White pillars rose from the intricately carpeted marble floor of the Kapitan Keling Mosque, moving upwards and tapering off into a flourish of concrete leaves and ivies. Horseshoe arches connected the pillars together, and on their apex, a plaque of King Edward VII rests. The architecture—a combination of Muslim, Indian, Classical, and English—was both disconcerting and very interesting at the same time.

MASJID KAPITAN KELING’S FACADE IN PENANG

Visiting the Kapitan Keling Mosque wasn’t really part of our plan, but Penang’s extremely hot weather made us scurry towards its shaded halls for a quick respite from the heat. From the outside, the mosque—or masjid, as the Malays call their temples—looks interesting enough, with bulbous grey and copper domes and minaret jutting off against the clear blue skies of the city. Except for a few in Melaka and the Manila Muslim Temple, we haven’t really visited these kinds of worship places before.

We edged gingerly along the rickety wooden platform above the waters of Penang Harbour, wind buffeting our bodies, taking great care not to fall off on the blue-green waters below. We were at the end of Chew Jetty, one of the more popular places in Georgetown, and we wanted nothing more than to sit down and enjoy the view with cans of beer in hand.

LIM JETTY AT WELD QUAY

On our way to Chew Jetty, we inadvertently found ourselves at one of the six existing jetties at Weld Quay, Lim Jetty. We thought then that it was the famed Chew Jetty, but the lack of tourists and stores selling souvenirs on the boardwalk made us think twice.

I know one place here in Penang you’d be extremely happy to visit, C told me as we rested under the shade of a tree in Georgetown. The heat in Penang was extremely draining, and after walking around the historic quarters of the city, we took a quick soda break before continuing our tour. Where? I asked. She told me it’s a surprise and trotted off, asking me to follow. We took a turn at Lebuh Chulia and onto a narrow unnamed alley, a sign greeted us; The Camera Museum.

BACK ENTRANCE OF THE CAMERA MUSEUM

Indeed, I was brimming with excitement as we entered its darkened hallways and bought our tickets. I’ve never been to any museum catering to nothing but cameras and photography—the old stores at Quiapo’s Hidalgo Street, excluded, of course. To drive home the point, we saw a sign exclaiming that Penang’s Camera Museum is the first of its kind in South East Asia. That figures.

► DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR PENANG CAMERA MUSEUM

Straits Quay Marina isn’t really the first thing that would come to one’s mind when one speaks of Penang. The city is so rich in history and this place has, err, none of it. But that was where our feet led us as we met with C’s aunt who resides on the island during our second day in the city.

STRAITS QUAY MARINA IN PENANG

It was a slow afternoon when we took the bus from Penang’s Georgetown to the marina. The weather, as usual, was very humid—we were plastered with sweat even before we reached the mall near the breakwater. There were a couple of yachts docked right by the bay, towered over by the massive seven-storey lighthouse—easily the marina’s best feature.

► CHECK OUT: PENANG FOOD TRIP

That’s one huge pair of feet, I told C as we went around the hundred and eight feet long reclining Buddha at Wat Chaiyamangkalaram. And that’s also a mouthful of a name for a temple, I added. Wat Chaiya, it’s popular and shorter name, is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Malaysia and it definitely wouldn’t be out of place if it were actually situated in Thailand.

INTRICATE DETAILS AT PENANG’S BURMESE TEMPLE

En route to the Straits Quay Marina from Tanjung Bungah, we passed a group of kids with thanaka-painted faces, Myanmar’s distinct cosmetic paste made from grounded bark. It definitely made me wonder why there were a lot of Burmese people in the area, Penang being nowhere close to Myanmar’s border—it is relatively near Thailand’s though.

I didn’t have any expectations when I booked a flight to Penang in Malaysia. The only reason I scheduled a flight was due to my buddy’s aunt who lives there.

Honestly, I thought Penang was too quiet for my taste. But that was before I found out about George Town.

It’s an 18th century district in Penang, a UNESCO World Heritage certified site, that houses beautiful old shops and houses. Think Vigan City, only instead of only having a single preserved street, it has a whole city filled with it.

It totally blew me away.