Penang is a melting pot of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, which exhibits itself through the amazing variety of food on offer. But Penang is not all about the food, and there are interesting places all over Georgetown to gain an insight into the various cultures and how they have contributed to the Penang of today.

Penang street art
One of the pleasant surprises of Penang is the amount of street art peppered throughout Georgetown. From the popular works of Ernest Zacharevic to the 101 Lost Kittens project which aims to raise awareness of caring for stray animals, the artworks are varied, fun, and pop up when you least expect them. My favourite works are those that were actually commissioned by the Penang Tourism Board, called Marking Georgetown. These wrought iron structures are not only great pieces of art, they are also often hilarious and are a great way to learn a bit about Penang’s heritage. Did you know Jimmy Choo commenced his shoe apprenticeship in Penang?

Clan Jetties
The Clan Jetties are the remnants of old Chinese waterfront settlements. When a lot of Chinese immigrated to Malaysia in the 19th century they formed clans to better help them survive together, and the jetties, or floating villages, they created survive to this day (though by checking out the stilts on some of these houses I’m surprised they’re still standing!) The main jetty, Chew Jetty, is now a mix of tourist shops and private residences.

Little India
A small cross section of streets in the heart of the old town, Little India is filled with the sights, scents and sounds of Indian culture. Indian supermarkets supply the local residents with typical goods from ‘home’, the scent of tandoori chicken wafting from street carts mixes with the incense sticks in front of small hindu shrines, and loud ‘Bollywood’ music blares from fashion boutiques.

Mosques and Temples
There are many mosques, Chinese Buddhist temples and Indian Hindu shrines located throughout Georgetown. The largest mosque, Kapitan Keling Mosque, was built in the 19th century and is close enough to my hostel to hear the call to prayer five times a day. The smallest mosque, Masjid Pintal Tali, sits peacefully beside Meng Eng Soo Buddhist temple, but this wasn’t always the case. The history of these two co-located religious sites is very interesting, for years they warred against each others religion, only to join forces whenever an establishment opened on the street that they were against. Considering the area was originally a place of chickens, a term used to describe prostitutes, there were often places opening that they worked together to ensure were shut down. They also joined together for more nefarious purposes, with organised protection rackets reminiscent of the mafia. Nowadays the Chinese and the Muslims refuse to acknowledge that they once worked together.

Marvel at the unique architecture
In 2008 Georgetown was formally added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. The stunning colonial style buildings, reflecting the 170 year British influence on the island, melds together with Chinese, Indian and Islamic elements to create a unique style. Old colonial mansions sit amongst Chinese shophouses to make this town a rare gem in South East Asia.

Georgetown Camera Museum
This little gem of a museum is great for photography aficionados. Filled with vintage camera’s to view, and some to play with, a simple and concise history of photography and camera’s, and a gallery of some of the most important photo’s ever taken, this is a pleasant way to whilst away an hour or so. The gift shop is fantastic…..if only I had more room in my backpack (actually it’s lucky I don’t!!)

Cooking class (okay, this involved eating, but also doing!)
This class with Nazlina Hussin is fantastic, and sets the bar high for all future cooking classes. Commencing with a local street breakfast, you are then taken on a journey through the local morning markets to purchase the fresh ingredients for the dishes you’ll be cooking. With only one other person in the class we were lucky to have such undivided attention from Nazlina as we learnt to make naan bread, a delicious beef rendang curry and a coconut sticky rice dessert. Mouth wateringly delicious, the instruction and the companionship over food was superb.

Watch the world go by from a hip cafe
There are a multitude of little out of the way cafes to choose from in Georgetown, from the Chinese bakery that makes the most delectable egg tarts, to the umbrella decorated Busy Bodhi cafe on Armenian Street. My favourite though is the very narrow and eclectically decorated Narrow Marrow on Carnarvon St. I could spend hours here just checking out the awesome restored furniture and drinking the thirst quenching mango smoothies.