Why go
- Island in Southeast Asia.
- Served by RMAF Butterworth Air Base (BWH).
History
Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, with an area of 748,168 km2 (288,869 sq mi), and population of 23,053,723. Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda Islands, located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra. The island is crossed by the equator, which divides it roughly in half. In Indonesia, the island is also known as Kalimantan, which is also the name of the Indonesian region located on the island.
Airports
Penang International Airport (PEN) 13 km to the centre
Penang, 07, MY — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 17 airlines (Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Firefly, Malindo Air…) · direct flights to 20 destinations incl. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Hong Kong, Kota Bahru… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 17 airlines, 20 direct destinations
- Malaysia Airlines MH (ATR 72, 734, 737-800, A319, A320) · 10 routes: Banda Aceh*, Bangkok*, Ko Samui*, Kota Bahru*, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur*, Kuantan*, Langkawi*, Phuket*, Singapore*
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 7 routes: Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Langkawi, Miri, Singapore
- Firefly FY (ATR 72) · 7 routes: Banda Aceh, Ko Samui, Kota Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan, Langkawi, Phuket
- Malindo Air OD (ATR 72, 737-900) · 4 routes: Kota Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi
- Indonesia AirAsia QZ (A320) · 2 routes: Jakarta, Surabaya
- American Airlines AA (737) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Cathay Pacific CX (A330-300) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- China Airlines CI (737-800) · 1 route: Taipei
- China Southern Airlines CZ (A320) · 1 route: Guangzhou
- Dragonair KA (A330-300) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Express Airways UO (A320) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Jetstar Asia Airways 3K (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- SilkAir MI (A319, A320, 737-800) · 1 route: Singapore
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (A319, A320, 737-800) · 1 route: Singapore*
- Thai AirAsia FD (A320) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Thai Airways International TG (734) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Tiger Airways TR (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Pengkalan Hulu Airport 81 km to the centre
Pengkalan Hulu, 08, MY
Grik Airport 88 km to the centre
Grik, 08, MY
Getting there by ferry
Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 2.4 km from the centre · Penang Port Sdn Bhd
Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal
Ferry terminal · 3 km from the centre
Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4 km from the centre · Penang Port Sdn Bhd
Aman Island
Ferry terminal · 16 km from the centre
Batu Kawan
Ferry terminal · 17 km from the centre
Monkey Beach
Ferry terminal · 18 km from the centre
Penang Ferry (Butterworth to George Town)
Ferry route · Penang Port Sdn Bhd
Penang Ferry (George Town to Butterworth)
Ferry route · Penang Port Sdn Bhd
Where to stay
Magazine Rd, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · shangri-la.com
10, Lebuh Farquhar, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · eohotels.com
82 A, Lebuh Penang, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · renitang.com
168, Jalan Argyll, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · forumhotelpenang.top
39C, Pengkalan Weld, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · savvhotel.com
5, Jalan Khoo Sian Ewe, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · arecahotelpenang.com
25, China St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia · eastindieshotel.com
14A, Stewart Ln, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia · georgetownheritage.com
8, Gat Lebuh Gereja, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · theprestige.my
Lebuh Tenggiri 2, 13700 Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · thelighthotelpg.com
139, Jalan Pintal Tali, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · rentforlong.com
71, Lorong Macalister, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · macalisterterraces.com
77, Muntri St, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia · georgetownheritage.com
55, Jalan Patani, George Town, 10150 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · thegallivanthotels.com
191, Jalan Magazine, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · thegranitehotel.com
9, Jalan Zainul Abidin, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · venohotel.top
49, Jalan Zainul Abidin, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · zoomhotel.top
Pmt5150, Jalan Bagan Luar, Bandar Selat, 12000, Penang, Malaysia · ihg.com
61, Jalan Argyll, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · mokozoyo.com
29B-03, 05, Persiaran Karpal Singh 2, 11600 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · maritimeluxury.top
183, Jalan Magazine, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · stgileshotels.com
33, Lorong Baru, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · sunwayhotels.com
68, Jalan Gurdwara, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · penang.neohotels.com
107, Victoria St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia · instagram.com
Jalan Sungai Ujong, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · kimberleyhotel.com.my
87, Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · magazineboutique.top
280, Victoria St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia · victoriagardenhotel.com
Jalan Hutton, George Town, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · hotelpenaga.com
No 1 & 2, Pengkalan Weld, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia · royalechulan.com
101, Jln Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · booking.travelodgehotels.asia
123, Lebuh Noordin, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · cititelexpress-penang.com
12, Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · swiftbook.io
413, Lbh Chulia, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · qanova.com.my
5, Jln Penang, George Town, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · hotelcontinental.com.my
3, Lebuh Nanning, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · discoverasr.com
Indoor
213, Jalan Bukit Gambir, Kampung Seberang Paya, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia · marriott.com
25-A, Lebuh Farquhar, Georgetown, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia · discoverasr.com
50, Lrg Aboo Sittee, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Indoor
Indoor
Where things are
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping
base map © OSM
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
Tourist season
May – September
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Shoulder season
April, October
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Worth avoiding
Deep winter
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is RMAF Butterworth Air Base (BWH); 2 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By water: 6 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal, 2.4 km); routes include Penang Ferry (Butterworth to George Town), Penang Ferry (George Town to Butterworth).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Borneo (East Malaysia). Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Trains & rail
National rail
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.
Tours & experiences
Sightseeing