Beautiful Penang Hill is a perfectly preserved piece of colonial Malaysia
Visit filming site of C4’s Indian Summers for afternoon tea surrounded by tropical wildlife
ATOP a dainty table on a neatly manicured lawn, a very English cream tea is being laid out.
Crustless cucumber sandwiches are accompanied by scones, jam and clotted cream, all in the shadow of a huge, white mansion.
Yet there is something slightly odd about this traditional scene.
In the background is the chirrup of cicadas and the screech of macaque monkeys.
Welcome to Penang Hill, a perfectly preserved piece of colonial Malaysia that has remained untouched since the Thirties.
In fact, the area has been so frozen in time it was chosen as the setting for C4’s period drama Indian Summers.
The show’s producers scoured India for locations but found that most of the country had changed too much since independence was won. High rises now blighted the landscapes.
No such problem on Penang Island, on Malaysia’s west coast. I went there to watch the filming of series two — and it was like stepping back in time.
Actor Art Malik joins the cast this time around as the Maharaja. He tells me: “What a wonderful place Penang is. Really, really fabulous.
“You drive to work through the jungle and by the time you put your costume on and arrive on set, you are already growing into the character.
“There is no studio, no fake facades. There is very little to imagine. This is exactly as it would have been for the characters in 1935.”
For the uninitiated, Indian Summers tells the story of a group of ex-pat Brits living shoulder to shoulder with the Indian people of the hill station of Simla.
While some live there all year round, others head there for the summer to escape the cities’ stifling heat. Hence the title of the drama, which first aired last year.
And while Brits try to keep things calm by maintaining homely traditions such as afternoon tea and cocktail nights, they find themselves increasingly unable to ignore the growing call for Indian independence.
Most of the locations we see on-screen — such as the house shared by the Viceroy’s private secretary Ralph Whelan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) and his sister Alice (Jemima West), and the Simla Club run by Cynthia Coffin (Julie Walters) — are up Penang Hill.
Until very recently, these locations were abandoned and covered in vegetation.
But some intense gardening by the Indian Summers team has unveiled the true beauty of this area.
And the makeovers have attracted a whole new raft of tourists.
To get there, one travels up a funicular — a sort of tram crossed with a cable car — which is an adventure in itself.
For the uninitiated, Indian Summers tells the story of a group of ex-pat Brits living shoulder to shoulder with the Indian people of the hill station of Simla.
While some live there all year round, others head there for the summer to escape the cities’ stifling heat. Hence the title of the drama, which first aired last year.
And while Brits try to keep things calm by maintaining homely traditions such as afternoon tea and cocktail nights, they find themselves increasingly unable to ignore the growing call for Indian independence.
Most of the locations we see on-screen — such as the house shared by the Viceroy’s private secretary Ralph Whelan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) and his sister Alice (Jemima West), and the Simla Club run by Cynthia Coffin (Julie Walters) — are up Penang Hill.
Until very recently, these locations were abandoned and covered in vegetation.
But some intense gardening by the Indian Summers team has unveiled the true beauty of this area.
And the makeovers have attracted a whole new raft of tourists.
To get there, one travels up a funicular — a sort of tram crossed with a cable car — which is an adventure in itself.
But there are plenty more upmarket areas to eat out, too.
Craig Parkinson, who plays missionary Dougie, says: “I’m used to filming on council estates in Manchester so it’s interesting to be here.
“The Malaysian culture is great — and the food is spectacular.
“I did have to stop eating from the street sellers every day or I wouldn’t have fit into the costume! But twice a week . . . amazing.”
Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Penang is the sheer amount of art that adorns the walls of many of the bars, cafes, restaurants — and even brick walls.
Thanks to Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic, nicknamed “the Malaysian Banksy”, George Town is now covered in beautiful graffiti.
That means taking a quick wander around town can quickly turn into a whole day of wonder and intrigue.
It is easy to get there, whether you fly direct to Penang or include it as part of a bigger trip.
Malaysia Airlines flies between the UK and Malaysia twice daily and connects with other destinations within Malaysia, South-East Asia and Australasia.
And for wildlife fans, there is plenty to see, too.
Julie Walters says: “The journey up Penang Hill is fabulous.
“You see little monkeys and their babies sitting at the side of the road. They’re so sweet.
“One day I was looking out of my hotel room and I saw a huge eagle with a fish in his mouth flying towards my window. And I saw a kingfisher, which is quite rare.
“Some people even saw cobras and scorpions. It’s terrific.”
Fiona Glascott, who plays downtrodden missionary’s wife Sarah, sums up the joy.
She says: “I miss Penang when I’m not here, which I don’t have anywhere else in the world.
“Even at the end of filming, when people are tired, you still go, ‘Wow’. You never get tired of it.”
— Indian Summers returns to Channel 4 tomorrow night at 9pm.
Go: Malaysia
GETTING THERE: Malaysia Airlines is the only carrier to offer a twice-daily non-stop A380 service. Return flights from Heathrow to Penang are from £670 per person. See or call 0871 423 9090.
STAYING THERE: The G Hotel in George Town has a great rooftop pool. Ten nights room-only at the 4-Star G Hotel including flights from Heathrow on September 21 is from £1,053 per person. Visit or call 020 8705 0107.