The small island of Penang

This young woman was my first encounter on the island of Penang, and I was truly captivated by her beauty - something completely without Photoshop or retouching. She belonged to a group of Malaysians who warmly welcomed us in a modern terminal at the port, dressed in traditional clothing and playing typical music. Penang is accustomed to tourists, as it is Malaysia's most famous destination, with a long beach in Batu Feringghi offering beautiful hotels and a wide view of the sea.

But the small island also has beautiful vegetation, is somewhat mountainous, and is connected to the mainland by a modern bridge that spans 13.5 km. It even has a nearby airport. In the capital of the island, Georgetown, there are nearly 700,000 residents, and it looks well-maintained with its beautiful pastel-colored houses from the colonial era, although the Asian way of life with street vendors and food stalls gives it a typically Asian colorful touch.

Since the ship docked very close to the center of Georgetown, we had a difficult choice of what to explore. After visiting so many cities and buildings in the past few days, I decided to focus on nature and landscapes and took an early morning ride on the 821 m high "Penang Hill" funicular railway. What I found particularly fascinating were the clouds below us, making us feel like we were above the clouds. The view of the city and the clouds constantly changed, revealing more and more of the bridge and Queen Elizabeth.

At the top station, we could take a nice walk, for example through a ginger garden. But the natural vegetation with beautiful colorful flowers was also breathtaking to see. After this very comfortable experience, we visited one of the largest and most beautiful temple complexes in Southeast Asia (according to the travel guide), which did not seem exaggerated at all. This Buddhist temple in Air Hitam, a suburb of Georgetown, is influenced by Chinese and has a mix of Thai and Burmese architectural styles. Before enjoying the beauty of the temple, we had to climb about 200 steps up the mountain, passing many stalls whose vendors were very understanding that nobody wanted to buy souvenirs but instead had to cope with the heat and high humidity. But the view from the top was truly rewarding. The scenery was beautiful, but I especially loved the many details of the complex. The upper part was a garden full of flowers, plants, and sculptures. We rang a large gong with all our strength for a small donation. When striking the gong, you can make a wish. But just the sound of this echoing gong above the city in this peaceful environment was already a gift.

The island offers much more, such as an interesting Hindu temple or the Snake Temple, where numerous venomous snakes wind around vases, candle holders, and altars. They are considered harmless because they are well-fed and somewhat lethargic due to the scent of incense sticks. Nevertheless, I decided to stay away from entering the temple. The island also has a beautiful 30-hectare botanical garden with a waterfall, a butterfly farm, and for those interested in history, there is Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's house, where the Chinese Revolution was planned in 1911.

Therefore, the small island offers something for everyone and is certainly a good choice for combining a beach holiday with some Asian culture and beautiful landscapes. For me, it was a nice end to the Asian part of the world trip, as we will now head further south, especially to the Indian Ocean with its islands such as the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Réunion, and eventually to the new continent of Africa.

In Cape Town, the shipping company and the ship's management have a special gift for the world trip passengers. We all received a noble invitation to a joint elegant dinner on shore. This is a kind of farewell gift, as the QE will start its journey back home to Southampton and Hamburg after Cape Town. Since there are at least 550 people attending this dinner (500 world travelers + officers and managers), it is obviously a massive effort in terms of transportation and location. I'm excited and really looking forward to it.

For now, greetings to everyone!

Eva