Climate
Penang, like the rest of Malaysia, has an equatorial climate. This means temperatures of between about 22°C/72°F night and 30°C/86°F day, between 70% and 90% humidity, and an annual total rainfall of about 2400mm. The driest months are usually January and February. The wettest period is usually from September to November with August also being quite wet; frequent thunderstorms can be expected in these months.
Understand
Penang was part of the Malay sultanate of Kedah until 1786, when Captain Francis Light built a fort at the site of present-day Georgetown and managed to get the island ceded to the British East India Company. The island, along with Malacca and Singapore, was one of the three British Straits Settlements.
The name Penang comes from the Malay word Pinang, means the betel nut æ§æ¦ï¼ tree (Areca catechu. The name Pulau Pinang translated literally from Malay means "betel nut island". The original name of Penang was Pulau Ka-satu or "First Island", it was renamed to Prince of Wales Island on 12 Aug 1786 to commemorate the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later, George IV. During the early and middle part of the last century, Penang Island was also known as "The Pearl of the Orient".
The capital, Georgetown, was named after King George III of Great Britain. Today, Penang has the highest population density in Malaysia and is the only state where the ethnic Chinese are the majority. The state of Penang today has the third-largest economy amongst the states of Malaysia, after Selangor and Johor.
The cargo trade has largely shifted down to Port Klang and Singapore since Penang lost its free-port status in 1969, but now Penang makes a good living off tourism and electronics manufacturing. The multi-national corporations that operate factories in Penang's Free Trade Zones include Intel, AMD, BBraun, Dell, Flextronics, Agilent, Osram, Motorola, Seagate, and Jabil Circuit. Penang was granted Cyber-City status on 21 June, 2004. At the World Heritage Committee Session in July 2008, Georgetown and Malacca were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
When to go
Penang's high season is around Christmas, New Year's Day, and Chinese New Year check the lunar calendar; it could fall on the end of January or early to mid February, when the east coast of Malaysia is drenched and hordes of sun-seeking tourists descend on the island. Accommodation tends to be packed, and priced accordingly.
Orientation
The state of Penang is made up of two parts, Penang Island, a turtle-shaped island in the Straits of Malacca 8 km west of Peninsular Malaysia, and Seberang Perai formerly Province Wellesley, a rectangular-shaped district that is part of the mainland.
Georgetown is Penang's largest city. Development of the eastern coast of the island is slowly linking Georgetown, in the northeast, to the city of Bayan Lepas in the southeast. The northern coast, including Batu Ferringhi, is also being heavily developed and features the island's best beaches and resorts. The island's western side is still relatively undeveloped and has a serene "kampung" lifestyle village feel about it.