In 1511, Alfonso De Albuquerque, a Portuguese led an expedition to Malaya which seized Malacca with the intent of using it as a base of activities in South East Asia which led to the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonisation of Malacca 1511 - 1957. Due to its strategic position between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca has been long the meeting place for traders and travelers from West and East for the supply of natural richness from South East Asia.

Hence its history is one of continual interaction with foreign powers and influences which led to the recognition of Malacca as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

There are 4 Unesco World Heritage Sites in Malaysia, the historic cities of Melaka and Georgetown, and the Lenggong Valley with its archaeological remains in Peninsula Malaysia and two National Parks of Mulu and Kinabalu on the Borneo Island.

Melaka and Georgetown were added to Unesco world heritage list as the historic cities of the straits of Malacca in 2008. They have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between east and west in the straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible.

Melaka demonstrates the early stage of history from 15^th century Malay Sultanate, and the Portuguese and Dutch periods in the 16^th century featuring residential and commercial buildings. Georgetown represents the British era from 18^th century.

The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape are without parallel anywhere in East and South East Asia. Reflect a multi-cultural heritage that evolved from their strategic location along the trade routes from Great Britain and Europe through the middle east, the colonization from the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British.

The Lenggong Valley in Perak was declared as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2012. Situated in the lush Lenggong Valley, the property includes four archaeological sites in two clusters which span close to 2 million years, one of the longest records of early man in a single locality, and the oldest outside the African continent. It features open-air and cave sites with Paleolithic tool workshops, evidence of early technology. The number of sites found in the relatively contained area suggests the cultural remains from the Paleolithic, Neolithic and metal ages.

The Perak man from 11,000-year-old was discovered within Gunung Runtuh Cave and is South East Asia’s oldest most complete human skeleton.

Undisturbed Paleolithic stone tool workshops are located on the shores of a Paleolake and ancient river gravel beds and dated in a long chronological sequence. Hand axes are among the oldest so far discovered outside Africa. Analysis suggests these were made by hominids which thus provide an extremely early date for hominid presence in South East Asia. A volcanic eruption 70000 b.p. causes abandonment of a workshop site containing multiple tool types at Kota Tampan, at the vicinity of the present day Lenggong Archaeological Museum.

The tour also visits other attractions of Peninsula Malaysia. The modern city Kuala Lumpur, a tropical rainforest dedicated to research, tea plantation at Cameron Highlands and the Orang Utans at Semanggol, Perak, the beaches of Penang Island, and see how the iconic batik is painted on clothes and dresses.

 Room Policies & Guidelines

Twin Share:
 Max. Allowed: 2 x Adults, 1 x Child (with extra bed), 1 x Child (with no bed)

Triple Share:
 Max. Allowed: 3 x Adults

Single:
 Max. Allowed: 1 x Adult

Unesco Heritage Tour of Penang (Tour Code 44)
4 days 3 nights

Itinerary: -

Day 1    Home – Penang
Arrive at Penang airport, meet and transfer to hotel. Overnight 4-star Beach Resort in Penang.

Day 2     Penang: - Georgetown tour / Batik Painting
After breakfast, proceed for a tour of Georgetown. The history of Penang was shaped by British colonialism, beginning with the acquisition of Penang Island from the Sultanate of Kedah by the British East India Company in 1786. Develop into a free port, the city state was subsequently governed as part of the Straits Settlements, together with Singapore and Malacca. After World War 2, the Straits Settlements was dissolved and merged into the Federation of Malaya which attained independence from the British Empire in 1957.

Today we explore the diverse cosmopolitan city of Penang, claimed in the 18th century by Captain Francis Light who founded the settlement of ‘George Town’ in honour of George, Prince of Wales.

Penang has a multi-cultural, multi-linqual and multi religious society whereby Penangites live, work and worship side by side of each other in this busy community. It’s streets and shops are crowded with people and traffic most of the time. Its buildings are a combination of new and old; some dated a few hundred years ago as below.

The High Court Building was built in 1808 and a hundred years later it was replaced by current neo-palladian / neo-classical structure with large, elegant and simple triangular pediments.

The Town Hall was built in 1883, and like Penang City, a symmetrical structure with beautiful quoins and semi-circle pediments on either side, and a triangular pediment atop a two-story porte-cochere.

The City Hall, completed in 1906 is a white symmetrical building was constructed in the strong. Grand Edwardian Baroque style complete with a porte -cochere, and like the High Court, has the ionic columns on the first level Corinthian columns on the second.

Both the City Hall and Town Hall are across from the Padang and Esplanade, important pieces of British Colonial city planning with a field for activities (Padang) and a promenade along the oceanfront (Esplanade).

Fort Cornwallis, across the Esplanade was built by Captain Francis Light where he set foot in Penang in 1786 and took possession of the island and established a free port to lure trade from Europe.

Adjacent to Fort Cornwallis lies Queen Victoria Tower. Commissioned in 1897, the height from the base of the tower is 60 feet, each foot representing one year of the reign of Queen Victoria. The tower is adorned with balconies and clocks on each of the four sides, and a bell at the top under a dome, bringing the total height to 97 feet.

The next landmark along the seafront is the Chew jetty and water villagers of Chinese clan houses set up more than a century ago and house the descendants from Fukien province in China, who shared common historical, geographical and clan origins.

Take a stroll along Armenian Street for its street arts and café cultures. Then continue to ‘Street of Harmony’ which paves the way to the Goddess of Mercy temple, a magnificent structure with dragon-entwined pillars intricately carved from green stone. The temple was founded in 1728, dedicated to Mazu, a sea goddess worshipped by the Hokkiens as a patron for seafarers.

Proceed to the incredible 1795 gold plated Reclining Buddha Temple in Burma Lane, sitting blissfully within a beautiful Thai temple, surrounded by many smaller Buddha statues forming a majestic shrine.

Our last stop will be the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, the first hotel owned by the legendary Sarkie brothers, brought Penang into the spotlight with a world class hotel experience. It was considered the “finest hotel East of Suez” at the turn of the 19th century. With a signature facade and a doorman ready to greet you in traditional style, the Eastern and Oriental is still a pearl in Southeast Asia. Notable guests include: Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Rudyard Kipling, Karl May and Sun Yat Sen.

After lunch, witness the actual process of Batik making, using wax and dyes at Penang Batik Factory. Batik has been both an art and craft for centuries in several countries such as West Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Philippine, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia.

In Malaysia, leaves and flowers are the most popular motifs for batik but fish and animal designs are also created, especially for the tourist market.

Penang Batik Factory has a small team of talented batik artists who are all Malaysians. It is impressive to see the ease with which they create their beautiful works of art. This gallery is helping to protect Malaysia’s heritage by providing opportunities for these artisans to earn a living from this age-old handicraft.

Return to hotel, overnight 4-star Beach Resort in Penang. (Breakfast / Lunch included)

Day 3     Penang: - Orang Utan Island
After breakfast, depart hotel for an hour and forty minutes’ drive to Bukit Merah (97km) and then by boat for 20 minutes to Orang Utan Island at Semanggol, Perak.

While most of Malaysia’s orang-utan rehabilitation efforts are focused in east Malaysia, such as the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah, other initiatives are also forming in Peninsular Malaysia toward this goal. One fundamental hub that contributes to these efforts is the Orang Utan Island situated within the Bukit Merah Laketown at Semanggol, Perak. The Orang Utan Island is a research institution dedicated to the preservation and research of the orang-utan. The Island is a rehabilitation and conservation facility where Orang Utan are able to roam freely. This unique island serves as a research and educational centre to better understand this endangered species. The island sits in the middle of a very large expanse of water so that the Orang Utan will stay within the jungle on the island of 4000 hectares.

On arrival visitors are greeted by guides who explain what the research facility is all about.

Visitors are then introduced to the babies at the quarantine area behind glass so as to maintain no human contact possible. Visitors are than taken to a 200 metres walkthrough cage tunnel, where they are able to come up close with the Orang Utan while observing the primates roaming freely in their natural habitat.

After this wonderful experience, transfer back to Penang. Overnight 4-star Beach Resort in Penang. (Breakfast / Lunch included)

Day 4     Penang – Home    
Transfer to Penang airport. (Breakfast included)

 How to book this holiday?

Our tour prices are based on: -

• Adults sharing a twin or triple (with extra bed) room basis.
• Per adult basis inclusive of all taxes.
• Varying numbers of adults travelling together as a small group in a private vehicle as per product options - Select - Twin or Triple Share (no of pax).
• Minimum number is 2 adults in a group staying in a twin share room.
• If sharing a twin share room is not the choice you would prefer, then you will stay in 2 single rooms by purchasing 2 Single Room Supplement as per product options - Select - Single Room Supplement.
• If you prefer to be a single traveler, you will stay in a single room by purchasing 2 adults as per product options - Select - Twin or Triple Share (no of pax).
• If sharing a triple room is not ideal for you, you can stay in a twin and a single room by purchasing 1 Single Room Supplement as per product options - Select - Single Room Supplement.
• The hotels allow double room if you do not prefer a twin room.
• Children under 12 years old can travel with minimum 2 adults in a twin share room by purchasing number of children as per product options - Select - Children (max 2 child per room). The hotels allow a total of 2 children staying in a twin room.
• Children staying in a Twin Share room will be treated as an adult.
• After you have paid for the total purchases by debit or credit cards, a receipt will be issued to you as proof of payment, together with details of your purchases and an itinerary as per the selected package will be attached for your easy reference. Please note day 1 on the itinerary will be the date as selected to commence the tour.
• Should you require to cancel your booking, please refer to our “Terms of service” under “Help” section on the top right-hand corner of the home page.
• Please advise us your incoming and outgoing flight details so that airport transfers can be arranged for you.