Summary
Lovers' Isle (Malay: Pulau Asmara) is an islet in Southwest Penang Island District, Penang, Malaysia, located off the northern coast of Penang Island. Located off Batu Ferringhi, a suburb of the city of George Town, this uninhabited rocky outcrop was where the first European sailors to reach what is now Penang arrived in the 16th century.[1]
 | |
  Lovers' Isle Lovers' Isle within the State of Penang | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Southeast Asia |
| Coordinates | 5°27′58.935″N 100°14′8.6562″E / 5.46637083°N 100.235737833°E |
| Adjacent to | Malacca Strait |
| Administration | |
| State |  Penang |
| Local government |  Penang Island City Council |
| District | Southwest Penang Island |
Etymology edit
The isle was once named Batu Ferringhi ( English: Portuguese Rock) and has lent its name to the now popular tourist destination of Batu Ferringhi, a suburb of George Town. In the 16th century, Portuguese sailors landed at the rock to obtain fresh water from the nearby streams.[1] At the time, the Malay word Ferringhi, which was in turn derived from the Arabic ferringi, was originally used to denote a person of Portuguese descent.
Urban legend has it that Lovers' Isle was named as such after a couple, each of a different ethnicity, committed suicide at this outcrop.[2] To this day, Lovers' Isle is still visited by couples during low tides.
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