Attractions in Malaysia

Location

The biggest temple in South East Asia Kek Lok Si Temple or the Temple of Supreme Bliss is located in Ayer Itam, Penang, Malaysia. Ayer Itam is one of the suburbs in Penang. The temple is standing on the hill of Ayer Itam known as the Crane Hill or He San.

Overview

Being the biggest and most beautiful Buddhist temple, it is always filled of crowds of tourists who came all over the world and also locals who want to make offerings. The temple was first built around three decades ago, and it is inspired by the chief monk of the Kuan Yin Teng Temple, another well known temple located on Pitt Street. There are two main attractions of the temple. Firstly, it is none other but the huge bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin. The next attraction is the pagoda with seven storeys. You can take the incline lift all the way up to get a close look of the mesmerizing Goddes of Mercy's statue. The best time to pay a visit to this amazing Buddhist temple is during the Chinese Lunar New Year. During that time, the temple is filled with pretty lanterns and glittering lights. This fantastic view can be seen clearly from Penang Hill.

Penang Hill is the ideal place to avoid the heat and the hustle bustle Georgetown. There, you can take a ride on the funicular train to reach the summit of the hill. The ride will take as much as 30 minutes to reach to the top of the hill. You can visit the bird sanctuary on top of the hill or take a sip of coffee while enjoying the beauty of Penang with a bird's eye view.

Hotels in Penang are all offered with amazing and affordable packages. Planning to stay in Penang a day or so will be better to have a whole look in visiting Penang. In Gurney (Persiaran Gurney) itself, there are numerous hotels up for your pick including G Hotel and Evergreen Lauren Hotel. Having a stay in Gurney would be best as the well known Gurney Drive is just a few steps away. Gurney Drive is popular with uncountable number of hawker stalls, selling local Penang food such as Assam Laksa, Char Koey Tiao, Rojak and more. It is always packed with tourists and also locals. Remember to get there earlier as the seats will be full in no time.

Transport

You can take a cab to Kek Lok Si Temple form Georgetown as it is not far away from there. A trishaw ride will be interesting with a negotiable rate of RM1.50 per kilometer. Another alternate way to get to the temple from Georgetown is by Rapid Penang. Take the Rapid Penang Bus Route numbered U201, U203, U204, U206 or U502 to get to Kek Lok Si.