Penang is a major shopping destination in Malaysia because of its abundance of traditional bazaars as well as shopping malls. The Gurney Plaza, Penang Times Square, Gurney Paragon, Queensbay Mall, 1st Avenue Penang and Kompleks Bukit Jambu are among the locally-renowned malls. Among the most popular bazaars are the Chowrasta Market, Pasar Malam (Night market, which is open from 8pm through to 12am) and the market on Campbell Street.

The people of Malaysia comprise of a fascinating mix of ethnicities, ranging from the Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous Orang Asli (Original People) of Peninsular Malaysia to the diverse tribal communities of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia.

Although the national language is Bahasa Melayu (Malay), English is widely spoken amongst the population of around 29 million.

Non-Malays are usually fluent in both Bahasa Melayu as well as their mother tongue. Apart from Mandarin, Malaysian Chinese commonly communicate in dialects such as Cantonese (especially in capital of Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas) and Hokkien, while the Indian community speaks primarily Tamil as a second language.

The food capital of Malaysia, Penang is a food-lover’s paradise. Time labeled Penang as the state with the best street food in Asia in 2004. CNN also consistently ranks it among the top-ten places for street food. And in 2014, Penang was voted the top food destination by Lonely Planet. This is because Penang offers a comprehensive choice of great-tasting food at significantly cheap rates.

Penang offers an array of pristine white beaches, colorful parks, beautiful gardens and more for tourists to explore. Perhaps the most popular attraction is Penang’s George Town, which is best explored on foot.

Flights to Malaysia are served by most major airlines and land at eight international airports all over Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Malaysia’s main international airport, is located in Sepang (about 45 km away from KL’s city centre) and is also Asia’s fastest growing airport.

Entering peninsula Malaysia by land via Singapore and Thailand is easily done via public and tour buses.

Malaysian food is nothing short of fantastic. There is a choice of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Thai, Korean and Western – it’s all here.

Nyonya cuisine is probably the most famous of these fusions and is a blend of Chinese ingredients and Malay spices. Malay-style food comprises of seafood, meats and vegetables cooked with sweet, savoury and spicy sauces, and served with rich coconut milk infused rice or nasi.

Shopping in KL is one of the major attractions in Malaysia with a variety of fashionable products and handicrafts available from shopping complexes like The Curve and Berjaya Times Square, to department stores and smaller boutiques and markets, all at great value.