I was itching at home, not having any travels planned for the next months. I really, really wanted to go somewhere. So I did. It was a quick trip – just 8 days – but sometimes a few days is all you need to recharge your batteries.

Penang was my destination of choice. I’ve been there before (in fact I spent 10 months working there back in 2003), but I have a thing for that place, so it seemed like an obvious choice. The plan was simple – eat lots of food and take lots of photos. I think I did well on both counts.

The thing I love about Penang, and especially the old part of Georgetown (the main city on the island), is the diversity. Here the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians live next to each other, celebrating their religions, their traditions, all in peace and harmony. It is not unusual to see a Chinese man coming for a blessing to Hindu temple, or a Hindu woman visiting Buddhist temple to light a candle. Not something you get too see often.

And of course there is the food. It is insanely good, the variety is huge and everything tastes great. I had two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners on most days, simply because I could never decide which dish I should have.

I will write more about Penang people and Penang food in the upcoming weeks, but for now I will leave you with a few photos from my favorite place in Asia.