We start our sightseeing tour of Georgetown on a coach headed towards the city centre.
We admire the main buildings and monuments of the capital Penang as well as its most famous streets starting with the Street of Harmony, the main street crossing the city centre from north to south. Everyone calls it “Pitt Street” in honour of British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger. The name “Street of Harmony” derives from the fact that it is overlooked by buildings from all the main religions found in Malaysia.
Temples from various religions appear before our eyes such as the Chinese Kuan Yin temple dedicated to the goddess of mercy, and the Sri Mahamariaman Hindu Temple followed by Komtar Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Penang (almost 250 metres) and the sixth tallest in Malaysia, Penang Times Square, part of an urban re-qualification project featuring offices, apartment buildings and shopping centres, the Official residence of the Governor of Penang, the Penang State Mosque completed in 1980 in the Modernist style, the Penang Turf Club for horse races, the wealthy residential district Jesselton Heights and various colonial buildings reminiscent of the British occupation.
Afterwards, we head to the next stop on our excursion: the Penang botanical gardens called Taman Kebun Bunga and also known as “Waterfall Gardens” under British rule because of the waterfall found within the park. The gardens were inaugurated in 1884 and cover an area of around 29 hectares. In addition to showcasing the flora and fauna, they constitute a ”green lush” for the city of Georgetown. Here we can find long-tailed macaques , when it comes to plants, we can admire the Pinang palm tree which the island was named after, black lilies with a purplish-black colour, candlenuts, local ginger, ferns, orchids, cacti, bamboo, and so on.
After visiting the botanical gardens, we head to the northern part of the island where we find Teluk Bahang beach and the amazing Batu Ferringhi bay, a stretch of coast boasting inlets, beaches and bays with hotels, restaurants and shops.
Another interesting stop on our tour awaits us in Teluk Bahang: the Tropical Spice Garden, a true corner of paradise near the coast created on what used to be a rubber tree plantation. In 2003, the land was transformed into a true botanical garden boasting over 500 species of tropical plants from south-east Asia and the rest of the world. At the entrance, we find three paths (spice walk, ornamental plant walk and the forest) each characterised by a type of tropical fauna (ferns, wild orchids, palm trees, bamboo and so on.) as well as a rich fauna including many bird and insect species. In particular, the spice walk offers an overview of over 100 varieties of tropical spices (cinnamon sticks, black cardamom from Sri Lanka, vanilla pods from Bali, cloves and nutmeg from Penang) used as aromas, medication, colourings and perfumes.
Before making our way back to the port and the ship,we proceed along the scenic coastal roads and enjoy a short stop to take a few photos of the Georgetown City Hall, one of the oldest and most imposing buildings in the city.