Tourists visit Penang Hill to escape city’s heat
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New Zealanders Thomas English and Steph Brownlee retreated from the scorching heat in the city to the greenery on Penang Hill.
PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
GEORGE TOWN - The hot spell in Penang is driving tourists to find cooler respite on Penang Hill.
At over 700m above sea level, it is Penang’s tallest peak.
Tourist Joseph Hooks, 74, an American who lives in Bangkok, and his wife Supat Sawangsri, 64, were among those who escaped to the hill on Sunday to enjoy the cool breeze.
“It’s so hot in Thailand and when we arrived in Penang a few days ago, it was just as hot,” he said.
“In the city, I had to open the refrigerator in the supermarkets just to cool off. We finally found a cooler place on the peak here and it is much better.”
New Zealanders Steph Brownlee, 28, and Thomas English, 29, also retreated from the scorching heat in the city to the greenery on Penang Hill.
“We’ve visited various places, including the clan jetties, and also tried the street food. Since Friday, however, we’ve been sweating non-stop wherever we go,” said Ms Brownlee. “At least on Penang Hill, we get a panoramic view of the island without the heat.”
Checks showed temperatures on the peak of Penang Hill averaging between 24 deg C and 26 deg C, 5 deg C cooler than at ground level.
It was reported that during the Hari Raya break, Penang Hill saw almost 8,000 visitors a day.
Penang Hill Corporation general manager Cheok Lay Leng said the venue has been popular with tourists even after the Hari Raya and Labour Day holidays.
“Penang Hill is a cool retreat for those looking to escape the heat and humidity of the city, in addition to enjoying great scenery from the peak,” he said, adding that the hill receives an average of 6,000 visitors a day.
But Datuk Cheok advised visitors to bring along an umbrella in case of sudden rain.
He also invited visitors to attend the coming Penang Hill Festival from July 21 to 23 in conjunction with the Penang Hill Railway’s 100th anniversary in 2023.
Recently, parts of Asia have been reporting extreme heat. On Saturday, Vietnam reported record high temperatures, with a north-central weather station measuring 44.1 deg C, breaking a previous high set in 2019.
In April, the temperature in Bangkok’s Bagna district reached 42 deg C, while the heat index – which includes relative humidity and measures what the temperature feels like – hit a record 54 deg C. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
