Penang is an island located off the northwest coast of the Malaysian Peninsula.
The capital, George Town, is a showcase of Southeast Asia’s largest collection of pre-World War II buildings, for which the entire town obtained its World Heritage Status from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
Citizens of the United States, Canada and most Arab, Commonwealth and European countries do not need visas for visits of less than three months.
Click here to view visa information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia.
The Malaysian currency is the ringgit, divided into 100 sen (cents). The currency is abbreviated both as RM and MYR.
While credit cards are accepted in hotels and department stores, expect to pay in cash in rural areas.
Here are the most recent exchange rates for some common currencies.
MYR 1.00 equals:
Hotels and restaurants add a government tax of 6% and a service charge of 10%.
Tipping is not customary in Malaysia.
Bank Hours10am - 4pm, Monday through Friday
Office Hours8am - 5pm, Monday through Friday (Government offices) 9am - 5pm, Monday through Friday (Business offices)
Shopping Hours 10am -10pm, Monday through Sunday
Ensure that food is well-cooked, and consume only bottled mineral water outside of Traders Hotel, Penang.
Lightweight clothing is ideal. A shirt, jacket and tie are normal business attire.
Shorts, miniskirts and sleeveless garments are not advisable for women, especially in rural areas.
Penang has a typically tropical climate of warm, sunny weather throughout the year. Rain is most frequent from November to January, but can be expected in any month.
Sun through high clouds
Population1.2 million
LanguageBahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese, Tamil
Time ZoneGMT + 8 hours
MeasuresMetric System
Voltage220 / 240 volts
Plug Type
Mobile PhonesGSM 1800