KUALA LUMPUR – Penang Hill is one of three Unesco Biosphere Reserve sites in Malaysia and one of 738 reserves worldwide designated as learning places for sustainable development and the exploration of local solutions to global challenges.
Inscribed on September 15, 2021, under Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere Programme after Tasik Chini in Pahang (2009) and Crocker Range in Sabah (2014), Penang Hill comprises 12,481ha of reserve that maintains one of the last tracts of coastal rainforests in Malaysia, coastal lowland and hill dipterocarp forests, mangroves, wetlands, sandy beaches, and coral reefs.
Endemic and endangered species such as the Penang Hill vampire crab, bent-toed gecko, Irrawaddy dolphin, Sunda pangolin, and migratory birds are among the other tropical mammals and reptiles that can be spotted here.
The forests and habitats on the hill support a diverse range of flora and fauna, making them a treasure trove for field laboratory research, environmental education, and education in sustainability sciences, which in turn aid efforts to find solutions to challenges affecting the local ecosystems.
The rich biodiversity and ecosystem on Penang Hill, which rises 833m above sea level, have been largely unexplored by local and foreign visitors to the hill until recently, when The Habitat – a rainforest park that allows visitors the opportunity to reconnect with nature, while garnering knowledge about the biodiversity of the hill and the importance of preserving it – was established.
This aligns with the main objective of the Unesco biosphere listing, which is to support conservation, ecosystem services, socio-economic development, efforts to sustain cultural identity, tourism, and educational programmes, among others.
The Habitat allows local and foreign visitors to immerse themselves in the forest canopy while observing the flora and fauna as they walk along trails carved through the hill by early settlers under the British East India Company, including the Langur Way Canopy Walk and the Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk.
Operating out of an old horse stable on the hill, The Habitat allows visitors to explore the park on their own or with a guide. Visitors can find more information here on The Habitat’s website.
Recognising the heritage of Penang Hill and the high value of its Unesco listing as a tourism product, Tourism Malaysia Northern Region recently stepped up efforts to draw visitors to the hill and boost awareness of the unique and outstanding qualities of the site, with the cooperation of travel agents as well as print and electronic media.
In its early days, Penang Hill was a retreat for European settlers looking to escape the hot and humid island weather in the lowlands. In the late 18th century, these early settlers hiked up the hills and marked the early trails with Angsana trees brought in from the Andaman Islands.
Later, short-legged Sumatran ponies were used to ride up the steep terrain, in addition to the “doolie” where “masters” were carried up the hill in sedan chairs by porters.
Today, the hill is accessible via walking trails, jeeps, and the most popular mode, the 2km long 100-year-old funicular railway, which was completed in 1923.
A hillock where the founder of Penang, Sir Francis Light, set up a small cottage was called Strawberry Hill; it was the first place where this fruit was cultivated in Malaysia but no longer grows, having been consumed by the local primates.
This spot is today the David Brown Restaurant and Tea Terrace – named after the British settler who bought the cottage after the governor’s house was built for light on a higher plateau overlooking the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Penang.
The governor’s house – Bel Retiro, built in 1789, was a space for retreat, surveillance, and the highest point of the hill, where a flagpole was erected to reinforce Britain’s claim over the island. This is also why Penang Hill is known as Bukit Bendera or Flagstaff Hill.
Within the compound of the governor’s house is the Fernhill Bungalow – which was used as a guesthouse, a guardhouse further downhill, and a gatehouse (plans are being made to convert this into a gallery).
Below this hill, a 2.6-tonne signal cannon built in Madras overlooks George Town, the Straits of Melaka, and the Andaman Sea. The canon was to be used to warn troops in Fort Cornwallis of the approach of enemy vessels. An ornate mosque and Murugan temple located adjacent to this canon are popular stops for locals and visitors alike.
Also still standing is what used to be the Convalescent Bungalow, which was built specifically as a recovery place for the Europeans during a time when smallpox, cholera, malaria, dysentery, and tropical wounds were rife. The assumption was that the clean air and mountain breezes would help the colonists regain their health, but sadly for many, it was where they spent their final hours.
This bungalow is one of many on Penang Hill, each with histories and even mysteries of its own, waiting to be explored in addition to the nature trails, flora and fauna, heritage buildings and structures, unique old and new installations, and cafes and restaurants with stunning views of George Town, among other attractions.
The Penang Hill Gallery @Edgecliff would be a great place to kick off a visit to the peak as it captures the gist of the hill’s history, early visitors and settlers, dwellings, events and highlights on the hill. – August 27, 2023