George Town, on the island of Penang in Malaysia

Now we are backpacking in Malaysia and don't want to miss out George Town.

Penang is the name of the 292 km² island in the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia, as well as the state of the same name, to which the coastal strip of Seberang Perai belongs. The capital of the state and on the island is the large city of George Town, which is located in the north-east of the island.

The city of George Town is worth seeing. There are numerous mosques, churches, Hindu and Chinese Buddhist temples such as Kek Lok Si (the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia), the Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) temple, the snake temple with poisonous snakes, Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram with its 33-metre-long lying Buddha, as well as the Captain Keling Mosque or Khoo Kongsi, the house of the Chinese Khoo family clan. Also the butterfly farm and the botanical garden are worth a visit.

At a height of 830 meters, Penang Hill is the highest elevation on the island and offers an excellent view over George Town and the mainland. In addition to the option of taking a train, you can also reach Penang Hill, by hiking through the jungle, for a couple hours.

Many Chinese emigrants live on the island and so Chinese New Year is also celebrated big.

George Town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008.