Penang has made it into the list of "15 Best Islands In The World To Retire On In 2021".

After Malta and Mallorca, Spain, Penang, which is also known as Pearl of the Orient, came third.

Bali in 9th place, Kuh Samui, Thailand in 10th place, and Phu Quoc, Vietnam in 15th place were the other Asian countries listed.

Also in the list were, Ambergris Caye, Belize (fourth place), Ireland (fifth), Roatan, Honduras (sixth), Isla Mujeres, Mexico (seventh), Isla Colon, Panama (eighth), Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic (11th), Crete, Greece (12th), Cozumel, Mexico (13th) and Caye Caulker, Belize (14th).

In an article published by Travel Awaits on Saturday, expert contributor Kara Williams started by saying that "if the idea of retiring to an island complete with sandy beaches, salty breezes, and a laid-back lifestyle appeals to you, the folks at International Living have you covered".

Williams said the list was curated by "in-the-know professionals" who have been covering overseas retirement trends for decades.

The criteria for its top 15 were the ability to live a simpler and quieter life without breaching the bank.

Williams described the former British colony in Penang as a place of diversity and welcomed North Americans with English being spoken widely on the island.

"If you're eager to travel in retirement, having Penang as your home base makes it easy to fly to many other countries in Southeast Asia.

"This island also appeals to foodies, with its plethora of food stalls, prominently found in the main city, George Town, as well as adventurers who like to hike, dive, and snorkel," she had said.

She nevertheless described Malaysia's My Second Home (MM2H) programme, a generous retirement visa, as suspended temporarily as a result of the pandemic.

Travel Awaits described itself as 'the 50+ traveler ready to cross a number of items from their list.'

While on his Facebook page, Yeoh Soon Hin, the State Tourism Committee President said that "Penang ranks as the world's third and Asia's first."

In November last year, International Living, a website that covers world retirement or relocation opportunities, named Penang to be one of the "11 Best Islands for retirement abroad."

Penang's Assam laksa was included in CNN Travel's list in October and June of that year, while George Town made it on the list of "The Top 10 Destinations for Digital Nomads" by citing high living costs, large co-working facilities, free Wi-Fi, and friendliness respectively.