TOUCH WOOD

Penang Hill—also known by its Malay name of Bukit Bendera—has been favored since British colonial times as an escape from the tropical heat of George Town. These days, visitors have another good reason to ride the funicular railway up its verdant slopes. A few minutes’ walk from the upper station, The Habitat Penang Hill spotlights the island’s surprising biodiversity with a 1.6-kilometer-long nature trail that winds through virgin rain forest. Deeper inside the park, the Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk (pictured here) made its debut in May, soaring 13 meters above a large clearing once used as a military parade ground. It’s the highest viewing platform on Penang, where vistas stretch as far as the islands of Langkawi on a clear day. Yet more thrills are in the pipeline, with two canopy walkways slated to open in August ( thehabitat.my).