Malaysia

Penang or Pinung (or however you might like to spell it) is a small island off the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula. The largest (and I think only) city on the island is Georgetown, but there are many hotels around the coast. It is a rival tourist island to Thailand's Phuket, further up the main coast. I was five years old when I visited Penang, but I really liked the heat, sun and ample swimming pools. I had just learned to swim, so had a great holiday splashing around.

Sarah and me in the Rasa-Sayang Hotel, Penang 1988. The hotel was next to the Golden Sands Hotel, which had many good swimming pools. They aren't perhaps as large and deep as I remember though.

My Dad taking me down the town in Penang. I do not remember this at all, so it can't have been that great. I do however remember visiting a temple full of snakes, and I was surprised at the freedom they had i.e. they could slither all over the temple with the people - unguarded.

And here is the Snake Temple. If you are scared of snakes, do not come here, I have never seen so many snakes in the one place.

This is one of the pools at Golden Sands Hotel, the first waterslide I had ever been on. My sister had an ear infection and couldn't swim for the whole week.