Things to do in Penang

Penang is an island off Malaysia's north-west coast, and its capital, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage city of shophouses, clan houses, mosques, temples and churches built by the traders who passed through the Straits of Malacca. Street art and old trades share the same lanes, and the food, from char kway teow to assam laksa, is reason enough to come.

Inland, the island rises steeply. A funicular climbs Penang Hill for cooler air and views across the strait, and on the slopes of Air Itam the pagoda and giant bronze Guan Yin of Kek Lok Si, one of the largest Buddhist temples in South-East Asia, look down on the city.