Travel Guide Penang Hill

Rising to an altitude of 821 meters, Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) offers a welcome escape for those wishing to enjoy lower temperatures and less humidity than in Georgetown. That's why Captain Francis Light once decided to make it a strawberry-growing area, hence the name Strawberry Hill in British times. Although the strawberries have since disappeared, visitors still flock here to stroll and enjoy the magnificent views over the island and peninsula. It's reached by funicular railway, whose old system dating back to 1923 was replaced in 2017. It's the longest funicular railway in Asia and the steepest tunnel in the world. The train starts almost vertically and, immediately to the right, stands the Cave Temple, dedicated to the Jade Emperor, whose birthday is celebrated in February by the Chinese community. At the very top, you'll find a mosque, a Hindu temple, some fine colonial buildings, a hotel-restaurant and The Habitat park, a Unesco-listed tropical reserve. Its suspended walkway has become a must-see, plunging you in an instant into a completely different universe, allowing you to discover the abundant local flora and fauna.