Penang

Penang’s reputation rests largely on George Town, its capital, where colonial-era shophouses sit alongside temples, mosques and Peranakan mansions built by generations of Chinese, Indian, Malay and European settlers. Street art tucked into the old town’s alleyways, much of it added over the past decade, has layered something new onto that history without overwhelming it. It is also, by common consent, one of Malaysia’s finest places to eat, with hawker stalls to match any in the country.