Georgetown
George Town, the capital of the island of Penang was established by Capt Francis Light in 1786. Just off the northwest coast of the Malay Peninsula, Penang is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia. It is said that the island was a dank tangle of dense undergrowth and impassable forests and it took a cannon shot of gold coins to motivate hired labourers to start clearing the area! Capt Light named the capital of this new territory after his king, George III of England.
Penang soon grew into a thriving port and trading outpost of the Far East and George Town into one of the most attractive locations in the east. So attractive that Penang's colourful history notwithstanding, it is vibrant, sparkling George Town that draws in tourists by the ferry-full! It's admixture of colonial British and traditional Asian give it an extremely pleasant and interesting personality as two very diverse cultures come together in Anglican churches, Chinese temples, Malay mosques, bustling bazaars and crowded market streets.