An island and part of the mainland make up the small Malaysian region of Penang, also known as the ‘pearl of the Orient’. It has long been coveted and the capital Georgetown has many elegant Colonial buildings. The observation deck of the KOMTAR tower – the tallest building – offers spectacular views of the town and surrounding mountains.

A funicular railway goes up to Penang Hill deep in the forest. Nearby Air Itam has one of Asia’s largest Buddhist temples - Kek Lok Si – lit by hundreds of lights at night. Another fantastic temple is Taoist Kong Hock Keong in Georgetown.

Penang Airport is near southern Bayan Lepas, and across the Malacca Strait is Pulau Jerejak, a peaceful island where trees merge into ocean.

In the much livelier north, Batu Feringghi is the largest resort, with lots of Penang hotels on the beach, plenty of bars and a night market. East, green mountains slope down to blue waters at Tanjung Bungah, where several high-rise hotels overlook the palm-lined beach towards the Floating Mosque just offshore.

On the mainland Butterworth is the departure point for ferries to Penang island, and has a bird park housing a large number of Malaysian species. Wherever you decide to stay, Booking.com has a fantastic range of Penang hotels and apartments to choose from.