There’s something about the heritage city of George Town that invites a slower pace of travel, a deep appreciation of local life. It makes sense then that the Unesco World Heritage capital in the northern Malaysian state of Penang – or the second most visited city in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur – is home to some of the country’s best luxury boutique hotels.

A case in point is The Edison George Town, a 111-year-old building restored with modern facilities and trimmings. Here’s a breakdown of the hotel, also a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

Architecture

The building was first commissioned and built in 1906 as a residence for a local tycoon before changing hands during the World War II. Most recently, it was known as the Cathay Hotel, also serving as a brothel at the time.

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Inclusion on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Heritage List is nothing to sniff at. In the simplest terms, it signals that a cultural or natural site — be it a Great Wall, a Grand Canyon or a pollution-stained mausoleum — is of “outstanding value to humanity.”

Prestige aside, recognition as a World Heritage site is also often akin to hitting the tourism jackpot. This is particularly true for impoverished and developing parts of the world that are home to transcendent sites that, without the UNESCO stamp of approval, have remained overlooked, off-the-map — and vulnerable. In these areas, World Heritage status is viewed as a form of salvation.

Yet with this exalted lifeline, there’s often a grave price to pay.

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Pearl of the Orient is home to a unique motley mix of heritage

YOU must take a look from high up to know why Malaysia stands out in the world.

The movement of ships, viewed from above, testify to the Strait of Malacca’s status as the longest and busiest natural waterway in the world.

More than 80,000 ships cross the straits every year today and avoiding it means a long detour of several thousand kilometres for ships, across the stormy Indian Ocean off the west of Sumatra.

The straits is a crucial route since antiquity, and it has deeply influenced Malaysia’s cultural heritage.

For thousands of years, Romans and other Europeans were told fantastical tales of pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, silk and other valuable commodities.

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THESE are the great destinations Aussies typically don’t visit. So if you don’t want to be surrounded by Australian accents on holiday, go here instead.

THERE’S nothing like going away and spotting a Bintang singlet and hearing an Aussie accent to make you feel like you’ve never left the country.

To help travellers truly escape on their holiday, Skyscanner Australia dug into their data and found the destinations least booked by Aussie travellers.

Check out these places off the well-trodden tourist path and you might be the only Australian in the city.

TRAVELLING TO ARGENTINA?

Skip: Buenos Aires

Try: Iguazú Falls

A surprising name on our list of least travelled destinations for Australians is one of the world’s natural wonders, Iguazú Falls in Argentina.

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Malacca (locally known as Melaka) is a lovely laid back city in Malaysia, located near the Straits of Malacca. Also known as ‘historic state’, Malacca has been ruled by the Dutch, Portuguese and British thanks to its strategic location which made it an important port along the east-west trade route. Chinese immigrants came to Malacca for trade and mingled with the local ladies of Malay archipelago giving rise to a distinct ‘Peranakan’ culture! The city has been rightly declared a UNESCO world heritage site and still has much of the old heritage intact.

We spent a lovely weekend there soaking in the Peranakan culture, trying delicious cuisine and admiring the lovely architecture of the city.

How to get there: From Singapore, you can take a bus to Malacca.

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