sporadically for a nominal sum; once across you can ask around for the location of labu makers, no more than a fifteen-minute walk away.

ANTHONY BURGESS’S HERITAGE

It’s little-known that British writer Anthony Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange (1962), taught in Kuala Kangsar from 1954 to 1956. His debut novel Time for a Tiger (1956), first in his Malayan Trilogy, is set in Kuala Hantu, a fictional Kuala Kangsar. Some of the locations described in the book still exist today: besides the Malay College there’s the Idris Club (now a social club), the watering hole where protagonist Victor Crabbe – and possibly Burgess himself – would drink himself silly. A twenty-minute walk southeast of the Malay College is a girl’s school, SMK Raja Perempuan Kelsom, formerly the King’s Pavilion, where Burgess and his wife lived.

Arrival and information: Kuala Kangsar

The town centre is on the north bank of the Kangsar River. Although Route 1 runs through town, skirting the train station, the historic main street is Jalan Kangsar.

By train The station (05 776 1094) is on the outskirts, a 20min walk from the clock tower. Note that Padang Rengas station, 12.5km west of Kuala Kangsar, is the terminus of the KTM Komuter service to Butterworth (via Bukit Mertajam).

Destinations Alor Star (5 daily; 2hr); Butterworth (ETS 7 daily, every 1–2hr from Padang Rengas via Bukit Mertajam; 1hr 10min); Ipoh (11 daily; 30min); Gemas (4 daily; 5hr); Kuala Lumpur (11 daily; 3hr); Padang Besar (5 daily; 2hr 20min); Seremban (4 daily; 4hr); Sungai Petani (5 daily; 1hr 25min); Taiping (11 daily; 20min).

By bus The bus station is on Jalan Bendahara, a few minutes’ walk from Jalan Kangsar; it’s served mainly by local buses, although some express buses call here too.

Destinations Butterworth (at least 4 daily; 1hr 30min); Ipoh (#35; every 20–30min; 1hr 15min); Kota Bharu (2 daily; 7hr); KLIA/KLIA2 (2 daily; 4hr 40min); Kuala Lumpur (several daily; 3hr 30min); Lenggong (#99; every 90min; 75min); Lumut (2 daily; 2hr); Sungai Petani (2 daily; 2hr 45min); Taiping (every 45min; 1hr).

Tourist office The tourist office, by the clock tower, has plenty of leaflets (Tues–Thurs & Sat 9am–1pm & 2–6pm, Fri 9am–12.30pm & 3–6pm, Sun 9am–1pm; 05 777 7717).

Accommodation

The Shop 1 Persiaran Seri Delima, about 1km east of the train station, up a side road to the right 05 777 3288, facebook.com/TheShopHotel; map. Kuala Kangsar’s first boutique hotel has its own hipster café, where young locals sit on vintage chairs, surrounded by exposed brick. Upstairs is a series of retro-chic en-suite rooms, most with windows. The rooms are quite small, but in this town at this price, you can’t ask for more. RM88

Eating

If you’re in Kuala Kangsar at the weekend, consider checking out the wide range of sweet and savoury snacks available at the night market around the main market off Jalan Kangsar (Fri 4.30–8pm), and at the craft market close to the jetty (Sat & Sun 7.30am–noon).

Laksa Pak Ngah Restaurant: Jalan Dato Sagor, behind Tsung Wah secondary school; food truck: along Persiaran Sungai Perak, 50m before the craft market 05 775 7986, bit.ly/LaksaPakNgah; map. This mini chain started dishing up their signature laksa (RM5) in 1955, before independence, and when Anthony Burgess was still in town. The main outlet is quite a hike from the centre, but they now also have some food trucks, one of which is near the craft market. Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun 9am–7pm.

Pusat Makanan Kuala Kangsar Behind the Store mall; map. This breezy food court, by the river, is an ideal escape from the stifling heat; sip iced kopis and eat cheap char koay teow, nasi goreng and other Malay and Chinese staples (all RM8 or less) under the shade of giant trees. Daily 8am–10pm.

Yat Lai Jalan Kangsar 05 776 6369; map. Also signed Yut Loy, this is a gloriously antiquated, Chinese-owned, Malay-run kedai kopi – look out for the ancient notice from the days when Malay was still written in Arabic script, imploring people not to spit or beg. It’s famous nationwide for its signature char siew pow (steamed pork buns), served from 2.30pm; they also serve, sometimes glacially slowly, simple rice and noodle dishes, plus attempts at steak and scrambled egg. Hardly anything over RM10. Mon–Sat 9am–6pm.

Shopping

Craft market Close to the jetty; map. Kuala Kangsar isn’t a bad place to buy crafts and souvenirs. Here you’ll find a good range of basketry, wickerwork (including bags), some textiles and of course the obligatory labu – a 20cm-tall specimen will set you back just RM20. Daily 9am–7pm.

Taiping and around

Set against the mist-laden Bintang Hills, TAIPING is one of few big towns in Malaysia with a Chinese name – one that means “everlasting peace”, though it’s somewhat ironic given the clan wars here between rival Cantonese and Hakka factions during the town’s early days. Relaxed and mostly low-rise, it doesn’t look like it was once one of the most important towns in the Peninsula. Yet the great tin boom in the second half of the nineteenth century, to which Taiping owes its existence, meant that by the 1890s it was in a race with Kuala Lumpur to be chosen as capital of the newly constituted Federated Malay States. Taiping evidently lost. Within a few years it suffered a second ignominy as Ipoh outgrew it, usurping even its role as state capital in 1937.

Today’s Taiping is a discreetly prosperous affair, regarded as a desirable place to retire. Few foreign visitors come, which is a pity as it’s one of the nicest provincial towns to relax in for a day or two. As you’d expect from its Chinese heritage, much of central Taiping comprises old shophouses, some being restored, centred on an unusual old market housed inside two huge, century-old wooden hangars. In addition to its museums there’s the 1933 Antong Coffee Mill, the oldest coffee factory in the country, and the house where Sun Yat-sen stayed when he visited Taiping. The green Lake Gardens on the eastern edge of town, and the nearby former hill retreat of Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) and the lush Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve are also worth exploring.

Old House Museum

2a Medan Pasar • RM5 • Ask the owner at Kapitan’s Antique House for the key

The Old House Museum nicely evokes how a well-to-do Taiping family might have lived decades ago. Beautifully carved screens and altars figure prominently downstairs at this late nineteenth-century timber shophouse, where there’s also a rustic kitchen at the back with a heavy granite pestle and mortar of the sort once used to pound chillies and spices.

Antong Coffee Mill

8a Jalan Assam Kumbang, under the flyover next to the train station • Daily 8.30am–5.30pm • Free • 014 900 0055, antongcoffeemill.com.my

The oldest coffee factory in Malaysia, opened in 1933, Antong Coffee Mill still uses traditional wood-fire roasting techniques. You can sample a wide variety of brews, but the main reason to come here is visiting the enterprise’s office, set in the historical house where founding father of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen, stayed with his Hong Kong-born concubine, Chen Chui Fen. Look out for the exquisite original Peranakan woodcarvings on the partition walls.

All Saints’ Church

Jalan Taming Sari

Founded in 1887, All Saints’ Church is the oldest Anglican church in what would become the Federated Malay States. It’s built in a lightweight English Gothic style – though the roof is tiled in very Malaysian wooden shingles – and is also noteworthy for having one of the very few pipe organs in the country. The tiny churchyard contains the graves of some of the earliest British and Australian settlers.

Perak Museum

Jalan Taming Sari • Daily 9am–6pm • RM5 • 05 807 2057

Housed in a purpose-built colonial building, the state-run Perak Museum is another Taiping “first” – it’s the oldest museum in the Malay Peninsula, opened in 1883 at the instigation of the Resident Hugh Low. The three collections portray Malaysia’s anthropology, zoology and local history, with displays of stuffed local fauna, as well as an extensive collection of ancient weapons and Orang Asli implements and ornaments. Incidentally, the grim, grey wall opposite the museum is the outside of Taiping’s prison, built in 1879 and used by the Japanese during World War II.

Lake Gardens

Pedal boats can be rented from the gardens’ south side Mon–Thurs 10am–7.30pm, Fri–Sun 9am–7.30pm • From RM12/15min

Taiping’s extensive Lake Gardens, at the eastern edge of the centre, were created in 1880 when Hugh Low decided that the mess left by two tin mines should be landscaped and turned into a park. Today it’s an inviting expanse of lawns, clumps of bamboo and mature trees covered in moss and ferns. At the time of writing, works were underway to turn part of it into botanic gardens. The view from the town side is particularly impressive on bright evenings, when the gardens seem to merge with the sunlit forested hills to the east, though the goofy duck-shaped pedal boats can mar the most meticulously composed photos.

Taiping Zoo and Night Safari

Zoo Daily 8.30am–6pm • RM16 • Night safari Daily 8–11pm (Sat til midnight) • RM20 • 05 808 6577, zootaiping.gov.my

A big magnet for Malaysian visitors, the zoo on the Lake Gardens’ far side houses plenty of local wildlife, including siamang (a type of gibbon), civets, orangutan, tigers, elephants and bearded pigs. It also boasts the Night Safari – a modest copy of Singapore’s – showcasing nocturnal animals.

Taiping War Cemetery

On the Bukit Larut Rd, 1.2km from the start of the Lake Gardens • Open access • bit.ly/TaipingWarCemetery

A serene memorial to the casualties of World War II, the Taiping War Cemetery contains the graves of 866 men, more than five hundred of whom are unidentified. Split in two by the road, it’s divided between Hindu and Muslim Indians on one side and Christian British and Australians on the other.

Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut)

Land Rovers 8.30am, 10.30am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm • 35min • RM10 return • 05 807 7241 • Summit Rd begins 1.5km beyond the Lake Gardens – turn right at the Coronation Pool for Ranger Station; Rapid Kamunting Bus #20A/B shuttles between the Hab Bus on Jalan Iskandar and Jalan Air Terjun

Bukit Larut, still widely known by its colonial-era name, Maxwell Hill, is Malaysia’s smallest and oldest hill station, its summit a mere 6km east of Taiping as the crow flies. The climate is wonderfully cool; when it isn’t raining – this is one of the wettest places in the country – you can be treated to good views down to the coast. Local visitors prefer to ride the Land Rovers up and down, but the long, often steep hike up offers the chance to do some birdwatching or spot unusual pig-tailed macaques (the name makes sense when you come across one) which live in the forests lower down.

Walking to the summit

The summit road (10km to the top) twists and turns round some 72 terrifying bends; walking, allow at least three hours up, two hours down if you only take short breathers. About halfway up, the Tea Garden House, once part of an extensive tea estate but now little more than a shelter, makes an ideal rest stop, with a view of Taiping and the mirror-like waters of the gardens visible below. The main hill station area (1036m) has a few minor trails and circuits in the vicinity. Ambitious walkers continue a further 3km through groves of evergreens to the 1250m-high summit of Mount Hijau, although it’s as well to seek advice from the rangers if you want to attempt this.

Activities: Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut)

ATV tours It’s possible to ride ATVs from the Lake Gardens up the hill to a waterfall, have lunch and return (RM150), or camp overnight (RM250/person, minimum six). ATV Adventure Park Larut (012 210 4761, bit.ly/ATVAdventurePark) is an established and reliable operator.

Accommodation

The Nest 012 239 5569, bit.ly/TheNestBL. You can now stay at a refurbished 130-year-old bungalow flanked by virgin rainforest, with four rooms hosting a maximum of twelve people. Reserve at least two weeks in advance by phone. Full board per person RM130

Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve

16km west of Taiping, 2km before Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld) • Daily 9am–5pm • RM15 • 05 858 1762 • Bus #77 from Taiping bus station (every 1hr 20min) to Kuala Sepetang

More than a century old, the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is Peninsular Malaysia’s largest surviving spread of mangrove, most of which has been extensively cleared for development or for charcoal production (still practised, sustainably, in the nearby town of Kuala Sepetang). After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, local interest in the mangroves increased; the trees’ mesh of aerial support roots can absorb some of the force of tsunamis, and thus protect coastlines. They’re also breeding grounds for small marine creatures, from fiddler crabs to mudskippers and archerfish. Extensive boardwalks at the reserve lead through a forest of tall, thin trunks and mangrove ferns; keep your eyes peeled for dusky-leaf monkeys.

Arrival and information: taiping and around

By train Taiping station is on Jalan Stesen, just north of the centre (05 807 2591). There are frequent ETS services to points south and KL, and cheaper KTM Komuter trains to Butterworth.

Destinations Alor Star (5 daily; 1hr 40min); Butterworth (ETS 7 daily, Komuter every 2hr via Bukit Mertajam; 45min); Gemas (4 daily; 5hr 20min); Ipoh (11 daily; 50min); Kuala Kangsar (11 daily; 20min); Kuala Lumpur (11 daily; 3hr 15min); Padang Besar (ETS 5 daily, Komuter every 2hr; 2hr); Seremban (4 daily; 4hr 20min); Sungai Petani (5 daily; 1hr).

By local bus The local station in Taiping is off Jalan Masjid.

Destinations Ipoh (every 45min; 1hr 45min); Kamunting (#10A/B; every 40min; 30min); Kuala Kangsar (every 45min; 1hr); Kuala Sepetang (#77; every 1hr 20min; 30min).

By express bus The nearest express bus station to Taiping is Kamunting Raya Express Bus Terminal, 7km north, in the industrial town of Kamunting; confusingly, some bus firms advertise services for Taiping when they mean this station. Rapid Kamunting buses #10A/B run between Taiping’s train station and the Kamunting Long Distance Bus Terminal; a taxi costs RM15. You can buy tickets for one bus company, Konsortium, in Taiping at its office on Jalan Panggung Wayang across from the bus station.

Destinations Butterworth (hourly; 1hr 15min); Johor Bahru (several daily; 8hr 30min); Kota Bharu (every 2 days; 6hr); Kuala Lumpur (hourly; 3hr 30min); Penang (several daily; 1hr 30min); Singapore (3 daily; 9hr 30min).

Tourist office Run by volunteers, inside the old clock tower on Jalan Kota (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; 05 805 3245).

Getting around

Although Taiping is built on a grid layout, it’s easy to lose your bearings thanks to patchy street signage (note that many of the north–south streets change their name across Jalan Kota). Jalan Taming Sari is the main street, busy by day but dead at night.

By bus Rapid Taiping Buses 20A/20B leave every 40min 6am–10pm from the bus hub on Jalan Iskandar, stopping at the Taiping KTM Station, the Perak Museum, Maxwell Hill’s foothills, the Taiping Zoo and the Lake Gardens. Buses 10A/10B shuttle passengers between Jalan Iskandar and the Kamunting Raya Express Bus Terminal, stopping at both Kamunting and Taiping KTM Stations.

By taxi Taxis await next to the bus hub on Jalan Iskandar. A trip to Maxwell Hill costs around RM15, and RM10 to the Lake Gardens.

By bike The pedal-boat rental outlet at the Lake Gardens also rents bikes (RM15/4hr) – useful, given how scattered some of the town’s sights are.

By motorbike You can rent motorbikes for RM10/hr or RM50/day from Jeffrey Ong (016 238 6067).

Accommodation

Flemington Jalan Samanea Saman 05 820 7777, flemingtonhotel.com.my; map. A modern hotel with a rooftop pool offering great views out over the Lake Gardens and east to the mountains (pricier rooms also have good vistas). The rooms could be a little more distinctive for the price, although breakfast is thrown in. RM168

Legend Inn 2 Jalan Long Jaafar 05 806 0000, legendinn.com; map. The best of the mid-range hotels in the centre, and convenient for local buses. An extra RM10 or so per head pays for the buffet breakfast in the coffee house. RM118

Louis Hotel 129 Jalan Pasar 05 808 2333, louishotel.com.my; map. This four-storey boutique hotel next to the old market has pleasant en-suite rooms with full facilities – hairdryers, safety boxes and ironing boards. Great value, despite the somewhat boxy toilets. RM98

Sentosa Villa In the Taman Sentosa residential estate off the Bukit Larut Rd, 2km from the Lake Gardens 05 805 1000, sentosa-villa.com; map. The reward for staying this far from town is being in a sort of back-to-nature motel, the buildings styled like jumbo treehouses in a leafy compound with a stream-fed pool to swim in and ducks and geese waddling around. There’s a café where you can buy breakfast. Doubles RM138, villas RM208

Sojourn Beds & Cafe 54 Jalan Kota 012 464 3434, facebook.com/SojournBC; map. Taiping earned another first with this top-notch backpacker hostel. Renovated from a central shophouse that’s walking distance to most sights, Sojourn is lovingly tendered by a local-Aussie team of backpacking aficionados. Their enthusiasm seeps into the many well-thought-out details – such as free desktop computers for guest use – and the spotless rooms and dorms (all with shared bathrooms). Simple breakfast included. Dorms RM35, doubles RM85

Eating

Larut Matang Food Court Jalan Panggung Wayang; map. This food court is divided into halal (basically Malay) and non-halal (Chinese) halves. Try the local fish-egg char koay teow (RM 4.5) at Stall 78, and the impressive “snow mountain” ais kacang, a pyramid of ice and syrup (RM4). Daily: Malay 9am–11pm, Chinese 7am–10pm.

Prima Jalan Kota, opposite Jalan Maneksha; map. Two kopitiam-type places on opposite street corners, with tables out on the street come evening, Prima runs the gamut of Malaysian hawker food: laksa, rojak, nasi lemak and more, plus some Western options too. Meals RM8–20. Daily 8am–11pm.

Sri Annapoorana Curry House Corner of Jalan Taming Sari and Jalan Yusof; map. The friendliest eating place in Taiping’s Indian quarter, with roti and thosai made to order, noodles, more substantial meals (around RM10) with or without meat, plus starchy South Indian breakfasts like pongal – almost a lightly spiced risotto. Mon–Sat 7.30am–8pm, Sun 7.30am–3pm.

Taman Tasik Food Court Western side of the Lake Gardens; map. Excellent, inexpensive Chinese food (mains RM5–10), including seafood noodles, rice with chicken rendang and, more unusually, century-egg porridge (rice gruel with gelatinous pickled eggs). Locals rate the stalls on the outside edge, facing the gardens, as the best. Daily 24hr.

Drinking

Atrium 36 Jalan Kota 05 807 6624, bit.ly/AtriumTaipei; map. Housed in the splendid 1896 Shun Tak clan hall, this hip bistro offers a fusion menu of Asian and Western dishes; it’s also the most atmospheric spot for a beer in town. Live bands on most weekends. Mon–Sat 10am–12.30am.

Sky Bar Top of Flemington Hotel; map. Set on the Flemington’s terrace, this is a good place for a sundowner as the light changes over the mountains and the Lake Gardens. Daily 8am–2am.

Lenggong Valley

The one-horse town of LENGGONG, 77km north of Ipoh in the midst of Perak’s jungle, hosts Malaysia’s lesser-known fourth UNESCO World Heritage site. Inscribed in 2012, the town’s open-air and cave sites span from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic and Bronze Age up to 1700 years ago. Hand axes found in nearby Bukit Bunuh, the site of a meteorite impact from 1.83 million years ago, are among the oldest outside Africa, and suggest that the Lenggong Valley was an extremely early site of hominids’ presence in Southeast Asia. Both this and nearby Bukit Jawa’s workshop site, with tools dating back to 200,000 BC to 100,000 BC, are open to the public and are best visited with your own set of wheels. A tour should include stops at Lata Kekabu, 7km south of Lenggong off Route 76, a 50m-high waterfall, passing over three consecutive rock pools; and at Tasik Raban, 5km further south, a shimmering man-made lake popular with local holidaymakers.

Lenggong Valley Archaeological Gallery

Signed off Route 76, 6km south of Lenggong town near the village of Kota Tampan • Daily 9am–5pm • Free • 05 767 9700 • Board a Kuala Kangsar-bound bus and get off at the turnoff on the main road, then walk the 2km to the site; alternatively, try to find an unofficial taxi in Lenggong – Soon Lee Hotel may help

The main focus of the Lenggong Valley Archaeological Gallery is on 10,000 year-old Perak Man, Southeast Asia’s most complete early human skeleton. His bones appear jumbled and inscrutable to the untrained eye, although it has deformities that indicate he had a congenital disease. He was buried in a cave called Gua Gunung Runtuh, 4km north of Lenggong, together with shells and tools, making him one of few known examples of ancient people with disabilities given a ceremonial burial; archaeologists believe he was considered a shaman by his community.

ARRIVAL and tours: Lenggong

By bus The bus station is by the central market off Jalan Besar, Lenggong’s main road, where you will find everything from ATMs to grocery shops, a post office and a hospital. Some Kuala Lumpur buses leave from Dataran Lenggong, a parking lot along Route 76, 1.5km north of Lenggong’s bus stand.

Destinations Ipoh (7 daily; 1hr 30min); Johor Bharu (via Kuala Lumpur; daily at 10am; 8hr); Kuala Kangsar (hourly till 6.15pm; 45min); Kuala Lumpur (3 daily; 4hr); Gerik (roughly every 2hr; some continue to Betong, in Thailand; 1hr).

By car Lenggong is on Route 76, between Kuala Kangsar and Gerik. From the E1, exit at Kuala Kangsar toll and proceed north. A more interesting rural route from Penang goes through Road 136 between Kulim and Selama, in Kedah, before joining road A6, which connects to Route 76 about 7km north of the Lenggong turnoff.

Tours Lenggong Valley Archaeological Gallery can arrange free guided tours to the burial site and other caves by appointment (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; donations welcome; you must have your own transport). Apply at least one week in advance by contacting the museum director, Mr Sanjit ( 013 419 0401; tengah@heritage.gov.my).

Accommodation AND EATING

Chat Sook Back Lane West, 10m to the right of the bus station 012 598 1733, bit.ly/ChatSook. Try Lenggong’s famous fish balls and riverfish belly, cooked in sweet-and-sour sauce and garlic, at this no-frills place that set the standard for most to follow. A meal won’t set you back more than RM40. Daily 8am–noon & 6pm–10pm.

Loh Dee Jalan Besar. Look for the signboard over a red metallic awning to try juicy char siew-covered wan tan mee, roasted over charcoal, a rarity nationwide. Come very early for breakfast, and you will still fight for a table with dozens of hungry locals. Daily 7am–noon.

Permaculture Perak On a remote hill south of Lenggong, only reachable by 4WD permacultureperak.com. A one-of-a-kind off-grid farm built by a Czech named Ladia, who collects guests from Lenggong by arrangement. It’s rustic but not overly so: the guests’ farmhouse has proper bedrooms and cold showers, and there’s solar power and even wi-fi. You share the compound with various goats; diversions include swimming in a stream full of tiny fish, and wooded trails further uphill. Minimum two nights. Full board per person RM165

Soon Lee Hotel 31 Jalan Besar 014 327 6204, facebook.com/SoonLeeHotel. Basic yet clean en-suite rooms, in the heart of town. Amiable owners Mr. Ng and Pinky Mok are a fountain of local knowledge. RM70

FROM TOP STREET FOOD STALL, GEORGE TOWN; CHEONG FATT TZE MANSION

Royal Belum State Park

Perak’s last outpost before Kelantan is the underrated Royal Belum State Park, a pocket of rainforest and lakeland snuggled up against a Thai national park across the border. The lake here, Temenggor, was created in the 1970s as a hydropower project, although locals say it was also intended to frustrate infiltration by Communist insurgents from the Emergency days, who had taken refuge in Thailand. Whatever the truth of that, the park itself and the adjoining Temenggor forest reserve to the south offer an excellent taste of Malaysian nature: the area is home to all ten of the country’s indigenous hornbill species, plus the odd elephant, gaur and other wildlife. Rafflesia flowers bloom year-round, too.

Arrival and information: Royal Belum State Park

Visitors reach the park via the Banding jetty on the western edge, just off Route 4. Some 40km away on Route 76 is the nearest town, Gerik (or Grik), which is 65km east of Butterworth and 95km north of Ipoh as the crow flies.

By bus and taxi Local buses from Ipoh head to Gerik via Lenggong (5 daily; 3hr), from where a taxi to the jetty costs RM55. Express buses travelling between Penang (or other west coast cities) and Kota Bharu should call at Gerik and may be able to drop you at the access road for the jetty.

By car From Penang, take the E15/Route 67 to just before Kupang, where you turn right on to a minor road that eventually links up with Route 4 near Gerik. From points south, join Route 76 at the Kuala Kangsar exit on the North–South Expressway.

By boat Without a permit, you can still see some of the park by chartering a boat at the Banding jetty (RM30/person/hr or around 200RM/hr for the whole boat.

Permits To access the park, visitors need to apply for permits (RM10) at least a week in advance and through a licensed operator. In practice, given that travellers must also hire guides and a boat to enter the reserve, the easiest way to come is on a pricey package (from RM965 for 3 days/2 nights, including full board, accommodation and one day in the reserve) offered by the resorts.

accommodation

Privately run lodges and houseboats are outside the park in the Temenggor reserve. Book a week in advance so they can sort out your park permits.

Belum Eco Resort Temenggor forest reserve 05 281 0834, belumecoresort.com.my. Affordable, well-run place with simple chalets that have built-in showers, although toilets are shared. There’s also a Malay-style houseboat that sleeps up to six. Packages include boat rides, kayaking, trekking to salt licks and a visit to an Orang Asli community. Three days full board including activities and permits, per person RM590

Belum Rainforest Resort Temenggor forest reserve 05 791 6800, belumresort.com. The slickest accommodation in the area, offering big-city creature comforts and style in a range of spacious rooms and chalets. They price activities separately: a day’s worth of boat rides and trekking can cost more than a night’s stay. Breakfast included. RM490

< Back to The west coast

Cameron Highlands

On the western fringes of Pahang state, CAMERON HIGHLANDS take its name from William Cameron, a colonial surveyor who stumbled across the area in 1885, though not until forty years later did civil servant Sir George Maxwell propose it be turned into what would become the Peninsula’s largest hill station. Indian planters, Chinese vegetable farmers and wealthy landowners in search of a weekend retreat flocked in, establishing tea plantations and leaving a swathe of what can only be called mock-mock-Tudor buildings in their wake.

The Camerons remain one of the most publicized attractions in Malaysia, although very much trading on past glories. Don’t come expecting the pastoral idyll of the brochures. This is a major agroindustrial area, producing not only tea but also flowers, vegetables and fruit that are exotic for Malaysia (notably strawberries), much of it under unsightly plastic. What’s more, it gets packed out during weekends, holidays and school breaks, when there can be long tailbacks on the main road, and then there’s the din of building work wherever hotels and holiday apartments are springing up. Many from the Camerons bemoan the commercialization, but as ever in Malaysia, the real problem is the haphazard and unsustainable way in which it happens. (If you want to know more about the environmental challenges facing the area, contact the local campaigning group REACH: reach.org.my). All that said, many visitors have a perfectly pleasant time here. Lying more than 1000m above sea level, the area offers cool relief from the sultriness of just about everywhere else in the country, which is the main reason locals visit. Throw in forest hikes and tea plantations, and you have promising ingredients for a short break.

The Camerons’ 700 square kilometres are threaded by the twisty Route 59, linking all the main towns and officially called Jalan Besar (or just “main road”), where it becomes a town’s main street. The towns themselves are mundane concrete affairs, although plenty of buildings sport a webbing of dark lines in homage to that ersatz half-timbered look. A three-night stay is an attractive option, allowing two full days for treks and seeing a tea plantation and other minor sights. Although it never really gets cold, have a warm sweater to hand for nights. Hikers should also have waterproofs for the frequent showers or storms (local general stores sell plastic ponchos for just a few ringgit) and footwear that can cope with slippery, muddy conditions.

tea Plantations

The countless cups of teh tarik served up daily in Malaysia are likely to be made with home-grown tea, which is – no pun intended – a bit of a mixed bag. Some people think local tea simply doesn’t taste very good, although the stuff served up at food courts and kedai kopis is usually so swamped with condensed milk that it’s impossible to tell what the underlying taste is. Even if it doesn’t float your boat, tea is such a feature of Cameron Highlands that it would be perverse not to visit a plantation during your stay: all have teahouses with views over the terraces, some with tours that give a glimpse of the production process. Despite the romantic imagery used on packaging, the handpicking of tea leaves is giving way to mechanical pruning, often by migrant workers. At the factory, the leaves are withered and partly dried by alternate blasts of hot and cold air, then rolled by machine to release more moisture for the all-important process of fermentation. The soggy mass is eventually heated to 90°C to halt the process; finally, the leaves are graded by shaking them through meshes of different grades.

Plantations

Most tour operators organize half-day visits for RM25/person.

Bharat 4.5km south of Tanah Rata 05 491 1133, bharattea.com.my. Two teahouses, though no tours. Daily 8.30am–6pm.

Boh Near Habu, 6km southeast of Tanah Rata, 7km off the main road 05 493 1324, boh.com.my. Boh’s biggest plantation in Cameron Highlands has impressive views, a café and a colonial-era factory, open for free tours. Tues–Sun 9am–4.30pm.

Sungai Palas 6km north of Brinchang 05 496 1363, boh.com.my. Boh’s most visited northern branch has an observation deck with café and offers not just the usual cursory free tour but also a worthwhile tea-tasting tour (9am, 11am & 1pm; 45min; RM35), on which you get a proper introduction to tea production, with a chance to taste various brews at the end, along with scones. The 11am session is best, as this is when the tea tends to arrive for processing. Call in advance as tours may be cancelled during periods of low harvest. Tues–Sun 9am–4.30pm.

Tanah Rata

Some 1400m above sea level, TANAH RATA is both the Camerons’ biggest town and the least spoiled. With plenty of places to stay and eat along or just off the 500m-long main road (officially Jalan Besar), it’s the ideal base for visitors, although there are no sights except perhaps the delightfully wild Tan’s Camellia Garden, brimming with lilies, agapanthus and pitcher plants.

Brinchang

BRINCHANG is a scruffy town some 5km north from Tanah Rata via the main road, although walkers can use a shortcut around the golf course. With something resembling a town square, it’s denser and more built up than Tanah Rata, but in its favour it has a market just uphill from the centre – the first of several on the road north – which morphs in the afternoon as one set of stalls is replaced by another, forming a pasar malam.

Time Tunnel

A 15min walk northeast of Brinchang’s centre on Route 59 • Daily 9am–6pm • RM5 • 05 491 4481

On the edge of town, the quirky Time Tunnel is part of one of the area’s many “self-plucking” strawberry farms. It serves as a museum of Malaysian ephemera, worth a quick look to see just how much the country has changed over the past few decades. The best section is the evocation of a simple 1950s domestic interior, although for no obvious reason it has a colonial poster of the time announcing the creation of a Home Guard to combat the “bandits”, as the British were wont to refer to the Communists during the Emergency. Elsewhere, you can gaze at vintage photos of a once-bucolic Camerons and weep.

North of Brinchang

The area north of Brinchang is Cameron Highlands at its most intensively farmed; head up on a bus from Ipoh or Penang and you’ll see the plastic tunnels off the Simpang Pulai Road even before it joins Route 59 at Kampung Raja. The Camerons’ two highest peaks, Irau and Brinchang, are here too, as is the Sungai Palas tea estate and a couple of minor attractions locals make a beeline for. Three kilometres from Brinchang is the Butterfly Farm, home to other insects and snakes too (daily 8am–6pm; RM5; cameronbutterflyfarm.com.my), and, slightly further on, the Rose Centre (daily 8am–6pm; RM5; 05 496 2988), a garden and nursery featuring a kitsch nursery-rhyme shoe house. Even more popular – cars double-park on the road close by, causing tedious jams – is the Lavender Garden, some 9km from Brinchang just beyond Tringkap (Mon–Thurs 9am–6pm, Fri–Sun 9am–7pm; RM5; 05 496 1208, cameronlavender.com). The sizeable nursery is home to lavender and other plants, while the shop sells lavender-scented gifts and lavender-themed food.

Lojing Highlands

10km east of Kampung Raja on Route 185 • Self drive or catch a taxi from Tanah Rata’s bus stand (RM80/one-way)

Technically in Kelantan but more like a northern extension of Cameron Highlands, the LOJING HIGHLANDS are a lesser known, virtually unvisited part of the Titiwangsa Range. The fact that busloads of tourists haven’t arrived here yet, however, doesn’t mean that farmers haven’t. The place has a couple of perks, primarily one well-organized eco-farmstay, and the chance to see the elusive Rafflesia plant, almost ubiquitous in this region.

Arrival and departure: Cameron highlands

By bus Cameron Highlands’ main bus station is at the east end of Tanah Rata, and is used by both local Perak Transit and express buses. Backpacker minivans also operate to and from the Highlands.

Destinations Butterworth (5 daily; 4hr); Hat Yay (1 daily at 8am; 8hr); Ipoh (7 daily; 2hr); KLIA/KLIA2 (3 daily; 5hr); Kuala Lumpur (at least 9 daily; 4hr); Kuala Perlis (daily at 8am; 6hr); Lumut (8 daily; 3hr 45min); Penang (7 daily; 5hr); Perhentian Islands (2 daily; 7hr); Raub (3 daily; 3hr 30min); Singapore (2 daily; 10hr); Taman Negara (1 daily; 5hr).

By car The Camerons can be easily reached off the E1, the North–South Expressway; use the exits at Tapah (if arriving from the south) or Simpang Pulai near Ipoh (from the north). If coming from Tapah, stop at Lata Iskandar, a waterfall 25km south of Ringlet. The Simpang Pulai Rd meets Route 59 at Kampung Raja before continuing to Musang Cave and Route 8 to Kota Bharu. A minor road links up with Route 8 via Sungai Koyan in the heart of the Pahang interior, connecting Ringlet on Route 59 with Raub and Kuala Lipis.Remember to top up your tanks: there is only one petrol station in Brinchang and one 200m west of Simpang Pulai. After these, it’s either 55km away in Simpang Pulai, or 80km away in Musang Cave.

Getting around

By bus Local services from Tanah Rata’s bus station run north to Kampung Raja via Brinchang (every 2hr 6.30am–6.30pm) and south to Tapah via Ringlet (two in each direction daily).

By taxi Taxis park next to Tanah Rata’s bus station (05 491 2355) and on the main road in Brinchang. A taxi between Tanah Rata and Brinchang costs around RM10; to charter a taxi for excursions, expect to pay RM25/hr, minimum 3hr. Fares for intercity charter are clearly written at the taxi park in Tanah Rata.

By motorbike Renting motorbikes is increasingly popular; it’s RM50/8hr and RM30/4hr from Tanah Rata’s bus station, and around RM80/day from most guesthouses.

On foot You can easily walk directly between Tanah Rata and Brinchang (40min) via Taman Sedia, the Malay village in the little depression in between. Signs on Route 59 outside both towns point the way to the village, the walk taking you past the Anglican All Souls’ Church and skirting the golf course.

information and tours

Pahang Tourism used to run a tourist office at the western end of Tanah Rata, now occupied by a tour agency that still advertises itself as an information point – as does just about every other tour agency in town. The only reason to deal with an agency is if you want to arrange a guided trek or a taste-of-everything day tour (from RM96). The standard ingredients for the latter include a drive up Mount Brinchang to see the mossy forest, visits to a tea plantation and an Orang Asli settlement (although the latter might be modern and charmless), and a foray to find Rafflesia flowers if in bloom.

Tour Agents

Cameron Secrets Father’s Guesthouse, Tanah Rata cameronsecrets.com.

CS Travel & Tours 47 Jalan Besar, Tanah Rata 05 491 1200, cstravel.com.my.

Eco Cameron 72A Jalan Persiaran Camellia, Tanah Rata 05 491 5388, ecocameron.com.

accommodation

Both Tanah Rata and Brinchang have a fair amount of mid-range accommodation, although the former’s hotels tend to be better run. Tanah Rata is also where you find most of the Camerons’ budget guesthouses; all have hot water. Some places also have apartments to rent, listed on their websites. The rates given below rise by ten to fifty percent at weekends, and can double during school breaks and public holidays, when it’s best to book ahead.

Tanah Rata

Arundina 17A Jalan Mentigi, behind the Hillview Inn 05 491 1129, arundina.com; map. Twelve spick and span en-suite rooms with hardwood floors housed in a converted fifteen-year-old bungalow, by a patch of forest that guarantees peaceful stays. The garden filled with tropical flowers is atmospheric, but at this price range the simple (included) DIY breakfast could be improved. RM180

Bird’s Nest 1 Jalan Perdah 05 491 4375, birdsnesthotel.com.my; map. The mundane grey exterior of this five-storey block is unpromising, but inside is a modern hotel with slick rooms as well as a Sarawakian Orang Ulu-style mural in the lobby. Terrific value midweek, but best avoided during school-break weekends, when rates almost treble. RM82.50

Cameronian Inn 16 Jalan Mentigi 05 491 1327, thecameronianinn.com; map. This guesthouse serves up scones and offers plain but airy dorms and doubles (some en suite) in spotless bungalows, surrounded by a bougainvillea trellis and small garden. Classier family rooms are in the new wing. Dorms RM25, doubles RM60

Father’s Guest House 4 Jalan Mentigi 016 566 1111, fathersguesthouse.net; map. Father’s is the best-run budget guesthouse in the Camerons, and the best-informed on trekking. Occupying a modern house with a small garden, they offer a range of pleasant rooms and a dorm; a new annexed wing has slightly better rooms, all en suite and with a/c, and most with balconies. Dorms RM30, doubles RM70

Gerard’s Place C9 Block Carnation, opposite the Heritage Hotel, 10min walk from Tanah Rata 016 566 1111, gerardsplace.com; map. Run by Gerard of Father’s and his lovely family, this sleek B&B in a quiet block of flats has only eight rooms, most en suite, set around a homey TV lounge, with a leafy terrace out back. Free coffee and tea are provided 24hr, as well as a simple breakfast, and possibly the best information on treks in the area. RM88

Heritage Jalan Gereja 05 491 3888, heritage.com.my; map. A 10min uphill walk from town, this hotel is the closest Tanah Rata has to a resort-style complex, with “heritage” dating all the way back to the 1990s. Besides tidy, unexceptional rooms, it has a choice of restaurants plus indoor recreational facilities, such as snooker, for those inevitable wet spells. Breakfast included. RM406

Kang Travellers Lodge (Daniel’s Lodge) 9 Lorong Perdah 05 491 5823, kangholiday.com; map. Not the friendliest place but certainly laid-back, Kang’s guesthouse is a worthy standby with a relaxing patio plus its own little bar right at the back. Choose between the large upstairs dorm and institutional rooms, some with attached bathroom. Dorms RM16, doubles RM50

The Mentigi Bungalow Jalan Mentigi, 5min walk uphill from Father’s Guesthouse 05 491 5598, mentigi.com; map. This recent mid-range hotel, set on top of a hill has smart and spacious rooms with balconies overlooking the town and, sadly, a construction site. There’s a homey lounge with TV and a quiet garden outside. RM138

BETWEEN TANAH RATA and Brinchang

Planters Country Hotel Route 59, about 1km north of Tanah Rata 05 491 1660, balaschalet.com; map. Also known by its old name, Bala’s, this former colonial school still oozes old-world charm, doing a passable impression of English cottages with the lushest gardens imaginable, complete with country-pub-style dining room and a lounge with chintzy sofas. It’s a bargain, if you can cope with the slightly wayward management. Free lifts to and from town. RM140

The Smokehouse Hotel Route 59, midway between Tanah Rata and Brinchang 05 491 1215, thesmokehouse.com.my/ch.htm; map. If ever a 1930s building could capture that mythical English country look, it’s this one. Long the classiest place to stay in the Camerons, it boasts fifteen individually decorated suites, some with four-poster beds, others more modern in feel, as well as some more affordable rooms. Throw in the leaded windows, roast-beef meals and private garden with immaculate lawns, and you could pretend it’s Surrey. Full English breakfast included. RM400

Brinchang

Parkland 45 Jalan Besar 05 491 1299, parkland.com.my; map. The friendly Parkland has uncluttered rooms that are good value midweek. The snag is that there’s no lift, although you can pay fifteen percent more to stay at their more upmarket Express branch next door. Online bookings get discounted rates. RM110

Pop Ash 24 Jalan Besar 05 491 1666, hotelpopash@gmail.com; map. For the price, this is a good-value hotel; rooms are en suite and smart, though tiny. The cheapest are windowless, but then the townscape doesn’t exactly tempt you to pay fifty percent extra for one with a view. RM60

Rosa Pasadena 1 Bandar Baru Brinchang 05 491 2288, hotelrosapsdn.com.my; map. Gargantuan hotel packing in more than a hundred rooms which, though slightly tatty, are quite comfortable and bigger than average, plus there are two restaurants. Breakfast included. RM160

Snooze 4 Jalan Besar 014 669 0108, facebook.com/SnoozeCH; map. Snooze is a boutiquey homestay on two floors, with thirteen en-suite rooms. Everything is well set for traveller comfort, from the common lounge areas equipped with couches, writing desks and TVs, to the cute choice of bedsheets and wall coatings – part of which are plastered with guests’ praise and comments. RM88

Ringlet

Lakehouse Ringlet 15km south of Tanah Rata 05 495 6152, lakehouse-cameron.com; map. With your own transport, it’s worth staying at this retro boutique hotel in Ringlet. Stone fireplaces and old-fashioned furniture meet plasma-screen TVs in the rooms; there’s a suitably pub-like restaurant and bar, and a reading lounge, too. Breakfast included. RM600

Lojing highlands

Moonriver Lodge 12km east of Kampung Raja 016 550 3107, moonriverlodge.com; map. Next to a vegetable farm on a lush hillside, Moonriver Lodge is a relaxed cluster of wooden buildings, connected by walk paths and flanked by manicured tropical gardens and ponds. They have futon-style dorm beds, simple doubles or bunks, each wing with its own shared bathrooms. Pay for kitchen usage and bring provisions, or buy meals cooked on site (RM15–35/person). Multi-day packages include hiking activities; check the website for details. RM85 per person

Walking in Cameron Highlands

A network of walking trails makes it possible to take in Cameron Highlands’ forests, packed with ferns, pitcher plants, orchids, thick moss and even Rafflesia. But despite the presence of mammals such as sun bears, you’re unlikely to see interesting fauna other than insects and the odd wild pig.

Unfortunately, the trails are often poorly marked and maintained, and seem to have little immunity from being bulldozed to make way for development. The account below should be treated as a snapshot and is certainly not meant to provide turn-by-turn directions. Father’s Guest House in Tanah Rata is a good place to get current trail information, and produces maps that mention lots of useful landmarks as well as wrong turns to avoid on each trail. It is also one of several tour operators offering guided treks – again, a good option given the state of the trails.

If hiking independently, tell staff at your accommodation where you intend to go and when you expect to be back. On longer hikes, take warm clothing and ample water. If you do get lost and can get a cellular signal, call your accommodation for them to alert the authorities.

Trails

The paths here are numbered according to local convention. Timings are one-way, for people going at an average pace. Note that at the time of writing, paths 9, 9B and 10 were not recommended, as several solo hikers had been assaulted and mugged here. Go in a group, or stick to the other paths. Some sections require a permit from the Forestry Department (forestry.gov.my); ask your guesthouse to obtain one, or risk a RM300 fine.

Path 1 (2hr 30min) The trail to Mount Brinchang’s summit (2000m) was closed for conservation at the time of research. You can still walk the trail from just north of Brinchang’s street market – look for a track opposite the police headquarters – until the boardwalk through the ethereal Mossy Forest, where the trees are covered in a spongy, soft coat of green. But to climb further, you must get a permit. There is a road – the highest in Peninsular Malaysia – up to the forest, so you can cheat by taking a taxi up from Brinchang (RM15) and walking down. The road begins close to Kea Farm, passing a turning for the Sungai Palas tea estate.

Path 2 (1hr 30min) Starting just before the Sam Poh Temple below Brinchang, it’s not clearly marked and is often a bit of a scramble. The route undulates severely and eventually joins Path 3.

Path 3 (2hr 30min) Starts at Arcadia Cottage southeast of the golf course, crossing streams and climbing quite steeply to reach the peak of Mount Beremban (1841m). Once at the top, you can retrace your steps, or head down via paths 5, 7 or 8.

Path 4 (20min) Paved in stretches and well marked, this walk starts south of the golf course and goes past Parit Waterfall, then on to the Forestry Office (Pejabat Hutan), where a sealed path leads back to the main road.

Path 5 (1hr) Branches off from Path 3 at the rain shelter – a little gazebo – and ends up at the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI). From here the road, Persiaran Dayang Indah, takes you into Tanah Rata just north of the bus station.

Path 6 (2hr) From the Forestry Office on Path 4, this branches away to the rain shelter.

Path 7 (2hr) Starts near MARDI and climbs steeply to Mount Beremban; an arduous and overgrown hike better done as a descent from Path 3.

Path 8 (2hr 30min) Another route to Mount Beremban. From Tanah Rata, head up Persiaran Dayang Indah, ignore the MARDI turning on the left, and then turn right up a paved path for Robinson Waterfall. Just before the waterfall, turn left and you’re on Path 8. Even more taxing than Path 7.

Path 9 As Path 8 initially, except that you head all the way to Robinson Waterfall (20min). You then descend to the access road to the Boh tea plantation, although there’s a choice of routes. Path 9B (45min) is the direct, steep option via the hydropower station, where you may have to ask staff to let you through to the Boh road. Path 9A (1hr) curls away from it and descends more gently, though note that the last part is overgrown, so many people turn right here on to an easier trail to a vegetable farm, after which the track joins the path down to the Boh Road.

Path 10 (3hr) Beginning at the back of Tan’s Camellia Garden in Tanah Rata, this involves a fairly strenuous climb to Mount Jasar (1696m). It’s best to turn back here, as the original path to Route 59 no longer has a clear exit .

Mount Irau (sometimes called Path 14; 6hr) The demanding ascent of Irau, the Highlands’ highest peak (2110m), requires asking a permit at least one month before the climb. The trail commences at the end of Mount Brinchang’s Mossy Forest walkway (take a taxi up rather than attempting this as an extension of Path 1). You return the way you came. It’s best not to go alone, and an early start is advisable, as people often get lost when the light fades in the late afternoon.

Eating

Two things sum up Cameron Highlands cuisine – steamboats and scones. The former is highly popular with locals, with RM25/head as the going rate; many restaurants still heat the stock using old-fashioned charcoal vessels with a central chimney. Plenty of hotels and even curry houses bake fine scones as part of their take on English cream teas – if only they weren’t marred by the artificially pink local strawberry jam and “cream” with the colour and consistency of toothpaste.

Tanah Rata

Barracks Café 1 Jalan Gereja, 05 491 5823, facebook.com/TheBarracksCafe; map. Quirky yet original, and housed in the original zinc barracks used by the British army during World War II, this café sits just downhill from the school once used as a military hospital by the Japanese. The outdoor seating area, in a manicured garden, is very pleasant, and the menu appealing: besides tea and scones, there are curries, chicken chops, breadbowl curries, cakes and mocktails. A meal will set you back around RM50, coffee and cakes around RM30. Tues–Fri 7pm–midnight, Sat & Sun noon–10pm.

Bunga Suria Persiaran Camellia 3 05 491 4666; map. Cheap and cheerful South Indian establishment, good for thosai, self-service nasi campur, great samosas and banana lassi, and local breakfasts like half-boiled eggs and kaya toast. Daily 8am–10pm.

Mayflower 22 Jalan Besar, opposite Cameron Fair shopping mall 05 491 1793; map. This authentically tatty and boisterous old timer serves the best-value steamboats in town (RM25/person), along with hearty portions of juicy noodles. Packed and happening on most nights. Daily 8pm–10pm.

Singh Chapati Bangunan Brij Court, opposite Bird’s Nest Hotel 017 578 6454; map. Excellent Punjabi food, somewhat expensive for the category (RM10 for veggie curry), but always freshly made. Long waits are accompanied by Indian MTV, constantly blaring from the cable TV. Daily 1–9.30pm.

BETWEEN TANAH RATA AND BRINCHANG

The Smokehouse Route 59, between Tanah Rata and Brinchang 05 491 1215; map. If you feel a visit to the Camerons isn’t complete without pukka English food, head here for roasts (beef Wellington RM95; duck and lamb are available too) or cream teas (with quality jam and cream; 11am–6pm; RM30). They also do a full breakfast (until 11am; RM55) – and this is one of the very few pricey hotels left in Malaysia that still serves pork bacon and sausages. There’s an atmospheric pub section, too (from 6.30pm). Daily 7.30am–11pm.

Brinchang

Cameron Organic Jalan Angsana 05 491 4807; map. Down-to-earth place popular for its steamboats which, unusually, come with either chicken or vegetable stock, and really do use organic local produce. Around RM30 for a meal. Daily 11am–9pm.

OK Tuck 26 Jalan Besar 05 491 2380; map. Busy Chinese restaurant with an extensive menu, including excellent black vinegar sparerib and fried prawns. Mains around RM10. Daily 11am–9pm.

Drinking

Tanah Rata

Jungle Bar Kang Travellers Lodge (Daniel’s Lodge), 9 Lorong Perdah 05 491 5823, kangholiday.com; map. With a pool table and fireplace, this backpackers’ watering hole is a great hangout when busy, although it can be dead some nights – perhaps because it’s so discreetly tucked away at the back of the guesthouse. Daily roughly 7pm–midnight.

Travellers Bistro & Pub 68a Persiaran Camellia 3 05 491 3666, facebook.com/TravellersBistroPub; map. Tanah Rata’s sole attempt to emulate a city bar doesn’t exactly nail it, but it still attracts a (predominantly Western) crowd to compare travel stories over imported beers. Daily 10am–1am.

Arrival and departure: BUTTERWORTH

The bus station, ferry pier and train station are in a cluster, called Penang Sentral (04 331 2796, penangsentral.com.my).

By train Besides fast ETS trains, there’s also a KTM Komuter service up to Padang Besar, for Thailand. Komuter trains also run from the next stop, Bukit Mertajam, to Taiping and Padang Rengas (12km from Kuala Kangsar).Destinations Alor Star (hourly; 1hr 10min); Ipoh (7 daily; 2hr); Gemas (2 daily; 6hr 30min); Kuala Kangsar (ETS 7 daily, Komuter every 2hr; 1hr 10min); Kuala Lumpur (7 daily; 4hr 15min); Padang Besar (hourly; 1hr 45min); Seremban (2 daily; 5hr 30min); Sungai Petani (hourly; 35min); Taiping (7 daily; 50min).

By bus Tickets for bus journeys from Butterworth can be bought at the stations or through agents at George Town’s KOMTAR building.

Destinations Alor Star (hourly; 1hr 30min); Cameron Highlands (4 daily; 4hr 30min); Hat Yai (Thailand; 5 daily; 4hr); Ipoh (9 daily; 2hr 30min); Johor Bahru (several daily; 10hr); Kangar (several daily; 2hr 15min); Kota Bharu (at least 2 daily; 6hr 30min); KLIA/KLIA2 (3 daily with a change at Kamunting; 7hr); Kuala Besut (for Perhentian islands; daily at 9.30pm; 7hr); Kuala Kangsar (4 daily; 2hr 45min); Kuala Lumpur (at least hourly; 5hr); Kuala Perlis (4 daily; 3hr); Kuala Terengganu (1 daily; 8hr); Kuantan (4 daily; 9hr); Lumut (for Pangkor; at least 4 daily; 4hr); Melaka (several daily; 8hr); Padang Besar (2 daily; 3hr); Seremban (6 daily; 6hr); Singapore (several daily; 11hr); Sungai Petani (several daily; 45min); Taiping (Kamunting bus station; hourly; 1hr 15min).

By ferry The ferry to George Town costs just RM1.20.

Destinations George Town (every 20min–1hr, 6am–12.30am; 20min).

By taxi If catching a taxi across to Penang Island (around RM40), check whether the bridge toll is included in the fare.

George Town

Visiting GEORGE TOWN in 1879, stalwart Victorian traveller Isabella Bird called it “a brilliant place under a brilliant sky”, a description that’s hard to improve. Filling a triangular cape at the island’s northeastern corner is George Town’s centre, the UNESCO-listed core of which is essentially the area south and east of Lebuh Farquhar, Love Lane and Lebuh Melayu. It’s a surprisingly harmonious maze of lanes lined with shophouses in various states of repair, and liberally sprinkled with religious buildings, impressive clan associations or kongsi – a blend of Chinese welfare organization, social club and temple and other monuments. The obvious comparison is with Singapore, but it’s as if the same ingredients have created an altogether mellower dish, without the slickness, crowds and incessant din of its former Straits Settlements partner. If time is short, make a point of seeing the Khoo Kongsi and Cheong Fatt Tze mansion; otherwise simply enjoy the relaxed pace and stroll at will.

The main arteries are Jalan Penang, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling and Lebuh Pantai, which run roughly west–east, along with traffic-clogged Lebuh Chulia, which runs northwest–southeast. Note that parts of Lebuh Chulia and Jalan Penang are distinctly seedy at night. George Town’s northern fringes and the rugged, forested hills of the island’s centre are home to a few interesting temples and the attractive Botanic Gardens.

GEORGE TOWN’S CAT shuttle

George Town’s centre is served by the CAT shuttle bus (also signed as #5; daily 6am–11.40pm; every 15–30min; free), which can be useful, especially if you’re flagging in the heat. Operated by Rapid Penang, it sets off from the Pengkalan Weld terminal, heading north to Little India and the colonial district, then Lebuh Muntri. It then turns southwest along Jalan Penang to the KOMTAR building, meandering in the vicinity before returning east via Lebuh Carnarvon, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and the colonial district to the bus terminal.

Colonial district

Clustered around historic Fort Cornwallis are a motley collection of colonial buildings, including the former Town and City halls, St George’s Church and some of George Town’s oldest and most prestigious schools. A useful landmark, at the eastern end of Lebuh Pantai (Beach Street) and close to the tourist offices, is the graceful Moorish-style clock tower, with onion-dome roof and scalloped Arabesque windows. Presented in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, it’s 60ft (20m) high, a foot for each year of her reign.

Fort Cornwallis

Entrance in the northwest of the site, via the Padang • Daily 9am–10pm • RM20

At the very eastern tip of the island, overpriced Fort Cornwallis marks the spot where Francis Light landed to take possession of Penang on 16 July 1786. The fort, named after Lord Charles Cornwallis, Governor-General of India, dates from 20 years later. Square in shape with redoubts at each corner, it’s all a bit forlorn nowadays, the mildewed, lightly vegetated brickwork conveying little sense of history. The statue of Light by the entrance was cast in 1936 for the 150th anniversary of the founding of Penang, his features copied from a portrait of his son, Colonel William Light, founder of Adelaide in Australia. (Francis Light’s grave is in the cemetery on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 1km west). Inside the walls, look for the early nineteenth-century chapel, powder magazine and bronze Sri Rambai cannon, sited in the northwest corner – local belief was that infertile women could conceive by laying flowers in its barrel.

UNESCO and George Town

It might be hard to believe today, but George Town was in a bad way as the new millennium arrived. This was a classic case of inner-city decay: the centre, its shophouses shabby and unloved, was a place to make a hasty exit from once the day’s work was done.

Then came the idea of putting George Town forward for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So it would become, though not in the form Penangites envisaged. George Town was perhaps too Chinese a city in the context of the country’s politics, and Malaysia wound up lobbying for a joint ticket comprising George Town and Melaka, the other former British Straits Settlements’ port in Malaysia. It was this two-headed entity that was honoured as a single World Heritage Site in 2008. Watershed elections that same year saw, among other surprises, Penang taken over by the opposition. Suddenly the state was being run along pragmatic, less racially focused lines, and had a UNESCO listing to boot. The scene was set for the city’s regeneration.

The results are obvious for anyone to see. Properties all over the centre are being restored, some as boutique hotels and slick restaurants; young people are back in George Town, lounging in wannabe hipster cafés or cycling around checking out street art; and the city has a real sense of its own heritage and creativity, celebrated in a slew of festivals and cultural events.

However, as gentrification compels old businesses and community organizations to relocate, conservation groups are worried that George Town is losing its intangible heritage – a key ingredient in the UNESCO listing. Rapid social change is also an important factor, of course, and it may be that even with principled management, central George Town could one day become like Singapore’s Chinatown: immaculate, thriving, but with little sense of deep-rooted neighbourhoods and traditions.

Padang Kota Lama

The expanse of green that borders Fort Cornwallis, the Padang Kota Lama, was once the favourite promenade of the island’s colonial administrators. The Esplanade here offers a vista of mainland hills and, to the left, the distant high-rise apartments of Tanjung Tokong in the northwest. Bordering the padang are a slew of grand buildings, including the early nineteenth-century Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Hall) to the south and, to the west, the yellow-and-white old town hall (1879) and the more ornate but less attractive former city hall (1903).

Penang Museum

57 Macalister Rd • Daily except Fri 9am–5pm • RM1 • 04 226 1462, penangmuseum.gov.my

The Penang Museum is a worthwhile introduction to life on the island. Among the memorabilia are rickshaws, Peranakan furniture, clothing and ceramics, faded black-and-white photographs of early Penang’s Chinese millionaires, and a panoramic photograph of George Town taken in the 1870s (note how many buildings survive to this day).

St George’s Church

1 Lebuh Farquhar • Mon–Thurs 10am–noon & 2–4pm, Fri 2–4pm, Sat 10am–noon; visitors may be allowed in at other times if no services are in progress • Free • 04 261 2739

As simple and unpretentious as anything built in Neoclassical style in Asia can be, St George’s Church is one of Penang’s oldest buildings, having been completed in 1818 by the East India Company using convict labour. Its construction marked the arrival of the Anglican Church in Southeast Asia, and early congregations must have found the airy interior a welcome reprieve from the heat.

Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O)

10 Lebuh Farquhar • eohotels.com

Though a little overshadowed by its recently added annexe, the Eastern & Oriental Hotel – built in 1885 by the Armenian Sarkies brothers, who also launched Singapore’s even more famous Raffles Hotel – still epitomizes colonial elegance. Behind the grand, waterfront facade is an interior of cool marble floors, airy, dark timber and plasterwork, with a domed ceiling crowning the lobby; Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Herman Hesse were among the guests, taking tiffin on the terrace and enjoying the sea breeze. If the hotel rates are beyond your budget, get a peek by treating yourself at its Sarkies restaurant.

House of Yeap Chor Ee

4 Lebuh Penang • Mon–Fri 10am–6pm • RM13 including written guide • 04 261 0190, houseyce.com

The House of Yeap Chor Ee, a southern Chinese merchant who made his fortune becoming a sugar magnate and a banker, nestles within George Town’s historical business district, dominated by the banks of Lebuh Pantai. Look for it next to the bright yellow former Chinese Chamber of Commerce building. Slicker than most of the country’s state-owned museums, it’s a privately run museum. Many of the artefacts are transplants from the vast mansion that Yeap Chor Ee later acquired on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.

Peranakan Mansion

29 Lebuh Gereja • Daily 9.30am–5pm • RM20 • 04 264 2929, pinangperanakanmansion.com.my

A sprinkling of Peranakan restaurants aside, George Town’s one nod to Baba-Nyonya culture is a museum, the Peranakan Mansion. Painted pastel green, the house was built in the 1890s for Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee, a Penang personality and secret society leader. Chinese wooden doors, gorgeous inlaid furniture and carved screens are everywhere, alongside more European touches including florid glass light fittings. The display cases are full of trinkets and heirlooms: green-and-pink Chinese-made porcelain painted with phoenixes and peonies, snuffboxes, embroideries and shoes. Upstairs, a bedroom with a four-poster bed has been left pretty much intact. There’s also a section devoted to traditional jewellery, an adjoining shrine holding ancestral tablets, and a small gift shop selling Peranakan-themed souvenirs.

Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling

For some locals, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling will always be Pitt Street, named after William Pitt the Younger, British prime minister when Francis Light founded Penang. It’s also nicknamed the Street of Harmony, as, if you include the compound of St George’s Church at its eastern end, it’s home to places of worship representing all of Malaysia’s major faiths.

Goddess of Mercy Temple (Kuan Yin Teng)

Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling, close to the start of Lebuh China • Daily 7am–7pm • Free

The oldest and liveliest of George Town’s Chinese temples, Goddess of Mercy Temple (Kuan Yin Teng) is a down-to-earth granite hall dating to 1801, and where dragon-carved pillars and wooden roof beams are blackened by incense smoke. As Kuan Yin is the goddess of mercy, the temple is perpetually jammed with devotees, mostly beggars down on their luck and women praying for children, grandchildren and safe childbirth. The huge bronze bell in the first hall is rung by those who have made a donation; the flagstone forecourt features performances of Chinese opera during festivals.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Lebuh Queen, with a second entrance on Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling • Daily 8am–noon & 4–9pm • Free

The Sri Mahamariamman Temple, founded in 1833, is the chief sight in George Town’s small but characterful Little India, centred on Lebuh Pasar. Recently renovated, its pale green and red entrance tower is a riot of sculpted deities, among which four swans represent incarnations of the goddess Mariamman.

George Town’s street art

Street art is a recent phenomenon in George Town but has already become a big draw for local visitors, who wander around the centre tracking down the murals and cartoons executed in steel wire on shophouse walls. The wire pieces – some fifty of them – were commissioned in 2009 from KL studio Sculpture at Work as a whimsical way of marking out the UNESCO-listed parts of the city.

In 2012, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic sketched a series of mural installations entitled Mirrors of George Town for the George Town Festival. Ever since, Penang has taken off as one of Southeast Asia’s street art capitals. In 2013, Zacharevic’s piece depicting two children on a bicycle was selected by The Guardian as among the best street art in the world, consolidating the position of the city’s murals as a tourist draw. In the wake of George Town’s success, Zacharevic has sketched walls as far as Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Singapore.

As well as Zacharevic’s pieces, George Town hosts work by local and international artists such as Kenji Chan (Sandakan), Fritilidea (KL), Rone (Melbourne), Elle (New York) and Julia Volchkova (Russia). You’ll spot their art as you walk around town (see map)

The gallery Hin Bus Depot (31A Jalan Gurdwara; daily 11am–8pm; hinbusdepot.com) has long promoted street art in Penang, and today is still the best place to meet local artists and creative types, who organize rotating art exhibitions and the weekly Sunday pop-up market (facebook.com/HinPopup). Also lookout for 13 Armenian Street (1st floor, 13 Lebuh Armenian; Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; 04 251 9463), an artists studio and gallery hosting workshops on a regular basis.

Kapitan Keling Mosque (Masjid Kapitan Keling)

Western end of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling • Mon, Sat & Sun 1–5pm, Fri 3–5pm • Free

The oldest and largest mosque in Penang, Kapitan Keling Mosque (Masjid Kapitan Keling) dates back to 1801, when Indian Muslim migrants built a mosque here on land granted them by the East India Company. Keling is an old term – now regarded as derogatory – said to originate from the sound of clinking chains tied on the legs of British colonial Indian slaves – and Kapitan Keling was one Cauder Mohudeen, a successful businessman appointed by the East India Company to speak for the community. The present mosque was refashioned in Anglo-Moorish style at the start of the last century, and its dark onion domes, arched portico and minaret are especially attractive at night, when the whole place is subtly lit.

Lebuh Armenian (Armenian Street)

Short and curved at one end, Lebuh Armenian (Armenian Street) offers good value for visitors, packing in a number of minor sights along its highly gentrified length, including at its southern end the popular Two Kids on Bicycle street art. The narrow house at the street’s northern end is the Syed Alatas mansion, which is undergoing a second restoration; the house is named after a merchant and arms dealer from Aceh, in northern Sumatra, who lived here in the 1870s.

Mor Hun Club

122 Lebuh Armenian • Puppet and opera house Tues–Sun 10am–6pm • RM10; puppet shows (1hr) around RM25, including museum entry • 04 262 0377, facebook.com/TeochewPuppetAndOpera)

The Mor Hun Club is one of George Town’s surviving traditional social clubs, its entrance distinguished by colourful tilework and gorgeously carved gilt doors; walk past at night and you may hear the clacking of a game of mahjong from the upstairs windows. Downstairs is the Teochew Puppet & Opera House with displays on Chinese opera and metal rod puppetry, only preserved in Penang. Try to catch one of their occasional puppet shows, with some English explanations.

Sun Yat-sen Museum

120 Lebuh Armenian • Museum Tues–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 1–5pm • RM5 • 04 262 0123

The Sun Yat-sen Museum, located in a beautifully restored shophouse, offers a permanent exhibition and guided tour of the Penang base of one of Asia’s most important historical personalities, Sun Yat-sen. He led the revolution that overthrew the last Chinese emperor, drawing on support from the overseas Chinese.

Yap Kongsi

Corner of Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Cannon • Daily 8am–6pm • Free • 04 261 0679

It’s hard to imagine two more contrasting shrines than the pair that make up the most obvious sight on Lebuh Armenian, the Yap Kongsi. On the left of the clan house compound is the conventionally styled Ciji Temple (also called Choo Chee Keong), its roof photogenically bedecked with dragons; next door, built in the 1920s on land furnished by the tycoon Yeap Chor Ee, the green-and-white Yap Temple looks like a European-style villa and holds the clan’s ancestral tablets.

Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple

57 Lebuh Armenian • No fixed times • Free

Just south of the corner with Lebuh Cannon, a passageway beneath a Chinese facade gives access to the gaudy, two-storey Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple, with altars on both levels. It’s dedicated to Tua Peh Kong, sometimes described as the god of prosperity and one of the most popular Chinese deities in Malaysia – many cities have at least one Tua Peh Kong shrine. In the mid-nineteenth century the temple and surrounding area was a stronghold of the Kean Teik secret society, which became embroiled in the Penang Riots of 1867. For nine days, George Town was shaken by gang fights around Armenian, Church and Chulia streets, where the groups were holed up. A bricked-up passageway can still be seen that once allowed a surreptitious escape to the street or to the Khoo Kongsi compound.

Khoo Kongsi

18 Cannon Square • Daily 9am–5pm • RM10 • 04 261 4609, khookongsi.com.my

Khoo Kongsi is the best known of Penang’s clan associations, and no wonder: this is practically a gated community in its own right, reached by an alleyway off Lebuh Cannon. It brings you into an overpoweringly gaudy complex that includes shrines, opera stage, ancestral hall and residences. The kongsi represents Khoos from a particular village in southern China; one such was Khoo Thean Teik, the ringleader of the Kean Teik secret society during the Penang Riots, although he later rehabilitated himself and became a very wealthy pillar of local society.

The two-storey main building looks ready to collapse under the weight of the multicoloured ceramic sculptures, woodcarvings and shining gold leaf adorning its roof. Finished in 1906, this is a lesser version of an even more extravagant original that had just burned down – some say destroyed by jealous deities, angered by its ostentation.

The building opposite was the opera stage, beside which is the slightly incongruous administration building, a colonial-styled affair which houses some ancestral tablets. A former kitchen next to the main building is now a little museum explaining the evolution of the complex.

Chinese clan jetties

Pengkalan Weld

They’re not as atmospheric as the water villages at Pulau Ketam near Kuala Lumpur or in the capital of Brunei, but the seven Chinese clan jetties of George Town still make for a good wander. Communities of stilt houses built over the water, they were set up by Chinese immigrants before George Town properly got going, and are so named because six of them are inhabited by individual clans whose roots are in specific villages in Fujian province, southeast China. The houses are connected by wooden boardwalks and dotted with temples. The Chew jetty, smack in the middle, is the largest and, as the target of most tourists, drowning in tacky souvenir shops; best to try one of the other jetties, though do be sensitive in this cramped residential environment – it’s not ideal for loud conversations and incessant photography.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

14 Lebuh Leith • Compulsory tours: daily 11am, 2pm & 3.30pm; 1hr • RM16 • 04 262 0006, cheongfatttzemansion.com

Leith Street was once lined by a gaggle of villas belonging to Hakka Chinese tycoons, one such being the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, the local home of a nineteenth century Dutch East Indies tycoon, and a splendid example of Penang’s eclectic late nineteenth-century house design. Now trading mainly as The Blue Mansion hotel, it’s broadly southern Chinese in form, with good-luck motifs and complex decorative mouldings along the tiled roof, though its arches and shutters are definitely European touches, as are the Art Nouveau stained glass and the sweeping interior staircase, even if the delicate iron tracery and balconies might owe a nod to wooden Malay verandas.

KOMTAR

the Top@KOMTAR Daily 10am–10pm • RM98 till 6pm; RM118 after 6pm with glass of wine and snacks, RM138 with dinner • 04 262 3800, thetop.com.my • Penang House of Music Daily 11am–7pm • RM30 • 04 370 6675, penanghouseofmusic.com

George Town’s most prominent landmark, the Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (KOMTAR) is a 68-storey cylindrical tower at the western end of the city centre. It languished for years, only partially filled with local government offices and malls clustered beneath and around it, and serving mainly as a transport hub. In 2015, three new levels were added to the existing 65, increasing the structure’s height to 249m. Rebranded as the Top@KOMTAR, the extension has a 360-degree panoramic observatory, several restaurants and, at the very top, a bistro next to the open-air glass Rainbow Skywalk, Southeast Asia’s first thrilling walk into the clouds. Plans are afoot to decorate one side of the tower with a 230m-tall, 13m-wide mural – the world’s biggest – by early 2018.

Among Komtar’s other (forgettable) theme-park-styled attractions and museums, don’t miss Penang House of Music, on the fourth floor of ICT Digital Mall, next to Pranging Mall. The exhibits in this interactive museum span Penang’s rich pop-music history from the 1940s to the 1960s. Their performance space has live jazz and other musical events and workshops.

Thai Temple

Lorong Burma, in the Pulau Tikus area on the northern edge of town • Daily 7am–5.30pm • Free • Bus #101, #103 or #304; get off on Jalan Kelawei

The Buddhist Thai Temple (Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram) dates to the 1900s and is noticeably very different to the Chinese equivalents elsewhere in Penang. Brightly painted, it has flame-edged eaves and a huge gilded pagoda, all soft curves. The main hall’s entrance is flanked by nagas – fierce serpents painted gold and bright green – and guarded by two hefty demons weilding swords. The aircraft-hangar-like interior is a stark contrast to the exterior; in it lies a 33m-long reclining Buddha statue, draped in a gold sarong and with his aura flaming about him.

Burmese Temple

Lorong Burma, Pulau Tikus • Daily 8am–5pm • Free • 04 226 9575 • Bus #101, #103 or #304; get off on Jalan Kelawei

The guardians of the Burmese Temple (Dharmikarama Temple) are two snarling white and gold lions, with scales, claws and fiery trim. The Buddha inside stands, smiling mysteriously into the gloom, one oversized white hand pointing up, and one down. The grounds are a bit nicer than those over the road at Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram, with more greenery and less concrete, and a few naturalistically painted statues.

Nattukottai Chettiar Temple

Jalan Kebun Bunga • Daily 7am–noon & 4–9pm • Free • 04 227 1322 • Bus #10 from Pengkalan Weld

The Nattukottai Chettiar Temple (more formally the Arulmigu Thandayuthapani Temple) is the focus of the riotous three-day Hindu Thaipusam festival, in honour of Lord Subramanian (January or February). One of the crowning moments is the arrival of a silver chariot carrying the statue of Lord Murugan, and a golden chariot, introduced in 2017 to carry the statue’s spear. The temple itself has an unusual wooden colonnaded walkway with exquisite pictorial tiles, leading up to the inner sanctum, where a life-sized solid-silver peacock bows its head to the deity, Lord Subramanian.

Botanic Gardens

Jalan Kebun Bunga, 6km west of central George Town • Daily 5am–8pm • Free • 04 226 4401, botanicalgardens.penang.gov.my • Bus #10 (every 45min; 45min)

Dating to 1884, George Town’s Botanical Gardens boast extensive lawns, a stream and little jungly waterfall, and several (rather paltry) plant houses. It’s often packed with groups of exercising Malaysians, who storm around the circuit trail.

You can walk to Penang Hill from here using the so-called jeep track, but it’s a tough uphill hike (3hr) – better to head down this way. A much easier hike just outside the gardens begins at the circular Chinese moon gate arch easily spotted on the main road; from here a wooded trail leads uphill, with views back over George Town. Most people head back down once they’ve reached the signed “Station 3” (allow 30min to get here).

Arrival and departure: George Town

Unless you’re on a plane or ferry, you’ll reach or leave Penang island by one of two mammoth bridges linking it with the mainland part of the state: the 14km Penang Bridge (from Seberang Prai, just south of Butterworth) and the 24km Second Penang Bridge (from Batu Kawan, 15km south of Butterworth).

By plane

Penang International Airport One of the busiest in the country, the airport (penangairport.com), 19km south of George Town at Bayan Lepas, has two tourist information counters (daily: Tourism Malaysia 8am–10pm; Penang Global Tourism 9am–5pm), a few ATMs and car rental kiosks. Buses #401 and #401E (both every 30min) run from outside the building to the terminal at Pengkalan Weld (1hr) via the KOMTAR building in the west of the city centre; bus #102 (hourly) also serves KOMTAR and then heads out to the beach at Batu Ferringhi. Uber and Grab are popular in Penang, and have the best rates from the airport and George Town. The airport operates a coupon system for unmetered taxis (around RM40, or RM60 in the small hours) – buy a ticket from inside the airport building.

Destinations Johor Bahru (2 daily; 1hr 10min); Kota Bharu (daily; 1hr); Kota Kinabalu (1–2 daily; 2hr 45min); Kuala Lumpur (KLIA: 22 daily; Subang: 20 daily; 1hr); Kuantan (3 weekly; 1hr 15min); Kuching (1–2 daily; 2hr); Langkawi (3 daily; 35min); Melaka (1 daily; 1hr 20min); Singapore (at least 12 daily; 1hr 25min).

By Train

Penang’s train station is in Butterworth. From here, you can either catch an Uber or a cab to George Town (20min; around RM30) or follow the signed footbridge to the ferry. There is also a ticket office at George Town’s ferry terminal (Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun 10am–2pm & 3–5pm, Fri 10am–1pm & 3–5pm).

By bus

You don’t have to buy bus tickets from the relevant terminal: there are bus company kiosks on the ground floor of the Prangin Mall close to the KOMTAR building, and informal travel agents on Lebuh Chulia plus some hostels sell train, bus and Langkawi ferry tickets.

Express bus station At Sungai Nibong, 8km southwest of George Town on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, the express bus station is served by several local buses, including #102 (for the airport, the KOMTAR building and Batu Ferringhi; hourly), plus #307 and #401 (both serve KOMTAR and the Pengkalan Weld terminal; every 30–45min). A taxi into town costs about RM25. Departures from the bus station often head first to Butterworth, although a few southbound buses bypass it. In general, though, Butterworth still has more frequent services and a wider range of destinations, so it may pay to catch the ferry to the mainland and pick up a bus there.

Backpacker minibuses Run by tour agencies, minivan shuttles serving the east coast, Cameron Highlands and southern Thailand, among other destinations, pick up and drop passengers at hostels and the Prangin Mall, with tickets sold at both of these. The journey across the border to Hat Yai, for example, costs around RM35.

By ferry

Butterworth Ferries shuttle between Butterworth and Pengkalan Weld (daily 5.40am–12.30am; every 20min–1hr; 20min; RM1.20 to George Town, free to Butterworth), docking at a terminal close to the local bus station at the end of Chulia Street.

Langkawi Langkawi ferries use the Swettenham Pier, just east of Fort Cornwallis, with tickets available from a cluster of agencies just outside, by the clock tower. There are daily departures at 8.30am and 2pm (2hr 45min; RM67 including port fees); the earlier of these calls also at the Pulau Payar Marine Park, making it possible to do (expensive) day-trips there with dive operators such as East Marine. Check the latest schedules and prices at langkawi-ferry.com and buy tickets at least a day in advance.

By car

Driving to George Town Whichever bridge you use, tolls are payable only on the journey over from the mainland (Penang Bridge RM7, Second Penang Bridge RM8.50) and only using a local Touch ‘N Go Card (touchngo.com.my) – you won’t be able to go through the turnpike without one. Arriving on the island, bear right (north) up the coast for George Town. There’s a reasonably central car park in the KOMTAR building on Jalan Penang.

getting around

By bus Rapid Penang (rapidpg.com.my) operates buses across Penang state. Many island routes originate at their station on Pengkalan Weld, with a station beneath the KOMTAR building serving as a secondary hub. The website gives a breakdown of routes, operating times (daily roughly 6am–9.30pm, although some services wind down much earlier or later) and frequencies (every 15min–1hr depending on the route). Fares climb with distance from RM1.40 (any trip within George Town) to RM4 in four steps; the airport to George Town, say, is RM2.70. A seven-day pass, Rapid Passport, offers unlimited travel for RM30 and is available at the bus station, KOMTAR and the Penang Global Tourism tourist office. Remember that drivers don’t give change. The overpriced double-decker Hop-On Hop-Off (RM40/24hr, RM74/48hr; myhoponhopoff.com/pg) plies a city route (13 stops) and a beach route (15 stops), connecting all major tourist sites.

By taxi It’s more convenient to use Uber or Grab, as taxi drivers don’t use their meters and tend to overcharge, but there are ranks on Pengkalan Weld, on Penang Rd near the Cititel hotel, and on Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Long, around the Prangin Mall – a trip to across town will be around RM15, out to Penang Hill or Batu Ferringhi about RM30. To book a taxi in advance, call Penang Taxi Drivers Association 04 262 5721.

By trishaw The humble trishaw (beca) clings on in George Town, mainly for the benefit of tourists. You’ll find the vehicles parked up on Lebuh Penang at the corner with Lebuh Muntri, and on Lebuh Armenian close to the Yap Kongsi, among other places. An hour’s pedal around the old town starts at RM35.

By bike Bike sharing system LinkBike (linkbike.my) has 25 docking stations scattered around George Town, Straits Quay and Queensbay. Packages start at RM2/day; download the app, purchase credit and scan the QR code to get your bike. Some guesthouses and shops rent bicycles out for around RM20/half day.

By motorbike Most guesthouses in Chulia St have motorbikes for rent, starting at around RM35/day.

By car Hawk, at the airport (04 227 9440, hawkrentacar.com.my); Hertz, 38 Lebuh Farquhar (04 263 5914); La Belle, 48 Lebuh Leith (016 416 0617, facebook.com/LaBelleCar); Mayflower, at the airport (04 641 1191, mayflowercarrental.com.my).

information and tours

Penang Global Tourism Ground floor, The Whiteaways Arcade, Lebuh Pantai 04 263 1166, mypenang.gov.my; map. Penang state’s tourist office can provide maps and leaflets on various aspects of local history and culture, some of which can be downloaded from their website, where you can also get e-coupon twenty percent discounts for several tours and many of George Town’s hit-and-miss museums. Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–3pm, Sun 9am–1pm.

Tourism Malaysia 10 Jalan Tun Syed Shah Barakbah 04 262 2093; map.152. Close to Fort Cornwallis, this is one of the more knowledgeable Tourism Malaysia offices. Mon–Fri 8am–5pm.

Tour guides If you have a special interest in, for example, architecture or history, or want to get off the beaten track, it can be worth engaging a professional guide at the Penang Tourist Guides Association (7 Lebuh Cannon; Tues–Sun; 04 261 4461, ptga.my).

Accommodation

There’s such a vast choice of hotels and guesthouses in George Town that there’s little reason to base yourself further afield. That said, it’s feasible to stay at the Batu Ferringhi beach or Balik Pulau and see George Town on day-trips.

HOTELS

23 Love Lane 23 Love Lane 04 262 1323, 23lovelane.com; map. Step through the square gateway hung with lanterns and it immediately feels like you’ve arrived at a private villa. Set around a lush garden of frangipani trees are ten spacious rooms, eclectically done out in snazzy hues. Besides doubles, there’s also a two-level family unit and a glorious three-bedroom shophouse. Breakfast and afternoon tea included. RM500

The Blue Mansion 14 Lebuh Leith 04 262 0006, cheongfatttzemansion.com; map. An expensive choice, but there are few more characterful places to stay in Penang. Cheong Fatt Tze’s former villa now offers eighteen stylish suites plus a swimming pool, spa, reading room and its own restaurant and bar. Noise from the adjacent Red Garden food court can be a little annoying at night, though. Breakfast included. RM1000

Chulia Mansion 139 Chulia St 04 261 8788, chuliamansion.com; map. If you must stay on busy Chulia St, this tall, refurbished concrete hotel is a reliable option, with good-value rooms and a sheltered rooftop with open-air bar and a free jacuzzi. They also serve free-flowing wine, coffee, tea and ice cream to guests. RM168

Le Dream 139 Jalan Pintal Tali 04 251 9370, ledreamhotel.com; map. The snazziest in an endless series of central George Town’s gentrifying refurbishments, Le Dream has an attractive neo-noir decor and smart rooms with Japanese-style bathrooms. A perk is the panoramic rooftop with bar and mini swimming pool, great for sunsets and city views. On the ground floor, upmarket restaurant Le Vie is popular for French-fusion mains and inch-thick Aussie-style ribeye steaks. RM400

Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel 10 Lebuh Farquhar 04 222 2000, eohotels.com; map. Some rooms at Penang’s historic hotel are set in the original colonial building, while many more are in a fifteen-storey newer wing. But you’ll pay hardly much more to stay in the former, where you can immerse yourself in what feels like a period mansion right on the seafront. The new wing has an infinity pool, and the original wing has a pool within a couple of metres of the sea. Breakfast included. RM860

East Indies Mansion 25 Lebuh China 04 261 8025, eastindieshotel.com; map. Converted from a recently restored private residence, this boutiquey hotel was once a tycoon’s home set around two adjacent Chinese courtyards. Some of the ten suites have mezzanines (with an extra queen bed) and a pretty spiral staircase. Breakfast is extra, but there’s a huge kitchen and dining hall for guest’s use. RM180

Jawi Peranakan Mansion 153 Jalan Hutton 04 261 8888, georgetownheritage.com/jawi-peranakan-mansion; map. The latest in architect Chris Ong’s heritage boutique hotel collection conjures a legacy of opulent Muslim-Indian colonial traders. The eight mansion rooms and six family suites, some with elevated wooden mezzanines, maintain the mansion’s original fittings, accompanied by a drizzle of authentic touches sourced directly from South India. Breakfast included. RM400

Penaga Hotel Corner of Jalan Hutton & Lebuh Clarke 04 291 3201, hotelpenaga.com; map. A block of 45 elegant rooms and several family villas set around a pool and garden in walking distance to all the main sites. Each of the spacious and well naturally lit suites has a unique design, warm wooden floors and original beams. Penaga also runs an artist residency programme, and guests are invited to socialize with whoever is working in-house at the moment. Breakfast costs RM28. RM430

Ren I Tang 82a Lebuh Penang (entrance on Lebuh China) 04 250 8383, renitang.com; map. This imposing three-storey colonial building originally housed a Chinese apothecary, its name now given to the mid-range hotel that has emerged following a splendid conversion – although they’ve deliberately retained a herbalist’s shop downstairs. There’s a vast range of rooms, including a family unit, a self-contained apartment and assorted doubles, some with distressed paintwork for that aged look. Note that there’s no lift, but they can winch your luggage to the top floor, on request. Breakfast included. RM220

Sinkeh 105 Lebuh Melayu 04 261 3966, sinkeh.com; map. Nine rooms in a lovely nineteenth-century house, reimagined by an award-winning architect. The rooms are compact and modern, with attached bathrooms and a/c, and a courtyard for socializing. Sinkeh also houses Reka Arts Space, which hosts small-scale theatre performances. RM280

Spices Hotel and Spices by the Park 29 Lebuh China 04 263 3580, spiceshotel.com; map. Tucked in behind Armenian Park, Spices Hotel feels more like an upmarket guesthouse. The rooms are large, with high ceilings and tall windows, and believe it or not, there’s a living Bodhi tree uprooting on the premises. If it’s full, ask to stay next door at, Spices by the Park, where the six delightful rooms are set above a little bistro, with a tiny rooftop to peek out over the Acheh mosque’s minaret. Spices RM175, Spices by the Park RM140

HOSTELS AND GUESTHOUSEs

Chew Jetty Homestay 59a Chew Jetty 013 438 1217, mychewjetty.com; map. One of the families at the old clan jetties offers a/c rooms in their house, with shared facilities; it’s a good opportunity to mingle with the community and wake to the sight of the sun rising over the mainland. Breakfast included. RM168

China Tiger Studio Apartments 29 Lebuh China 04 263 3580, chinatiger.info; map. Two five-person apartments, right in the hustle of Little India, yet perfectly insulated for quiet. The bright colours, quilted blankets and wall decorations by Penang-based visual artist and owner Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson truly make you feel at home in Penang. Apartment RM500

The Frame Guest House 168 Lebuh Chulia 04 263 8807, theframeguesthouse.com; map. Another in a series of cookie-cutter industrial shabby-chic George Town guesthouses, which are so popular with young flashpackers. Rooms have all the bells and whistles the standard demands, but lack distinctive character. This said, the long and airy common kitchen is a nice touch. Dorms RM33, doubles RM85

House of Journey 47 Lorong Seckchuan 04 263 3580, houseofjourney.wordpress.com; map. Inspiring backpacker hostel with large and airy dorms, a sociable vibe, and hundreds of comments and travel tips scribbled on the walls. The hairdryers and individual mirrors in the shared bathrooms are a welcome touch in this price category. Dorms RM34

Hutton Lodge 17 Jalan Hutton 04 263 6003, huttonlodge.com; map. It calls itself a budget hotel, but operates more like an informal guesthouse with a dorm and a wide range of plainly furnished rooms, singles and doubles, some en suite. What gives it a proper homely feel is that it occupies a detached two-storey former mansion that’s perhaps 100 years old, although what you see now was largely rebuilt after a major fire in 2003. Breakfast included; good value. Dorms RM32, doubles RM90

Old Penang Guest House 53 Love Lane 04 263 8805, oldpenang.com; map. One of the better restored shophouses, with a range of a/c rooms and two dorms. The sheets are crisp and clean, there’s a relaxing airy lounge with plasma TV, and staff are helpful. Light breakfast included. Dorms RM25, doubles RM80

Red Inn 55 Love Lane 04 261 3931, redinnpenang.com; map. A nicely converted shophouse with polished wooden floors, although the dorms are basic and unremarkable. They also have branches in the vicinity with double rooms as well as dorms. Perhaps the best feature is the generous breakfast – staff go out to buy noodles and roti canai. Dorms RM30, doubles RM90

Roommates Penangg 17b Lorong Chulia 04 261 1567, bit.ly/RoommatesPenang; map. This tiny hostel has just two eight-bed dorms, and feels all the homelier for it. They’re cosy, too, with privacy curtains and built-in lights for each bunk bed. RM32

Ryokan 62 Lebuh Muntri 04 250 0287, myryokan.com; map. Despite naming itself after a certain class of traditional inns in Japan, there’s not much that’s Japanese about Ryokan other than perhaps a fascination with slickness and modernity. Popular with budget-conscious locals, the place certainly goes all out for the flashpacker vote, with individual power points, lights and lockers for every dorm bed, and breakfasts that stretch to sausage and egg. They have en-suite rooms, too, and a bar. Dorms RM30, doubles RM140

Eating

Despite lacking the glitz of KL’s eating scene, Penang has earned a solid international reputation as the jewel in Asia’s street-food crown. Rightly or not, people the world over come to relish local specialities such as asam laksa, a rendition of laksa with the tang of tamarind; and nasi kandar, Muslim–Indian curries served with rice. The latter is ubiquitous in Malaysia now, of course, but originated, so the story goes, with Penang street vendors who carried their dishes in pots hanging from a shoulder pole (kandar).

restaurants and Cafés

China House 153 & 155 Lebuh Pantai, with another entrance at 183b Lebuh Victoria 04 263 7299, chinahouse.com.my; map. This café-restaurant-gallery led the charge of Western-style venues setting up shop in George Town . It’s famed for its enormous range of luscious cakes – more than two dozen at any time, including their signature tiramisu – though it also serves great meals (pies, pasta, etc) and breakfasts. Reckon on RM12 for cake, RM20 for breakfast, RM35 for a main course, not including drinks. Mon–Thurs 9am–midnight, Fri–Sun 9am–1am.

Jawi House 85 Lebuh Armenian 04 261 3680, jawihouse.com; map. A celebration of the Jawi Peranakan culinary heritage, cultivated by Middle Eastern and northern Indian spice traders who came to Penang and married local Malay women. Try specialities such as herbal lemuni rice, Jawi biriyani, or the highly recommended house signature bamieh – spice-rich tomato and lamb stew served with crusted Bengali bread. Count on RM30 for a meal, excluding drinks. Daily except Tues 11am–10pm.

Kassim Mustafa 12 Lebuh Chulia, at Lebuh Penang kassimmustafa.com.my; map. Filling half a block with green and yellow frontage, Kassim is a pretty standard Mamak joint, probably the slickest place in town for nasi kandar (around RM5). Daily 24hr.

Line Clear In an alleyway by 177 Jalan Penang, 04 261 4440; map. The origins of the name are lost, although it may have been a cry related to cleaning drains or settling the bill. What isn’t in doubt is the decades-long popularity of the nasi kandar in this unprepossessing joint. Meals rarely exceed RM10. Daily 24hr.

The Mugshot 302 Lebuh Chulia 12 405 6276, facebook.com/TheMugshotCafePenang; map. This little café does excellent sesame bagels, baked in their own wood-fired oven. Wash them down with excellent coffee or freshly squeezed juice; there’s also homemade yoghurt in exotic flavours such as jackfruit and gula melaka (palm molasses). The artisan bakery next door is run by the same people, offering focaccia, poppy seed bloomers and the like. Daily 8am–midnight.

Nasi Padang Minang 92 Transfer Rd; map. A feast of tangy Padang food cooked by Indonesian residents and housed in a Chinese kopitiam. Take your own rice and dishes, and elbow your way to a table, as it’s always packed with local workers on lunch break. The ikan sumbat (deep fried fish stuffed with shallots; RM8), is recommended. Daily 11am–6pm.

Sri Ananda Bahwan 53 & 55 Lebuh Penang 04 264 4204; map. Popular Indian cheapie with two outlets churning out the usual range of starchy, spicy breakfasts, thosai and curries, none of them more than RM10. The one on the corner with Lebuh China serves meat, the other doesn’t. Daily 7am–11pm.

Swimming Cat Café 15 Lebuh Queen; map. Artsy café fitted with potted plants and cute primary school desks and chairs, with a good mix of alternative tunes, coffee (RM6) and light snacks such as pizzas and Japanese-style titbits (around RM15), as well as an impressive selection of hipster magazines. Wed–Fri 3pm–10pm, Sat–Sun 11am–8pm.

Tai Tong 45 Lebuh Cintra 04 263 6625, facebook.com/TaiTongRestaurant; map. This dim sum restaurant has plastic chairs, wall fans and utilitarian metal trolleys groaning with food. The dim sum – until 11.30am and all evening – is excellent, including standards such as yam puffs and prawn dumplings; at lunchtime and at night the kitchen does à la carte orders, with dishes such as victory chicken (crisply roasted) and veg stir-fries. RM30 without drinks. Daily 7am–2.30pm & 7–10.30pm.

Woodlands 60 Lebuh Penang 04 263 9764; map. Run by two brothers, this a/c place is a tad smarter than the other Indian veg places in the area, and the cooking is a cut above, too. Come here for the usual banana-leaf meals, thosai and South Indian snacks, plus North Indian dishes such as malai kofta (cheesy potato dumplings in a creamy sauce). RM15, excluding drinks. Daily 8.30am–10pm.

Food courts

New Lane Hawker Centre Lorong Baru; map. An alternative to touristy Gurney Drive, yet increasingly popular with foreigners, New Lane’s cluster of open-air hawker stalls has a bit of everything Penang is famous for, all within walking distance of town. Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun 4pm–11pm.

Red Garden Food Paradise 20 Lebuh Leith 12 421 6767, redgarden-food.com; map. Touristy and thus regarded as a bit suspect by locals, nonetheless this food court offers an excellent range of hawker dishes, even stretching to Japanese and Filipino cuisine. If you’re feeling flush, order some spicy fish, prawn or crab dishes from the East Coast Grill Seafood outlet, which prices by weight. Mon–Fri 5pm–midnight, later at weekends.

STREET STALLS

Penang Road 55 Tahun Cendol Lebuh Keng Kwee 017 581 9091; map. Penang’s quintessential ice-and-sugar-based sweets, cendol and ais kacang (RM2.50), have been dished up here for fifty-odd years. Daily 8am–5.30pm.

Roti Canai Transfer Road Transfer Rd, between Jalan Hutton and Jalan Koyah; map. Sit at the roadside among chatty locals to enjoy Penang’s roti canai, mamak-style at this eighty-year-strong powerhouse. Famous for roti and curry, frothy kopi, and boiled eggs on roti bakar – toasted bread smeared with coconut jam and butter. Daily 6.30am–1pm.

Toh Soon Café Off 184 Campbell St 017 427 9327; map. Tucked up a side lane full of tables under a metal awning, this street-side kopitiam is perfect for coffees and all-day breakfast of roti bakar with kaya and boiled eggs. Penang’s chief minister, Lim Guan Eng is a regular. Constantly packed, but worth the wait. Mon–Sat 8am–6.30pm.

A YEAR OF PENANG FESTIVALS

For its size, Penang hosts an impressive number of cultural events, from religious celebrations to international arts festivals. Timing your visit with one of these can be the highlight of any trip; keep up with schedules on Penang Tourism’s website (visitpenang.gov.my).

January–April

Thaipusam (Jan–Feb) Devotees carry kavadi from George Town to the Waterfall Hilltop temple.Chinese New Year (Jan–Feb) Celebrated with fervour in George Town, with lion dances and fireworks, especially on the ninth day at the Clan Jetties on Weld Quay.Chap Goh Meh (Jan–Feb) On the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year, unmarried girls throw oranges into the sea, traditionally an auspicious omen to get a good husband.Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (Feb) Huge hot-air balloons fill up the sky at Padang Polo in George Town, close to the Botanical Gardens.

May–August

George Town World Heritage Site Celebration (7–9 July) Three days of cultural events and pop-up stages to celebrate George Town’s UNESCO status (facebook.com/GeorgeTownCelebrations). George Town Festival (weekends in Aug) A month-long celebration packed with local and international art, music, drama, film and dance – most of it free of charge (georgetownfestival.com).Hungry Ghost Festival (Aug–Sep) Quirky Chinese religious festival celebrated with pop-up stages to appease the return of demanding dead ancestors.

September–December

Nine Emperor Gods (Sep–Oct) A parade of chariots to welcome the arrival of the Taoist gods, with some light acts of self-injury. Mid-Autumn Festival (Sep–Oct) Chinese festival celebrated eating moon cakes, which were used in ancient China to carry secret messages. Deepavali (Nov) The Indian festival of lights enlivens the streets of Little India, George Town.

George Town Literary Festival (last weekend of Nov) Increasingly significant Southeast Asian literary event (georgetownlitfest.com). Penang Island Jazz Festival (early December) Annual summit of international jazz musicians and fans, held at Batu Ferringhi (penangjazz.com). Penang International Dragon Boat Festival (Dec) Dragon boats from all over Asia race on Teluk Bahang.

Drinking and nightlife

Besides our selection, the pedestrianized eastern end of Jalan Penang, aka Upper Penang Rd, has two rows of cookie-cutter pubs and a few dance clubs. Several discos also line Beach and Chulia St – expect trendy techno and R&B, and a predominantly well-heeled Chinese crowd. Nagore Square, a 10min walk from Chulia St up Hutton Rd, is a more interesting entertainment strip, packed with open-air bars, restaurants, cafés and a largely local crowd. The middle part of Chulia St and down along Love Lane and Muntri St has turned, for better or worse, into a blander version of Bangkok’s Khaosan Rd.

Bars

Hong Kong Bar 371 Lebuh Chulia 04 261 9796; map. You can’t miss this Chinese-run dive, adorned with military insignia –if you’re over forty, this will feel like a haven compared with other venues on Chulia. Daily 2pm–midnight.

Good Friends Club 31a Jalan Gurdwara, right next to Hin Bus Depot 016 452 9250, facebook.com/GoodFriendsClubPenang; map. Packed with local artists and hipsters, this shabby-chic hole in the wall has a tiny, dimly lit backroom filled with low tables. The bar out front serves beers, rums and fries, and more chairs spill on the kerb under a bright-pink neon sign – you can’t miss it. Mon & Wed–Sun 7pm–1am.

Mish Mash 24 Muntri St 017 536 5128, facebook.com/MishmMashPg; map. Fairly upmarket bar with a large menu of not-so-cheap cocktails (from RM30), an obsession with whisky, a good selection of tobacco and cigars, and a largely local crowd. Tues–Sun 5pm–midnight.

Narrow Marrow 252a Lebuh Carnarvon 016 553 6647, narrowmarrow.com; map. The favoured den of Penang creatives, Narrow Marrow is a long and indeed narrow converted shophouse, cleverly decorated with second-hand furniture and installations from recycled items by the owners, artist Jamie and architect Alvin. There are nutmeg sodas and unusual mojitos made with palm rice wine, plus tasty meals such as lamb curries with Bengali bread. Fri–Sun 2pm–1am.

Seventy7 34 Jalan Nagore, off Jalan Burma 04 226 2067, seventy7cafe.com; map. A 10min walk from KOMTAR, Penang’s main LGBT venue is a friendly affair in a chic refurbished shophouse, drawing a crowd of mainly twenty- and thirty-somethings. Mon–Thurs & Sun 6.30pm–1am, Fri & Sat 6.30pm–3am.

Three Sixty Degree Sky Bar Bayview Hotel, 25a Lebuh Farquhar 04 261 3540, 360rooftop.com.my; map. This open space around the Bayview revolving restaurant is a good spot for cocktails, Nyonya snacks and a bird’s-eye view of the E&O Hotel, St George’s Church and the dimly lit expanses of shophouses, dwarfed by the cylindrical KOMTAR building and more modest towers beyond the conservation zone. Daily 4pm–1am.

Clubs

Magazine 63 63 Jalan Magazine 016 469 0164, facebook.com/magazineM63; map. Hidden behind a wooden partition inside an apparently empty corner shophouse, George Town’s first speakeasy relies on the element of surprise. Once you push the right wooden panel, the glamorous interior, fitted like an old Chinese opium den, complete with smartly attired waiters, will take you back a couple centuries. Alas, the overpriced cocktails (from RM20) won’t, but the well-choreographed concept is a mark above the competition. DJs play most nights. Reservations recommended. Daily 7pm–3am.

Soundmaker Second floor, 62 Pengkalan Weld 017 428 7327, facebook.com/SoundmakerStudio; map. One of a rare breed in Malaysia, Soundmaker is a countercultural rock venue specializing in indie, punk, metal and so forth, with the occasional shot of hip-hop for good measure. Check their website for a list of gigs. Thurs–Sun 5pm–1am.

Shopping

George Town has a mixture of old shops selling traditional goods, cheap-and-cheerful touristy outlets, and several pricier galleries and souvenir shops, generally rather chichi.

Markets

Chowrasta Market Jalan Chowrasta; map. Even if it now looks like a shopping mall, Chowrasta is one of the city’s oldest markets, mainly selling produce, although there are some secondhand book stalls upstairs. Proceedings spill over colourfully into Jalan Kuala Kangsar behind; note too the traditional spring-roll-wrap maker on Jalan Chowrasta. Daily 7.30am–noon.

Occupy Beach Street Lebuh Pantai facebook.com/OccupyBeachStreet; map. Not a market as such, but there are craft and other stalls amid the general weekly merrymaking when the street becomes pedestrianized for buskers, dancers and other groups. Sun 7am–1pm.

Malls

Prangin Mall Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong prangin-mall.com; map. The most popular of the malls around KOMTAR, unpretentious Prangin proves yet again that in Malaysia upmarket isn’t usually best. There’s something for everyone – a Parkson department store, a supermarket, bargain clothes shops, electronics and phone shops (fourth floor) and a food court (fifth floor). Daily 10am–10pm.

Bookshop

Gerakbudaya 78 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling 04 261 0282, gerakbudayapenang.com; map. The best bookshop in town is a radical upstart with hard-to-find titles on Malaysian society and politics, Asian-focused coffee-table books, as well as English paperbacks. A great starting point to find out about George Town’s many art events, too. Daily 11am–8pm.

Clothes, textiles and shoes

Kedai Songkok Corner of Chulia St & Lebuh King; map. The last remaining traditional Malay skullcap artisan in Penang still makes songkoks to order. Daily 9am–8pm.

Rozana’s Batik 81b Lebuh Aceh 014 247 5347, bit.ly/RozanasBatik; map. Small, family-run shop specializing in hand-painted textiles on cotton or silk, with some clothing available to buy. They also run walk-in batik classes (2hr; RM50). Daily 11.30am–6pm.

Sam’s Batik House 183 & 185 Jalan Penang samsbatikhouse.com; map. This shop has mounds of slightly garish batik and silk, including tops and dresses galore; there’s more like this a few doors south at the Penang Bazaar. Daily 10am–6pm.

Souvenirs, curios and gifts

41 Living Story 41 Love Lane 04 261 1970, facebook.com/41LivingStory; map. Two floors of classic Asian trinkets, from Hong Kong-style China Girl posters, to batiks, cutesy wallets and handbags. Daily 10am–6pm.

Jonathan Yun Sculptural Jewellery 152 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling 04 263 1152, jonathanyunjewelry.com; map. Bespoke pieces of fine jewellery, mainly in silver, that draw on Straits Chinese patterns and motifs by award-winning artist Jonathan Yun.

Shop Howard 154 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling 04 261 1970, studiohoward.com; map. Run by local shutterbug Howard Tan, this place sells artsy pictures and hip collectables. Mon–Sat 12pm–6pm.

Tropical Spice Garden – in the City 29 Lebuh China 012 412 1744, bit.ly/TropicalSpiceGarden; map. Packets of tropical spices, batik, rattan-woven handbags and essences. Mon–Fri 10.30am–4.30pm, Sat 10am–6pm.

Eating and drinking: ayer itam

Bellevue Hotel Summit of Penang Hill 04 227 4006. Set in a dreary 1960s building, Bellevue is no colonial haven. Its saving grace is the terrace restaurant, which has good views, cream teas and highly regarded – though undeniably pricey – steamboat (RM66 for two people). Daily 7am–9pm.

David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terraces On its own mound 100m from the upper funicular station, Penang Hill 04 828 8337, penanghillco.com.my. A very English menu of cream teas, pies and steaks, plus a roast of the day and an excellent wine list, all in a smart country-pub-like setting – or as close to it as a house perched on a tropical hilltop can get. A few tables are set out on the immaculate lawn, and there’s a separate Sky Terrace section for drinks and snacks. Tea and scones costs RM28, and beef Wellington will set you back RM90 – when it’s available. Daily: restaurant 11am–9pm; Sky Terrace 9am–9pm.

Pasar Air Itam Laksa Jalan Pasar, Ayer Itam, where the bus sets down. Look for a small stall backed by a big red sign, and you’ll find what many rate as the best asam laksa in Penang, costing just RM3. The sauce is salty, sour and thick with heh koh prawn paste, all topped off with rice noodles, shredded vegetables, pounded fish and a handful of fresh herbs. Daily morning to mid-afternoon.

Northwest Penang

An 18km-long road runs along Penang’s northern coast, squeezed for much of the way between the sea and forests inland. The main settlement here, the dull beach resort of Batu Ferringhi, remains moderately popular as an alternative base to George Town and has a frequent bus service to the city, but frankly you’re not missing much if you simply shoot through to the Tropical Spice Garden or the coastal jungle of Penang National Park at Teluk Bahang, in the island’s northwest corner. There’s also a small clutch of minor sights along the road south of Teluk Bahang, en route to Balik Pulau.

Batu Ferringhi

Bus #101 from Pengkalan Weld/KOMTAR (every 20–30min) or #102 from the airport/KOMTAR (hourly)

To look at it now, you wouldn’t think that BATU FERRINGHI was the standard-bearer for Penang tourism during the long years when George Town was in the doldrums. These days it distinctly plays second fiddle, thanks as much to ugly overdevelopment as George Town’s successes.

Its centrepiece is some 2km of beach, not too narrow but with sand that, disappointingly, is the colour of milky tea. The whole beach is publicly accessible: either stride through the hotel compounds to reach it or, in the unlikely event staff are obstructive, use the path lined by beach-gear stalls that begins roughly opposite the McDonald’s at the start of the strip. All that said, the beach still makes for a nice contrast with George Town and is decent enough for watersports, with multiple firms competing for custom. For a general look, turn up in the late afternoon when the beach starts to get busy, and perhaps linger for an evening meal when the road comes alive with stalls selling batik, T-shirts and fake designer watches.

Tropical Spice Garden

Lone Crag Villa, Jalan Teluk Bahang • Garden Daily 9am–6pm (last entry 5.15pm) • RM29 with audioguide; RM49 on guided tour (daily 9am, 11am & 1.30pm) • Cooking classes Tues–Sun 9am–1pm • RM235/person; book one day in advance • 04 881 1210, tropicalspicegarden.com • Bus #101 or #102

Between Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang, the delightful Tropical Spice Garden has turned an abandoned rubber plantation into a cornucopia of herbs, spices and decorative flora, all set in a stylishly landscaped gully and shaded by former plantation trees. Three easy circuit trails loop between waterfalls and streams and introduce you to the plants and their commercial, culinary and traditional uses. There are cookery classes, a gift shop selling spices and products, and annexed Thai restaurant Tree Monkey, with a terrace overlooking nearby Monkey Beach – perfect for sunsets.

Teluk Bahang Road

Escape Tues–Sun 10am–6pm • RM83 • 04 881 1106, escape.my • Entopia Daily 9am–7pm, last entry 5.30pm • RM65 • 04 885 1253, entopia.com • Bus #101 or #102 both make a short detour here

Once it reaches the small town of Teluk Bahang, the road veers south and inland, passing two minor sights within the first kilometre before continuing to Balik Pulau. The first is Escape theme park, a series of obstacle-course-type challenges including zip lines and climbing ropes. Right next to it is Entopia, a two-storey indoor landscaped park home to 15,000-odd free-flying butterflies, 200 species of plants, and all manner of frogs, snakes, stick insects and scorpions.

Penang National Park

At the end of a small coastal road 1.5km beyond the centre of Teluk Bahang • Park office Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat & Sun 8am–6pm • Canopy walkway Mon–Wed, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm • Free • Nature guides RM250/half-day guided trek for up to five people • 04 881 4788 • Boat rides RM50–60/boat one-way to Monkey Beach, RM100 to Kerachut • 04 881 3530, bit.ly/PenangNationalPark • Bus #101 calls at the park (1hr from George Town) before doubling back to terminate at Teluk Bahang; bus #102 terminates at Teluk Bahang

PENANG NATIONAL PARK tends to fly under visitors’ radar, but it’s likeable all the same, a hilly chunk of old-growth forest, pandanus and mangroves. The trails lead to a handful of secluded, undeveloped beaches, where marine turtles nest throughout the year; the park also has some resident dusty-leaf monkeys in addition to the predictable long-tailed macaques.

At time of research, the canopy walkway was closed for maintenance. There are also two main trails, generally easy to follow, though steep and eroded in places. At the end of the initial 500m boardwalk, turn right for the 4.7km route to the Muka Head Lighthouse, where you might see sea eagles, passing Monkey Beach (3.4km), a good spot for a swim. Turn left for Kerachut Beach (3.4km), a cove with one of the only two meromictic lakes in the world (two layers of fresh and sea water that never mix), and a turtle hatchery at the far end; Teluk Kampi (4.9km) is yet another secluded beach.

At the park entrance is a booth staffed by nature guides, where you can book guided treks and buy useful gear. If you’re short on time, talk to the various boat operators opposite the park entrance; they offer surprisingly cheap rides to the beaches.

Accommodation: northwest penang

Batu Ferringhi

Ali’s 53 & 54b Jalan Batu Ferringhi 04 881 1316; map. The best of a series of beachfront guesthouses, Ali has bland, old-fashioned a/c rooms, some en suite, in a two-storey brick building surrounding a courtyard packed with pot plants. RM80

Bayview Beach Resort Western end of Batu Ferringhi 04 886 1111, bbr.bayviewhotels.com; map. Rooms are arrayed around the impressive pyramid atrium at this reasonably priced hotel, with tennis courts and two swimming pools. Booking weeks in advance might bring discounts. RM375

Lone Pine 97 Jalan Batu Ferringhi 04 886 8686, lonepinehotel.com; map. Now run by George Town’s Eastern & Oriental, this boutique hotel was founded as a humble lodge in 1948. Completely renovated and extended since, it now comprises what might as well be a swanky apartment building behind the original, low-rise block with shuttered windows next to a well-tended sea-facing garden. The rooms are bright and contemporary, complemented by a spa, pool and several restaurants. Book online for discounts. RM465

Roomies Fourth floor of the block opposite the Parkroyal Hotel, Jalan Batu Ferringhi 04 881 1344, roomiespenang.com; map. The slickest guesthouse on the strip, with flashpacker capsule-style bunk beds plus two rooms, one sleeping three, the other a double with its own bathroom. Dorms RM40, double RM200

Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Batu Ferringhi 04 888 8888, shangri-la.com; map. One of the very first resorts at Batu Ferringhi is still recommendable today, a lush, sprawling complex topped by Malay-style roofs and with an excellent freeform pool. There’s a garden wing for the hoi polloi and, for a premium of at least twenty percent, a boutique “Rasa” wing with its own pool, along with free cocktails and afternoon tea. RM900

PENANG NATIONAL PARK

Campsites Penang National Park 04 881 3530, wildlife.gov.my. There are campsites at Monkey and Kerachut beaches, though bear in mind that either is a 75min trek from the entrance. Kerachut has basic bathrooms and a kitchen, but wherever you stay, bring your own tent, stove and kitchenware. Free

EATING

BATU FERRINGHI

Eating in Batu Ferringhi is dominated by slightly overpriced restaurants, including an assortment of Middle Eastern places catering to the steady stream of Saudi and Gulf tourists.

Ferringhi Garden 34a, b & c & 43d Jalan Batu Ferringhi 04 881 1193, ferringhigarden.com.my; map. The most elegant of the strip’s restaurants, the outdoor tables drowning in potted orchids, ferns and pitcher plants, with plenty of stylish wood panelling and screens inside. There are two parts to the place: the Coffee Garden, serving light meals and snacks by day, and the main restaurant, with a more ambitious menu of Western/fusion dishes. Mains from RM30. Daily: Coffee Garden 8am–6pm; restaurant 4pm–midnight.

Happy Garden Western end of Batu Ferringhi 016 490 3543; map. Happy Garden looks more like a residential bungalow, in a lovely garden planted with bougainvillea, than a Hainanese restaurant. There’s plenty of seafood on the menu, plus predictable Western-inspired dishes such as chicken chop (RM15). Breakfasts include oats, pancakes or sausage and egg. Daily 9am–2.30pm & 6–10.30pm.

Khaleel Nasi Kandar Ground floor, towards the rear of the Eden Parade Shopping Centre 016 501 7324; map. A fine place to escape inflated prices and get your daily curry, roti and teh tarik fix – the food is genuinely above par, too, and meals rarely exceed RM10 per person. Daily 24hr.

Lebanon 190a Jalan Batu Ferringhi 04 881 3228; map. Middling among the Arabic restaurants in terms of price and quality. The mainstays are, unsurprisingly, kebabs (RM30) and meze (RM10), with curries and pizza for conservative local palates. Daily 2pm–12.30am.

Living Room Café 43c Batu Ferringhi 012 589 9136, facebook.com/LivingRoom11100; map. This informal place majors on Nyonya and other local cuisines, offering a limited number of dishes and doing them right. Locals tend to go for the beef rendang, although you can also take your pick from Western mains such as burgers and barbecued ribs. Around RM45, excluding drinks. Daily except Weds 10am–3pm & 6–10pm.

DRINKING

Bora Bora By Sunset 415 Jalan Batu Ferringhi 04 885 1313, facebook.com/BoraBoraBySunset; map. Fairly standard beach bar and restaurant with tables out on the sand and in the bar area under an atap roof. Food ranges from pizza to Malaysian staples (RM10–15); it’s not haute cuisine, but the sunset compensates. Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–1am, Fri & Sat noon–3am.

Snake Temple

Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, close to the airport • Daily 6am–7pm • Free • 04 643 7273 • Bus #102 from KOMTAR or #401 or #401E from George Town’s Pengkalan Weld

Visible from the airport road, Penang’s Snake Temple is a bright Buddhist affair, its forecourt guarded by two stone lions. Inside, the front altar – along with strategically placed shrubs in other halls – is draped in poisonous green pit vipers which, legend has it, mysteriously appeared upon completion of the temple in 1850. Pit vipers are naturally lethargic, but even so it’s hard to account for quite how dozy the temple’s specimens are – though you’d best not poke them to see if they’re real.

Penang War Museum

Batu Maung • Daily 9am–6pm • RM35 • 04 626 5142 • facebook.com/PenangWarMuseum • Bus #302

The Penang War Museum stands on the site of a 1930s British military fortress. You climb the hill to an area of bunkers, forts, underground tunnels and an observation tower, all designed to defend the position from a naval attack; unfortunately for the British, the Japanese stormed it from inland. The fort became a prison, abandoned after the war partly because it was believed to be haunted by those tortured to death here. It was recovered from the undergrowth and opened as a private museum during the 1980s.

Balik Pulau

Stretching from the lower end of Teluk Bahang all the way to Pulau Betong in the far south, off-the-radar BALIK PULAU (literally “back of the island”) roughly comprises one third of western Penang. It’s by far the least developed part of the state, a paddy-field strewn coastal plain encased between the Andaman Sea and Penang Hill’s western flanks, covered in viridian exotic fruit plantations, primarily coconut, banana, the endemic nutmeg, and the much prized, yet very smelly, durian. Roughly in the middle, Balik Pulau town is a 250m-long main street lined by old buildings, some recently tinted by Russian mural artist Julia Volchkova; though only Fong Silversmith, on the corner near the roundabout, is especially compelling. Its charming owner has been turning out simple, attractive jewellery for decades. At the other end of town there’s a nineteenth-century convent and the Sacred Heart Church, a pale grey and cream tin-sided structure dating to 1854.

Balik Pulau is best experienced outside the town, pedalling through streams and paddies on a bicycle, or enjoying the fishing villages and beach at Pulau Betong, Penang’s southwest corner, which also includes an islet of the same name. Pantai Pasir Panjang is one of the island’s best and quieter beaches, on Penang’s far southwestern headland, right in front of military base Kem Rimba Negara; watch out for the strong surf here. Uninhabited atoll Pulau Betong lies just north across the water; swimming here is prohibited, but it’s a good spot for angling (Ah Keat can organise boat transfers; 012 560 0201).

arrival and getting around: Balik Pulau

By bus Bus #401, #401E or #502 runs to Balik Pulau Bus Hub (a 5min walk to the town’s main strip) from George Town (#502 via Ayer Itam is the most direct service). It’s also possible to catch the #501 from Teluk Bahang, hopping on and off en route to the sites. Bus #503 connects the Balik Pulau Bus Hub to Pulau Betong.

By bike Two reliable operators organize half and full-day bicycle tours (RM60–99/person, including return transfers from George Town). Explore Balik Pulau (016 452 2100, explorebalikpulau.com.my) arrange tours in Balik Pulau’s central area of Sungai Burong, while Audi Penang (012 499 9099, audipenang.com) organize tours in the Pulau Betong area. Audi Penang also rent bikes for RM20/day.

accommodation

Audi Guest House 609 Jalan Pulau Betong, bus #503 stops nearby 04 866 2569, audipenang.com; map. Charming Malay wooden kampung house, 6km from Pasir Panjang beach. Guests stay in fan dorms or simple tatami-style a/c rooms (sleeping up to seven; whole rooms are booked out) with spacious balconies overlooking the peaceful countryside. This is also Audi Penang’s headquarters, where you can rent bicycles or join tours. Breakfast costs an additional RM5. Dorms RM20, triples RM90

Bao Sheng Durian Farm Along the Balik Pulau–Teluk Bahang main road, close to Titi Kerawang waterfall 012 401 0800, durian.com.my; map. Wake up and smell the durian in these two storeys of interconnected glass box rooms and private villas (RM50 extra) set around swimming pools on the slope of a durian farm. Mr “Durian” Seng, a true devotee of the spiky fruit, offers stay-and-eat packages in harvest season that include dinner, breakfast, and two durian tastings (RM300). Staying here off-season is no less charming, with good views over Penang and frequent burning-pink sunsets. Breakfast included; dinner RM60 extra. RM90

Malihom Up a steep hill off the main Balik Pulau–Teluk Kumbar main road 04 261 0190, malihom.com; map. Pure high-class seclusion atop a private hill estate, with sweeping views over Penang’s southeastern coast. The eight imported Thai wooden rice barns with en-suite bathrooms – some featuring sunken bathtubs with panoramic views, great for sunsets – are intimately clustered around the pool and restaurant-lobby. Malihom’s private 2km hiking trail passes through tropical fruit farms and woodland. Stays include one free transfer from the bottom of the hill. Wi-fi in the lobby. RM540, full board RM900

EATING

Jia Sang Café 321 Mk 7 Pulau Betong, right at the village junction to Pantai Pasir Panjang 019 746 8465; map. A popular no-frills kampung seafood restaurant dishing up fresh catch straight from the fish market nearby. You can bring in your own fish (about RM30–50), which the chef will cook for you in lemongrass or homemade Thai-style sauce for RM12–20. Gets very busy on weekends. Daily noon–6.30pm.

Nan Guang 67 Jalan Balik Pulau; map. The pineapple-tinged asam laksa and Thai curried laksa (RM4) at this down-at-heel kopitiam in Balik Pulau town have people lining up some time before they start serving to make sure they get a bowl. Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun 11am–late afternoon.

< Back to The west coast

Kedah and Perlis

The far northwest of Peninsular Malaysia is taken up by the states of Kedah and Perlis, which, in common with the northeast, were historically part of the Siamese sphere of influence. British rule this far north, in marked contrast to Penang and Perak, was relatively brief, kicking off in 1909 when the region was ceded to them by the Thais, who briefly reclaimed it during World War II courtesy of another treaty, this time with the invading Japanese.

Kedah has long been billed as the Peninsula’s jelapang padi, or rice bowl, and its landscape remains largely a mosaic of lustrous paddy fields. By far the best-known part of the state is the popular resort island of Langkawi, with good air links as well as ferry connections with Penang, Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis and southern Thailand. The mainland is easily bypassed, then, and the rewards for passing through are low-key, chiefly the Ulu Muda Eco Reserve, the odd archeological remains near the town of Sungai Petani, and the mosque-strewn capital, Alor Star. Perlis, Malaysia’s smallest state – at just 800 square km, it’s ten percent larger than Singapore – is also the greenest and least visited. Kelam Cave, in a national park straddling the Thai border, is worth slowing down for between transport connections.

Sungai Petani and around

On the north bank of the Petani River, SUNGAI PETANI is the most populous town in Kedah, with bustling suburbs and industrial areas that thrive on its location in Penang’s hinterland (Butterworth is just 35km away). There’s nothing to see in the old town centre other than the Art Deco King George V clock tower on the main street, but the town is the jumping-off point for anyone travelling to the Bujang Valley archeological site by public transport.

Bujang Valley (Merbok Museum/Lembah Bujang)

15km northwest of Sungai Petani, 2km from Merbok’s main street along a signed lane • Daily 9am–7pm • Free • 04 457 2005 • Alor Star-bound Maraliner buses from Sungai Petani’s local bus station stop in Merbok (hourly; 45min), or charter a taxi (around RM50 return, with a 1hr wait)

Just outside the town of Merbok, the Bujang Valley site commemorates a significant Hindu-Buddhist kingdom that flourished here for hundreds of years, possibly from as early as the second century. That said, there’s not very much to see; a brief visit of an hour or two is ample. First impressions are that you’ve arrived at the most surreal attraction in Malaysia, where a team of bricklayers has run riot on a landscaped hillside. What you’re looking at are in fact the low, stepped remains of candi (temples) from various locations nearby, reassembled here in an unnaturally tight cluster.

The centrepiece, Candi Bukit Batu Pahat, is a 27m-long granite structure that was not moved but restored in situ; the other candi are much smaller, some made of what look like worn, crimson-tinged brick, others suspiciously pristine. The on-site museum explains, somewhat incoherently, what little is known about the Bujang Valley kingdom, and how pre-war excavations brought its existence back to light. There are also some interesting finds from the various candi, including pots, gems and stone carvings of deities.

Arrival and information: Sungai Petani

Sungai Petani lies on Route 1, which doubles up as the main street.

By train A couple of blocks south of the clock tower, a bridge up and over the railway line leads east to the train station (04 421 0703).

Destinations Alor Star (hourly; 40min); Arau (hourly; 1hr); Ipoh (7 daily; 2hr); Kuala Kangsar (7 daily; 1hr 25min); Kuala Lumpur (7 daily; 4hr 20min); Taiping (7 daily; 1hr).

By bus The long-distance bus station is opposite the train station, in the UTC Building. The local bus station and taxi stand is on Jalan Petri, a further block south of the clock tower.

Destinations Alor Star (every 45min–1hr; 1hr 30min); Butterworth (RapidPenang Bus EB60; every 45min 6am–9pm; 45min); Ipoh (almost hourly; 4hr); Jerantut (for Taman Negara; 1 daily at 9.30pm; 8hr); Johor Bahru (at least 5 daily, all departing after 9pm; 10hr); Kota Bharu (2 daily at 11am and 8pm; 6hr); Kuala Besut (for Perhentian Islands; 1 daily at 10.50pm; 9hr); Kuala Kangsar (2 daily; 3hr); Kuala Lumpur (hourly; 5hr); Kuala Terengganu (2 daily; 5hr 30min); Kuantan (5 daily; 10hr); Lumut (for Pangkor; 3 daily; 4hr 30min); Melaka (4 daily; 7hr); Mersing (for Pulau Tioman; 1 daily at 10.15pm; 12hr); Seremban (3 daily; 5hr 30min); Singapore (4 daily; 10hr30min); Sik (en route to Ulu Muda; several daily; 2hr).

Accommodation and eating

There’s no reason to stay in Sungai Petani unless you want to catch an early connection to Lembah Bujang. Eat at the Malay and Chinese stalls in food courts just north of Jalan Petri.

M Season Boutique Hotel 119 Jalan Masjid 04 424 2133, mseasonhotel.com.my. Don’t get turned off by the 80s bright-pink exterior – the rooms here really stand up to the “boutique” moniker: plush mattresses, sparkling en-suite bathrooms and all the amenities you could hope for, for a fraction of the price you’d expect. However, some rooms are windowless, and breakfast is not included. Walk one block west of the local bus station and beyond the Cayman complex; M Season is on the right at the end of the road. RM80

Alor Star

A largely Malay town, conservative in feel, ALOR STAR (Alor Setar), Kedah’s transport hub, is remarkably sleepy for a state capital, especially at night. Clustered around the padang are several historic buildings, including a prominent mosque and former sultan’s palace, providing enough architectural and cultural interest that you might want to pause here for half a day en route to or from Langkawi, the Thai border or Ulu Muda Eco Park. Orientation is simple: the padang forms the heart of town, with the commercial centre to the east and what passes for Chinatown to the west across Route 1.

Padang

Alor Star’s padang and the open space on its north side are dotted with a mishmash of buildings, some associated with Kedah’s ruling house. Within the padang itself, the long white-stucco Balai Seni Negeri is a courthouse-turned-gallery showcasing local artists (daily 9am–5pm; free). The curious octagonal tower topped by a yellow onion dome, on the western side of the open space, is the Balai Nobat, housing sacred instruments played only during royal ceremonies. At the north end is the low, Neoclassical facade of the former High Court, now the Galeri Sultan Abdul Halim, showcasing assorted royal regalia (Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–5pm; RM2). The most refined building here, though, is the Masjid Zahir just across Jalan Pekan Melayu, which succeeds admirably despite being a mishmash of Moorish arches, a Turkish pencil minaret and weighty black bulbous domes.

Istana Balai Besar

The history of the padang’s most important building, the elegant Istana Balai Besar (Royal Audience Hall), mirrors that of the town. Founded in 1735, it was badly damaged in 1770 by the Bugis (seafaring raiders from Sulawesi in Indonesia), and later by Thai armies in 1821. The present, late nineteenth-century version has a Malay multilayered shingle roof, supported by colonial-style iron columns and eave decorations, alongside a very European-influenced flowing staircase. One of its first functions was to host the marriages of Sultan Abdul Hamid’s five eldest children in 1904: the celebrations lasted three months, and the cost bankrupted Kedah – forty buffaloes had to be slaughtered to feed the crowds each day.

Kedah Royal Museum (Muzium Diraja)

Behind the Balai Besar, northeast of the padang • Mon, Sat & Sun 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–12.30pm & 2.30–5pm • Free

Guarded by a motley collection of bronze cannon (some stamped with the “VOC” of the Dutch East India Company), the Kedah Royal Museum was once the royal palace. Squat and compact, dating to 1930, it must have made a fairly modest palace, and though the cases of ceremonial keris daggers, silver dinner services, gold anklets and brass betel sets hint at wealth, there’s no feeling of splendid indulgence – indeed, many exhibits (including a pair of binoculars used by one sultan on safari in Africa) are decidedly mundane.

Alor Setar Tower (Menara Alor Setar)

Route 1, north of the padang • Daily 10am–10pm • RM16 • menaraalorsetar.com.my/en

A mini-version of KL’s similar Menara Tower, Alor Setar Tower (Menara Alor Setar) is a 165m-tall communications tower with an observation platform halfway up. Come here for views of pancake-flat paddy fields pierced by distant limestone outcrops, and the mostly low-rise, unprepossessing town below.

State Museum (Muzium Negeri)

Jalan Lebuhraya Darulaman (Route 1), 2km north of the centre • Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–12.30pm & 2.30–5pm • Free • kedahmuseum.gov.my • Any bus from Pekan Rabu bound for Shahab Perdana

The State Museum (Muzium Negeri) fills you in on Kedah’s traditions and history, including background to the archeological finds at the Bujang Valley. One noteworthy exhibit is the bunga mas dan perak (“the gold and silver flowers”), a pair of 1m-tall “trees”, one in gold, one in silver – in the past, the Malay rulers would have despatched such items in tribute to their Thai overlords.

Pekan Rabu

Jalan Tunku Ibrahim

Pekan Rabu is the town’s main market, three concrete floors of preserved, fresh and cooked food, clothes, handicrafts and household necessities, plus local farm produce. Look for stalls selling dodol durian (a sort of black, gooey jam made from the fruit) and “durian cake”, a plain mix of pulp and palm sugar.

Tun Mahathir House (Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir)

18 Lorong Kilang Ais, southwest of the padang • Tues–Thurs 10am–5.30pm, Fri 10am–noon & 3–5.30pm • Free

The life of the local doctor who became the most powerful Malaysian prime minister of modern times, Mahathir Mohamad, is documented at his birthplace and family home, Tun Mahathir House (Rumah Kelahiran Mahathir), now a museum. Even if you’re not interested in the brash former premier, it’s worth dropping by to get an idea of what a traditional middle-class Malay home looked like in the middle of the last century.

Arrival and INFORMATION: Alor Star

By plane The Sultan Abdul Halim Airport is 11km north of town, accessible by the hourly Kepala Batas bus from the express bus station, or by taxi (around RM25).

Destinations Kuala Lumpur (KLIA2; 4–5 daily; 1hr); Kuala Lumpur (Subang; 8 daily; 1hr).

By train The station is centrally located, just southeast of the centre on Jalan Stesyen (04 731 4045).

Destinations Arau (hourly; 20min); Butterworth (hourly; 1hr 50min); Gemas (3 daily; 7hr 30min–8hr); Ipoh (5 daily; 2hr 30min); Kuala Kangsar (5 daily; 2hr 50min); Kuala Lumpur (5 daily; 4hr 30min–5hr); Seremban (3 daily; 6hr 30min–7hr); Sungai Petani (hourly; 30min); Taiping (5 daily; 1hr 30min).

By local bus A small number of firms, including HBR, MARA and Cityliner, run local buses to most parts of the state (daily 6am–8pm). They all use a central bus stop – with no ticket office or timetables – on the north side of Jalan Tunku Ibrahim, opposite the Pekan Rabu market. Some long-distance buses also call here en route to/from Shahab Perdana.

Destinations Kangar (hourly; 1hr 15min); Kuala Kedah (1–2 hourly; 20min); Naka (for the Ulu Muda Eco Park; hourly; 2hr); Sungai Petani (#2; every 45min–1hr; 1hr 30min).

By long-distance bus Long-distance buses use the Shahab Perdana station, annoyingly far away at 5km northwest of the centre, connected to town by local bus #2 and taxis (RM10). Some express buses pass through town first, setting passengers down at Pekan Rabu; some northbound local buses pass through Shahab Perdana en route to their destination.

Destinations Butterworth (8 daily; 2hr); Ipoh (10 daily; 4hr); Johor Bahru (4 daily; 12hr); Kota Bharu (daily at 10am and 10pm; 5hr); Kuala Kangsar (4 daily; 4hr); Kuala Kedah (every 30min; 15min); Kuala Lumpur (hourly; 6hr); Kuala Terengganu (2 daily; 8hr 30min); Kuantan (2 daily at 8.45am and 9.30pm; 9hr); Lumut (5 daily; 4hr 30min); Melaka (8 daily; 7hr); Mersing (for Pulau Tioman; daily at 8.45pm; 12hr); Penang (3 daily; 2hr 30min); Seremban (at least 2 daily; 6hr); Singapore (3 daily; 13hr); Taiping (daily at 9.45pm; 3hr 30min).

By ferry Langkawi ferries (04 762 6295, langkawi-ferry.com) dock at Kuala Kedah, 12km west of town. Local buses drop off and pick up on the main road outside the ferry terminal; a taxi costs around RM20.

Destinations Langkawi (Kuah; 14 daily, 7am–7pm; 1hr 45min; RM23).

By taxi Taxis can be found around Pekan Rabu. A ride to the main Thai border crossing at Bukit Kayu Hitam costs RM55 (45min).

Tourist office Tourism Malaysia occupies a yellow building behind the 1930s former courthouse on Jalan Raja (Mon–Wed, Sat & Sun 8am–5pm, Thurs 8am–3.30pm; 04 730 1322).

Accommodation

With mainland Kedah seeing few visitors, Alor Setar’s selection of hotels is quite dreary.

Miramar 46 Jalan Putra 04 733 8144; map. One of the better cheapies, the Miramar is a low-rise concrete block with dull but more than adequate a/c en-suite rooms, nicely located for the eating places elsewhere on the street. RM70

New Regent 1536 Jalan Sultan Badlishah 04 731 5000, bit.ly/newregent; map. It’s rare to see a modest facelift successfully transform an ageing hotel, giving the atrium a light, airy feel and imbuing the rooms with touches of contemporary style. Nothing lavish but cosy and good value. RM132

Eating

Alor Star’s Chinatown (Pekan Cina), along a quiet bend of the Kedah River south of the Masjid Zahir, hasn’t remained immune to street art and café gentrification, and is the best part of town for eating and drinking. At night, while the rest of the centre shuts down, the food courts around Jalan Putra and Jalan Cheah Toon Lok buzz with cheap Chinese street stalls.

Caffè Diem 44 Jalan Penjara Lama 04 730 8895, facebook.com/DiemCaffe; map. This award-winning restored double-storey shophouse is a recent addition to Chinatown’s hipster scene. Three original Kedah wooden fishermen boats dangle from the ceiling over exposed brick walls, maroon tiles and marble-topped wooden, retro-chic tables. Besides coffee and cakes (about RM10), there’s a wide array of pastas and burgers alongside Malaysian staples. A meal will set you back RM30. Daily noon–midnight.

Nasi Kandar Salam Jalan Putra, close to Jalan Menanti; map. Friendly joint with a lunchtime biriyani offering in addition to the usual nasi kandar curries, plus roti canai and tandoori chicken, all for less than RM10. Daily 24hr.

Parrot Espresso 95 Pekan Cina 016 400 3333; map. This tiny shophouse, with just a couple of tables and sofas as well as a delightful veranda over the Kedah River, is Alor Star’s attempt to imitate George Town’s Western-style cafés. The coffee is more than tolerable, as are the cream cakes (from RM10), but it’s the views of Masjid Zahir soaring over the river that make it really worth a visit. Bottled beers and ciders available too. Daily noon–midnight.

Viet Café 89 Pekan Cina 017 550 4713; map. Sharing the veranda with Parrot Espresso is this Mekong-inspired restaurant serving Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese dishes in a better-than-average dining hall. A meal costs about RM30. Mon–Thurs 11am–3pm & 5.30pm–11pm, Fri–Sun 11am–11pm.

Ulu Muda Eco Park

Tucked up against the Thai border and enclosing three lakes, Ulu Muda Eco Park has similarities with Perak’s Royal Belum. However, this isn’t a state-level park, but a mere forest reserve which, in the context of Malaysia, confers little protection – indeed, logging remains an issue in an area that is, for now, still rich in wildlife. Due to its remoteness, the only practical way to see the park is on a pricey package trip, but the rewards can be substantial. Thick with salt licks that lure animals, the park offers a reasonable chance of encountering elephants and wild boar, as well as reptiles and birds, including the rare spotted leopard and, between May and September, the plain-pouched hornbill.

The park is accessed by boat from Gubir, not much more than a jetty 75km east of Alor Star; a two-hour sampan ride from here lands you at the only accommodation, Earth Lodge. Hiking tracks link the lodge to limestone caves, hot springs (which many animals visit early in the morning or at night, when the temperatures drop) and wildlife hides.

Arrival and departure: Ulu Muda Eco Park

By bus and taxi The closest you can get to Gubir by public bus is either Sik, 30km southwest (buses from Sungai Petani), or Naka, 25km northwest (buses from Alor Star). From either of these, you’ll need to find a taxi (most likely, just a local with a car); expect to pay RM50.

By car From Alor Star, take Route 175/K8 through Langgar and on up the K11 to Kuala Nerang, where you turn southeast for Gubir. From Butterworth, take the North–South Expressway and exit at Gurun, taking route K10 to Sik, where you turn on to Route K8 to Gubir.

accommodation

Earth Lodge Kuala Labua, inside the park 019 442 8926, earthlodgemalaysia.com. Newly renovated cabins, managed by two committed conservationists. Book at least two weeks in advance. Rates here are per person for a three-day package including full board, boat rides, various activities and park permits. Dorms RM900, doubles RM1100

Langkawi

Situated 30km off the coast, just south of the Thai border, LANGKAWI is, at 500 square kilometres, the largest of an archipelago of mostly uninhabited islands. Once a haven for pirates, the island is now home to some of the priciest resorts in the country, taking advantage of beaches that are among the best on the west coast. Thankfully there’s relatively little high-density development, and there is a sprinkling of budget and mid-range accommodation at two beaches, Tengah and Cenang. The island is also popular with international yachties for its marinas, which are relatively cheap – and Langkawi’s duty/GST-free status means beer is ridiculously cheap. Many diversions are on offer beyond lazing around on the sand, including taking a mangrove cruise after sea eagles, snorkelling or scuba diving at the Pulau Payar Marine Park to the south, and riding the terrific Langkawi Cable Car and adventurous zipline over the interior forests to the top of Mount Machinchang.

Langkawi is sufficiently far north that, as at Phuket and other west-coast Thai resorts, the southwest monsoon can have some bite. From May to August, rainy days can be more frequent here than elsewhere in Malaysia, with a dampening effect on the crowds and room rates.

Kuah

If you fly in, chances are that you’ll never glimpse Langkawi’s forgettable main town, KUAH, in the southeast of the island; indeed visitors off the ferries stay barely long enough to use the ATMs at the boat terminal and find a taxi to their accommodation. Just north of the ferry terminal, a separate section of the waterfront is home to Dataran Lang or Eagle Square, graced by the town’s only landmark: an enormous sculpture of a sea eagle (lang being a contraction of helang, Malay for “eagle”).

Cenang Beach

Around 18km west from Kuah, Cenang Beach is Langkawi at its most built-up, a 2km stretch that has seen an orgy of seemingly unrestrained get-rich-quick development in recent years, packing in numerous places to stay and eat as well as duty-free shopping malls. Whatever you think of the strip, you’ll almost certainly warm to the beach – Langkawi’s most popular – a long, broad strip of fine-white sand. There may be jellyfish in the water, so take local advice about swimming.

Laman Padi Rice Garden and Museum

At the northern end of Cenang Beach, opposite Meritus Pelangi Beach • Daily 10am–6pm • Free • 04 955 4312

The Laman Padi Rice Garden and Museum is home to an interesting collection of artefacts, photos and tools showing the history of rice cultivation in Langkawi and Kedah. There is a Paddy Gallery, a floating rice garden, and a viewing deck over a pretty, multi-tiered rooftop rice terrace. Things get more exciting at the Herb Garden and Garden of Variety, where you can don a straw hat and have a go at rice farming.

Underwater World

On the headland at the southern end of Cenang Beach • Daily 10am–6pm (public and school holidays 9.30am–6.30pm) • RM46 • 04 955 6100

Although their Coco Valley duty-free emporium seems to be a significant reason for the enterprise, Underwater World is actually a substantial aquarium, with more than a hundred tanks housing thousands of marine and freshwater fish. The highlight is the obligatory walk-through tunnel where sharks, turtles and hundreds of other sea creatures swim around and above you. There are also penguin and seal sections, with daily feeding sessions.

Tengah Beach

In contrast to Cenang, Tengah Beach still has something of a rural feel, although development is slowly catching up here, as new hotels and restaurants continue to sprout up on both sides of the road. The beach is slightly shorter than Cenang and not quite as pleasant, with coarser sand and occasionally rough surf. All this means, of course, that there are fewer people about, which can be a bonus.

Pantai Kok and around

North up the coast from Cenang Beach, beyond the airport, is Pantai Kok, another of Langkawi’s well-known beaches, with a handful of resorts scattered on or near it. Just inland are two major sights: the Langkawi Cable Car, the only one of the island’s man-made attractions that ranks as essential, and the cascades at Telaga Tujuh.

Langkawi Cable Car

Oriental Village • Cable car Daily 9.30am–7pm • RM55 return, RM50 extra to jump the queue; glass-bottomed gondola RM105; Skyglide and Skybridge RM15, or walking up RM5 • 04 959 4225, panoramalangkawi.com • SkyTrail RM200/person for the complete ascent and return by SkyCab • 019 590 2300, junglewalla.com

Much of Langkawi’s northwest is untouched rainforest atop low peaks of mixed sandstone and shale, one of which is Mount Machinchang (710m). At its foot, the tourist-trap theme park Oriental Village is the lower terminus of the magnificent Langkawi Cable Car up the mountain. With a 42-degree incline, the ride is not only the steepest of its kind, but also boasts the longest free span for a mono-cable car: a thrilling 950m long, great for eagle-spotting. Return trips are sold as package combos that include entrance to the Oriental Village’s other hit-and-miss attractions, such as 360-degree 3D cinema Skydome; dinosaur-themed, tram-simulator Skyrex; and the 3D Art Museum – be prepared to fend off local selfie sticks. You can also ride a glass-bottomed gondola for full-views of the broccoli-head rainforest underneath your feet.

Upon reaching Middle Station at an elevation of 650m, choose between taking the Skyglide and walking the 900m to the Top Station, where a 125m-long SkyBridge spans a deep valley and gives a spectacular view over the Andaman Sea – not for those with a fear of heights. Keen hikers may consider walking the SkyTrail from Middle (900m; 45min), or even Base to Top Station (2.2km; 6–8hr return, with lunch and sightseeing breaks).

Langkawi Tours and Activities

Operators based at Cenang Beach and elsewhere offer a wide range of activities around Langkawi, perhaps the most popular being mangrove cruises and island-hopping trips. The price for non-beach activities often includes free pick-up from Cenang or Tengah beaches.

The standard itinerary for island-hopping boat trips (4hr; RM45/person) takes in forested Pregnant Maiden Island (Pulau Dayang Bunting), whose crater lake is good for swimming, Singa Besar for eagle feeding, and Beras Basah for beach and clear water. For something more luxurious, firms such as Crystal Yacht (crystalyacht.com) and Tropical Charters (tropicalcharters.com.my) offer sunset cruises with drinks and a barbecue dinner for around RM260 per head.

If it’s wildlife you’re after, your best bets are Junglewalla (from RM180; 019 590 2300, junglewalla.com), run by expert naturalist Irshad Mobarak, and Dev’s Adventure Tours (RM140–250; 019 494 9193, langkawi-nature.com). Both companies offer numerous excursions including cycling trips, birding tours, kayaking through mangroves and evening jungle treks, during which you might spot the bizarre flying lemur (colugo) – something like a cross between a fruit bat and a squirrel.

Mangrove AND SEA SAFARIS

The Langkawi archipelago is a member of the Global Geoparks Network, a UNESCO-endorsed initiative to protect and promote “geological heritage of international significance”. In Langkawi’s case (langkawigeopark.com.my), that geology includes karst landscapes, and it’s the limestone crags and peaks that add a special flavour to local mangrove cruises. In fact the mangroves themselves often play a mere supporting role, as these trips also involve a visit to a bat cave, a fish farm and eagle-feeding sessions.

Trips set off from the jetties at Tanjung Rhu and the Kilim Geoforest Park when enough people show up to fill them (RM110/4hr); ideally turn up at 9 or 10am, although you can haggle to charter a boat privately (RM400/eight people). These cruises are essentially unguided as the fee just pays for the ride; for a professionally guided trip by boat or kayak (RM980/five people for a private boat or RM170/person), with a restaurant meal along the way, try Dev’s Adventure Tours. Dev’s also run the naturalist-guided Sea Safari (RM200/person, maximum eight people), an eco-adventure cruise through the lesser-visited southwestern islets of Langkawi’s archipelago that includes jungle hiking and swimming at a secluded beach.

Watersports, snorkelling and diving

On the beach, several watersports operators charge about RM120/180 for parasailing on the beach or around their bay, or RM180 for half an hour on a jet ski, among other activities. It’s even possible to do an island-hopping tour by jet ski (3hr; from RM600/person; megawatersports.com).

Pulau Payar Marine Park is the place to head for snorkelling and scuba diving; south of Langkawi, it features seasonally clear water and colourful fish life including giant potato cod and blacktip reef sharks. A well-established operator is East Marine (diving day-trips RM390, or RM250 to snorkel; same prices for day-trips out of Penang; eastmarine.com.my), though agents in Cenang Beach have cheaper deals.

Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh)

About 1.5km beyond the Langkawi Cable Car turning, the main road terminates at the entrance to the Seven Wells Waterfall (Telaga Tujuh), where a cascading freshwater stream has eroded the rock to form several pools down a slope. During the rainy season, the slipperiness of the moss covering the rock in between the pools helps you slide from one pool to another, before the fast-flowing water disappears over the cliff to form the 90m-high waterfall visible from below – it’s only the depth of the water in the last pool that prevents you from shooting off the end. Legend as it that mountain fairies created the sintuk, a climbing plant with enormous pods, that grows around these pools; the locals use it as a hair wash, said to rinse away bad luck. The walk to the pools from the car park takes about 45 minutes, the last stage of which involves a steep 200m-high climb up from the inevitable cluster of souvenir stalls at the base of the hill. From the pools, you can climb further up to the top of the waterfall, where an ugly looking red metallic bridge offers unparalleled views over the Geopark and the Andaman Sea.

Umgawa Zipline Eco Adventures

Seven Wells Waterfall’s Parking Lot • Daily 7am–7pm • Jungle Flight (1hr) RM199; Big Waterfall Adventure RM499 (2hr 30min) • 013 343 8900, umgawa.com

Langkawi’s newest attraction, Umgawa Zipline Eco Adventures is also the island’s first zipline eco-tour. The twelve zips, of up to 200m in length, send visitors soaring over the Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park, offering a bird’s – and monkey’s – eye view of the Seven Wells Waterfall and the Andaman Sea. The experience doesn’t come cheap, but security standards are world-class and the guides are all English speaking and well trained in spotting fauna and flora.

Skytrex Adventure

Opposite the Danna resort • Daily 9am–5pm, last entry 3pm • RM50–70 depending on the obstacle course • 019 280 5679, skytrex-adventure.com

Skytrex Adventure sounds a discordant note amid the manicured resorts of Pantai Kok, and that’s no bad thing. Here you can challenge yourself on three obstacle courses of varying levels of toughness, each taking two to three hours – expect lots of net and rope bridges and the odd spot of abseiling.

Black Sand Beach

Around halfway along Langkawi’s north coast, Black Sand Beach (Pantai Pasir Hitam) is actually pale grey – said to have been caused by ash, after locals torched their rice fields during a war with the Thais in the eighteenth century. It’s a pleasant place to pull up, with little craft hauled up on the gently sloping shoreline.

Tanjung Rhu

Langkawi’s northernmost road runs to the tip of Tanjung Rhu, a 4km-long promontory fringed in casuarina trees, where you can join a mangrove cruise from the jetty. There’s a good beach, sheltered and overlooking several islets – one of which, Chabang, can be reached on foot at low tide. Be sure to check tide times to avoid being stranded or swimming the 500m back to shore.

Kilim Geoforest Park

Taking up the northeastern part of the island, Kilim Geoforest Park showcases contorted limestone formations, some forested, others starkly beautiful, interspersed with valleys where mangroves thrive. There are no trails, however; most visitors make a beeline for the jetty to sign up for a mangrove boat trip or kayaking. If you don’t fancy either, you can simply survey the mangroves from a boardwalk, which ends at a cave populated by bats.

Mount Raya

Summit lookout tower daily 9am–6.30pm • RM10

Reached off a road through the centre of the island, Mount Raya (881m) is Langkawi’s highest point. It also happens to be driveable, although if you plan to head up in a rental vehicle, check with the agent that it can cope with the steep, twisting 7km access road. Once at the top, you’re rewarded with views down over jungle to the coast that can rival those from the cable car. This is also one promising place on the island to spot hornbills.

Arrival and departure: Langkawi

Langkawi’s excellent travel links with other parts of Malaysia, as well as with Singapore and southern Thailand, mean you don’t have to return the way you arrived. Various agents at Cenang and Tengah beaches can assist with onward travel, including combined boat-and-van transfers to Thailand.

By plane Langkawi Airport is on the west coast at Padang Matsirat, 20km by road from Kuah and only 5km from Cenang Beach. There’s a tourist information point and a taxi counter where you buy a coupon for your destination; the fare to Tengah or Cenang beaches, say, is around RM25.

Destinations Johor Bahru (1 daily; 1hr15min); Kuala Lumpur (KLIA: hourly; 1hr; Subang: 3–5 daily; 1hr); Kuching (4 weekly; 2hr 10min); Penang (3–4 daily; 35min); Singapore (1–2 daily; 1hr 30min).

By ferry At the southeastern edge of Kuah, Langkawi’s ferry terminal feels like a shopping mall with piers out the back. There are ATMs inside the building, while at the front is a separate building housing a tourist office and booths selling ferry tickets (schedules for most routes at langkawi-ferry.com). It’s worth booking Penang tickets a day in advance. To get to Koh Lipe, Thailand, in low season, buy a ferry and minivan combo ticket via Satun and Pak Bara at Kuah’s Ferry Terminal. Taxis from Langkawi’s ferry terminal should be around RM30 to Cenang or Tengah beaches, RM40 to Tanjung Rhu and RM45 to Pantai Kok.

Destinations Koh Lipe (Thailand; 1 daily; 1hr 20min); Kuala Kedah (14 daily; 1hr 30min; RM23); Kuala Perlis (14 daily; 1hr; RM18); Penang (daily at 8.30am and 2pm; 3hr; RM70); Satun (Thailand; daily at 9am and 3.30pm; 1hr 15min; RM35).

Getting around

Langkawi has a reasonable network of country roads, with a veritable expressway between Kuah and Cenang Beach. Unfortunately, there are no buses, so you’ll be using taxis at some point or renting a vehicle. As the island is barely 25km across at its widest point, even a comprehensive tour is unlikely to cover more than 100km.

By taxi Langkawi has some Uber and Grab drivers – try these apps first for the best fares. Taxis have set fares from the airport, ferry terminal and taxi stands, which can be found at McDonald’s next to Underwater World at Cenang Beach and Tropical Resort at Tengah Beach, among other places. If you think you’re being overcharged, ask to see the official tariff sheet or check with tourist offices. For journeys that start elsewhere, you may need to haggle.

Vehicle rental Some car rental agents at Cenang soundly undercut the usual chains on price, but Kuah’s ferry terminal is by far the best place for cheap rental vehicles. Don’t be afraid to negotiate, and remember that a day should be counted as 24hr, not the date. A basic Malaysian-built Perodua will set you back around RM70/day. Scooters and two-strokes motorbikes will cost around RM35/day. Note that rates can rise by fifty percent or even double over busy holiday periods, at which time the chains may not be such a bad deal.

information

Tourism Malaysia Both the counters at the airport (daily 9am–10pm; 04 955 7155) and at the back of the small building fronting the ferry terminal (daily 9am–5pm; 04 966 0494) have leaflets covering tours and activities and can help with practical advice on taxi fares and sightseeing.

LADA The authority that manages Langkawi runs a centralized tourist information website of varying usefulness (naturallylangkawi.my). Check also (langkawi-info.com) for best of listicles and tour information.

Accommodation

Practically all the worthwhile cheap places to stay are at Cenang Beach, all of the upmarket resorts are elsewhere, and you’ll find a few mid-range options at Tengah and Cenang. If it’s a toss-up between the last two, choose Cenang for buzz, cheap food and ready access to shops; Tengah if you’d prefer to pay a bit more for food and lodging in leafier surroundings. As ever, book a few days ahead over holiday periods, when rates can rise by ten to fifty percent above those listed below.

Cenang Beach

AB Motel Jalan Pantai Cenang 04 955 1300, abmotel.weebly.com; map. This beachside motel isn’t much to look at, but it’s well established and popular. All rooms are a/c and en suite, some in the main block, others in single-storey rows. RM100

Bon Ton/Temple Tree Coast road 2km north of Cenang Beach 04 955 1688, bontonresort.com.my and templetree.com.my; map. Adjacent resorts run by the same team and both comprising vintage timber houses from all over the country that have been dismantled and rebuilt here using a harmonious mixture of period and contemporary fittings. Bon Ton is a collection of fine Malay kampung houses; Temple Tree features some quite substantial buildings from towns or plantations. Both have their own restaurants and pools, and Bon Ton overlooks a lagoon rich in birdlife. Every house is priced differently depending on how many it sleeps. Breakfast included. Bon Ton RM750, Temple Tree RM800

Casa del Mar Northern end of Jalan Pantai Cenang 04 955 2388, casadelmar-langkawi.com; map. With buildings in a terracotta hue, creating a faintly Moroccan feel, this boutique resort succeeds in screening out the general hubbub of the strip. It’s slightly overpriced, but does boast spacious rooms and suites, a spa, beachside pool and two restaurants. Breakfast included. RM855

Gecko Guesthouse Off Jalan Pantai Cenang 019 428 3801, bit.ly/GeckoGuesthouse; map. Pioneer rustic budget accommodation in kampung-style chalets as well as a boring concrete block, all set in a shady garden teeming with backpackers and their LCD screens. Paying a little extra will get you en suite, even a/c. Dorms RM25, doubles RM50

Kampung Guest House 25 Jalan Madrasah, off Jalan Pantai Cenang 017 425 3302, kampongguesthouse@gmail.com; map. New, well-staffed guesthouse for those on a budget. There’s one dorm and six simple yet clean and inviting fan rooms, mostly en suite, all with small verandas. The only thing missing is breakfast. Dorm RM20, doubles RM60

Langkapuri Inn Jalan Pantai Cenang 04 955 1202; map. A motel-like collection of slightly faded rooms with tiled interiors, tiny balconies and satellite TV, comfortable enough but in need of a refresh. Breakfast included. RM170

Langkawi Dormitorio Unit 5, 1556 Jalan Pantai Cenang, to the right of Underwater World 017 2362587, facebook.com/LgkDormitorio; map. A good central choice, 2min walk from the beach, with clean and airy dorms with individual pods and private bathrooms, or bigger, luminous family rooms that are ideal for groups travelling together. Minimum stay two nights. Dorms RM50

Meritus Pelangi Beach Jalan Pantai Cenang 04 952 8888, meritushotels.com; map. Top-notch resort with two-storey chalets, echoing traditional Malay architecture, in expansive gardens. There’s a pool, spa, tennis and squash courts, and several restaurants. RM1600

Sweet Monkey Backpacker 1556 Jalan Pantai Cenang, in the block to the right of Underwater World 017 4921135; map. This sociable dorm-only hostel is a reliable choice in central Cenang, with mixed and female rooms. Besides providing useful information, a kitchenette and a relaxing, reggae-themed common living room, they offer discounted island-hopping tours and muay thai lessons with Malaysian trainers (Tues & Sun 5–7pm; RM30), as well as scooter and car rental. Dorms RM25

Tengah Beach

Frangipani Jalan Teluk Baru 04 952 0000, frangipanilangkawi.com; map. A sprawling complex of buildings with roofs shaped like those of traditional Malay houses. There are rooms in two-storey buildings and a selection of “beach villas” (bungalows), as well as a spa, gym and jacuzzi. One of the two pools is salt water – odd, when the beach is just a minute away. Book directly on their website for the best deals. Breakfast included. Doubles RM500, villas RM630

Lot 33 Boutique Hotel Jalan Pantai Tengah, right next to the Turkish Bazaar 04 952 3652, bit.ly/Lot33Hotel; map. New Mekong-inspired glitzy boutique hotel in a leafy double-storey house filled with Buddha statues and Balinese-styled bamboo handicrafts. The seven rooms here are all huge, with jacuzzis, sofas, LCD screens, and balconies. The swimming pool is hidden at the back, shaded by a tall wall of vegetation, and there’s an equally classy Chinese-style seafood restaurant at the front where you can have your complimentary breakfast. RM550

Tropical Resort Jalan Teluk Baru 04 955 4075, tropicalresortlangkawi.com; map. Just a 2min walk from the beach along a leafy path, this resort has a series of bungalows, each containing modern, blandly furnished rooms facing in different directions. Good value; breakfast included. RM300

Northwest

Andaman Teluk Datai 04 959 1088, theandaman.com; map. This substantial place offers chic rooms set in rainforest above one of Langkawi’s best beaches, where hornbills are often seen. The unusual feature here is the coral nursery, set up following the discovery of a nearby reef damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Now the resort rehabilitates coral in its own pool, where guests can take part in guided snorkelling sessions. Breakfast included. RM820

Berjaya Langkawi Pantai Kok 04 959 1888, berjayahotel.com; map. The resort for the hoi polloi, better value than much of the competition, with some newly refurbished chalets set inland among the trees or out over the sea. Facilities include watersports, tennis and the obligatory pool and spa. Breakfast included. RM880

The Danna Pantai Kok 04 959 3288, thedanna.com; map. Generically grand, this place has a glut of marble and high ceilings, but it scores highly with its Olympic-sized infinity pool that’s right by the beach, and its large, slick rooms overlooking the leafy courtyard, marina or ocean. Breakfast included. Book online for big discounts. RM1700

The Datai Teluk Datai 04 950 0500, thedatai.com; map. On the gloriously secluded Datai Beach, this is the quintessential luxury retreat, with self-contained mini-villas embedded in the woods or out on the beach, some with their own paddling pool or jacuzzi, as well as less extortionately priced rooms in the main building. Facilities include two pools, a Malay-style spa, watersports and use of the adjacent golf course. Breakfast Included. RM1800

Tanjung Rhu

Four Seasons Resort Langkawi Tanjung Rhu 04 950 8888, fourseasons.com; map. Close to the karst formations of Langkawi’s northeast, this phenomenally expensive retreat doesn’t so much have rooms as mini-apartments taking up a whole floor of their two-storey pavilions, as well as self-contained villas, all with outdoor showers in addition to their bathroom. Breakfast included. Apartments RM3309

Tanjung Rhu Resort Tanjung Rhu 04 959 1033, tanjungrhu.com.my; map. Well-designed rooms – all billed as suites and featuring wooden floors, teak furnishings and balconies – set this resort apart. Facilities include two pools, tennis courts and a spa, and they run their own short mangrove trips. Breakfast included. RM1100

Eating

The eating scene on Langkawi is predictably cosmopolitan and, away from the resorts, tends to focus on mid-range restaurants, although there are stalls and snack places to be found, especially at Cenang Beach.

Cenang Beach

My French Factory Jalan Pantai Cenang, across from Underwater World 04 955 5196, facebook.com/MyFrenchFactoryLangkawi; map. A husband-wife team runs this tiny and friendly creperie, the first on Langkawi, serving up delicious salty or sweet options (from RM7). Most items can be ordered gluten-free. Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun 11am–11pm.

Orkid Ria North end of the beach 04 955 4128; map. Popular alfresco Chinese place specializing in fresh seafood, grilled, steamed, fried or however you want it. Huge tiger prawns, lobster and whole crab, all sold by weight (be careful not to over-order and risk a large bill), are some of the best you’ll find in town. Around RM40 without drinks, more if you go for lots of seafood. Daily 11am–3pm & 6–11pm.

Red Tomato Jalan Pantai Cenang, across from Underwater World 04 955 40 55, redtomato.com.my; map. Middle-of-the-road, touristy restaurant easily spotted by virtue of the fuchsia VW Beetle usually parked outside (but don’t confuse it with the Red Sky restaurant close by). Come here for Western cooked breakfasts (RM12) and a largely Italian menu of pizza and pasta meals (RM22). Daily 9am–10.30pm.

Yasmin Jalan Pantai Cenang, across from Orkid Ria 019 449 5081; map. Many residents claim that this small Syrian-owned restaurant makes the best Middle Eastern food on the island. From creamy hummus and fresh tabbouleh to BBQ kebab sets (about RM18) and cheaper backpacker-tailored shawarma (RM10), falafel and shish taouk, the jovial chefs masterfully reproduce their region’s flavours. Daily noon–midnight.

Tengah Beach

Cactus South end of the beach, across from Holiday Villa Resort 012 477 3098; map. Humble yet popular open-air restaurant adorned with international customers’ autographed T-shirts, and offering a wide selection of cheap Asian and Western breakfast favourites (about RM15 per set), coffees, tea and juices. Daily 8am–1pm & 4pm–1am.

Hummingbird Café North end of the beach 04 955 2152, facebook.com/HummingbirdLgk; map. This cutesy, female-run café, guarded by a rubber dinosaur and tiger, specializes in all-day breakfasts, including baguette sandwiches (from RM15), yogurt smoothies, cold-pressed juices and the usual espressos and mochas. Mon & Wed–Sun 9am–6pm.

La Chocolatine North end of the beach 04 955 8891; map. Tiny French-owned café with pastries – croissants, millefeuilles, etc – crepes, quiche and sandwiches, complemented (or not) by Edith Piaf over the speakers. It’s all acceptable rather than exceptional, but still a welcome change if you’re fed up with roti canai. Coffee and cake will set you back around RM25. Daily 9am–6pm.

Unkaizan Far southern end of the beach 04 955 4118, unkaizan.com; map. Up a jungly slope is this hidden gem of a Japanese restaurant where you can dine out on the terrace or indoors. The range of sushi and sashimi offerings is impressive (around RM60), although the set meals – chicken cutlet or tempura with rice, soup and pickles, say – are better value at around RM45. There’s Japanese ice cream, too. Daily 6–11pm.

Yam-Yam Café South end of the beach 012 6164417, yamyamlangkawi@gmail.com; map. With an original Italian espresso machine, this Malaysian–Dutch-run café mixes European and Asian home-style cuisine, and is perfect for breakfast or a casual lunch (around RM30). The non-dairy smoothies, especially the berry blast, are great on a hot day. Mon & Wed–Sun 9am–10.30pm.

Drinking and nightlife

Langkawi has a more pragmatic attitude to alcohol than anywhere else in the four overwhelmingly Malay states of the north: many restaurants are licensed, and then of course there are the duty-free outlets where you can buy cheap spirits and beer – a can of Tiger is only RM2.

Bam-Boo-Ba End of Sunba Block, Jalan Teluk Baru 012 5660254, facebook.com/BamBooBaLoungeBar; map. A lively horseshoe-shaped sports bar with tables spilling out front on the kerb. Kick off the night here munching on burgers (RM19) and pizzas (RM26). Their “buy two drink three” cocktail happy hour (daily 5–9pm; from RM16) always packs a good crowd. Tues–Sun 5pm–1am.

The Cliff Over the water at the south end of Cenang Beach 04 953 3228, theclifflangkawi.com; map. One of the priciest standalone restaurants in Cenang, The Cliff majors on fusion cooking (mostly spicy seafood; mains around RM50), but it’s the little bar that stands out. Get here around 6pm, park yourself at one of the few beachside seats and watch parasails darting across the sea, silhouetted against a scarlet sky. Daily noon–11pm.

Kalut Bar Cenang Beach, behind Casa del Mar 012 259 4836, facebook.com/KalutBar; map. Trendy beach shack without the scruff, set behind rows of colourful beanbags slung on the sand out front. The perk here is the daily fire juggling shows, starting after sunset and going on throughout the night, with an eclectic soundtrack of anything from R&B to reggae, trance and pop. Prime Aussie beef burgers (RM20), happy hour, “cheeky buckets” and free shots for ladies on Wed evenings all make it popular. Mon & Tues 4pm–1am, Wed–Sun 11am–1am.

Sunba Retro Bar Slightly inland from Tengah Beach 04 953 1801, sungroup-langkawi.com; map. Part of a modern complex but decked out in wood to simulate an old kampung house, this is a relaxed bar with pretensions of being a proper club. There’s a live band most nights, otherwise DJs spin mainly mainstream oldies and some dance sounds. Daily 11pm–4am.

Thirstday Cenang Beach, access via Orkid Ria’s dining hall 017 515 5395, thirstdaybarandrestaurant@gmail.com; map. Mid-range, beachside outdoor bar and restaurant serving 35 different cocktails (from RM20), good pizzas, pastas (about RM20) and Malaysian staples. The tables face a pretty stretch of beach – an ideal spot for sundowners. Daily 11am–1am.

Shopping

Langkawi’s duty-free status can draw in even those not normally obsessed with cheap alcohol and cigarettes – don’t be surprised if at some point you find yourself among the hordes at the malls around Underwater World, grabbing armfuls of beer, imported chocolates and the like. The Cenang Mall, also on the main drag, is a more orthodox and underwhelming shopping complex, best for branches of Western fast food and coffee chains.

Arrival and departure: Kangar and Around

Train station In the centre of Arau, off Road 176 (04 986 1225).

Destinations Alor Star (7 daily; 20min); Butterworth (almost hourly; 1hr 30min); Ipoh (7 daily; 2hr 50min); Kuala Kangsar (7 daily; 2hr 15min); Kuala Lumpur (7 daily; 5hr); Sungai Petani (hourly; 50min); Taiping (7 daily; 2hr).

By bus Express and local services use the long-distance bus station on Jalan Bukit Lagi in Kangar, just south of the river. Kuala Perlis’ bus station has connections to all over the country; it’s a 5min walk from the ferry terminal: turn left from the jetty, then right once you come to what’s obviously a main street.

Destinations from Kangar bus station Alor Star (local bus T14; 12 daily; 1hr 15min); Butterworth/Penang (at least 3 daily; 2hr 30min); Changlun (for Thailand border at Bukit Kayu Hitam; local bus T10; 12 daily; 1hr); Ipoh (3 daily; 4hr 30min); Johor Bahru (2 daily; 12–13hr); Kaki Bukit (local bus T11; 10 daily; 45min); Kota Bharu (daily at 9am and 9pm; 6hr 30min); Kuala Kangsar (3 daily; 3hr); Kuala Lumpur (almost hourly; 7hr); Kuala Perlis (local bus T12; 10 daily; 30 min); Kuala Terengganu (2 daily; 8hr); Kuantan (1 daily; 10hr); Melaka (8 daily; 11hr); Padang Besar (local bus T11; 10 daily; 1hr); Singapore (3 daily; 13hr).

Destinations from Kuala Perlis bus station Alor Star (hourly; 1hr 15min); Ipoh (5 daily; 5hr); Johor Bahru (4 daily; 11hr); Kota Bharu (daily at 8pm; 7hr); Kuala Besut (for Perhentian Islands; daily at 8pm; 8hr); Kuala Lumpur (almost hourly; 7hr); Kuala Terengganu (daily at 7.30pm; 7hr); Lumut (5 daily; 5hr 30min); Melaka (daily at 9am and 9.30pm; 8hr).

By ferry Langkawi ferries (langkawi-ferry.com) dock at Kuala Perlis (016 418 2539), 15km west of Kangar.

Destination Langkawi (14 daily; 1hr; RM18).

To Thailand

The three border crossings (daily 6am–10pm) in this area are: Padang Besar, 30km north of Kangar, where the rail line enters Thailand; Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah, 30km northeast of Kangar as the crow flies; and Wang Kelian, 9km north of Kelam Cave. Bukit Kayu Hitam is overwhelmingly more popular, as it’s on the North–South Expressway. Bear in mind that, since 2017, international travellers are only allowed two overland entries to Thailand per calendar year, and you may be asked to produce ten thousand Thai baht in cash as proof of sufficient funds for your stay in Thailand.

By train KTM operates a cheap and convenient hourly service between Padang Besar and Butterworth. At Padang Besar, change to one of the two daily services (9.55am and 3.40pm) to Hat Yai in Thailand, clearing immigration directly on the platform before train departure. Otherwise, exit the station and walk 500m to Malaysian immigration, before proceeding 1km to the Thai checkpoint. You can catch onward bus or train connections from the Thai side of Padang Besar, where minivans to Hat Yai (50 Thai baht) await.

By bus There are no buses through to Thailand, although tour-agency minivans service the Hat Yai route (you can book a place on 016 673 8082). From Kangar, it’s also possible to take local bus T11 or charter a taxi to Padang Besar (RM50), where you have to get off before the border and cover the 2km to the Thai border post on foot or by motorbike taxi.

Accommodation AND EATING

Hutan Hujan Hujan Kelam Cave forest park 019 358 6838. Well-equipped campsite in a superb location surrounded by huge trees right at the foot of the Nakawan range. Staff provide tents, four meals per day and a set of activities that includes hiking in the surrounding hills. Toilets are basic yet clean, and when it rains the tents are pitched under the protection of Malay-style open-sided hall. Camping with full board, per person RM35

Kedai Khuan Bee Kaki Bukit’s main junction 04 945 7673. Friendly Chinese kopitiam famous for its strong coffee, handmade giant pork pao (steamed buns; RM4) and breakfast titbits. Daily 7am–7pm.

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Old town

Chinatown

New town

Chinese cave temples

Kellie’s Castle

Arrival and departure: ipoh

by plane

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Getting around

information

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drinking

shopping

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directory

Gopeng Heritage House and Gopeng Museum

Arrival and activities: Gopeng

Accommodation

Pangkor Town and around

Kampung Teluk Gedong and around

Pasir Bogak

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Arrival and information: Pangkor and Lumut

Pangkor watersports AND ACTIVITIES

GETTING AROUND

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Pasir Bogak

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ELSEWHERE

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Pasir Bogak

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Kuala Kangsar

Royal quarter

Perak Royal Museum

Sayong

ANTHONY BURGESS’S HERITAGE

Arrival and information: Kuala Kangsar

Accommodation

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Old House Museum

Antong Coffee Mill

All Saints’ Church

Perak Museum

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Taiping Zoo and Night Safari

Taiping War Cemetery

Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut)

Walking to the summit

Activities: Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut)

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Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve

Arrival and information: taiping and around

Getting around

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Lenggong Valley

Lenggong Valley Archaeological Gallery

ARRIVAL and tours: Lenggong

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Arrival and information: Royal Belum State Park

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tea Plantations

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Tanah Rata

Brinchang

Time Tunnel

North of Brinchang

Lojing Highlands

Arrival and departure: Cameron highlands

Getting around

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