1. The Habitat Penang Hill
The Habitat Penang Hill is a rainforest experience that takes you into the heart of the jungle and lets you truly feel all the sounds, colors, and smells up close. Your first contact with nature is through the 1.6-kilometer-long nature trail, which cuts through the ancient forest, over rolling hills and far above the Andaman Sea-all of which you can see from several lookout points along the way.
For an even more stunning view of the surroundings, visitors can take the Langur Way Canopy Walk, 15 meters up in the air and 230 meters long, gently curving around and through the trees. Or they can try the ziplines for an up-close experience of the jungle.
For those wanting to catch a glimpse of George Town, as well as the surrounding jungle, nothing beats the Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk, a circular platform with 360-degree views and the highest point in the island. Special tours guided by naturalists take place here as the sun sets, when you can see not only a stunning array of colors on the sky, but also catch a glimpse of giant flying red squirrels, bats, and the Penang gecko.
2. Clan Jetties, George Town
The Clan Jetties are one of the most significant historical areas in Penang-a traditional village consisting of structures and houses built on stilts right over the water.
Clan jetties are a very unique type of water settlement created by Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century. Originally, they consisted of a single structure used as a sort of small warehouse where the loading and unloading of products and materials (including firewood, charcoal, and boat transportation) for a particular trade or industry happened. Over the years, families (or clans) took over certain industries and unofficially claimed a certain area of the dock, with each clan getting bigger and building more huts along the way.
There are now six jetties on the waterfront-all of them still home to Chinese descendants and considered a historical reminder of the industries that helped shape Penang. While they are technically private property where families live, most of the jetties welcome visitors for a glimpse of their local temple, photos of the sunset over the water, and a nostalgic walk over the walkway surrounding the stilt-houses.
