Getting there

Penang is a busy international hub, so there are a lot of ways to get there. Both Malaysia Airlines and China International Airline have regular services between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. The flight takes about five hours.

You'll have to take a 50-minute flight from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and the national carrier flies several times daily.

There are a variety of choices for hotels and resorts in Penang, and prices vary.

The newly renovated Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, the best on the island, is a luxury resort at Batu Feringgi beach. It embraces the best of contemporary Malaysian architecture with two wings that are integrated within a beautifully landscaped 30-acre (12-hectare) tropical garden. Room rates start from RM700 ($218) per night.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/13/2007 page19)