ABOUT

AYER ITAM

Air Itam, a western suburb of George Town, is home to two of Penang Island's famous tourist destinations, the Kek Lok Si temple and Penang Hill. Some of the best Penang food can be found in Air Itam as well, including Penang asam laksa and curry mee.

The once agricultural area near the middle of Penang Island is located in the valleys between Penang Hill, Batu Lanchang Hill and Penara Hill, separating it from Balik Pulau to the southwest and the suburb of Green Lane to its southeast. To this day, the vegetable farms on Air Itam's hills still produce vegetables, which are carried downhill to the market or transported to other parts of George Town.

Air Itam Road is the main thoroughfare in Air Itam, connecting the suburb with the heart of George Town to the northeast and continuing as Paya Terubong Road to the south.

Air Itam has seen considerable urbanisation since the 1970s and is now among the most densely populated suburbs of George Town. The first low-cost flats in Malaysia were built in Air Itam in the 70s. Since the 1980s, Farlim, George Town's newest suburb located within Air Itam, has been developed out of Air Itam.