If you were feeling particularly religious and wanted to
worship at the Churches, Temples and Mosques of pretty much all the world’s
religions, then Penang would be the place to do it. Crammed into its
beautifully preserved Old Town centre, we were able to visit historic Catholic
and Anglican churches, colourful Hindu temples, incense-filled Chinese Buddhist
temples, and exotic-domed mosques.
This easy mix of religions and cultures in such close
proximity, along the so-called “Road of Tolerance” neatly encapsulates the
atmosphere of Penang. The city is simultaneously exotic and familiar, it’s
cosmopolitan and relaxed, and best of all it’s accessible (everything just a short
walk from the ship).
The only negative to Penang is just how hot and humid it is
– there’s so much to see, but you can quickly feel drained of all energy.
Fortunately, there are plenty of trendy new cafes to rest in, or you can head
to the large malls on the edge of the old town, to get some air-conditioning
and cool down your core temperature to just below boiling.
Having slightly cooled down, we headed to my favourite part
of town – Little India. This had all the vibrancy and colour of the
sub-continent, but without the grime; while the sounds (of Indian music booming
out of the shops), and the smells (of so many curries) gave the streets a
really exotic atmosphere.
We went to old favourite, Ananda, for one of our cheapest
meals in a long time – a selection of tasty veggie curries on a banana leaf for
an unbelievably low price.
Penang has something for everyone, and it confirmed once
again that it’s my favourite place in this part of the world.
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