Category: flights

Situated on the north-western coast of the Malay Peninsula at the entrance to the Straits of Malacca, Penang Island covers an area of 292 sq km (112 sq mi). The island is separated from mainland Malaysia by a channel of sea varying between 3 km (1.9 mi) and 13 km (8 mi) wide, and they are linked by the 13.5 km (8.4 mi) Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world.

The island has the oldest British settlement in Malaysia, which was founded by Captain Francis Light in 1786 while he was searching for a docking place for ships of the East India Company. Captain Light made a treaty with the Sultan of Kedah who gave him permission to colonize the sparsely populated island.

Penang today is a fine mixture of old and new: bustling, industrial port meets historic Old Town. In the capital, Georgetown, modem skyscrapers tower above one of the largest collections of pre-war buildings in south-east Asia. Colourful produce markets compete for space with high-tech electronics manufacturers. There is also a fascinating mixture of cultures here. Hundred year old churches, Chinese temples, Indian temples and mosques stand side by side.

In the middle of the bustling modern city is Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera), at almost 900 m (2,953 ft) high, with its cool, clean air. From its summit there are amazing views of the town, the island, and even the mountains on the mainland when the sky is clear. There is a Swiss-built funicular railway to take visitors to the summit, which creaks its way up through the beautiful tropical forest. At the top of the hill there is a cafe, a Hindu temple and a mosque.

Known to the Ancient Egyptians as Abu or Yabu, meaning elephant, Elephantine Island is a truly ancient site resting as it does at the First Cataract of the Nile, and creating a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia.

Being the largest island at Aswan, it was easily defensible and at one time was thought to be a major ivory trading center, possibly giving rise to its name. But rumor has it the name may also arise from the elephant-shaped granite boulders lying around its shores.

It is said that Khnum, the ram-headed god of the cataracts, lived in caves beneath the island and controlled the waters of the Nile. Nowadays, the southern tip of the island holds the ruins of the Temple of Khnurn, which was rebuilt in the 30th dynasty. Up until 1822, there were also temples to Thutmose III and Amenhotep III here, but the Ottoman government in their wisdom destroyed them.

Elephantine is an exquisite island, steeped in ancient history and blessed with significant artifacts. Transported instantly back in time, you wander under banana trees and date palms through colorful Nubian villages with narrow, dusty alleyways and mud houses painted or carved with crocodiles and fish.

On the edge of the island is one of the oldest Nilometers in Egypt. It is a stone `yardstick’ used to measure the height of the River Nile. It was last reconstructed in Roman times and was still in use as late as the 19th century.

Traveling is now an affordable luxury that people of all backgrounds can enjoy. For those who are traveling on a budget, you can save money if you are willing to do a little bit of research. The cost of airfares fluctuates constantly and there are many changing factors that can affect the price of a fare. If you are willing to consider several dates, times, and locations, you can potentially save a lot of money on a fun and fabulous trip.

Buying tickets in advance will just about always result in much lower fare prices than buying closer to the time of travel. The earlier you can find, reserve and purchase your ticket, the more money you will save on your air travel. Traveling on certain days of the week is a great way to save money, with savings for staying over a Monday or a weekend being typical discounts with many airlines. Airlines often have flights booked through the middle of the week, so they will offer weekend travelers discounts. These discounts differ from one airline to another, including possible requirements for staying over certain days, so check carefully with each one that offers flights to your chosen destination.

Another great way to get cheap flights is to fly on standby, although this requires more flexibility in your departure times. If you have some flexibility in your destination also, then you can save even more for waiting the extra time and most airlines offer standby tickets.