Bazaar Chowrasta - wet market

Bazaar Chowrasta - Wet market

Bazaar Chowrasta is the famous "wet market" at Penang Road. At a "wet market" you can buy groceries, fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. Mostly wet markets are morning markets. They are keeping the fish wet with water, so the floor is wet.The original Chowrasta Market was built in 1890 by the George Town municipality. The front portion facing Penang Road was rebuilt in 1920 and has remained virtually unchanged until 1981 when a new market was built in its place. In Urdu, Chowrasta means "four cross roads". In the early days, more than three-quarters of the stall holders were Indian Muslims from south India.

The Chowrasta Bazaar is a well-stocked bazaar boasting of prices that even the locals will call cheap. Visit the market early in the morning if you plan to spend some time looking at the various interesting things sold here, because all the shops close at 7pm.Bean paste biscuits and preserved nutmeg cost up to 30% cheaper here compared with carefully packaged haunts which seemingly exist only for the tourist currency, and bargaining is allowed, even encouraged.Besides foods that you can find here, from Chinese to Malay and Indian, you can find local products like TAO SAH PIAH, dried fruits, and lots of cheap clothing and accessories.There are a few interesting second-hand bookstores upstairs. They are all piled high with books and books. You can find almost any type of book here.

You can also walk around Penang Road after visiting the market. Here you can find shops selling souvenirs, locally made products, and some very unique handcrafts, too.You will also find some very old shops along the road selling biscuits, paintings, and furniture. These shops have been here for over a hundred years - generations and generations have taken over the family business till today.Next to the Chowrasta Bazaar is the jual murah (cheap sale). You can buy here cheap bags and clothes.


Stay duration at the Chowrasta Bazaar:approx. 1 hour

Penang Reclining Buddha temple

Reclining Buddha temple (Wat Chayamangkalaram)

This is the largest Buddhist temple in Penang. The colossal size is due to the reputed third longest reclining Buddha in the world. Measuring some 33 metres (108ft) from toe to tip of headgear, Wat Chaiya's reclining Buddha takes pride of place alongside other Buddha colossi found in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and China.The Wat Chaiya was built in 1845 on five acres of land donated by Queen Victoria to the Thai community.

The architecture is authentic down to the last bit of gold paint on the pagodas - so much so that one feels transported to another place and time when wandering about the sprawling grounds. Like the Burmese temple across the road, one is likely to encounter mythical beings and religious icons which dot the grounds.Walking towards the main temple, visitors are greeted by awesome looking green-faced beings standing guard before the temple entrance. Crawling at their feet are 2 huge dragon-headed serpents. Unlike the western culture (read Caucasian), Oriental mythology teaches that serpents and dragons are propitious beings and not to be feared.

The significance behind the reclining Buddha in the Wat Chaiya, with the head resting in the palm of the right hand, with the head pointing northwards, signifies enlightenment or Nirvana. Underneath the reclining Buddha are niches where ashes of the deceased are kept.

Besides the impressive reclining Buddha, you can find many other smaller shrines of Buddha, and Thai deities. There is also series of painted images portraying story of the Lord Gautama Buddha. The floor of the temple is laid with tiles of lotus patterns - lotus is a symbol in Buddhism.

Admission to the Wat Chayamangkalaram temple is free, but do remember to remove your shoes before entering the temple grounds.
Open hours: 6.00am - 5:30pmLocation: Lorong Burmah, 10250 Penang(Between Georgetown and Batu Ferringhi area approx 10 mins from Georgetown)

Pulau Jerejak - Penang

Pulau Jerejak is only minutes away from Penang city life yet tucked away among the magnificence of a lush tropical rainforest; also known as the "virgin jungle" island as it is one of the few reamining preserves of primary forest in Malaysia.

A virtually undisturbed island graced with the rich diversity of 362ha of over 210 species of flora and fauna. Towering tropical trees, lingering lianas and exotic orchids prove to be shelters to some of the most remarkable living creatures, such as the Monitor Lizard and the White-Bellied Sea Eagle.

The island also boasts of an ancient emerald environment, older than the equatorial forests of the Amazon or the Congo, thus producing a marvellous ecosystem that is both inspiring and engaging. Equally intriguing is the island's hisory as a penal colony – a mystical tourch tot he surounding pristine nature.

Jerejak Resort and Spa

Located directly across from Penang, Jerejak Resort and Spa is a wonderful stopover when you visit the Northern hub of Malaysia.

The resort is graced with the rich diversity of flora and fauna. This is one getaway where time seems to have stopped – if only to preserve the natural wonders of the island. Pulau Jerejak also boasts of a ancient emerald environment, older than the equatorial forests of the Amazon or the Congo with an ecosystem that is both inspiring and engaging. With such an interesting backdrop, one can easily indulge in your wild side at the Adventure Village or simply rejuvenate mind, body and soul at the Spa Village.

The choice is entirely yours!

Penang Bridge

The Penang Bridge (Jambatan Pulau Pinang in Malay) E 36 is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to traffic on September 14, 1985. The total length of the bridge is 13.5 km (8.4 miles), making it among the longest bridges in the world, the longest bridge in the country as well as a national landmark. Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd is the concession holder which manages it. The bridge was designed by a local Penang resident, Tan Sri Datuk Professor Ir. Chin Fung Kee, a well known authority in geotechnical engineering and former acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Malaya.

Before 1985, transportation between the island and the mainland was solely dependent on the state-owned Penang Ferry Service that runs between Butterworth and George Town.
Similar to the ferry services in Penang, toll is only paid when heading to the island. There is no charge for leaving the island.

Currently, the Penang Bridge is being expanded from 4 lanes to 6 lanes to accommodate the increasing traffic on the bridge. A proposal for a second bridge, the Penang Second Bridge, has been approved by the Malaysian federal government and included as one of the Ninth Malaysia Plan national projects. Construction work of the new Penang Second Bridge began in November 2007, and the target completion date is before the end of 2010.

The bridge has an SOS emergency feature and traffic CCTV. The Gelugor Complex Interchange is the largest highway interchange in Malaysia.

The Snake Temple - Penang

The Snake Temple

or the Temple of the Azure Cloud

Probably the only one of its kind in the world. The temple honours a resident named Chor Soo Kong, who had healing powers. He was a Buddhist monk, who moved to Penang. Some devotees from as far away as Singapore and Taiwan come to pray in the temple on Chor Soo Kong's birthday (the sixth day of the first lunar month). The temple was built in about 1850 and is dedicated to Char Soo Kong. The statue of the deified healer was brought to Penang by a monk from China. The legend is that this pious monk gave shelter to the snakes of the jungle; when the temple was completed, the snakes moved

The Snake Temple is located at Sungai Kluang near Bayan Lepas airport in the Penang Island.Many tourists visit the Snake Temple. Buses stop, tourists get out and have a quick look at the snakes in the temple.Walking to the temple you find souvenir stands on both sides of you.Here you can buy your camera film or just a nice souvenir. In front of the Snake Temple is a big incense burner, where they burn large incense.
Inside the temple, in the Main Prayer Hall, is filled with the smoke of burning incense Some people say that the snakes get paralysed by the incense.In a bowl are eggs. That's the food for the snakes, but they are nut hungry.

Although poisonous, these snakes are not known to bite. Devotees refer to them as `officers' of the deity and regard them as `holy and harmless'.They tell us that no one was ever bitten by a snake.

On the right site we can give a donation for the temple. You have to sign a book and to write down your donation.Looking at the book it must be very profitable to own a temple like this.

At the back of the temple is a snake pool. Not filled with water, but with fruit trees.At the first sight I see no snakes over here.But if you have a close look than you will see snakes coiled on the branches of the tree.

At the back of the temple complex was a man, who assured me the snakes inside the temple were not de-fanged and were all extremely venomous.They were not doped in any way, but were simply friendly spirit snakes, who used to live in the surrounding Penang jungle and as development increased and the surrounding trees were felled came to find refuge in the Temple and were its guardian spirits.


He told no had ever been bitten since the snakes began coming. The snake temple is free to enter and is a very interesting and unusual stop and well worth the trouble.

When you're leaving the Snake Temple are photographers, who want to take pictures of you with snakes draped around your head and neck.

Kek Lok Si - Penang

The Buddhist temple of Kek Lok Si is situated in (H)Air Itam, a suburb of Georgetown. You can make that by local bus from the Komtar, but you can also make it by taxi. Taxi is recommended, because the taxi takes you up the hill (the Kek Lok Si is halfway on a hill). Taxi ride from the KOMTAR in Georgetown will cost you about RM20.-

The temple was begun in 1890 and, from all appearances, construction really hasn't ever stopped. And it's still going on! The temple is supposedly the largest in Malaysia.The Kek Lok Si project was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple of Pitt Street. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Kuang Hsi, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras.

Without doubt the largest and best known temple in Penang, the Temple of Supreme Bliss, better known as Kek Lok Si, staggered on the hillside overlooking the town of Ayer Itam.
Since the olden days, the hills of Ayer Itam are regarded as important geomantically. Known as He San, or Crane Hill, they are recommended as a retreat for Taoist practitioners striving for immortality.

Construction of the temple started in 1893, but it was only in 1930 that the Pagoda of Rama VI, named after the Thai king who laid the foundation stone, but better known as the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddha's, was completed.
This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown, reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.

The latest addition to the temple complex is the 30.2m bronze statue of the Avalokitesvara - Goddess of Mercy or Kuan Yin - on the hillside above the pagoda.
This statue was completed and open to the public at the end of 2002.

If you want to get a close-up look of the Kuan Yin statue, then go left as you get to the furthest hall, which is also the largest and look for the signs for the 'incline lift' to the goddess.
The incline lift is more of a tram -- an elevator-sized glass box mounted on rails which goes up to the terrace above the existing temple where the goddess stands.
Use of the lift costs RM 2 each way

The route up to the 'main' prayer hall of the Kek Lok Si and the pagoda is on the other side of the large prayer hall. From the 'incline lift' you need to cross the hall and go through the souvenir stands to find the desk where you must pay a 'voluntary' donation of another RM 2 to go up to the new prayer hall and the pagoda. Don't worry: you'll receive a ticket!

If you haven't visited the "Goddess of Mercy", then this is the moment to do it now!

The Kek Lok Si project was mooted by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple of Pitt Street. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Kuang Hsi, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras.

Construction of the temple started in 1893, but it was only in 1930 that the Pagoda of Rama VI, named after the Thai king who laid the foundation stone, but better known as the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, was completed. This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown, reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism

Reputedly the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia, situated close to the bustling Air Hitam market. The temple's enclave including a pagoda and a huge statue of the Goddess Kuan Yin is prominent. Besides the monastery, a seven-storey pagoda of 10,000 Buddha images displays the essence of an eclectic mix of Chinese, Thai and Burmese architecture. The main hall has colourful souvenir shops. A shrine filled with statues and a courtyard where a large pond full of carp and the tortoises are main attractions. Here a pathway that leads to a stairway will take you to the Pagoda.

KOMTAR - Penang Iconic Landmarks

KOMTAR - Penang Iconic Landmarks

Penang is synonymous with good and relatively affordable hawker food, beautiful beaches and hotels, heritage buildings, tree-lined streets and a multitude of interesting and mesmerizing cultural sights. These, and the fairly laid-back lifestyle of penangites, make the island an enjoyable place for holidays among locals as well as foreigners.Dominating the island’s skyline is KOMTAR (Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak) the famous landmark of Penang and touted to be the icon of its urban renewal programme. With the cost of RM207 million, the 65-storey building was the tallest in Asia at that time.The buildings consist of a 12-sided geometric block, 760ft (232m) tall and sitting atop a 4-storey podium. The complex comprises office and retail commercial space as well as public and recreational facilities.

KOMTAR occupies an 11-hectare site and is the single most ambitious project undertaken by Penang Development Corporation, the development arm of the Penang state government. The project master plan is divided into five phases for implementation which includes the construction of KOMTAR, Geodesic Dome, 17-storey international hotel, 4-storey shopping podium, public buses interchange, 11-storey car park and the latest addition Prangin Mall in 1997 linked by two enclosed steel-glass pedestrian bridges.The complex is named in honor of the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tun Abdul Razak bin Hussein. The first piling of the building's phase one was done by Tun Razak himself on 1 January 1974. Part of the complex's first phase podium block was completed in 1978.The construction of the building itself was completed in 1988 and it was on that day onwards reigned supreme as the shopping paradise of Penang. The 4-storey shopping complexes nestled at the foot of the Komtar Tower, plays an important part of the overall integrated redevelopment of George Town together with its hotels and the office tower block, where the State Government is located, and an international exhibition centre. On the 58th floor is the viewing gallery where you can see the whole area around Georgetown.

View from the gallery at 58th floor

However, the supremacy of KOMTAR as a shopper’s paradise did not last long.The new millennium saw the completion and opening of two of the largest shopping centres on Penang Island, Prangin Mall and Gurney Plaza, and the setting of the stage for an exciting retail/shopping atmosphere. More is coming in such as Island Plaza, Midlands Park Centre, Tesco, Jaya Jusco and some others shopping malls in Penang mainland which brings in a better tenant-mix, increased professionalism in centre management, improved ambience and the new evolution in the design of shopping centre’s. The heat is definitely on to attract shoppers as a result of increasing competition in terms of new shopping centre’s and hypermarkets.Therefore, only the fittest will survive.As the results of this, KOMTAR was under tremendous pressure to attract shoppers like the olden days.

People seems to have better perceptions & favors the newer shopping malls which can provides them with one stop solution such as shopping, dining, entertainment and exciting exhibitions.Henry Butcher Malaysia valuation department assistant manager Yeoh Peng Hong said the value of KOMTAR’s shoplots had substantially dropped compared to prices 15 years ago. The value for those on the first and second floors has dropped by at least 30% to 40% and 10% to 20% for shoplots on the ground floor and third floor.He said drop in value was the result of poor maintenance, lack of facilities and the mushrooming of new shopping complexes on the island. Many vacant shop lots bear testimony to its decline as tenant moves out to others shopping complexes.Today, while you can still see some crowd at KOMTAR, it is probably made up of those going to the Government departments or looking for that odd retailer still plying its business around the slightly upgraded corridors there or some curious visitor who just want to see for themselves, the declining status of the once proud Penang iconic structure.